Here in Canada we have just celebrated Thanksgiving Day. Recently my niece invited me to write on my face-book account 7 days worth of people, events, or what I have been thankful for in my life.
So, if you have the time, and the inclination, I'd really like to share with everyone here the 7 days of feeling of blessings.
Thank you.
DAY 1 Thankful Challenge. I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather
Challenge for 3 things to be grateful for.
1) Life, the roller coaster ride we signed up for. Through our lives we are given special gifts of love, family, personal disappointments and growth. I am very blessed to have been given life by two wonderful parents.
2) In turn was able to have two children myself. Whom I love and pass the flame on to. I am also very grateful for my Niece. I always held her in my heart as my first heart-love child. I held her as a newborn then was privildged to watch her grow and become a wonderful woman. One who stayed close to my Mother and brought her much love, laughter, and care in her later years.
3) I am thankful that I met and married Lou who has given me a quiet strength to face the challenges in our lives. To watch with me as my children grew into adulthood. To bring into my life his four children (Janet, Jeffrey, Scott and Mark) into my life and enriching me with these special people.
***********sent to FB Aug 7**********
DAY 2 Thankful Challenge -- I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather
1) I am very thankful for the friendship extended to me from Jim during our married years, and since then, he has always been there to help when advice is needed, and to share thoughts and means to help our two children.
2) My son, Derek, who has made great changes and strides forward to become the great man I knew he would be. Derek came home to Ontario this summer and I could not have been prouder of the way he shares all he has with other people, his way of laughing at life, and yet knows where he wants to be and his plans for making challenges in life work for him.
3) My daughter Emily. her love for family and friends. Her ability to help others, to teach many people she knows. Her, gentle ways and love for family, including her Sista-Cousin Heather. The ways she opens herself to help others, to share good and not so good times with me,,,,,it is great to be a Mother-Friend with her.
***********Sent Aug 8*********
DAY 3 -- Thankful Challenge I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather
1) My love of handcrafts......a gift given to me throughout my life time started by my most loved Grandmother. Many hours she would entertain me teaching me to do embroidery from a very early age during summer holidays spent on her farm.
2) My Mum who taught me the skills of knitting, sewing, ceramics, taking rug hooking lessons with me, listening to my beginning notes on my guitar to the later years where she and I would sit quietly as I entertained her with the music she and Dad put in my heart. The way she and I worked together on her last quilt made for Jim. How we had wished I learned to quilt may years earlier so that we could have made more than one together.
3) My Sister Driscilla who taught me to crochet and for the two sweater sets we made for our sons when they were born. Then later she helped me make a set for my little daughter and her first trip into the world. Up until that time, crocheting was a foreign language which she helped me learn.. When she passed away in 1999 I was left with a huge void in my life.On that morning and for the months previous as cancer claimed her at theirs not mine any longer. That morning I went from a dark, black night, into the dawn of a new morning and life without her. Although she is gone now, she has and will remain always in my heart and memories.
*************Sent Aug 9*********
DAY 4 Thankful Challenge -- I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather
1) My grandchildren. In this life we are given special gifts......Amber-Lynne and Andrew. The road of life brings us together for a time, then that same road splits bringing loss and missed family times.....then suddenly and happily that road reconnects.
2) I am grateful that this past June, my family came together again because my youngest grandchild Andrew graduated from High School. Thanks to this young man and his dedication to himself accomplishing his best, we were all brought together to help him celebrate.
3) I am very grateful for the ability to write and share my personal thoughts or ideas with others through my Blogs. it is a good feeling to know my thoughts may have given them strength, helped them see life in a different way, and just shared a bit of myself with them. It makes me happy to know that something I have written will bring them a smile or two.
***********sent Aug 10**********
Day 5 of my Thankful challenge from my Niece Heather
1) I am very thankful for my quilting. When I married and moved away from my family, friends, and familiar haunts to a new world along the shores of Lake Huron for a few years I felt lonely for all left behind. Thanks to the encouragement of my then new hubby I became involved it the new and challenging world of quilts, embellishing and having to step of of my home comfort zone.I broke the space of lonely and stepped into a new world of friends and fun.
2). I am thankful for Friends In my life over the years
MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD, ONE IS SILVER, THE OTHER GOLD. When I think of my lifetime from youngest days to now. I think of all the friends I have known. A reason, a season or a lifetime. Many have remained in my life for a long time. The longest two would be Paula and Tom. They have both been there with me since childhood through many changes that life held and I know always will be nearby in friendship.
3) Another special long-time friend I am thankful for is Sue. My long and patient teacher and friend who opened my world to music, singing and guitar. We didnt go anywhere without our guitars and music books. Sue helped me come out of my home with my voice singing loudly and a happy heart full of music. These three people are my Gold.
To this day they are all three still in my life.
Today I challenge anyone who will sit quietly each day for 7 days and bring out thankful
Thoughts to share. At first I thought this to be an easy task, and then I thought if it were not for my dear Niece I would not be sharing such inner thoughts. Then I connected with something inside myself and was thankful to have the opportunity to share with others, but more so, to touch something inside yourself.
***********Sent Aug 11*********
DAY 6 Thankful Challenge from my Niece Heather
1) Quilting Groups
A world opened to me in new experiences and friends.
I am bringing together a wonderful group of Ladies who have all filled a need in my life. Some to make me laugh until my cheeks ached. Others have helped me limp along while learning what I can in my quilting fun....and FRUSTRATION. These wonderful ladies have no idea how much I value their friendships.
2) Thankful for all my quilting friends and groups I belong to either in my living area or on line.
Challenge for 3 things to be grateful for.
1) Life, the roller coaster ride we signed up for. Through our lives we are given special gifts of love, family, personal disappointments and growth. I am very blessed to have been given life by two wonderful parents.
2) In turn was able to have two children myself. Whom I love and pass the flame on to. I am also very grateful for my Niece. I always held her in my heart as my first heart-love child. I held her as a newborn then was privildged to watch her grow and become a wonderful woman. One who stayed close to my Mother and brought her much love, laughter, and care in her later years.
3) I am thankful that I met and married Lou who has given me a quiet strength to face the challenges in our lives. To watch with me as my children grew into adulthood. To bring into my life his four children (Janet, Jeffrey, Scott and Mark) into my life and enriching me with these special people.
***********sent to FB Aug 7**********
DAY 2 Thankful Challenge -- I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather
1) I am very thankful for the friendship extended to me from Jim during our married years, and since then, he has always been there to help when advice is needed, and to share thoughts and means to help our two children.
2) My son, Derek, who has made great changes and strides forward to become the great man I knew he would be. Derek came home to Ontario this summer and I could not have been prouder of the way he shares all he has with other people, his way of laughing at life, and yet knows where he wants to be and his plans for making challenges in life work for him.
3) My daughter Emily. her love for family and friends. Her ability to help others, to teach many people she knows. Her, gentle ways and love for family, including her Sista-Cousin Heather. The ways she opens herself to help others, to share good and not so good times with me,,,,,it is great to be a Mother-Friend with her.
***********Sent Aug 8*********
DAY 3 -- Thankful Challenge I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather
1) My love of handcrafts......a gift given to me throughout my life time started by my most loved Grandmother. Many hours she would entertain me teaching me to do embroidery from a very early age during summer holidays spent on her farm.
2) My Mum who taught me the skills of knitting, sewing, ceramics, taking rug hooking lessons with me, listening to my beginning notes on my guitar to the later years where she and I would sit quietly as I entertained her with the music she and Dad put in my heart. The way she and I worked together on her last quilt made for Jim. How we had wished I learned to quilt may years earlier so that we could have made more than one together.
3) My Sister Driscilla who taught me to crochet and for the two sweater sets we made for our sons when they were born. Then later she helped me make a set for my little daughter and her first trip into the world. Up until that time, crocheting was a foreign language which she helped me learn.. When she passed away in 1999 I was left with a huge void in my life.On that morning and for the months previous as cancer claimed her at theirs not mine any longer. That morning I went from a dark, black night, into the dawn of a new morning and life without her. Although she is gone now, she has and will remain always in my heart and memories.
*************Sent Aug 9*********
DAY 4 Thankful Challenge -- I accept the challenge from my Niece Heather
1) My grandchildren. In this life we are given special gifts......Amber-Lynne and Andrew. The road of life brings us together for a time, then that same road splits bringing loss and missed family times.....then suddenly and happily that road reconnects.
2) I am grateful that this past June, my family came together again because my youngest grandchild Andrew graduated from High School. Thanks to this young man and his dedication to himself accomplishing his best, we were all brought together to help him celebrate.
3) I am very grateful for the ability to write and share my personal thoughts or ideas with others through my Blogs. it is a good feeling to know my thoughts may have given them strength, helped them see life in a different way, and just shared a bit of myself with them. It makes me happy to know that something I have written will bring them a smile or two.
***********sent Aug 10**********
Day 5 of my Thankful challenge from my Niece Heather
1) I am very thankful for my quilting. When I married and moved away from my family, friends, and familiar haunts to a new world along the shores of Lake Huron for a few years I felt lonely for all left behind. Thanks to the encouragement of my then new hubby I became involved it the new and challenging world of quilts, embellishing and having to step of of my home comfort zone.I broke the space of lonely and stepped into a new world of friends and fun.
2). I am thankful for Friends In my life over the years
MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD, ONE IS SILVER, THE OTHER GOLD. When I think of my lifetime from youngest days to now. I think of all the friends I have known. A reason, a season or a lifetime. Many have remained in my life for a long time. The longest two would be Paula and Tom. They have both been there with me since childhood through many changes that life held and I know always will be nearby in friendship.
3) Another special long-time friend I am thankful for is Sue. My long and patient teacher and friend who opened my world to music, singing and guitar. We didnt go anywhere without our guitars and music books. Sue helped me come out of my home with my voice singing loudly and a happy heart full of music. These three people are my Gold.
To this day they are all three still in my life.
Today I challenge anyone who will sit quietly each day for 7 days and bring out thankful
Thoughts to share. At first I thought this to be an easy task, and then I thought if it were not for my dear Niece I would not be sharing such inner thoughts. Then I connected with something inside myself and was thankful to have the opportunity to share with others, but more so, to touch something inside yourself.
***********Sent Aug 11*********
DAY 6 Thankful Challenge from my Niece Heather
1) Quilting Groups
A world opened to me in new experiences and friends.
I am bringing together a wonderful group of Ladies who have all filled a need in my life. Some to make me laugh until my cheeks ached. Others have helped me limp along while learning what I can in my quilting fun....and FRUSTRATION. These wonderful ladies have no idea how much I value their friendships.
2) Thankful for all my quilting friends and groups I belong to either in my living area or on line.
I know you are there to teach and share with all of us.
I am also part of two smaller groups I found these friends always there for me.
I am grateful and want to say thank you to all those "quilters that have gone from being a group in my area, or on my internet to" groups I have learned to laugh, teach and return home with aching cheek bones. Thankful to those who offer shop-shops, group projects, teaching sessions, sharing patterns and revising The Quilters Bucket List for future challenges and surprises.
3) is also extended to my friend Val as we get together once a month. Val has become a very special teacher to me. We both live in the country and travel about half hour to spend the day together. Val is my best source for mojo and enthusiasm of quilting goal completion. She keeps my excitement in finishing the many UFO project I have set aside, but not forgotten.
**********sent Aug 13
DAY 7 of my Thankful challenge from my Niece Heather
Once more my challenge is met in being thankful for these three thoughts
1) Health....I am thankful that in learning I have Stage 2 diabetes has opened the door to me for exercise. I find I am thankful for bike rides with my husband Lou, walks with him though neighborhoods, along paths on the shore of Lake Huron and. Just for the total well being of my life and body. Thankful for the weight loss for many years of not caring, now having feelings of gratefulness.for my new lifestyle.
2) Love of Nature
Camping canoeing, trips all through northern Ontario with my friend Phil.
Fourteen years of family camping memories at Killbear Park, through weeks of rain, sun or cold, even once winter camping there.
3) I am thankful for Canada. Our people and the life of freedom Canadians enjoy. To live in a country that cares for our children, the environment and endangered species. A place where we can live and grow. Enjoy freedom of Religion and know that we can join together in groups for fun, learning, and even for the freedom of sharing our thoughts in this Thankful Challenge that I am seeing from so many family and friends. Mostly for the freedom of speach and sharing and being able to share my belief in God. We do not walk alone. The best way I can describe my feelings is to recommend the poem FOOTPRINTS. I have been carried many times, and yet I know I am not alone even when I can walk again on my own.
Thank you Heather, you have really opened my mind and thoughts to the many times in life I need to stop and be THANKFUL for the life I life and have. God Bless you.
Sent Aug 13, 2014
I am also part of two smaller groups I found these friends always there for me.
I am grateful and want to say thank you to all those "quilters that have gone from being a group in my area, or on my internet to" groups I have learned to laugh, teach and return home with aching cheek bones. Thankful to those who offer shop-shops, group projects, teaching sessions, sharing patterns and revising The Quilters Bucket List for future challenges and surprises.
3) is also extended to my friend Val as we get together once a month. Val has become a very special teacher to me. We both live in the country and travel about half hour to spend the day together. Val is my best source for mojo and enthusiasm of quilting goal completion. She keeps my excitement in finishing the many UFO project I have set aside, but not forgotten.
**********sent Aug 13
DAY 7 of my Thankful challenge from my Niece Heather
Once more my challenge is met in being thankful for these three thoughts
1) Health....I am thankful that in learning I have Stage 2 diabetes has opened the door to me for exercise. I find I am thankful for bike rides with my husband Lou, walks with him though neighborhoods, along paths on the shore of Lake Huron and. Just for the total well being of my life and body. Thankful for the weight loss for many years of not caring, now having feelings of gratefulness.for my new lifestyle.
2) Love of Nature
Camping canoeing, trips all through northern Ontario with my friend Phil.
Fourteen years of family camping memories at Killbear Park, through weeks of rain, sun or cold, even once winter camping there.
3) I am thankful for Canada. Our people and the life of freedom Canadians enjoy. To live in a country that cares for our children, the environment and endangered species. A place where we can live and grow. Enjoy freedom of Religion and know that we can join together in groups for fun, learning, and even for the freedom of sharing our thoughts in this Thankful Challenge that I am seeing from so many family and friends. Mostly for the freedom of speach and sharing and being able to share my belief in God. We do not walk alone. The best way I can describe my feelings is to recommend the poem FOOTPRINTS. I have been carried many times, and yet I know I am not alone even when I can walk again on my own.
Thank you Heather, you have really opened my mind and thoughts to the many times in life I need to stop and be THANKFUL for the life I life and have. God Bless you.
Sent Aug 13, 2014
I am now still months later thinking of all I have to be thankful for. And now I can add to this list I'm thankful for the people who read my Blogs and send me notes to let me know they enjoy, or have read certain items. Thank you also.
2014, Oct 19.......................................................................................................................................
