Gratitude - Five on Friday

1. Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, 

but the parent of all others

- Cicero -

Hello, Dear Friends, with Thanksgiving
just a week away, I wanted to share 5 quotes
on the subject of gratitude
with some thoughts of my own.

Gratitude is truly a way of life that
does not come naturally.
We are born in a state of want.....
this allows our needs to be met as infants
when we loudly express our desires.

As we grow and learn the virtues of
courage, faith, hope, wisdom, justice,
temperance, and charity,
we first must learn gratitude.

2.  As we express our gratitude, we must never forget
that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, 
but to live by them. 
- John F. Kennedy -

We learn gratitude by experiencing.

We feel gratitude when we overcome an obstacle
through courage.
We learn gratitude when we overcome a seemingly hopeless
situation with faith and hope.
We experience gratitude when we get justice.
We gain gratitude when we understand
that all experiences result in wisdom and temperance.
And we give gratitude when we understand
the meaning of charity.

3. True forgiveness is when you can say, 
"Thank you for that experience."
- Oprah Winfrey -

We also learn gratitude through adversity.
When we can come out the other side
and find the lesson.

We often learn gratitude by experiencing
the exact opposite of each virtue.
We sometimes learn the value of each
when it is lacking.

We learn to cultivate and appreciate that which
was not given.

Love, compassion, understanding, hope,
justice, temperance, charity.

We sometimes learn the value of these things
when we have not been given them,
but with wisdom, seek to cultivate
them in our own lives.

4. Cultivate the habit of being grateful for 
every good thing that comes to you, 
and to give thanks continuously. 
And because all things have contributed 
to your advancement, you should include 
all things in your gratitude. 
- Ralph Waldo Emerson -

Our past might be bittersweet,
but with wisdom we learn
gratitude for the lessons we have learned.

We move forward with compassion
for those experiences in our lives
because we received the gift of gratitude.

These lessons illuminate our lives
and help us move forward
to a happier future because we have
used our experiences to learn and grow
with gratitude.

5. Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you 
kneel to say your nightly prayer. 
And let faith be the bridge you build
to overcome evil and welcome good. 
- Maya Angelou -

When we live in gratitude,
there is little room for
vice.

It is difficult to feel envy, greed,
intolerance, selfishness, self-pity,
hopelessness, or lack of faith
when you are in a state of grace.

When you have a grateful heart
you open the door....

To the power of wisdom, faith, hope,
courage, creativity, compassion,
and love.

It is not happy people who are thankful.
It is thankful people who are happy.

xoxo

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving,
Dear Friends!

I will be taking a little break
next week, but will see you soon!
xoxo
Today I am linking with:
Love Made My Home - Five on Friday




xoxo

Cottage Love with Good Fences

Isn't this the most wonderful 'cottage', Dear Friends?
The 2nd story glass looks out onto the roaring Pacific Ocean <3
The blue doors are the perfect touch.

I hope you have been well
these last few days.
Thank you for your sweet visits.
I enjoy them so much!

We have had stormy weather
after our lovely snowfall, with heavy rain

and high winds that have brought down

trees and caused considerable flooding

in many places, here in Washington State. 

We lost our electricity for a few hours
 the evening before last,

but we had no damage,
although many were not so fortunate
and my heart goes out to them.

I've been staying close to home, 

so I thought I would use photos from 

our recent trip to Seabrook, WA

for 'Good Fences' today.

Come along with me (and my trusty Nikon camera)
 and we will take a peek at some pretty little fences

and a few pretty cottages, too. 

The shingled cottage with the blue trim was our rental. 

You can see how weathered the fence is

along the walking trail by the row of cottages. 

This area by the Pacific has fierce weather from

November to April. 

A great place to 'storm watch' in winter,

but lovely in every season. 

This fence frames a unique porch

and balcony with interesting detail.

I love how these cottages
are painted in sea colors. 

Here we have cottages with
a 'white picket fence'.

I particularly like all
the windows
trimmed in white.

The black inner trim on the windows
above the garage are a nice touch.

This rustic staircase has a colorful
collection of buoys.

The hanging gate is a nice touch.

I like the rustic board inner fencing
and walkway, too.

This beautiful house has a lovely Nordic feel
with its red siding and white trim.

More buoys line the neat fence.

More buoys! Love the pink shoes! <3
(And the street light)

It's good to know we're headed in the right direction!

xo

A charming street corner.

I love the balconies.
Notice the 'Widow's Walk'?

A pretty fence.

So many wonderful architectural details
on every cottage, like this cupola on the roof.

A little surprise.....

Or two! This beautiful fuchsia
blooms in a protected alley
at the end of October!

Friendly front porches.

The cottage to the right is newly
constructed with stickers still on the windows.

A picturesque grouping.

I love the first cottage with
 the pretty pane windows.

Another view.

Don't you love the street lights?

Painted bicycles on a hill. <3

Not sure what this is all about....
a stand alone gate with a missing 'tooth'.

Wonderful walking lanes.

The fence around our rented cottage.

A unique latch.
(The board lifts up)

Time to go back inside.

Thank you for coming along, Dear Friends!

I hope you enjoyed this walk as much as I did!

xo


Today I am linking with: The Run*A*Round Ranch Report - Good Fences



Won't you join the fun? 

First Snow (with Comfort Food)

We woke up early Sunday morning

to our first snow. 

I was so surprised,
as it was not forecast! 

So was Kai! 

He kept running over to the window

and looking out curiously. 

He was finally brave enough to go outside, 

stepping gingerly, 

but soon he was running

and sliding, and having a good time! 

Whitey Bear was not as excited :) 

Ling Ling and Maggie looked out disdainfully,

 then waited until the bed was made

to express their opinion of the situation. 

I certainly enjoyed the sugar frosted view, though! 

Everything looks prettier with a little sparkle! 

Including these little beauties. 

(Steller's Jays)

It's safe to say that we won't be dining out..... 

It's a good day for home-made 

Chicken Pot Pie !

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies are nice for dessert. 

A little crocheting by the fire.
(Something for the Grand-baby :)
xo

Small comforts.

As the late afternoon sun melts the frozen world,
leaving the cottonwood glowing,
we pray for peace in this troubled world.
xoxo


Thank you, Dear Friends for all of your lovely friendships.
It makes this world a much better place.

xoxo

Today I am linking with: Julie's Lifestyle - Cooking and Crafting with J&J