Grateful Heart

 

"Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart."

- Lucius Annaeus Seneca -

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Hello, Dear Friends, I've been thinking of you

and want to let you know how grateful I am 

for all of your kind words and sweet visits

over these many long years. 

I started blogging in 2011, and have had the privilege

of connecting with so many wonderful people. 

It reinforces my belief that the world 

is still full of kindness and generosity, 

despite news to the contrary. 

xx

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;

They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

- Marcel Proust -

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As we approach Thanksgiving, I've been thinking 

about gratitude, and how, sometimes we 

can take so many things for granted. 

I think it is important to remember, 

'But for the grace of God, go I'. 

xx

 None of us are entitled to our blessings.

They come with a responsibility to honor 

them with reverence and grace, and to have compassion towards 

those who would dearly love to have 

the very things we so easily take for granted.  

xx

"For each new morning with its light, 

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, 

For love and friends, 

For everything Thy goodness sends."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson -

xx

We've had the prettiest sunrises this month. 

Since we have turned back the clocks, 

I've been awake to witness them! 

Although sometimes, I do go back to sleep! 

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Beautiful roses from my dear daughter, Heather. 

xx

"When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, 

everyone is blessed."

- Maya Angelou -

 

My sweet sister-in-law, Donna, 

sent me this little dish 

for my birthday. 

The heart at the top of this post 

was also from her. 

xx

You can see her charming garden on my side bar. 

I added the dish to my fall vignette.

My dear daughter, Jennie gifted me the little plant. 

It seems to like it here with a bit of morning sun. 

Donna also sent me this cookbook holder. 

I hung it next to the stove. 

That weird little thing underneath is a digital temperature gauge. 

Lately it has been cold at night, in the 30's, 

and there has been ice on the deck in the mornings. 

It warms to about 50 degrees during the day, though. 

I recently went to a flea-market with 'the girls'. 

I spied this vintage Bauer pitcher and 

my sweet daughter-in-law, Jen bought it for me

as a birthday present. 

I found lots of treasures, and the girls bought most of them 

for me! 

I will share them when I decorate for Christmas. 

xx

They also took me out to lunch. 

Love my girls. 

xx

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts

are conscious of our treasures."

- Thornton Wilder -

The cedar trees have carpeted the ground with golden needles. 

Not only does it look magical, it fills the air with fragrance. 

xx

"For my part, I am almost contented just now, 

and very thankful. Gratitude is a divine emotion:

it fills the heart, but not to bursting; it warms it,

but not to fever."

- Charlotte Bronte -

Maple and cottonwood trees in their full glory with

little puffs of mist from the river that runs through the valley. 

Wing-nuts on the big maple tree by the deck. 

Our native Douglas squirrels love these. 

It's so fun to watch them scamper back and forth 

along the tree limbs, chattering at one another 

and scolding the dogs. 

Can you see it? Look on the lower left limb. 

They are tiny - a little bit larger than a chipmunk. 

We had a big storm last week which blew all the pretty leaves down.

(The evergreen branches belong to a cedar tree directly behind it).

The storm also blew a 'small' tree down next to it, 

which hit the deck rail with a loud, 'thump-thump'

at 2 a.m. which woke us up. 

Miraculously there was no damage except to an old 

half barrel below the deck which was crushed. 

xx

"O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart

replete with thankfulness."

- William Shakespeare -

This is how it looked in all its splendor. 

This is a 'Big-leaf Maple' tree. 

These trees have leaves that can grow a foot wide. 

They need lots of room and are native to Washington State. 

I've had to sweep the deck several times. 

The dogs wait until I make a nice pile, 

then they race through it! 

They get a running start, then they slide into it! 

It's hilarious. 

xx

"If having a soul means being able to feel love

and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off

than a lot of humans."

- James Herriot, 'All Creatures Great and Small' -

xx

I bagged all the leaves and stashed them by the compost. 

The Mr. pokes holes in the bags, then adds two or three

 shovels-full of dirt. 

Eventually it will make wonderful leaf-mold for the gardens. 

We have several of these large maples and have to rake the leaves 

off the gardens or they will smother the plants. 

We use them on woodland paths 

to keep them from getting grown over. 

Nature's recycling! 

Afternoon light highlighting the golden trees 

amidst a sea of evergreens. 

xx

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which

every man has plenty; not on your past 

misfortunes, of which all men have some."

- Charles Dickens -

Charlotte in her web. 

Aren't spider webs amazing? 

Tree mushrooms on a dead hemlock. 

Big Leaf and Japanese maples. 

Pretty views on my way home from the grocery store. 

xx

"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 -

Majestic black cottonwood trees against blue skies. 

xx

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which 

he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."

- Epictetus - 

xx

"The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated."

- William James - 

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I appreciate you, Dear Friends. 

xx