Valentine's Day Blessings,Grateful, Thankfuls

 Oh! if it be to choose and call thee mine,

Love, thou art every day my Valentine.
~Thomas Hood (1799–1845), "For the 14th of February"


Cold and snowy February
Does seem slow and trying, very.
Still, a month made gay by Cupid
Never could be wholly stupid.
~Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron, "February," A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband with Bettina's Best Recipes, 1917


Muse, bid the morne awake;
Sad winter now declines:
Each bird doth choose a mate,
This day's Saint Valentines...
~Michael Drayton


I claim there ain't
Another Saint
As great as Valentine.
~Ogden Nash, Happy Days, 1933

Thoughts on Saint Valentine and the celebration of Vanetine's Day. Hop over to Aw...Mondays and say hello. 

Snoopy always has good thoughts for everyday. So count your blessings, add up your grateful choices and celebrate your thankfulness. 

L O V E is the very greatest gift of all. Always remember it.  Get some good rest, wake up refreshed and filled with a new hope for a new day with many kindnesses in your path. Take care and hopefult o be here again. 

Tea Time: Blessed, Grateful, Thankful

 You know how much I love tea. It has kept me warm and happy the past few days. I am preparing to get under my covers and get more rest today so I am brewing a nice cup of Sleepy Time Mint Tea.

I am very blessed to be warm and safe and sound.

I am very grateful to have hot tea to drink at my leisure.

1 am very thankful for all the good gifts God gives to me each and every day.

Rest well everyone. Have a beautiful and blessed new day. Hoeful and prayerful that we will be together tomorrow. Sweet Dreams.

 

Snoopy on Blessed Grateful Thankful

 

Snoopy is "Retired". He was tired yesterday and he's tired again today! I get tired more easily in the winter. I guess I am related to bears who hibernate.

Snoopy and Charlie Brown are counting their blessings. Are you?

Charlie Brown and Snoopy have grateful hearts. It is the very best way to start and to end your day.

I think Snoopy is wise. He knows what is important. I hope you have many thankful moments this week. I know I do already.

Have a blessed night and I pray we meet here tomorrow. Sweet Dreams from Snoopy, Woodstock and Me too. 

Blessed Grateful Thankful

 

Feeling very blessed as I am working on finishing the office/junk room that needs to simply be an office. Going to work hard tomorrow as well. Snow is in the forecast and it does not look like it will leave anytime soon. 

Grateful I have so many little projects to complete. I need to get back to my encouragment group. I see the list of those needing encouragement and I have many beautiful cards I can send. Nick getting so ill got in the way the past several months.

Happiness is not a state of mind. It is a state of being. Happiness comes from thankfulness. I prefer it and hope to continue to be thankful in all I Have and I do. 

This is a beautiful quote attributed to Julia Roberts. I am not much of a celebrity watcher but I do love these words.

Going to rest in warmth and comfort while I pray for those less fortunate. I will never understand how we allow people to be out in the cold. Something in our world is wrong, terribly wrong. I wish you a good night's rest. I pray we are here tomorrow to say hello and share some humor or laughter or enjoy a virtual hug. Peace and Love to you .

Snoopy for Thankfulness, Gratefulness, Blessed

 

Charles M Schultz even wrote a Snoopy & Charlie Brown book on thankfulness. They do not make great stuff like this anymore. No matter how you feel, BE THANKFUL!

Snoopy and Charlie Brown can help me feel GRATEFUL for all I have and all I do.

Don't forget to always count your BLESSINGS!

Balance Sheet of Life

 The most destructive habit .................Worry

  The greatest joy.................Giving

The greatest loss..................Loss of Self Respect

   The most satisfying work.................Helping Others

The ugliest personality trait...............Selfishness

   The greatest "shot in the arm":................Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome.................Fear

   The most effective sleeping pill.................Peace of Mind

The most crippling failure disease...............Excuses

   The most powerful force of Life..................Love

The most dangerous act.................A Gossip

The world's most incredible computer...................The Brain

  The worst thing to be without..................Hope

The deadliest weapon................The Tongue

   The two most power-filled words..................." I Can"

The greatest asset................Faith

   The most worthless emotion.................Self-Pity

The most beautiful attire..................Smile!

   The most prized possession..................Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication..................Prayer

   The most contagious spirit.................Enthusiasm

Life ends when you stop dreaming

   Hope ends when you stop Believing

Love ends when you stop Caring

   Blessed to be here each day I have left to live

Grateful for all the beautiful people surrounding me

   Thankful for each day of sunshine and enjoying all the four seasons our state has to offer.

Enjoy your evening and have a good restful night. I am hopeful we will all be here tomorrow. 

Words to Ponder

 "The few own the many because they possess the means of livlihood of all...The country is governed for the richest, for the corporations, the bankers, the land speculators, and for the exploiters of labor. The majority of mankind are working people. So long as their fair demands ---the ownership and control of their livlihoods---are set at naught, we can have neither men's rights nor women's rights. The majority of mankind is ground down by industrial oppression in order that the small remnant may live in ease. " Helen Keller, 1911

Helen Keller was a remarkable person. She overcame so many disabilities to be one of the finest people in the 20th century. She is one of those people who has always been on my list of strong willed women and "Heroes".

I am thinking Helen Keller must have been thankful for Anne Sullivan . Because of her perserverance, Helen Learned to communicate through reading and writing. I am sure she was grateful for all the talent she was given by the grace of God and hard work and I imagine she was blessed to know how loved she was to millions throughout her life time.

Sleep well, sweet dreams and praying for another tomorrow so I may see you here. 

 

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed

 Thankful:

1. To be alive

2. Thankful to know love

3. Thankful to spread Kindness

4. Thankful for health

5. Thankful for Warmth 

6. Thankful for Food on my plate

7. Thankful for Pets

8. Thankful for Rest

9. Thankful for Peace and Quiet

10. Thankful for loved ones related to me or not

Grateful:

1. Grateful to have a roof over my head

2. Grateful to enjoy laughter

3. Grateful to be able to offer a helping hand

4. Grateful to enjoy music

5. Grateful to love without expecting anything in return

6. Grateful for Laughter

7. Grateful for Children

8. Grateful for Transporation

9. Grateful for  learning new things each dy I live

10. Grateful for living without fear

Blessed

1. Blessed by my faith

2. Blessed by the kindness of strangers

3. Blessed by living where I can experience the four seasons

4. Blessed for many simple chores that give me something to do

5. Blessed for shoes to keep my feet warm in the winter

6. Blessed for all the sunshine I feel on my face

7. Blessed by each friend I have made here

8. Blessed by a faithful and kind spouse

9. Blessed by seeing my grandchildren often

10. Blessed by good neighbors

I am truly thankful, grateful and blessed for my ability to read and write. We often take such things for granted. 

Love to each one of you that takes a moment to stop by. Hoping to see you tomorrow. 

Great News from Prayers and Praise for the One Who Answers us

 Psalm 17:6 “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.”

Prayer often takes time to be answered and other times it is quick. We know this from many sadnesses in our own lives. We know sometime an answer arrives quickly and sometime it is day by day and seems like a slow process. But God does it all in HIs own time. 

This pretty little lady turned a whole month old. She is growing and her mom and dad are grateful for the support they have received. Especially the prayers.  She is a sweetheart of a girl. Just ask her daddy:

She is tiny like a petite loaf of bread. Her daddy loves her with his whole heart. She is the one thing that was missing in their big phamily of rough and tumble boys.  Andrew needs continured prayer. He holds it all together while Tarrah heals and gets her treatment for dialysis. She is now on a special diet which helps her with the treatment. Ella needs continued prayer too. They are all so appreciative. 

Thanks to everyone who prayed for Jeremy & Brittany too. They did get the home they wanted. We are very excited for them. They are going to be able to have the extra room they have been needing. The kids will love it. 

I believe  prayer can accomplish much when we pray with grateful hearts.

Every morning when I rise up I thank God for being here one more day.  God is so good.

I love this observation. I also love rain. I do believe those clouds cry all those raindrops when they become too much to carry.

Hoping you are all resting and dreaming of many wonderful things. I had a very nice dream last night. Such a sweet blessing. It was a dream filled with kindness. Hoping I will see you here again. 

Wacky Wednesday

 

Today was truly a Wacky Wednesday! Now I need to find a copy of this Dr. Seuss book. Let me back up a bit, my wackiness started Tuesday night! I felt kind of blah, long busy day, tired, more things to do than I had done. So I took a couple Tylenol. Except I am not a fan of the caplets, as they are so big and can gag a person at times. I took them and immediately felt like they were stuck between my throat and my stomach! Aack!  I spent my night tossing and turning. Around 2:30 in the morning I felt nauseous and could feel that Tylenol taste stuck in my throat. Yuck! So I sipped water and sipped Peppermint tea and fell asleep again until 7 A.M. My head still hurt, from lack of sleep. So I rested. I never turn the T.V. on during the day so that was a plus for me. But I tune in to a contest on the radio. No phone, no radio, ti was heavenly. I rested until ten o'clock. I prayed, I was thinking about different things I Had to do and I used my zero gravity option on my bed. I am not the type of person to carry my phone around as if my life depended on it. So I enjoyed much needed peace and quiet.

I ate soup and took my time getting my ahower and getting dressed. I even made a batch of good old white rice since my tummy was now upset from the Tylenol. This soup is a google image from  Soup. Now I may have to try this recipe. Around noon the hubby called and asked if I put the check he gave me in the bank. Uh-oh! Nope, I had not so I raced out the door thinking I would go to the drive up banking window and take care of it. I had some recycle so I grabbed my recycle bag, my phone, Purse on my shoulder and check in my hand. When I got to my car, the phone was gone and so was the check! I raced back to the recycle bin. There was my phone sitting on top of the recycle I dumped. Good thing I rinse containers, cans etc. but no check. I went back to my car, tore through my purse, nothing! Ran to my recycle bin. Halfway down the bin was that check staring up at me! So my wacky day really had begun!

\

Finally my new Brooks sneakers arrived. I was a bit upset because earlier the mail carrier left my hubby's pair on the porch None for me! So when I returned from my errand I waited patiently for these to arrive. I do not think you want to hear about the trip to the gas station after the bank. I will just say the stupid card reader was not working and it said go inside!  I did not feel up to running in there as I would have to grab my mask, my purse, you know this drill. Nope, just cancelled it and drove home. Which is really where I had planned to spend my day.

I found this google image that exactly spells out my thoughts about taking time for yourself. Turning off your phone or staying away from the radio or any one or thing that will ruin your relaxation. I am planning to deem Wednesday my TLC Day! You should join me and you can pick any day you want !

GRATITUDE/GRATEFUL:

As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessèd world. ~Terri Guillemets


THANKFULNESS:

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~G.K. Chesterton, A Short History of England, 1917

BLESSED:

O, money can't buy the delights of the glen,
Nor Poetry sing all its charms:
There's a solace and calm ne'er described by the pen
When we're folded within Nature's arms!
~James Rigg, "Nutting Time," Wild Flower Lyrics and Other Poems, 1897

Has this ever been you? I suppose today was just a warning about the other days like this one. Ha Ha Ha! I love this and I have actually done things like this.  I did get my bathroom sparkling clean today. That was a major accomplishment after my recycle incident.

Proverbs 16:20 

Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20 ESV 

I love the image the author used to convey the message of this verse.

Rest well, enjoy some sweet dreams and hoping to see you again tomorrow. I am feeling so much better than I did last night. No more Tylenol caplets for me! I had a full day so I am ready for a good night's rest. Hoping your day was filled with thankfulness, gratefulness and blessings.

Excellent News

 

Excellent news today!Here is Ella with her first bow. It is bigger than she is but not for long. She weighed in at 3 lbs. 1 oz. and was moved from the ICU NICU to the regular NICU where she can now learn to be a baby. She is growing and she is smart and moving along as she should be. We are so thankful. Grateful for all the prayers and very blessed go have this girl in our phamily. This girl is a little warrior princess.

Joy is not in things, it is in us. Charles Wagner

Sleep well and have some sweet dreams. Hoping to enjoy your company tomorrow too. Thank you for beinghere. 

Thankful and Grateful and Blessed

 January 13, 2021

Thankful that Tarrah was able to see Ella last night. Baby girl was still very  out of sorts due to having been put under for the surgery but hopeful for cpap instead of being on the vent. Prayers.

Tarrah seems so happy . I think she is grateful she is able to be up a bit to see her baby girl. Prayers so appreciated. 

Grateful the surgery for Ella went well. Grateful for kind nurses taking Tarrah to see her girl late last night. 

Blessed to have these people as part of our phamily and so thankful for Tarrah, she is a wonderful mom and wife.  Thankful Ella is strong and mighty.

Grateful for prayers.

Blessed for all of you in my life. Thank you for being with us.

Today was a strange day. Windy and cold. The sky was odd, even the dogs waned to rush back inside. Rain expected. Trusting God has a plan for all of this strangeness. 2021 is starting out where 2020 left off. C'mon Jesus, waiting for  you. Here are verses 1 to 3 :

Psalm 2

1 Why do the nations conspire[a]
    and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break their chains
    and throw off their shackles.”

 Food for Thought: If you do not read the bible, you are missing this world here and now being played out before your very eyes. It is like watching a mini series halfway through. Go to the beginning and start, listen and learn. 

Spoiler Alert: God wins!

Get your beauty rest. Have some good dreams and rest well. I hope we are here tomorrow for another blessed day.

Thankful and Grateful and Blessed

 January 12, 2021

Thankful for another day. Grateful for good news regarding Ella and Tarrah. Blessed that God is good. He answers prayer, in His own time.

The drain was placed in Ella's head today to release the pressure and fluid build-up from her brain bleed. She did great and is slowly waking up since she had to be completely put under. They took a good amount of fluid and this should help her move forward. She is now over her birth weight at a whole 2 lbs. 12 oz.!! Tarrah says it is so hard not being with her but so great to sell her growing. She has comea long way in the past two weeks. She can not wait to snuggle this swett little girl.!

Tarrah is still in ICU. Praying she will downgraded to a regular room soon so she may see Ella in person.

Thank you for the comments, the prayers and thank you for just being here. God is so good sending so many good people to us. I Look forward to the day to snuggle this little girl, longafter her mom and dad have had a good fill of her and could use a break, maybe five minutes? Thank you again.

I wish the world would be kinder. Often people give kindness only to those they like. It is quite sad how instead of moving forward our country in particular is going backward. This verse is one I keep close to me because I often fight those feelings too. Someone makes you sad or angry. But instead of lashing out we all should try kindness. Forgivness. Feels you with gratitude . Hate fills you with bitterness. I think about all these things often. Living can be a struggle. So much happens and sometime you can not stop the clock and than regret sets in. Life is hard, pray harder.

Goodnight, sweet dreams and rest well. Keep kindness in your heart so you have much to spread during your day. Thank you for being here for me and my phamily. You are appreciated.

PEACE and CALM VS. CHAOS and HATRED

 

 Peace and Calm are becoming extinct. Chaos and Hatred is filling the streets of our country. In the words of my late mother PRAY HARD!

1. Find one thing to be thankful for. 

2. Be grateful for something you have that keeps your sanity in check.

3. Be blessed that you have even one person who cares about you enough to make you not feel sad or alone.

I think of and pray for the homeless everyday. I can not even begin to imagine what it is like to feel so alone. But these times are changing and unfortunately not for the good of our country. We see the grocery stores hiking their prices, small businesses will be gone and only corporate owned businesses will survive. It is reminiscent of what our parents told us during the Great Depression. We listened, the younger people today have no desire to hear the sad stories of yesterday. I took to heart each story I heard from my loved ones. I am so grateful I had them and feel so blessed that I am aware of what is happening before my very eyes. My dad always told me I would live to see this and he was grateful he was old and would be no longer here. I know how my parents believed and I feel secure knowing they have reached their eternal home. I just hope I can stay on that same path so I am able one day to see them again. 

Keep Tarrah, Ella and Nick in your prayers. Praying Mom and Baby are going to get well and Ella is going to gain her weight needed to go home hopefully by Springtime. Nick should be able to head back to work next week and life will be what it is to be.

My father always said, God willing, we can do this or that tomorrow. He was and will always be the smartest man I ever knew.

In the words of my sweet 90 year old friend Bea, get your beauty sleep so you wake up refreshed. Enjoy the SONday. We are caught in a snowy, cold night so we are grateful for our warm bed. We are thankful for the roof over our heads and blessed to have heat for now.