Thankful Me

I love autumn, and I love apples!  This salad comes together quickly, and takes advantage of wonderful fall fruit and nuts.  

Autumn is the season of Thanksgiving, and this week I've noticed many things for which to be thankful.  Here are ten: 1. The beautiful sunrises.  Probably due to many years of reading children's books to my kids, when I see a sunrise, I often recite in my mind:  "It is the morning of a new day.  The sun is shining.  Little Bear gets out of bed."  I'm not sure if that I quoted that verbatim, but Richard Scarry's character always greeted the new day with a smile.  I'm a morning person, and feel the excitement of each new day.  2. Lunch with friends.  Every month or so, a group of about ten of us meet for lunch.  Our paths don't always cross between our get-togethers, but we pick up where we left off.  We've supported each other through illnesses, deaths, weddings, children, and grandchildren.  We usually laugh, we sometimes cry, and I know I can count on these women.  3. Ability to welcome unexpected house guests....

I recently created a book of memories for my parent's 50th wedding celebration.  In reading the remembrances that my children, nieces, and nephews wrote, I realized that one common good memory they have is of spending time working with Grandpa and Grandma outside in their yard. 

Have you ever seen a close-up photo of an object, but you couldn't identify what the object was until seeing another, more-zoomed-out photo?   Of course, with the blurriness of this photo, it's no wonder it is unrecognizable. Do you recognize the yellow middle section of this flower?

Time to pick a peck of peppers. Anyone have a good rose hips recipe?  These are HUGE. I didn't get a good photo of the bumblebees, but they love this plant. It's nearly harvest time for pomegranates. Thanks for the changing weather, and harvest time.

As I've mentioned once or twice, my parents recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary .  I wanted to give them a gift that would be meaningful and personal, and I'm happy to say that it is finished.  

I can't claim credit for this idea, and unfortunately, I don't remember where I first read this recipe.  (If I read it on your blog, please let me know, and I'll put in the link to your site!) Are you swimming in zucchini?  Is your freezer stocked with zucchini bread?  Have you put grated zucchini in all of your favorite casseroles?  Have you thought about just wrapping zucchini in bacon?

Sunday marks 50 years since my parents' wedding day.  It's only fitting that this week's Ten Things of Thankful highlights gratitude for their marriage.

I had every intention of posting yesterday, and then again today, but life is . . . well, I was going to say, "happening," but isn't that the point?  Anyway, everything is fine, and I'll share one of my projects later.  If I've missed reading or commenting on your blog, don't worry, I haven't forgotten you.  Thanks for the many good things we can do with our time.

I found fresh figs in last week's produce box.  (I subscribe to a produce delivery service that supports organic farmers in my state.  It's always exciting to see what is in each box.)  The figs prompted this recipe.

I loved August; I had so much fun vacationing at Yellowstone with my family, attending BYU Education Week, and running a 10 K race at Disneyland.  I told myself that as soon as the Labor Day weekend was over, I'd get back into a routine.  Then oldest daughter got a job (hurray!) and I spent the week helping her move to Utah.  This past week, however, I have finally felt like my days have a semblance of order.  This week, I'm thankful for the comfortable ebb and flow of my days.

I enjoy old photos; I've even been known to purchase photos of strangers.  I've just discovered a pinterest board that could provide hours of amusement--dangerous, I know!   This just begs a story, doesn't it?  Maybe sometime. . .

Last Thursday, I addressed the idea of why my friends and I can disagree and still remain friends .  Today, I came across this video that explains the importance of maintaining religious freedoms, regardless of our own religious viewpoint.  It's worth a look.   Thanks for religious freedom.

Though the shock of 9/11 comes readily to mind when thinking about the attacks that happened over a decade ago, today I am shocked by news I received yesterday. A month ago, our neighbors moved away.  They had been renting, and they moved when they bought a house.   We did not know them well, but we would say hi, and we caroled to them at Christmastime.  She was 6 months pregnant with their first child.   I learned last night that due to a health problem, she passed away a couple of days ago.  An emergency c-section to save the baby was also unsuccessful.  My poor former neighbor has gone from the happy anticipation of a new phase in life, to the loss of those dreams.  Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers, and consider getting to know your own neighbors better.   Thanks for the power of prayer, and the strength that can come through community.

I do have some talents, but to keep this blog positive, let's just say that keeping my blinds looking great is a talent I'm still in the process of developing.   Remember guide dog puppy Reno?  Well, when I was raising him, he occasionally would look out the front window, and one time (probably about a year ago!), he broke one of the slats of the blinds. 

I love autumn.  I know it's still technically summer, and it still feels like summer, but I decided to fix an autumn dinner today.  It's simple, inexpensive, and filling.

 I've just returned from Utah (again).  My home is getting emptier, and though that brings mixed feelings, it's time for 10 Things of Thankful, so we'll focus on the positive:  1.  I'm thankful for laying chickens, and the beautiful range of colors of eggs. The "white" eggs are actually a pale blue/green. 2.  I'm thankful for beautiful sunsets. The view from my backyard can be truly spectacular.  3.  I'm thankful for John, who not only indulges my desire to move the piano into a different room, but also provides the manpower necessary to move my behemoth of an instrument.  (Did I mention that we needed to move it up and down a step?) The piano moved from under the girl-and-goose picture on the left. . . . . . up and over the parquet flooring, and down to its current position. 4.  I'm thankful that I have a strong body, and can assist John with tasks like piano-moving.  There's no way it could have be...