We celebrated Thanksgiving, with family, early this year.
Outdoors.
Unusually warm temperatures.
Beautifully set table.
Dinner delivered at sunset.
Eating by candle, and lantern, light.
Giving thanks.
Reading children’s books.
Continuing traditions.
Enchanted evening.
Grateful.
We have enjoyed unusual November temperatures – in the 70’s – these past few days and they have been stunning. It has been great for working in the yard – raking up the leaves that were covered under eight inches of snow that fell in mid-October.
We live on a corner lot, downwind it seems. Along with our own leaves, a lot of our neighbor’s leaves are blown into our yard, and stop there. Most of the snow has melted so it was time to rake them up. It’s a big job.
We took six loads to the compost site in Northfield. Four times we filled the pickup bed to the max.
We also filled 30 big black bags and two garbage cans full of leaves. That took another two trips to the landfill.
But I’m grateful…for the beautiful weather to be working outside, for our health to be able do the work, for trees to enjoy, and a good night’s sleep!
Our washing machine died. After 25 years – a good life – it stopped working. The dryer was still working even though it is the same age as the washing machine, but we decided if we’re replacing one we might as well replace the other.
So off we went to the local appliance dealer to buy a new washer and dryer. We knew a sale was coming at the end of the month so we decided which set we wanted, then asked if the store would hold them until we could get the sale price, about three weeks away. They agreed.
In the meantime, we would go to the laundromat to wash our clothes. On the way home from the appliance store I told my husband it’s not a bad thing that we have to go to a laundromat to wash our clothes for the next few weeks…it is good to be reminded how fortunate we are to have the luxury of a washer and dryer in our own home.
Forty-one years ago I still remember moving into our first house and thinking one of the best parts about living in a house was having a washer and dryer and being able to wash clothes at home, whenever I wanted.
The laundromat we used is about two miles from our house. It is clean, quiet and adequate. The only surprise was the cost increase. It now costs $2.75 to wash a regular size load.
Our new washer and dryer have been installed and we’re back to doing laundry at home, but this experience was an opportunity to remember to be grateful. And we are.
I am thankful for eyes to see. I think of the alternative, being blind, and wonder what it must be like, to not see all the beautiful colors God has created, like morning sunrises. In the last couple of years I have had some special care for my own eyes and I am grateful for eye doctors who know how to care for our eyes.
In January 2016 I had surgery in my left eye for a macular hole. “A macular hole is a small break in the macula, located in the center of the eye’s light-sensitive tissue called the retina. The macula provides the sharp, central vision we need for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail.”* This problem was found by my eye doctor during a annual, routine eye exam. My wonderful eye doctor, Dr. O’Neil whom I have seen yearly since 1994, is going to retire in 2020. It will be hard to say good-bye to him. I trust him completely. (BTW- he thinks it’s great that he’s retiring, from being an eye doctor, in 2020!)
When Dr. O’Neil noticed this macular hole he referred me to a retina specialist. What I found interesting is that before I had this problem, I had no idea there were retina specialists, and so many, right here in the twin cities. My surgery was done in Edina, and I had anesthesia. Thankfully, it was successful, according to the ophthalmologist who performed the surgery.
The recovery process from this macular hole surgery was interesting…one has to keep their head down for 2-5 days. Fortunately I needed only two days. We rented a special chair – imagine a massage chair – where my head rested on a bar as I looked down to the floor and sat on the seat with knees resting on a lower bar. It was very helpful, and fairly comfortable. I could read, listen to books on tape, and use a mirror to watch TV. (On a side note, a friend came over and read children’s books to me.)
October 2018 was my last follow-up appointment for the macular hole and my left eye is back to its normal self…but cataracts are coming.
This week I had another eye procedure, this time on my right eye. I had a cyst on my eyelid that was interfering with my tear duct, so it had to be removed. Again, I was grateful to have access to healthcare and eye specialists that can correct these problems. The cyst removal was performed right here in Northfield, in the specialist’s office. From the anesthesia injection it looks like I have a black eye, but the procedure went well and all is good.
I’m so grateful for doctors and specialists that can preform surgeries and procedures that help us retain our eyesight.
I’m so grateful for the gift of sight.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It all began Wednesday night at our annual Thanksgiving service at Emmaus Church. We gather for praise and worship along with our traditional “circling around the sanctuary, holding hands and speaking our thanks in prayer together.” Then we head downstairs to the fellowship hall for a pie social! Folks bring pies to share, and everyone eats one or two pieces as they visit.
The next morning Gary and I helped at Northfield’s community meal. Laura Baker Services Association (housing, educational and support services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities) provides a traditional Thanksgiving meal to anyone in the community. No need to sign up, just show up for a delicious meal. This was their 19th year of arranging this wonderful event. They baked 22 turkeys, and made potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn, salad, cranberries and pie! Last year we ate dinner at LBSA – this year we volunteered to serve. It was fun.
After we left LBSA we joined a family from church, who had invited us to come for dinner when they found out…at the pie social Wednesday eve…that we would not be with our family Thanksgiving Day. It was a beautiful thing, sitting around the table with old friends and new, sharing a meal together. We were blessed by their kindness, and by being at their family celebration.
The blessings continued as we joined our son and his wife and 1 ½ year old daughter at their home the next day, for another feast. My brother and his wife, their daughter and son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren came also. One grandchild is a baby boy…nine days old. The other is a three year old boy. The two “older” toddlers had fun playing together and exuded a lot of energy.
After our tradition of reading children’s stories, and eating dessert, the others said good-bye, so only our immediate family was left. In the living room, soon before we were going to depart, there was one more blessing. My daughter-in-love explained our granddaughter, Aria, “sets the stage often.” Aria points to the sound bar to have the music start (mom turns it on), then points to the gas fireplace to have it turned on (mom flips the switch), and then Aria starts dancing. What a joy to watch.
It was a special time…this blessed thanksgiving…and our hearts are full.
Now we’re moving into the Christmas season as I start to decorate the house, in anticipation of our other two grandchildren (along with mom and dad) coming over from Africa and living with us for a while. I hope their eyes light up when they see our Christmas tree full of colored lights. We’re so excited.
“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens
“None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” – Fred De Witt Van Amburgh
“Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.”-Alphonse Karr
On Sunday there was an article in the StarTrib titled, Thanks For Everything. It focused on gratitude and the health benefits of being grateful. Being thankful is not only good for the soul but it is good for the body too. Research has proven the health benefits for years and people have begun taking it more seriously…they’ve discovered it to be true.
Some excepts from the StarTrib Variety section on Sunday, November 18 issue:
“People are looking for simple things they can do to improve their health and well-being,” says Mary Jo Kreitzer, a professor at U of MN School of Nursing. “It’s (being thankful) such a simple process. There’s no cost. It’s accessible; anyone can do it. It takes just a few minutes. And research has shown that this really does make a difference.”
Most people don’t need to be reminded to be thankful for something monumental. It’s the little, everyday things that brighten our lives but are taken for granted and rarely acknowledged – if we’re even cognizant of them – that are the focus of most gratitude programs.” Sarah Gierke, manager of the BE Well program for Park Nicollet Employee Health.
“If you know that everyday you have to write down three things you’re grateful for, you start looking for them. So much of our life is on autopilot. In a fast-paced world, it’s easy to go without noticing things. But we can train our brain to be present.” Kreitzer again.
Kreitzer said that energy is one of the best parts of gratefulness. “It’s contagious.”
Here are two (out of nine) suggestions on practicing gratitude I found on a website when I Googled the word gratitude. (Check here for the other seven ideas at Unstuck.com)
-If you identify something or someone with a negative trait (the cold conference room), switch it in your mind to a positive trait (the conference room with a great view).
-Gratitude requires humility, which the dictionary defines as being “modest and respectful.” Explore where it fits in your life.
Thanksgiving Day has always been a favorite of mine because of the simple message of focusing on being thankful. But I try to keep an attitude of gratitude in my heart all year. I try be mindful of the present moment and see beauty in all things, and in all people around me. May it continue throughout the season and beyond.
As we observe Veterans Day today (actual date- November 11), I am grateful for our service men and women in all walks of the military and honor them today.
I did a quick search on the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day and this is what I learned from Wikipedia:
“Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial day…Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service.”
On one of our last, beautiful autumn days, Gary and I drove to Hastings to check out a bike trail, and we discovered a park.
Spring Lake Park Reserve is part of the Dakota County Park system and includes one long bluff, overlooking the Mississippi River.
Schaaar’s Bluff derived its name from the Schaar family who owned and operated a family farm on the site from the late 1890’s until 1973, when they sold it to Dakota County to be included in the Spring Lake Park Reserve.
The park offers fantastic views of the Mississippi River. There is a picnic area, campfire rings, a playground, a Gathering Center, and lots of paved and unpaved trails for hiking and biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. There are oak trees to form wooded areas, lots of open spaces, and some prairie portions.
While looking at an overview map of the area, a woman directed us to some unpaved trails along Schaar’s bluff. The trail was covered with leaves so it was not obvious to find the path. The trail went along the river and was very scenic. There was a significant drop-off to the river.
We hiked on a few trails that day. One trail took us across a steel bridge that had a short, sharp jog in it…really? That’s not something you see very often.
The Gathering Center was in use, for some company’s retreat. The funky building design was fun and inside, in the women’s bathroom, was a plaque explaining how the Center is “harvesting rain.” It states “Schaars Bluff Gathering Center is gathering rain from our rooftops for the toilets in our restrooms.” It makes me happy to know they are recycling rain water.
Another unique highlight of the park was a Tobacco-Free Zone sign posted, informing smokers there are designated smoking areas in the park…one can smoke only in the parking lots and along the roadways. That was a first for me. I have not noticed that sign in other parks.
I’m grateful for the Schaar’s who offered their land to the county, to make this wonderful park along the mighty Mississippi River, with it’s scenic beauty for others to enjoy. We will visit it again.
While helping a friend clean up from the tornadoes that went through our area a few weeks ago I decided I’d like to sweep off the long driveway. Although it was cleared of trees, there was a lot of debris that made the driveway look messy and unwelcoming. I wanted the driveway to look tidy and welcoming once again (as it always had been in the past).
As I was sweeping (using broom first, then a blower) I thought back to our first trip to Africa in 2009, to visit our son who was living in a small village in northern Mozambique.
Tim met us at the airport in Malawi and we traveled a few days in that country before heading to Mozambique. We were excited to see his house, his work place and the village where he lived.
We first spent a few days in Malawi, at a National Park, and at a resort along Lake Malawi.
Tim was living in a rented, small four-room house. He chose to live among the people of the village instead of at the compound that his work provided. His yard was dirt, and in his front there was a well (no running water in the house) and a banana tree.
Towards evening, as we approached Tim’s house, the front light was on and the yard had been swept…not raked… swept.
A young man, a native and friend of Tim’s from the village, knew the day we were arriving so he swept Tim’s yard and turned on the front light – he wanted Tim’s house to look welcoming for us. It brings tears to my eyes when I think of it (and as I write this), this small act of kindness seared in my mind. Maybe it’s a mother’s heart that makes me get emotional about that seemingly small act of kindness towards one of her children, but it is one I will not forget. It indeed made us feel welcomed.
So as I swept my friend’s driveway maybe I was paying it forward…subconsciously I knew how it made me feel that day when Lucas made his friend’s house look welcoming for his family and I wanted to pass it on.
Thank you Lucas!
Now that we are back home from our wonderful week on the north shore, I miss seeing the sunrise over the lake…but I can envision it. I have a morning routine when I am up at the cabin. The cabin’s large front windows face east, overlooking Lake Superior. I have checked the timetable to set my alarm accordingly so I don’t miss the sunrise over this big, beautiful lake.
My routine starts with “first light” about a half hour before the actual sunrise. I get up in time to make coffee, switch on the gas fireplace and open a window to heighten the sounds of the water lapping over the rocks. I rearrange a chair so I’m looking right where the sun will come up. I’ve watched it come up so many times over the years I know the spot where it will rise over the lake.
When coffee is done, I turn the lights back off. It’s dark but my eyes adjust and I can see the lake and the shore and the silhouettes of the few trees out front.
I settle in and watch the show. On this morning the sky is dark with a sliver of orange light on the horizon… it turns bright orange-red and slowly fades into sunrise colors by spreading out, and up, to the cloud bank.
I watch with a heart full of gratitude as I wait for that moment when I first see the tip of the sun’s arc and then pop…just like that it’s up. And it’s amazing and it’s quick and it’s wonderful and I am thankful for eyes to see this spectacular daily occurrence that happens whether I am watching it or not.
I sigh with contentment, to be up at the cabin on Lake Superior, ready for a new day.
“This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 NKJV)
I have hundreds of photos of of Lake Superior sunrises. Here are a couple from the last couple of years, including my all time favorite at the end.
“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.” (Psalm 96: 11 NIV)