30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 5: Place

When thinking about a place I am thankful for, several places came to mind. One place I have visited three different times now kept coming back to me as I contemplated today's prompt. In Orlando, Florida, a little over 1,400 miles from where I reside is "the happiest place on earth." I am, of course, talking about Disney World.

Disney was never a vacation destination for my family when I was younger. So when the first opportunity arose to go while my daughter was just 8 years old, I was more than a little excited--not only for my daughter, but for myself as well. Mickey Mouse and the gang in addition to the Disney Princesses were the hit of the trip and a princess makeover was on the list of things to do as well.

Thinking this would be a once in a lifetime trip, we also managed to incorporate several off-site shows, Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, and Universal Studios into the mix. However, just two years later, we would get to go again. That time my daughter was big into the Hannah Montana show and her Miley makeover was definitely included in the experience. In 2013, Disney World would be on our radar once more, and this time, the American Idol Experience was one of the many featured attractions we made sure to take in.

Each visit to Disney World was different and each was memorable. There is definitely something magical about being at Disney and enjoying all the incredible moments and amenities that are unique to that special place. Seeing the castle is one of those highlights that take your breath away. And the end-of-the-night fireworks display at any one of the parks is beyond words and unable to be captured on film as accurately as seeing it in person.

I am so grateful for not only getting to go to Disney World once, but having the opportunity to visit on three separate occasions. None of those trips would have been possible without the planning and knowledge of my cousin, Beth. Beth was employed at Disneyland when she lived in California, and she has researched and gone to quite extensive lengths to put together a package of outstanding travel tips and advice for anyone wanting to go. Her Disney Travel guide is available for a small fee and is well worth the price if you follow her expertise on cost-saving planning.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 4: Favorite Snack

"Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" Matthew 7:9 NIV

God bless M&M's! You know?! They are the perfect snack food for chocolate lovers.

While the Mars Company, I think, may have taken the flavors and types of M&M's a little too far, nothing beats the plain candies! With the seasonal color options that are available, the holiday recipes that include M&M's are so festive.

I admit, however, that I no longer am able to eat a peanut butter M&M. The reason for that is because I overdosed on them one time and ruined any future we might have had together. [On a side note, my husband's favorite flavor of M&M is still not the crispy M&M's.]

The peanut M&M's are okay, and I will eat them if there is no other chocolate in the house, but I prefer the plain. Give me a bowl of popcorn and a bag of plain M&M's and a romantic comedy in my cozy place and I am in favorite snack heaven!

Having a favorite snack is like having a cozy place...it's comforting and familiar; and for those of us who don't like to step out of our comfort zone, it suits us to have both.

This autumnal time is reserved for a special snack. By combining plain M&M's with peanuts and candy corn, you will have the most addictive, sweet and salty snack ever made. I am currently on my fourth batch of this mix for the season!

Being thankful for my favorite snack just reminds me that I am ever so grateful for any and all food I am able to put on my table.

I recently saw a cute DIY gift idea on the Holiday Corner Facebook page. Fill a jar full of the red and green Christmas M&M's and attach the following poem printed out on card stock with a fancy border:

M & M Christmas Poem

As you hold these candies in your hand

and turn them you will see

the "M" becomes a "W", an "E", and then a "3".

E is for the East where the star shone so bright.

M is for the manger where the baby Jesus slept at night.

3 is for the wise men bearing gifts, with which they came.

W is for the worship, Hallelujah! Praise his name!

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 3: Cozy Place

For todays thankful prompt I will refer you in part to a post on this blog from June of 2014. 

My cozy place I am thankful for is also my favorite place to sit and relax in my favorite room of the house...so naturally I have written about it before.

What makes this place I am thankful for a cozy place? It's familiar.

What makes an old broken couch in a small cluttered room a cozy place? Sitting there is quite predictable actually. There are no surprises in my cozy place.  It puts me at ease, and does not create stress.

It's a place I can go and relax and feel safe, and I am grateful to have a place like that. 

I have napped in my cozy place. I have even slept through the night in my cozy place.

My cozy place allows me opportunities to journal or read or watch television. 

Setting up a tray in front of my cozy place, I can dine on takeout while watching any FRIENDS episode. 

In my cozy place, I can hear what's going on in any other part of the house and know what the noise is, where it's coming from, and who is making it. 

From the warmth and security of my cozy place, I can gaze out the windows and watch the wildlife in my yard or monitor my elderly neighbor as she weeds the flowers around her house. 

By just looking out the window from my cozy place, the weather or perhaps the time of day can be assessed without ever glancing at my phone.

Other functions of my cozy place can include but are not limited to: a spot to rest or recuperate if I've been ill, or a place to do my crafts like my rug hooking, or the chair where I can sit and talk on the phone.

During the Christmas season, I can relax in my cozy place in my pajamas under a blanket and admire the glow of the twinkle lights on the tree while listening to carols.

At the current moment, I have my laptop in my lap typing this blog post while sitting in my cozy place.

I am very grateful for my cozy place and do not take it for granted. I appreciate the fact that I do have a place I can call cozy when the winter winds are whipping or the heat and humidity of a sweltering summer day keep me inside. This cozy place that I am thankful for is a cozy place for all seasons, and for that, I am extremely grateful.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 2: Animal

BEWARE OF DOG! ... for he will leave lasting paw prints on your heart!

I will forever be thankful for the love and companionship our Golden Retriever provided. We adopted him in the summer of 1998 after moving back to Iowa from Missouri. My son who was just turning nine, was a fan of the "Buddy" movies wherein the dog ends up being a member on various sports teams--the first one in the movie series was basketball-themed and titled "Air Bud." So, of course, our dog's name would be Buddy!

Since this Buddy was AKC registered, we listed his name officially as Buddy O' Love. (You see, another favorite movie of ours at that time was "The Nutty Professor" with Eddie Murphy where the professor's second personality was named Buddy Love)...guess you can deduce already that we like to watch movies in our house! Even though Buddy had Golden Retriever papers, we unfortunately never met his parents (a mistake I won't make a second time if and when the time comes that I want to adopt a dog again). With his darker red coat and longer nose, we always felt Buddy must have been part Irish Setter. Whatever he was, he was definitely a smart and unique creature, and my son loved him very much.

Our Buddy O' Love was born in July 1998, so he was still a young puppy when he became part of our family; and like most puppies, he chewed on EVERYTHING...sometimes even my very last nerve. He also barked at everything incessantly! But he also faithfully gave us his full attention and sincere affection that kept us from being mad at him for very long.

As you can see from the video above, Ross and Buddy were inseparable. The bit where Ross is on roller blades with Buddy pulling him down the sidewalk was nearly a daily routine for the dynamic duo, and the neighbors took great delight in watching the spectacle. I cringed everyday wondering if my son would take a tumble and be dragged for several hundred feet or if they would not get stopped in time and careen out into oncoming traffic at the end of the block.

A simple game of fetch or a more strenuous rope tug-of-war or wrestling play were Ross and Buddy's favorite pastimes. Ross would not allow the 'puppy' inside of Buddy to ever grow up.

Ross and Buddy attended a dog training class as part of a 4-H project early on, and Ross received a trophy for most improved dog handler. When my son moved to Texas after attending community college, Buddy went with him. And when Ross later moved to Northern Minnesota, Buddy moved back in with us and became my companion for walks and car rides and just sitting and watching movies.

In his senior years, Buddy lost most of his hearing. He never lost his trust and love for us; however.

After his passing at the ripe old canine age of 15, we all delighted in sharing some of our favorite memories of our beloved pet...

"He would howl longer than any other dog in the neighborhood when the noon siren blew."
"He once ate a half of a bag of chocolate candy."

"He once ate the middle out of a sour cream cake that was cooling on the counter (which we later frosted and served at a family potluck)."

"He devoured $100 worth of groceries...in the form of a supermarket gift certificate LOL."

"He stuck his nose up the judge's skirt at an obedience show."

"He could roll around on the ground just right to undo the clip on his rope setting himself free."

When Mary was little, she was asked what kind of dog she had, to which she replied, "An Orange one."

"There was a time when he could heel, but in his later years, he really just wanted to get places quicker."

"He was deaf as a post, but his smeller still worked."

Pets do indeed become part of the family, and Buddy was no exception. It was heart wrenching to watch as he became more and more feeble, and I could not imagine ever going through that again.

Two years have gone by since Buddy left us to cross over the Rainbow Bridge and I am now at the point again of contemplating adopting a dog. I guess if you've loved a dog once, you could love a dog again.

30 Days of Thankfuness - Day 1: Person

As my daughter said to me...there are so many people I am thankful for, how can I possibly pick just one to write about? She is so right! I have a veritable village of wonderful individuals I am most grateful for being in my life--whether it was/is for a season, a reason, or a lifetime. There are also those friends/family members/foes who have been strategically placed in my life to challenge me. I suppose I must also hold an appropriate amount of gratitude for those people as well as they have helped me to grow in ways I may never quite understand, but at the very least, they help me appreciate the others in my life that much more who do not constantly test my patience and warmheartedness.

The obvious choice for me to begin this November 2015 writing/photo challenge, however, is my mom. November 2, 2015, marked the one year anniversary of her passing. We honored her memory in ways I thought would be appropriate and meaningful with balloons, a rose placed on her grave, and cake to name a few. But the sharing of our special recollections were by far the most significant.

Describing my mom using the adjectives caring, kind, and compassionate just don't seem powerful enough somehow. She was so much more. She took compassionate to the next level. She was genuine in how she showed concern and made each person she got to know believe they were the most special and loved person on the planet. Her caring spilled over into a whole ministry she intentionally and deliberately created and maintained. Through cards, letters, Facebook messages, and phone calls, she encouraged and built up everyone she encountered. She made the world around her a better place kindly lifting up and inspiring everyone to be better than their best. Even through her own physical frustrations and worries, she unceasingly prayed for all she knew and continued her countenance to anyone that needed it.

Perhaps for me, I am most grateful for the fact that Mom never tried to make me be anything other than who I already was. That somehow doesn't really make sense to verbalize it like that. But, her unconditional love and nurturing let me know she was proud of me for me. I didn't have to get better grades, or go out for any other extracurricular activities, or achieve any higher status. I didn't have to be someone I didn't want to be to be liked. I didn't have to lose any weight or gain any weight. Wearing makeup or donning a particular color or style of clothing was not going to change the way she saw me. I am so thankful for her support and inspiration of just being me.

I guess that is one of the many things I miss about her. Of course, I miss the sound of her voice, her laugh, and the gentle way she coaxed conversation with me when I was upset. I long to see her smile and the way her eyes pierced through to my soul. But honestly, I miss the way she made me feel about myself--that I am enough just the way I am. No one else can seem to do that. I could tell my mom anything and everything, and frequently did. Her absence has left a huge void--a mom-sized hole--that no one else is capable of filling. Mom taught me so much...except for how to get along without her.

I am eternally grateful for the years I had with her. The example she set and the joy she radiated were contagious, but also hard to live up to. I so admire her fortitude, but so often fall short when it comes to serving others in my own life. There are so many people missing her. I always think I must miss her the most. But the lives she touched are too numerous to count, and I know many miss her as much if not more than me. I know it is not a competition, but if it were, I would rank in the top five I am sure.

Mom's father (my grandpa) shared many of the same qualities, and I know she mirrored a lot of his mannerisms. I may never know how to inspire the way they both did, but I will strive to feel Mom's presence and maintain the love in my heart that I felt while she walked this earth.

Thank you, God, for my Mom...a gift I will treasure until my dying day.

May-flowers and Pilgrims

April Showers brought May Flowers and Pilgrims.  

Okay, there were no pilgrims, but I did find a Plymouth Rock paperweight when I was going through my mom's things! I actually found a number of paperweights.  Does anyone really use those anymore? Mom always had them on her desk--or in later years, her counter top, to hold down/flatten/secure the postage stamps on letters she was preparing to mail. Like some people collect shot glasses or playing cards from their vacations as souvenirs, my mother would purchase a paperweight to commemorate a special trip.

In and around sorting, cleaning, donating, shredding, hauling boxes to the auction house, and unearthing treasures that would trigger memories and/or produce some tears, May was filled with running my daughter to her various theater and music activities. I did, however, squeeze a couple bike rides in with my dad, help with a graduation party or two...and...oh, yeah...my sister got married!!

  

I am especially proud of a couple shots I captured right in my own back yard after an all day rain...

To recap the past 90 days, I guess this blog has become a monthly update; I have lost interest (or basically just don't make the time) in the Instagram app; but I continue to make two daily posts to the Facebook Scripture Picture Moments page I created in April.

As long as I keep taking photos and challenging myself to focus on the finding the image that sparks joy, I am keeping the passion alive. 

Scripture Picture Moments by Deb - A Tribute to my Mom

On April 20, as we were driving to Colorado, I came up with an idea for a Facebook page. This new page would not only utilize my love of photography, but it would also continue a mission my mom began with her daily Facebook posting.


About:  "My mom shared scripture on her Facebook page everyday.  It is my intent to continue what she started using my own photos and creating this page in her memory."


The name of the page is Scripture Picture Moments by Deb under the page category of "Just For Fun."

As of April 30, I have 108 "likes."  Most of those likes occurred within the first four days!!

On my personal Facebook page, I have been posting a Bible verse first thing in the morning like my mom had done.  I update the Scripture Picture page twice a day with what I like to call picture uppers. I try to space out the posts updating the page around 1 p.m. and again at 7 p.m.

As a testimonial for my new page, here are some of the comments I have received so far:

"What a great idea!  I can't think of a more perfect way to honor your mom's memory."

"These are just beautiful!  You have so many talents, and you use those gifts to serve the Lord!"

"Love the idea and inspiration."

I even had a friend request that I create a picture using one of his favorite verses.


Lately, I had been praying about how best to use my gifts to serve the Lord.  This page seems like a good way to start, and I feel like my mom would approve.  She always encouraged and supported my photography endeavors quite frequently requesting that I make my pictures into note cards that she could send letters on to friends to show off my skills.

Whenever possible, I will attempt to take new pictures everyday to use.  However, I may also reach into my archives of favorite photos to create the daily image inspirations for this page.  

And, now, without further delay, here are some samples from my page...