Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving ranks number one in my list of favorite holidays. It's a mellow, relaxing day for my family, one we all enjoy.
This year the turkey was exceptionally tasty and moist. Perhaps it's because I basted it every hour with a melted mixture of butter, olive oil, thyme & rosemary? Nephew Finn peered through the oven door window and asked, ''Auntie Sue, why is there grass on the turkey?"

Cooper's first Thanksgiving included being pulled in a little, red sled Grandpa bought specifically for him. How convenient that we still had snow on the ground!

Another first for Cooper was meeting his cousins, Finn and Willa. He had many admirers that day.

I spent the day after Thanksgiving at home. No early morning, black Friday sales for me! I put my house back together and took a loooong nap by the fire. Bliss.....

Arctic blast

The west side of Washington state remains in the icy clutches of an early winter storm. Folks in the metro Seattle area were stranded for hours and had to abandon their cars on the freeway when the roads became impossible to navigate due to the snow and ice. Due to the infrequency of such storms, we simply lack the resources to cope with severe snow and ice.

We fared well, though! No power outage, no trees down, nor did the gate mechanism at the facility freeze!

This morning, I dressed warmly and ventured out into the winter wonderland. No sooner had I filled my bird feeders than the birds appeared, making happy noises. (Either that or they are scolding me because the feeders were empty in the first place.) The sun is out and the snow is glistening!



I spent last weekend 'fussing'. Glynn and I host Thanksgiving dinner and I do my best to get organized ahead of time so I can enjoy the day, too. Part of the preparation involves decorating the house. If it wasn't for Thanksgiving dinner at my house, I would be one of those people who take down Halloween decorations and begin decking the house with Christmas spirit. Alas, I must keep Christmas toned down so the 'harvest arrangements' stand out!

I went ahead and set up our Christmas village so my nieces and nephew can fuss with it.


I hope Santa remembers where he took off his boots last year....

I've finished a little project I call my gratitude journal. Recently, I listened to Dr. Amen who wrote, 'Change your Brain, Change your life'. Amongst much good information about how to improve our health, he tells of how simply being grateful can change one's outlook on life. Even while enduring hard times, there is always something to be grateful for, he says. Dr. Amen challenges us to daily jot down five things to be grateful for. By day 20, we should feel a positive change in our mental health.

Here is my gratitude journal with an entry from this morning wherein I expressed my gratitude for the beautiful snow!


I won't blog again until after Thanksgiving.... I wish you all a warm, happy and tasty holiday spent with friends and family.

I wish every young adult, whether male or female could comprehend the following conversation found in the movie, Nights in Rodanthe.

"I love Jack because he's your father", says mom to her daughter. (Mom and Jack are separated.)

"But there's another kind of love. One that gives you the courage to be better than you are, not less than you are.

One that makes you feel that anything is possible.

You can have that. Hold out for it. You deserve it."

I am called....

Today, I passed a box of Kleenex across the counter to a man who had crocodile tears coursing down his cheeks. His mother, whom he had been caring for these past years, has died.

I own and manage a mini storage facility. It's not a glamorous job. It's certainly not high-profile. I have plenty of down time and days when boredom seeks to overtake me.

I daydream about working a job that involves heart-to-heart interaction. Perhaps working for a charitable organization such as 'Doctors without Borders' or CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). Perhaps I'm 'in the trenches' volunteering at an orphanage or working with a social services department.

Then, I have days like today when a tenant removes his mask, bares his heart, and shares life from his gut. I can listen, without judgment or agenda, and show understanding and compassion.

I'm reminded all over again that I am called no matter what I do.

And for today... it's enough.

This and that

Last weekend we celebrated another birthday at Kim's house. Mom turned 41, again! These are a couple of pages of a little 'Happy Birthday' book I made for her.


Here is mom holding her great-grandson, Cooper.

Here is a head shot of Cooper! (I'd show more but then it would ruin the surprise as it is part of a Christmas present...)

The iron, mini-storage fence is quite ornate in the early fall as spiders spin their webs which glisten with early morning dew.

Yes, we sustained minor damage from Monday night's terrific windstorm. The windows you see mark our bedroom. Notice the huge fir trees standing close by? I couldn't sleep that night while listening to the wind howl through these trees. I was certain one would blow over in the storm, crashing onto the roof directly above MY side of the bed, turning me into a pancake.


I am determined to learn some new techniques to use in my paper art. Here I used gesso to mute colors, ink to distress edges and yellow polka dots made with bubble wrap.

Lastly, my completed yo-yo pillow. I began this project in 2007. I do not know why it took me 4 years to complete!

love in a cup

Just as I prefer a milkshake made by hand from a genuine milkshake maker (complete with actual scoops of ice cream), I prefer my lattes made by a barista who uses her knowledge and skill rather than pushing a button on an automated espresso machine found in many coffee shops.

I have a favorite coffee shop in Olympia located across the street from the Farmer's Market. It's called 'Dancing Goats Espresso' where one is served lattes with heart.

Literally.

sore throat

Yes.... this would be me, fighting a cold all week.....