Children

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 13 - CHILDREN

When my girls were young, they had annual opportunities to get together with their cousins.  Being the oldest of the bunch, they generally spent lots of time preparing for the visit by planning activities, plays and craft projects for them all to enjoy.   Each of them has their own unique personality, yet they have always enjoyed being together so much.  They are now mostly grown and are even beginning to have CHILDREN of their own.  We don't get together much anymore either since distance and time get in the way, but I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again during the Thanksgiving Break.  Hard to believe how much time has passed since this picture of the CHILDREN was taken on one of our family vacations.

I'm so thankful to again have young CHILDREN in my personal life (I've always had them in my work life).  Marrying Ron made me an instant grandmother and I love it!!  It's becoming more and more fun as I get to experience their births now, too.     What CHILDREN are you thankful to have in your life?

Funny

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 12 - FUNNY

Humor is a bit like beauty:   What I find FUNNY, you might not enjoy at all.  I shared this on Instagram the other day, but as I was driving to work, I pulled up next to this truck.  In the bed of the truck were 3 tall wooden giraffes.  I have no idea where they were headed, but for some reason, it just struck me as FUNNY.

As a sort of inspiration for your photo-hunt today, here are some quotes about humor and FUNNY things.

Health

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 11 - HEALTH

It seems that the older we get, the more aches and pains we experience.  I used to roll my eyes as the conversations of mature adults revolved around their ailments, or the ailments of their friends.  But. . . now I'm there.  In the last few years, I have had both broken and sprained wrists, torn ligaments, a stress fracture, a broken toe, had at least one bout with vertigo, and well, you get the picture.  The list continues to grow.  My HEALTH becomes the focus of my thoughts more and more these days.  I've been very fortunate to not have suffered from any debilitating illnesses, like some in this group have, but I have visited the doctor more times than I would have wished.

These days, I'm trying to resume a regular running/exercise program as well as a more conscious effort to eat healthier.  I know that not only do I look better when I take care of my HEALTH, but much more importantly, I feel better.   (this little Doctor was writing out a prescription for me last week)

In what ways are you thankful for your HEALTH?   Do you have some regular habits you've implemented to be HEALTHIER?  Are there things you avoid to improve your HEALTH?

Bucket List

Whether or not it is actually written down on paper or just committed to your memory, I think most people have some sort of bucket list, things that they want to do "someday".  There are places to visit (Alaska, for instance), things to accomplish (run a 5K without stopping and learn how to use my camera in manual mode) and so many more things.

One of the things that has been on my "someday" list has been to take watercolor painting lessons.  I've experimented a little on my own, but until recently, had never had real lesson.  Last weekend, I had a chance to have my first actual class in watercolors.  It was held at my church through NCAP, our community arts program.  Originally, one of my friends was going to join me, but she was under the weather, so I decided to go it alone.  The class was designed to be an overview of watercolor techniques and not an in depth course, but it was fun.

We used alcohol, salt, straws, crayons and of course, paintbrushes to create samplers of the different techniques.

Then we were turned loose to create some sort of tree painting, using some of the techniques we'd been introduced to.  Everyone did something a little different.

 I chose to depict the four seasons with mine with a crayon resist for the winter tree.

For the other seasons, I used washes for the backgrounds and created leaves on the trees with dry and wet brush techniques.

Of course, one of the great things about art is that there really is no right or wrong to it.  Everyone had a chance to experiment with the different techniques and try their hand at a painting.

This was just a taste of watercolor painting.  It was fun and in a very short time, I learned enough whet my appetite to learn more.

Faith Symbol

30 Days of Thankful - Day 10 - FAITH SYMBOL

I was raised in a church and my parents instilled in me the habit of attending worship from a very young age.  When I was a little girl, I went because I had to, but once I became an adult, I found myself drawn back to the church on my own.  I have attended worship, served the community, taught Sunday School and chaperoned camp and mission trips.  Each activity has left some sort of impression on my life, and all along the way, my FAITH has been growing.  I'm one of those people that doesn't have a transforming "moment" or "event", but rather a gradual intensity and awareness of God's love and the sacrifice he made for me.  At some point along the way, I also recognized that rather than a one-way conversation, He wanted a relationship with me and as with any relationship, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

Over the years, my FAITH has become increasingly important.  There have been times when I felt it was ALL I had to hold on to, but I have always known that I was not alone--that I would get through the rough times and that someday I would be able to see the bigger plan that HE had for me.  I am not able to quote scripture at will and I certainly don't have it all figured out.  I still question and grasp for answers and explanations, but I know, without a doubt that God is bigger than the world I know and so is His plan for my life.  I am so thankful for that!

What FAITH SYMBOLS are most important to you?  What reminds you of the journey you have taken or the one that you are on?

Books

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 9 - BOOKS

What was your favorite BOOK as a child?  I loved the Nancy Drew series and read each and every one that our church library had available.  Then, I made my way through all the Hardy Boys BOOKS. When I was very young, I remember going downtown to the Shreve Memorial library and the Book Mobile regularly, particularly in the summer and recording every BOOK that I read on the Summer Reading Series forms.

As I got older, I had to spent more time reading for school and had less time to read for enjoyment, but when time allowed, I still loved reading.  Unfortunately, these days, my time for reading has really dwindled.   I get so busy doing other things and once I begin a BOOK that I really enjoy, I have a hard time putting it down to sleep.   These days, my reading is mostly confined to traveling or in the summer or breaks from school.

As a teacher, I truly believe that the single best thing parents can do to help their child learn is to read to them.  What they read to them when young is less important than the fact that they model a love for BOOKS and that they enjoy the special time spent together.  Baby "Dean" is only 3 months old, but his mama and daddy are already reading to him.  If it is a tiny book that he can actually hold (and possibly get into his mouth), all the better.  :-)

What stash of BOOKS is keeping your attention right now?  Is there a stack on your bedside table or your coffee table?

Beauty

30 Days of Thankful 2014 - Day 8 - BEAUTY

They say that BEAUTY is in the eye of the beholder, and I guess that is true.  What you find beautiful, I might not---and vice versa.  But, sometimes, it only takes fresh eyes to appreciate the BEAUTY that is so close at hand.   When we went to Alaska, the BEAUTY that was all around us was so spectacular---impossible to miss!  Since I had never seen it before, everything was amazing and breath-taking.  There is no way to compare where I live with the views there because they are so different--like comparing apples to oranges.  

Today, I will be thankful for the BEAUTY that is in my daily life.  I hope to be on the lookout for those things that I previously might have taken for granted, however small, and recognize them for the BEAUTY that they hold.  I hope you'll do the same.