Happy Thanksgiving

It’s time for us all to remember to have an attitude of gratitude.  We have so many blessings in our lives, despite all the horrible things going on in the world today.  The news stations seem to have an endless supply of all the crazy and stupid things that people do.  I could go on and on about this subject because there are so many things that I have opinions about, as I imagine all of you do.  Sometimes we need to vent those feelings and using a blog to do so is a good way to do it.  There will always be people on both sides of any issue that comes to light because that’s just human nature.  We aren’t all alike.

But it’s Thanksgiving, one of the most important holidays of the year.  I want to look past all the allegations of sexual misconduct coming out in the news daily and all the ungrateful athletes and other people who dishonor the flag.  I really think this country pays these people more than they’re worth anyway and if they don’t like things here, or respect this country, they should go home.  If I was an owner of these sports teams they’d be fired in a heartbeat.  Where is the gratitude for all the blessings that all these people have?  Why did they want to come to the USA in the first place?  They have nothing to complain about because there are many people that are far worse off than they are.  I guess I’ll never understand their way of thinking.

We should all be grateful for the simple things that a lot of these people take for granted.  We have food on the table and a roof over our heads and warm clothing to protect us from the cold.  We have jobs and are willing to work for the small necessities of life.  There are so many in this country that are less fortunate than that. 

 This includes our pets too and not just the people in our lives.

As we sit down with friends and family let us all be thankful for the fellowship and the food we can share.  Nothing is for certain and next year can always be different than today.  None of us make it out of this world alive.  Let’s try to be nice to our fellow man while we’re here and can make a small difference in someone’s life. 

We were always taught growing up that things could always be worse and today I realize they can be.  I grew up on a cotton farm with my siblings and we did live in poverty at the time, although we all had each other and parents who loved us and we made the best of the situation we were in.  I don’t think any of us would go back to that time today, but we know we can make it if we have to and growing up like that makes you grateful for your blessings and more tolerant of things that life can dish out.

A pumpkin full of kittens

Go forth everyone and cherish this time with your family and friends.  Put your differences aside and be grateful for all your blessings.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.

As a side note, my father would have been 93 on the 22^nd.  But he passed away at age 55.  None of us knows how long we have in this life, so we should make every minute count.

Be thankful everyday for all your blessings

I really can’t stress this enough as we enter the frenzy of the holiday season.  Things may not always turn out the way we think they should but things can ALWAYS be much worse.  Most of us can see, hear, have our wits about us, walk around unaided, and drive to where we want to go.  All these things are blessings because there are many people who don’t even have these small overlooked luxuries we all take for granted.

I try to be mindful daily and not just during the holiday season when it’s more prevalent to think in this frame of mind.  We never know when some of these things will fail us down the road making us dependent on others for our daily needs.  My mother comes to mind.  She has dementia and is now living in a nursing home.  I always wonder if I’ll end up that way, but then I see people that age that are my co-workers and they are spry and full of life and have all their wits.  I would never know they’re as old as they are because there’s nothing wrong with them in mind or body, only gray hair giving them away.  So how did my mother end up with the short straw?

I don’t know what makes a person susceptible to dementia and then eventually Alzheimer’s.  I imagine the genes you inherit are partially to blame.  I make sure I exercise daily and use my mind to read, write, work puzzles, etc.  I’m too independent to end up at the mercy of others in my old age.  My mother is lucky to be well taken care of with lots of family visitors, but I still don’t want to see a nursing home in my future.

I’m always reading up on all the latest research I can find on keeping your mind sharp.  I don’t know of any other relative that had dementia so that leads me to believe that maybe it’s lifestyle that’s part of the culprit.  My mother had a rough life.  All of my siblings will agree with that.  I wouldn’t have wanted to be in her shoes for all the money in the world.  But she always made the best of the situation and instilled that in all of us.  Even in poverty there are good things and lessons to be learned.

Some very famous people also ended up battling this disease.  So maybe lifestyle is a wrong choice of words.  Look at Ronald Reagan, an actor and then our president who ended up with this and also Robert Falk, the actor who played Columbo in the TV mystery series.  I’m sure neither of them had to raise a big family on a remote cotton farm making due with the bare necessities of life.

So everyone out there be thankful for all your blessings however small they may be.  If you have your health, a roof over your head and clothes and food, what else do you really need?

Happy early Thanksgiving to all.  Please take time for this important holiday that seems to be overshadowed by Christmas this year.  The Yule decorations go up earlier each year.  It makes me want to scream, “What’s the matter with all you people?  How dare you put up a Christmas tree before Thanksgiving.”

I was in a thrift store last week and they had a Christmas tree covered with decorations and lights.  I was appalled and told the girl it was shameful to put that up before Thanksgiving.  She told me “everyone else does it” to which I replied. “Does that make it right?”  I guess I’ll never understand this way of thinking.

A ray of sunshine in the dark clouds

I’m still plagued by car problems and now hubby also has to have a windshield replaced in his vehicle.  It had a pit in it from his trip to Oregon in October and a few days ago it split all the way across due to the cold weather. We had to scrape a quarter inch of ice off the windshield before we could get on the road.

I just got my car back out of the shop again, this time for an electrical problem that the mechanic thinks is in the front door panel.  This could be up to a $700 repair but he replaced a fuse and so far it’s working.  I’m crossing my fingers it continues to do so for the long term.  The tech told me he didn’t know how long it would last, a week, a month or a year or longer.  There was no way to know since everything showed up fine when he scoped the car on the machine they use.

The ray of sunshine in all this is that the guy came to my house to get my car and take it to the shop about ten miles away.  That evening he gave me a loaner car that he delivered to my house at 8:30 PM.  I would like to know what other mechanic does this?  He made sure the car was an automatic too and had gas so I could get to work and back while he had my car in the shop. 

 This is the loaner car, which reminded me of a demolition derby car

 

Now I have to say this loaner car was like driving a tank and not the prettiest thing in the world but it was wheels and got me where I needed to go.  Beggars can’t be choosy, right?  Also the car was definitely a smoker’s vehicle.  It about knocked me over to stick my head in there so I emptied half a bottle of Fabreeze in the car and let it sit overnight so I could breathe driving to work and back. But again, beggars can’t be choosy.  I was extremely grateful he loaned me the car because he didn’t have to do that.

 This thing had dings everywhere and you could view the trunk from inside the car

 

Be thankful for all your blessings, big or small.  There’s always something to be grateful for, even when a dark cloud hovers over your head.

Happy Thanksgiving

It’s so important to be thankful for all our blessings everyday.  I’m glad there’s a day set aside to do just that. 

I know many times life hands us lemons, but that’s just part of living.  Heaven knows I’ve had my share lately, but I believe all these set backs make us stronger and we enjoy the good times more with those lemons thrown in there occasionally.  But remember, even when things are crappy, we all still have many things to be thankful for.  Think about this.  Many people in the world are in wheelchairs, deaf or blind, or impaired in some other way.  Perhaps they don’t even have clothing or shelter and little food. 

My heart goes out to all those folks because anyone of us could be in that position.  We should never take anything for granted in this life because things happen and these established things could be taken away in an instant.  We all have to meet challenges because that what life’s all about.  How we handle those challenges is what counts.

I have great respect for people who are handicapped and not letting it get them down.  They do the best they can with what they’ve got.  We could all learn from this.

So today, as everyone sits down with family and friends to enjoy a meal together, take a moment to give thanks for all we have.  We still live in a free country, so far, and can enjoy independence many don’t have.  We have the Earth’s bounty before us, a roof over our heads, a closet full of clothes and we enjoy the privilege to drive wherever we want to go.  Give thanks for your health because without that, you’re greatly limited and any endeavor is harder to achieve. 

Things can always be worse in almost any situation, so we must always strive to look on the bright side when dark clouds hang over our heads.  The storm eventually moves away and we’re in the light again.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone other there.  Be safe, healthy and happy.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is essentially a harvest festival and in that way is celebrated around the world, but at different times than it’s celebrated in the United States.  Canada also celebrates Thanksgiving, but they hold the celebration in October instead of November, probably due to the harvest taking place earlier because of cold weather.

I love this holiday and not because we get to pig out on various food dishes, but because it’s a special day to actually give thanks for all we have.  I think most people are so busy living their lives that sometimes we forget to be thankful for all of our blessings.

It’s nice to have a special day to get together with family and friends and enjoy a good meal and stories together.  Camaraderie and laughter is good for the soul and wonderful when you have others around to share this special day.  We can all be free of work (once the meal is ready) and can enjoy each others company until it’s time to clean up.  But this will go fast if you have helpers and they aren’t stretched out on the couch watching sports.

If you have pets, make sure you’re furry friends are having some turkey too.  It’s lean and good for them, as long as you remove any skin, bones, and spices first.  My cats love turkey cut up into bite sized pieces.  After all, they’ve smelled it cook all day.

So go and be merry and be grateful we have so much because there are lots of places in the world that aren’t as fortunate.

To read 20 fun facts about wild turkeys click here:

WildTurkey Species Trivia and Fun Facts

Reflections on 2013

Free Clip art

Life is full of happy times and times of conflict, work and play times, sad moments and joyful ones.  I prefer to look back on the best times, as I’m sure most of you do too.

I feel lucky in the fact that I got two trips this year, although neither was long enough, but isn’t that always the way it is when we’re having a great time?  But I won’t complain because there are many years I stay home and don’t go anywhere all year except to the grocery store, post office, pet store, and the herb store.  Yes, I’m usually writing and my life is that boring, although I don’t really look at it that way when I’m off on an adventure with the characters I’m writing about.

Seeing all my friends in southern CA was a great trip last May as I ran my legs off for the five days I was there.  I wore my husband out because he doesn’t like to go that much.  However, I don’t let any grass grow under my feet because I never know when I’ll be there again.  I have to make every minute count.

 Me and my friend Kara

 My friend Cec and me

 Me and my friend Bonnye

Me and my friend Sharon

Then seeing my family was wonderful in Sept.  Those ten days flew by.  I kept up the non-stop schedule there too because it had been four years and is likely to be four years again.  One never knows for sure where the future will lead.  There are way too many people to see and things to do in Texas.  As I mentioned earlier, I made every minute count.  I can sleep when I get home and that’s what I did.  I was pretty beat by the time I returned to the desert.  But if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.

My family (mom and siblings)

In the writing department, I did a little freelance.  Times are slow there, but I did finish the family book I’ve worked on with my little sister for the last ten years, so that was a big accomplishment.  More importantly, all my siblings were happy to get their copies as we all collaborated by phone on this from time to time, amid many laughs at our childhood recollections..  My mom loved it, which is so very important since she’s in the early stages of dementia now.

I’m working on the corrections for my first mystery novel with help from the nice gal who’s doing the edits for me.  Thank you.  You know who you are.  I also entered the NaNoWriMo again this year because I don’t know when to quit.  It’s hard for me to turn down a competition because it’s a challenge and I love challenges.  So I wrote the first 51,000 words to the sequel of the mystery being edited right now.  Aside from that, I managed to write 210 blog posts this past year, plus a lot of other scribbling, so I feel pretty good about my writing time.

I do have a large house to keep up and life to live aside from my writing life, which takes up a lot of my time.  Naturally, I didn’t read as many books as I wanted to, but there is only so many moments in a day.

All issues on the health front have to do with other family members and not me or my husband this year.  Living parents have problems that come with old age and there isn’t a lot you can do about that.  I have a brother whose health issues are usually a result of his own stupidity, but no one can really do anything about that either because he’s grown.  If it’s one thing I know, you can’t change the thinking of a grown person.

We lost another cat this year.  That was difficult, but I try to remember that we gave her the best life she could have had and I like to think she’s having a happy reunion with her friends in the afterlife.

Comet - the cat I lost

I look forward to a better 2014, hopefully with more peace in my life.  It is fruitless to ask for more time each day because that will never happen.  One thing is certain; it will be an adventure with moving in the picture.  We all know what that entails, lots of energy, boxes, and packing tape.  At least next winter will be warmer, I hope, and the summer won’t be 115.

I can’t say I haven’t enjoyed myself here because I’ve seen a lot of things over the last nine-and-a-half-years that I would have never seen if I hadn’t called the desert home.  The landscape here is awesome and the wildlife incredible.  There are national and state parks close by and an outdoor amphitheater I’ve enjoyed.  I’ve also met some new friends to keep in touch with and rescued my little baby, Koki, who is such a love.  I hate to think what would have happened to this precious darling if I weren’t here to take her in.  She is, by far, the best thing that’s happened to me while living here.

 Koki - my little angel

Thanks again to all of you who follow my blog and read my meandering posts.  They tend to get a bit long sometimes.  I appreciate every one of your encouraging words.  You inspire me to do better in my writing.

I hope most of you realize many of your dreams in the coming year.  I think the advice we writers receive is good advice for everyone.  Don’t ever give up on your dreams.  Always believe in yourself.  All the battles you fight will only make you stronger.  No one can ever take away your imagination and determination unless you let them.

May peace, happiness, and good health be yours in 2014.  First on my agenda will be a trip to southern CA after New Years to see old friends again and take advantage of the seventy-degree weather for a few days.  I can’t wait.  Love and good wishes to you all.