Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends Combined again...

 Good Evening my dear friends! Thank you all for so many sweet and thoughtful comments on my previous post. I am trying to get around to either replying or visiting you on your posts...little by little I am getting caught up...well, sort of! Sometimes I think we all need to take a breather and not write for a day or two so we can get caught up on reading! But I know we all have things we want to share, and if we wait too long we'll forget what they were! LOL.  I do appreciate you each and every one!

Let's see, what's happened since I last wrote to you (yesterday!)  Well, no more UFO sightings here...so that's a good thing.  But we certainly did have a gorgeous sunset this evening:

Amazing almost like fire dancing in the skies above Still Waters Pond...

And even the sun was reflecting on the clouds in the east from our front vantage point. We were surrounded by bright and beautiful skies...an evening gift from our Creator.

While I was out walking around the yard and into the area we call the "Memorial Garden", I couldn't help but notice the red holly berries getting redder and redder...preparing for the winter season. The birds and squirrels are already enjoying them...

It was a lovely evening on Still Waters Pond

There are many of these bright yellow wildflowers blooming all around the pond. They were closing their petals for evening prayers...

So I came back inside and thought it was time to sit down and write to you and share whatever else has been happening...

It has actually been a much more peaceful week than last week. I am very thankful for that.

Little by little the fall items in Dixie Cottage are starting fade into the background, and little bits of Christmas are starting to appear here and there. These tiny little paper houses were created by one of our vendors. The detail is amazing. This particular vendor donates the majority of her profits to local charities.  She also creates beautiful stained glass pieces.

I am impressed by the abilities and patience of the people who share their talents with us...

They can take simple things like small pictures or paintings and put them in refurbished frames or add other special touches to make a lovely grouping of items and end up with beautiful accent pieces for any home...

Again, I have to control myself to keep from wanting to take these things home with me. However, I may be able to do some Christmas shopping here...

But speaking of taking something home with me...well...this happened today:

I may have mentioned HERE a couple of weeks ago that I was tempted to take this little chest of drawers (nightstand, really) home with me and put it in my guest room.   

Well, lest you think I gave in to temptation, let me explain!!

This morning my son said that he was going to just take this little chest home and probably give it away because it hadn't sold and it needed to be repainted or something else because its shabbiness wasn't too chic! Anyway, I said, "Well, if you're just going to give it away, then could I have it?"

And he said, "Sure, take it!"  I asked if he wanted me to pay for it, and he said, "No, if you want it, it's yours!"

Well, you can bet I didn't hesitate one minute longer before he changed his mind. I asked him and my hubby to please go put it in the back of our vehicle right away before someone came into the store and wanted it! LOL. 

And so here it is in the guest room, ready for the next visitor.  It is taking the place of the two little wooden night stands that my son built for our guest room in our previous home, because that room was so narrow that anything larger wouldn't fit. 

Click HERE to see a picture of the other nightstands.

In exchange for this little chest, I gave my son back the two nightstands he had built, because they really were too small for this room. He will either sell them in the store or do something else with them. 

So now you know the rest of that story!

Tonight I am very thankful for our family, and the way the Lord is blessing in so many ways.

Life does have it's challenges...there are many discouraging moments along the way, but God is always there to encourage us and give us hope and peace of mind when we need it most.

I am thankful for my health, and not taking it for granted. I have some aches and pains and "issues" that I must deal with on a regular basis, but nothing serious or life threatening, and I give God the praise and glory for His kindness and mercy and grace.

Philippians 4:11-13 sums up how I feel pretty well:

"11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Good night dear ones.

Be blessed...