Gratitude of simple pleasures

 

Feeling so content and blessed in front of the fire my love made watching the early morning sky turn baby blanket pink and blue sipping hot hazelnut coffee from my purple cup and petting Hope our border collie – passing this contentment onward

 

 So cozy

I enjoyed a slow-moving morning with my book and coffee in front of the fireplace watching the colorful sunrise

 What fun when my book is so good I don’t want to put it down AND I have the time to do just that!

A good book is such a pleasure – I don’t remember not being able to read I went into kindergarten at 4 reading

 

 Having been to Paris a couple of times made connecting with this book deeper

Travel is so much fun! So grateful we can and that we do it!

This was our 1st time in Paris 2017 Celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary!

What an experience!! This was taken just before we went cruising

down the Seine at night…

What a unique memory – cruising down the Seine in the darkness, seeing magical Paris and getting a picture of the lit-up Eiffel Tower with the moon 

” God and man at table are set down…”

Nature’s colors! Bruce and I are always drawn to nature. We were watching the sunset in Hydra (Eedra) Greece sharing a grilled salmon sandwich for dinner.

Color! Athens Greece

Hydra (Eedra) Greece – may such a display be a page from a book of mine someday…

Some of the last flowers from the garden

Tasty and healthy food – a typical lunch for me

We’ve been together for 50 years since I was 17 and he was 20 and he’s still so romantic

Bruce called me to come see the bunny in the garden

 I called Bruce to come see the stunning sky with me

My husband brought me these last flowers of the season from our garden…

 

This is what 50-year-old love looks like

Hope is the 6th canine companion in this 47-year-old marriage – 1st border collie. For us, a dog is part of our full lives.

 

 

 

When the morning sun first touches the frozen earth and plants it’s a glittering fairyland, much more splendid looking than can be captured in a photo

The peacefulness we are blessed with this time of the year is not taken for granted. When only the sounds of nature are heard – it is heaven.

 Our friends Dennis and Erin came over to help celebrate my birthday. We laughed over trading travel stories, ate cake and never got around to playing Wii or dominoes.

 Our son gave me a beautiful planter for my birthday to put in our garden that I will enjoy for years and he wrote me this lovely letter…my heart

 

Part of the spectacular 2 dozen roses our daughter and her family sent me for my birthday, which are in front of the window with our splendid mountain view. It was such fun to get flowers delivered from across the world, to our tiny mountain village!

Celebrating Veterans Day in our little mountain village where it felt good to be greeted by and hugged by so many friends

I love where we live!

Autumn is my favorite season here

 

Our little church

 

 Begin the day with thank you…

 

YES! If you are reading this you are literate, have electricity, internet – I bet tasty food and more than adequate shelter are a given…what else?! Start each day with a

Thank You.

 This morning before the church service started, I asked a friend who is a very recent widow, how her week went being back in the classroom with her preschoolers.

The tears flowed. “I’m glad I have help in the classroom because I don’t have control over my emotions. I cannot do Thanksgiving.

I am angry. I have nothing to be thankful for. But the principal is giving me whatever I need. I can do as little or as much as I can do.”

 “Lisa! ” I hugged her. “There is a lot to be thankful for right there! The school, this community, this church – we all care about you!

Keep showing up and do what you can do Lisa.”

 She was nodding through her tears..

Do what you can do to use this day wisely.

What can I do to be a blessing…

Seriously – the time will pass anyway. What is your purpose?

 Be Blessed.

 Be a Blessing.

 

 

What are some of your ‘simple blessings’ you are so grateful for? If we aren’t grateful for our blessings, we might as well not have them.

For us, it’s experiences not stuff that make us happy!

Thoughts?

 “Walks in nature are hugs for my soul.” Julie A R Stephens
julie@handsbestrong.com

Living in the Mountains

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