My sense of humor

I am ever so thankful for my sense humor. It has gotten me through many tough times in my life. Since coming to the Lord it’s gotten even better I think – I’ve got the joy of the Lord in my heart.

There aren’t too many things that really bug me. Sometimes I’ll say they do, but really nothing lasting or worth loosing sleep over. And usually I end up thinking “well that certainly wasn’t worth getting my underwear in a bunch over!”.

I’m glad I can laugh at myself. I hope I always remain humble enough to do that! Yesterday was the perfect example.

We all went out for Thanksgiving dinner, buffet style at a local restaurant. There were eight of us – two kids, two adults and four seniors. We had a lovely time going around the table telling of our favorite Thanksgiving memories while we ate. Dare I say the 90-year-old “gal” seated next to me had the best stories; she has a remarkable memory and is incredibly spry for her age. Unfortunately her body has grown tired way before her mind ever will.

Anyway, when the bill came my husband took care of it, and while we were getting up to leave he was checking the receipt in his hand. He leaned over to me and said, “oh, you’re not going to like this.” My first thought was that maybe they had accidentally over charged us for something. No. They charged us for two kids, one adult and five seniors! I seriously said, “oh, I wonder which one of us they thought was a senior – ha, ha, ha…..oh! it was me?” My husband gave me that grin of his and raised eyebrow look as if to say he wasn’t the one with the gray hair!!

Needless to say everyone pouted with me for a second and then we all had a good laugh. Especially since our server was young enough to be my daughter!

Yep, nothing like keeping me humble! Gotta go, I think I hear AARP at the door

Rest

Yep, sort of like as in Whistler’s mother. I get to sit a spell today. Did you know she initially stood for that painting but then had to sit down due to her frailty. That little tidbit has absolutely nothing to do with anything here.

But I am thankful that today we’ve decided to go out to eat so I can rest from the crazy food flying day it usually is. (Nice segue huh.) Oh I know, it’s so unorthodox to not have Thanksgiving at home. It’s probably disappointing my mother-in-law the most because she loves to slave over a hot stove cook! But with none of us too crazy about turkey it’ll all work itself out. Ironically we’re eating at a buffet that has turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes….

Also, we’re a small family, nothing like Rockwell paintings. I wish it were. No need to make apple pie. Yep, the apples are still in the basket – well actually the fridge, the ones in the basket I made into home-made apple butter this week. The house smelled wonderful all day while it cooked down in the crock pot. However, I did pick up a cheese cake to have with coffee in the afternoon.

So were hanging up our stirrups and kicking back appreciating all that we have to be thankful for today. And with all the talk of Whistler and Rockwell…well we’re spending Thanksgiving with our own local family painter my father-in-law. I think he wants me to shoot of portrait of him in black & white. So maybe after I get all the necessary releases signed, yada, yada, yada, I’ll have to post it here – oh yeah, handle bar mustache (hence why we call him Grandpa Mustache!) and he wears a beret too!

Here’s hoping everyone has a blessed and wonderful time remembering and thanking the Lord for all they have today with family and friends around the Rockwell table. Could you please pass the cranberries?

Gratitude is the memory of the heart

-French Proverb

I have to say this was mildly freaky to do this to this photograph. But I got to thinking of all the Thanksgivings and Christmases spent without my parents. I truly do not remember our last holiday together as a family. Isn’t that sad.

I don’t have a very good memory unfortunately. My brother can remember going to a movie with an older friend when he was 4! I called my other brother when I wanted to know how much I weighed at birth – he was 15 when I was born. Me? I can’t remember what I had for dinner 3 nights ago! Sometimes I can’t remember what I was thinking 3 minutes ago!!

I am grateful for photos I do have that either stir my memory or stir me to think I remember what happened. I’m a little amazed that in a family of photographers I don’t have very many photos of Christmases. Trips seem to have been a higher priority. I just had almost 2 hrs of super 8 movies transferred to DVD. Sadly my Dad shot more scenery than people.

Hmmm? That sounds familiar. I shoot a lot of stuff. I do take shots of the kids, I just don’t post very many. But that was sort a goal for myself this year to take more people pictures and try to work around the uncomfortable-ness  that people usually feel when a camera is pointed at them.

So I’m thankful for the memories I do have of my parents through photos and experiences. And thankful I take as many photographs as I do of my family today. Since I have a mind like a sieve it’s a good thing my camera is more like a steel trap!

Comfort

Grateful for a cup o’soup. Easy cheesy broccoli soup, so glad I froze some when I made it a couple of weeks ago! When it’s cold and rainy this hits the spot!

Run out to get the ingredients now, I don’t care what time it is! You will thank me!

Easy Cheesy Broccoli Soup

1   Lg bunch fresh broccoli
2   t. salt
1/2  t. pepper
2  cubes chicken bouillon
1  cup butter
1  cup flour
1   Lg onion chopped
2  quarts milk (whole, half/half, or combo there of works well)
1/2   lb.  fresh grated American Cheese (Land o Lakes type, not Velveeta)

Chop broccoli into small pieces and steam until tender. Set aside. In a heavy 4 qt. sauce pan melt butter over low heat. Add onion and saute until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir well, I like to use a whisk, until mixed. Gradually add milk and stir over medium heat. When combined, add chicken bouillon, shredded cheese and cooked broccoli. Heat through, being careful not to scorch. Makes a very large batch, I halved it the first time.

I suppose you could cut back on calories and substitute some chicken broth for some of the liquid. I used 1/4 half/half and 3/4 2% milk and it was still so thick I groaned the entire time I ate it!!

Abundance

My youngest and I went for a quick walk around the block while my oldest was at his piano lesson last week. I say quick because the lesson starts at 4pm and that sun is already heading down by the time we get there!

I noticed these (White?) Mountain Ash trees in that neighborhood and was immediately attracted by the punch of color on an otherwise cloudy gray day. They look so strange hanging in clusters out on the ends of bare branches. I’m sure the birds spot them from long distances during the winter months.

Which had me thinking how grateful I am for all the abundance the Lord provides for me as well as nature. This summer we had so many cucumbers, it was great to share them with our neighbor who likes to slice them into his sandwiches.

Then on Saturday before heading to the Mall of America, Michele and I stopped at the farmers market. It’s pretty much just root veggies, Christmas trees and the last of the apples now. But it was still fun and had me wondering why I don’t get down there at least every couple of weeks during the summer months? It’s only 30 minutes away, if that! Note to self, make a point to make it down there more often next summer!!

More photos to follow as I work my way through and play with them.

Oh my aching back

Sometimes Michele and I do silly things. Let’s just say that in high school we coined the phrase, “We share a brain”. So thankfully, I think, neither one of thinks that somethings are too far-fetched to actually do. Of course in high school that got us into more trouble than I care to divulge here. But take Saturday for example. The frontier was the que line at the Mall of America.

This gal is Pioneer Woman. Need I say more? She wrote a cookbook, she was coming to a town near us, she was going to sign her book and we were crazy enough to stand around for *ahem* “awhile” to meet her.

She brought along her boy punks.

They were asked to sign books too.

She brought Marlboro Man too, who also did some signing and kept an eye on the punks.

Yes, of course. I bought the book, I stood in line, I waited patiently, I bonded with Michele (although sharing a brain is pretty darn bonded already), we laughed at ourselves for what we were doing, and now my back is still killing me.

But I am thankful, that sometimes I do crazy things just because I can laugh at myself later and that I have a crazy half brain friend that will stand around with me while we nearly wet our pants and starve and think there’s is absolutely nothing odd about what we are doing! Trust me – we’ve done sillier things!

Food

Today I’m thankful for seasonal food. I all to often take especially produce for granted. Looking forward to the tastes I forget about durning the summer months!

All the leaves are brown

But a few weeks ago they weren’t! They were wonderfully golden then!

So now, for your viewing pleasure something new and fun – yes of course – I’ve joined another group!! Look what we do for fun. I think you’ll be send over if you just click on this button>  

Mindfulness

D20:30G
mindfulness in seeing, hearing, and speech

Joy

Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile. ~ Sir Wilfred Grenfell

I sent some photo gifts in the mail and in the end, I think I received a greater joy than those who received