Grateful

I visited a friend this summer, and as we were talking she asked me what is going on in my life.

Meaning, how are you...really?

And my answer was that I am really happy with my life. I was thinking about this today, and I am grateful for my life.

I am grateful for my family.

I am grateful for my church family.

I am grateful for my job, and for good friends at work.

I am grateful for the music in my life, because there certainly is a lot of it. :)

I'm grateful for the new furry family member in my life...Penny Lane. This is her napping:

I had lunch today with a good friend, and my family. I turn 45 tomorrow.

Life is good. I am grateful.

travel

Last week I went on a trip. 

This lush green-ness is the kind of beauty I miss now that I don't live in the south.

This is Toccoa Falls.

Also Toccoa Falls.

I went to school at Toccoa Falls College, and this week was Homecoming. Since my graduation was 20 years ago, (!?) I decided to go back for a little visit. It was a fantastic trip - I got to see old friends, I got to take in the beauty, I got to visit with a kid from my church in Colorado that goes to school there now, and all-in-all it was a grand time. 

I lived in Athens, GA for 10 years, and I also got to visit there. I went to my favorite restaurants, and a couple new ones. I visited with old friends, and got to drive around the beautiful campus without the distraction of 100,000 people clamoring to get into the football game. :)

And I went to church.

I went back to church and got to visit with friends I haven't seen in a long time. In fact I would call these people family. They adopted me into their family when I was living across the country from my own family. They had me over for family lunch on Sundays, and made sure I had a place to go for Thanksgiving if I wasn't traveling to my own family. 

I had such a great time seeing them and catching up. 

My soul is full.

K

Dad

Well. it is not the "official" 30 days of thankful anymore, but I am still thankful.

Today I am thankful for Dad.

Yesterday we had a "snow situation". When I left for school it was fine outside, albeit VERY cold. But fine. Over the course of the day, the snow kept falling, and by the time for carpool it was awful out! About 3, Dad called me and said "I'm in your parking lot".

He came to pick me up in his 4 wheel drive and took me home!

And this morning he took me back to get my car.

I'm thankful for Dad who looks out for me, and thinks about me having to drive home in awful weather. He might have had a prompt from Mom, but I'm grateful nonetheless.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 30

Well this is it. Today I am thankful for rest.

I am home now, after being at the cabin with the WHOLE family, and I am glad to be at rest.
I'm paying bills, have a load in the laundry, and am intermittently watching Friends. Relaxing.

I am thankful for the breaks we get, and the chance to stop for a bit.

Oh, and I'm also thankful that I have all my Christmas shopping done! :)
Bring on the Christmas music!
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 29

Today I am thankful for the cabin.

Several years ago, Mom and Dad built a cabin up in the mountains. This Thanksgiving we all went up to the cabin. Mostly, it has been great. It is different, having the whole family in one place for several days.

This is what I saw going out to the store today:

The collegiate peaks were beautiful with all the snow.

I am grateful that Mom and Dad value time with family enough that they took that into account when building their home. I am thankful that they want us up here. I am thankful for a retreat from daily life.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 25

Today I am thankful for Noah. He is the oldest nephew. And he's funny...

This was one of his first camera attempts...

I am thankful that I moved here when he was 2 months old. I am thankful that I get to see him every week, instead of every year. I am thankful that I get to be his music teacher and see him in school every week. I am thankful that I got to be his regular babysitter until he was about 4.
He is a blessing.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 24

Today I am thankful for the little bundles of joy that animals are in my life. I grew up with animals - Leroy was our first dog. Then there was Princess Pricilla (aka Prissy) the cat, who was with us for a long time. Then Toby the dog, and then I moved out and had kitties of my own.

Sam was my first cat, and we were by ourselves for about 6 years. Jenny, the little old lady cat was with us for about a year, and then Ed's cat Max came to live with me and Sam. Maxie Faxie made me laugh on a regular basis. When Sam was 13, he got sick and had to go to kitty heaven, and then about 6 months later, Max got sick and joined him.

I haven't had animals for a long time - like 5 or 6 years.

But now I have Callie.

This is Callie. This morning she was curled up keeping warm on her heating pad/bed.

This is Callie from a bit ago, right after she had her thrice-yearly shave-down:

Her hair gets really knotted, so she gets shaved about 3 times a year. Granted, she looks a little funny without much hair, but when you pet her she feels like VELVET! She is SOOOOO soft.

I am thankful for Callie, and for all the wonderful animals I've had in my life.
Thankful for the earthly kind of unconditional love.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 23

Today I am thankful for family.

This is part of my family:

My Dad and I took the 2 nephews to the library today. The little one found a baseball book, so here is Pop Pop reading the baseball book to the nephews. Then we all went out to lunch. It was a good day - nothing spectacular, nothing amazing, nothing mind-blowing. Just a good time with family. People I love spending time together.

Thank you Lord for giving me a great family.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 15

Today I am going to be thankful for this little gift - my nephew. He is the youngest nephew.

And, yes, that is red hair. D is so much fun - he makes me laugh. He gives great squeezes. He is happy and loving and mischievous and helpful and definitely all boy.  I am thankful for him, and for his brother too. I am blessed to be an Auntie.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 11

On this Veteran's Day, I am thankful for everyone who has stood up, taken the oath, and sacrificed for my country. I know of and know a lot of veterans, and I am grateful for them.

Today we had the Veteran's Day assembly at school. There was music, reciting, cheering for veterans and everything else that a Veteran's Day assembly should have.

All day long I kept thinking about him. Grandpa Glen. This picture was from later in life, after his service obviously. But he was a veteran - probably the closest one to me.  He served in the Army, and he jumped behind lines in Okinawa and Japan. In Korea, he got called back and was a jumpmaster for awhile. Grandpa Glen isn't with us anymore, but I still thought of him all day. I thought of how he wouldn't talk about any Army stuff at all, until I was in High School and started asking him about it. I thought of the pictures I have of him when he was in the service, and even a picture he took of a jump. I thought about the metal box of things he kept hidden for a long time, until I started being curious. I thought about the handle of a rip cord that he kept in that box, from a 'chute that didn't open.

On this Veteran's Day, I want to thank not only my Grandpa Glen, and my Brother-In-Law who is currently in the Air Force, but all the veterans. Everyone who served in some way to protect our country from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Thank you.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 10

OK, let me play catch-up really quick here:

On Friday I was not feeling well, and stayed home from school in the morning. By the time I was finished for the day I came home, did one load of laundry and went to bed. I'm sure I was thankful, but I can't remember anything except feeling sick. I guess I'm thankful that I am in a place where I CAN take some time off if I need to.

ON Saturday, I did the usual Saturday errands and things that need to be done, but this Saturday I am VERY thankful for Dad. He worked in the garage for several hours.

My new house came with some nice built-in shelving in the garage. But, I kept us from using the space well, so Dad un-built the built-in shelving, and moved it to another wall. I helped with the putting back together, and the rearranging of stuff back onto the shelves. Dad worked HARD and did some awesome things. My garage looks (and functions) great - Thanks Dad!

Last night I went to Denver with a friend, and some of her friends to see a band. It was a great show, and a fun time, but we didn't get back home until 2am.

So, this morning I slept in. I am SO grateful for sleeping in. I am so grateful for rest, and a wonderful bed to rest in. Last night was fun, but I am POOPED! And evidently older, because in my 20's I did this kind of stuff ALL the time.

Not so much any more. :)
Much needed rest and peace and organized calm in a garage are good things.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 7

Today I am not feeling very well. In fact I am off to bed very shortly.

But before the snoring commences, I am going to be thankful for dinner.

Since Mom and Dad have moved into the new house, Mom makes dinner. She will usually text me and ask if I will be eating. Why, yes, thank you! You will cook for me? And have it ready when I get home? Of course I will eat!

So today, not feeling well, I slogged home and there was a wonderful soup and salad that Mom made for dinner. I am so grateful. If there was no dinner ready, there is NO TELLING what I would have dug out of the 'fridge to eat.

Thanks Mom!
K

music

Yesterday, I went to the symphony.

With my sister.

My sweet friend Miriam gave me the tickets, and I thought about a lot of people I could ask to go with me. But then I remembered the last time I gave a symphony ticket to my sister, and how much she enjoyed it.

So I asked my sister. And we went.

It was truly a lovely evening. We went out to a leisurely dinner, and then got to the hall about an hour early. So I had a coffee and we sat there and talked.

It has been a LONG time since we sat and had a sisterly talk - It was sweet.

And the music was divine! They played the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24, and selections from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. The piano soloist for the Mozart was SO much fun to watch. She was incredibly expressive and did the whole thing without music. Then in the Romeo and Juliet, there were several times where there was a pause in the music and I said under my breath, "wow".

That is a perfect expression for last night.

Wow.
K

birthday

It has been a lovely day.

Today was my birthday. All day.

The PTO at school put a happy birthday card in my box, and it had a stupid tiara attached to it, with bright pink lettering that says Happy Birthday. So I wore it. All day.

Besides making my head hurt a little, it meant that EVERYBODY that I saw today wished me a happy birthday.

And I got sung to by several hundred elementary school aged people.

Also, my sister and nephews and adopted sister came by school this morning and presented me with some balloons (that I tied on my classroom door) and a Starbucks, and cards that my nephews wrote to me. What an awesome way to start the day!

AND, every time I went to the office, the office ladies sang happy birthday to me.

Tonight I had rehearsal for the Chorale - the group I sing in. THEY sang to me too, and it probably was the most beautiful happy birthday ever.

So all in all it has been a great day.

Still reveling in the birthday joy,
K

leash

This is Dolly.

She is my Mom's dog.

Well, I guess technically she is Mom and Dad's dog, but when it really comes down to it, she is Mom's dog.

This week, Dolly was my dog.
Mom and Dad were out of town, so I was housesitting, and dogsitting. Cat sitting too, but the cat didn't do anything except lay in her bed.

I took Dolly out for walks twice a day, and we had fun. Yesterday we saw THREE bunnies on our walk! It was very exciting, and she almost pulled me all the way up the hill because dogs chase bunnies.

But one day, we were walking and there was someone out on the sidewalk with a blower. Dolly did not like the blower. I kept walking, because, well, it is a blower. But Dolly really didn't like it, and stopped. In fact, I think she backed up. And then, she pulled out of her leash. As the leash came zipping back to the leash handle, I realized that it wasn't around Dolly's neck anymore. I turned around, and Dolly was stopped still in the middle of the sidewalk. She didn't know what to do now that the leash wasn't attached to her anymore.

So I reached down and slipped the collar and leash over her head, and we were off as usual.

But as we finished our walk, it occurred to me that Dolly is fine while the leash is on her. But once it comes off, she doesn't know what to do. It is very disconcerting to be out in the wide, wide world with no leash on.

And isn't that what the Bible is for us? It allows us to roam freely and safely within a certain limits, but once the leash comes off, all bets are off and the likelihood that we will be hurt goes up exponentially.

I thought it was interesting that Dolly didn't like being off the leash. And that she KNEW when she was off the leash and it stressed her out. I guess it just goes to show that we all need limits.
K

sister

Tonight, sister came to hear me sing!!!

The group I sing in did the Verdi Requiem tonight with the Philharmonic. It really turned out great - I LOVE singing for their conductor, even though he is demanding. The ending took my breath away. Literally - I was afraid to breathe. Until, he lowered his arms and there was thunderous applause.

Wow.

But, the best part is that my sister got to be there! A friend of mine had a ticket, and sister was trying to decide when to go, or whether to take boys, or to not take boys. And when I called her offering that ticket, she said "Yes!" What a great way to spend a night together - me on stage and her in the audience.

Family is sweet.

And living close to family is even sweeter.
Thanks for comin', little bis,
K

today's blessings

Today is full of blessings.

I just finished opening up a bunch of Christmas presents. But those are not the blessings.

One of today's blessings is that even though she is 1500 miles away, we could video chat with our adopted sister, and open presents with her. It would have been better if she could have been here, but this was great. To get to see her, to get to say thank you in person, to watch her open gifts...it was great and I'm so glad it worked for us to be "together".

Another of today's blessings was spending it with family. We went to church together, we ate together, we opened presents together. Not to mention some laughing and hugging in there.

The blessing of the natural world is that the snow held off long enough for me to easily get home. I am somewhat of an old-lady-driver in the snow, so it was nice that there was just a little bit on the roads.

The most important blessing is remembering that Christ came to earth as a baby on this very night. We remember that He came so that we could be in fellowship with God. He came to take our sin on Him.
No, today's presents are very definitely NOT the blessings.

Thank you God for all of the blessings you bestow on me.
K

'tis the season...

...for singing.

Last Friday I sang my little heart out at our Deck The Hall concert. It was lots of fun Christmas and holiday music, and a very festive evening with a hand bell group ringing along with us.

...for doing good.

Last Saturday we went up in the mountains and sung our concert again as a benefit for a local mental health agency. We had a fun time singing, enjoyed people's company, and had a fun dinner with some friends after.

...for *cough* *cough*

Evidently, I am destined to get some sort of bronchial ailment every December. Now I think I have bronchitis, but it could be whooping cough. Never fear - I went to the doctor today. I'm on all kinds of medicine, and hope to feel much better very soon.

...for partying.

This weekend is our school Christmas party. This is seriously one of the funnest things. There is good food, great company, music, games, dancing, winning of prizes...I can't say enough how much I am looking forward to spending time with friends that I work with.

...for buying.

I love getting Christmas presents for people, and I stretch it out from August through December. But I'm almost done with buying, so now it's time to get wrapping.

So many great things come at this time of year, it's almost hard to list them all. But I am not short on blessings. I have a wonderful job, the best boss in the world, an amazing family, and a great church. Not to mention the gift that came a long time ago, this time of year. He is the best blessing of all.
K

equality

I went bowling the other day. Actually, Mom and I took the 2 nephews bowling.

We had a great time. But the thing that struck me while I was sitting waiting for my turn to bowl: the bowling alley is a great playing-field-leveler. Unless you put a lot of time and effort into practicing, bowling is a pretty even sport.

In fact, there were several people on either side of us that were developmentally disabled, or special needs of some kind. And they were having a blast! When the guy on my right got a strike, I wanted to stand up and cheer! It made me smile, and I realized that he probably had a better bowling score than me.

The 4-year-old beat the 8-year-old, I beat everyone in our group, and the group next to us had the best score in the place. But we all had fun, and the 8-year-old learned the lesson that it's OK to not be the winner all the time in everything.

The bowling alley = an equal playing field. It made me feel good about being there.
K

rich

I am rich.

I realized this as I was writing thank you cards yesterday. I wrote a thank you card to each person that came to my birthday party. I really had a great time, and wanted to write thank yous to the people that threw the party, and the people that gave me gifts, so I thought, "What's a few more cards?"

As I was sitting there writing, I realized that I am so very rich.

Not in the conventional sense of the word - in fact in THAT sense I am pretty dang poor. As evidenced my my 11 year old beater-car. And several other things I can name that I occasionally am not happy with around my life. But in the "life" sense: I have a great life, and more specifically, I have great people in my life.

Today I went Glow Golfing. Not by myself, but with the 2 nephews. We glow golfed, and then played at the mall "playground", and then went out to lunch. And can I just say that it is amazing that I even got any food down in the midst of helping the little one with his burger, cleaning up the mess, and making repeated trips to the front for mustard and ketchup. But I realized, as I shuffled them off to the car to go home, that they make my life rich.

Last night I went to a hockey game. Now, really, I could care less about this hockey team. But it is the college here in town, they have a fairly good hockey program, and my parents have season tickets. They said they were going to take the boys, and I asked to go along. It was tons of fun - not so much for the hockey, but for having dinner and spending time with the 2 nephews and my parents. Things like this make my life rich.

Yesterday afternoon I met with a girl from Youth Group. She asked if I would "mentor" her. I said yes, but I have to confess that I feel pretty inadequate to be a good mentor. But I DO care about her a ton, and so we get together and talk about things in our life. Sometimes spiritual stuff, sometimes family stuff, sometimes other stuff. But even though I am only a so-so mentor, her friendship makes my life rich.

And I could go on and on. But I am thankful for the depth and richness that my life has because of who He has put in it. I only hope that I can honor that, and make the most of the life that I've been given.
K