Short Story Long

I originally wrote this at the beginning of January, but was unable to upload a picture without using a third party software.  I'm thankful that seems to have been a temporary requirement.    Let's start the new year off with a tradition of thankfulness.  From the Thanksgiving chain in 2023: hymns my grandma sang thankful for loving family Zeph handwritten letters gardens good teammates Charlie Brown cartoons walks Brock Grandpa Caitlin falling leaves lasagna Noah wool Evie Eli Jaden Luke Mom good neighbors sky Kyla Avery God's grace Nana Italians Trung Hot Wheels wind through the leaves candy camp stool coffee carmelle apples Santa neighbors Zeph Jeremy steak & rice changing colors coffee & a book in the morning Karen's sense of humor my job time in prayer time to pray our nation grace old friends music health Christmas lights dinner with loved ones Sonya days off yarn God's love fall leaves pasta sandwiches our wonderful family crunchy leaves under foot be...

Some of the things my people* were thankful for in November:   water caffeine birds of prey prayer the Bible grapes family snow on rooftops roast love Elon Musk art my Fender PJ pink & orange sunsets yarn piles of leaves going to the mountains hot cocoa friends key lime pie great friends my job family and friends football seared green beans books imaginary numbers sleep first cup of coffee clean sheets X-Files stew good vegetables 1 month of school left cold gray day people to talk to autumn sunlight on leaves humpty dumpty animal crossing Christmas lights plaid holy days Christmas *My people include several different dinner guests and friends who regularly hang out.  I take no responsibility for items on the list, but I was glad to see that 'friends' and 'family' regularly made it to the list.   We had a nice, long chain this year, and more cards than the last few years to hang upon it!  

(I started this post in September, but here at the end of October  mid-November, we still have summer plants alive in the garden - hollyhocks hanging on!)  That is to say, it was a beautiful albeit hot summer at our house, and I happily look back on all the blessings of the season.   Family and friends visited, we had some lovely peonies, roses and other flowers; we went rafting and fishing and drove to the Northern Woods; saw the World's Biggest Dilly Bar, hockey stick, a beautiful stave church, and a couple of homes that Grandpa lived in when he was a kid.  We had a windy, smoky picnic with old friends, and lots of laughs with great-aunts and uncles.  We visited The City, and farms, and cemeteries and so much more.   We're in a new season of life; nothing bad, just different, and a little busier.  A lot less knitting, but still knitting.  Morning by morning, new mercies I see.  

In a previous year, I posted our list of things on the Thanksgiving chain, and I enjoyed revisiting these as I typed them up.  So I decided to do it again.  Some items were written by guests and I don't know exactly what they mean, but they do, and God does.   spending time with Mom Shalom Hill the smell of dry leaves fresh ingredients my puppy rent free room Kanye West pasta :) soda roasted potatoes coffee dads who are fun mothers grandparents Rachel friends parents cold mornings leaves crisp apples coffee & toast cozy blankets mac & cheese big hair Blue Oyster Cult snow chili wood smoke colors CAnDY family fading light of day Clarence snuggly cats Dad love nose food Breanna family that believes in God laughter clear blue skies Indian summer God the A-Team hanging with Eli Qdoba my beautiful GF Zeph los cheese candles sunset falling leaves sunrise God's grace grandparents Jesus youth group candles puzzels leaves Zeph Lazz Nico fresh ingredients home cooked ...