Archive for Gratituesday
Nana asks, “What Are You Saving Your Good Dishes For?”
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My grandmother lived through the Great Depression and because of her experiences she “saved” everything. She took wrapping paper off Christmas presents, folded it and stored it. Then used it the next year to wrap her presents with. She also kept lots of things we gave her and “saved” them, because they were too good to wear. She had several house coats and night gowns that she kept in her dresser case she ever had to go to the hospital and she might need something nice to wear.
I was reminded of ’saving’ things not long ago when my cousin Martha came to visit. She saw some of my crystal glassware in the cabinet. “I ought to give you my stemware,” she said. “I never use it and we have the same pattern.”
I don’t use mine very often either, only at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The glasses are fragile and don’t hold enough liquid to suit my house full of men. My husband got tired of the small glasses we had and went to Walmart and purchased huge fruit jars.
I suppose Martha Stewart would be appalled but Bill’s fruit jars are okay by me. I grew up drinking out of glasses that had the Flintstones pictures on them (or jelly jars), but for some reason when I drink iced tea (with a twist of lemon please) I prefer stemware.
I had been pouring my tea in some stemmed glasses I got at Arbys several Christmas’s ago, but when Martha commented about the crystal glasses it made me think of Grandma Layne and all the things she saved and never got the pleasure of using. So I went to the china cabinet, got out a crystal glass and poured it full of iced tea and I’ve been drinking from them ever since.
So what if I break one? The world won’t end. I have survived broken dishes before.
Yesterday is a memory. Tomorrow is a dream. The good Lord has blessed us with today and that is really all we have! So thank you God for jelly jars, Flintstone glasses and crystal ones too. My cup (or glass) literally runneth over. You have blessed me with gifts beyond measure and I am so very grateful and filled with praise for you!
Now here is my challenge to you, dear reader. What are you saving and more importantly, what are you saving it for?
Drink your iced tea in crystal glasses and go dance in the moonlight in your new nightgown and housecoat.
Carpe Diem!
Children With Cancer
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Nanahood has been in existence just over a year and I have never done two Gratituesday posts in the same day…until now.
I heard about Megan McNeil and her song, The Will to Survive, on the radio. I listened to it and it made such an impression on me that I wanted to share it with you.
Megan, wherever you are today, please know that I’m praying for you (and other children with cancer) and for the doctors and nurses who are helping you. May the good Lord comfort you and keep you in His care!
Giving thanks today for those who help these children fight cancer!
The Beauty of the Setting Sun
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Most of us are either morning or night people; we either prefer getting up in the morning or staying up late at night. I am definitely a morning person (sort of). My thoughts are more clear in the morning and I have more energy then. When night time comes I am more than ready for bed and a good night’s sleep.
Having said that I must put a qualifier on it; I love mornings but I don’t want them to start until 7 a.m. and after the coffee is made. Both my grandfathers and my father were farmers and they believed in hitting the ground running at day break. Not me. I know that watching the sun rise can be an awe inspiring, beautiful event, but I prefer to sleep through the morning show and catch the second performance later in the day.
One night last week I looked out my front door and ran to find my camera. The colors lit the sky with such beauty it gave me chills. Knowing that God paints a masterpiece across the sky every day and watches as the world wakes up, goes about its business, and then goes to sleep, is such a comfort.
Every Tuesday my friend Laura hosts Gratituesday at http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/ Basically we just tell about something we are thankful for. Today I am giving thanks for the beauty of the sunrise (I occasionally do watch one!) and the setting of the sun, but mainly I am giving thanks that God is my Father and the fact that He watches over me from above.
Which do you prefer? Watching the sun rise or set? It really doesn’t matter. What matters is what we do with the time between.
Gratituesday, Nana’s Work, Grumbling and Complaining
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For years and years Mrs. Jones (not her real name) complained about her job. Then she fell ill and was no longer able to work. After several weeks in the hospital the doctor told her she would never go back to her job again. I thought Mrs. Jones would be elated. She wasn’t. She was devastated.
It seems she hadn’t really hated working like she thought she did.
So today I’m giving thanks for my job. I know that there are lots of folks without one who would love the opportunity to work. I know that there are thousands who are ill or injured who are unable to get up every morning and go to a job. I know that know that teaching (part-time) has value and that (hopefully) I am making a difference. I also know that while I may occasionally gripe about something job-connected, I am happy and enjoy what I do.
And that’s just the work I am paid for with money.
As for the rest of my work; the cooking, cleaning, and laundry, I am thankful for that too (although I occasionally complain about that too). It means I am needed and as a mom and a nana and that’s a wonderful thing.
Giving Thanks for Another Year
Posted by: | CommentsOkay, I know some of you are thinking, “This NanaHood lady has gone nuts. After my 29th, 39th, 49th, or 59th birthday, I am not excited about my birthday anymore.” Think about it for a minute and consider the alternative which is NOT having a birthday and that means NOT being here with the people you love.
Suddenly having a birthday doesn’t seem like such a bad thing, does it?
August is a big month for me. First, my precious GRANDdaughter had a birthday.
Poppa lighting her candles
On Wednesday NanaHood will be turning one (be sure and visit Wednesday for a chance to win prizes!)
Also my wonderful Aunt Mary Alice (who gave me a sack full of juicy tomatoes last night…yum) has a birthday on Wednesday. Happy Birthday Aunt Mary Alice, I am thankful you are in my life!
And then this Friday my awesome son-in-law and I share a birthday. I tried to get Gabe to switch ages with me but he declined. I am so thankful that he is my son-in-law and we are so blessed to have him in our family!
My handsome son-in-law and my beautiful daughter. Happy Birthday Gabe!
So Happy Birthday to us all! Praise God for all the blessings of the year and praise to Him for allowing me to do NanaHood (and special thanks to Char for being my technical go-to-gal, my helper and my friend)!
It Might Be Corny but….
Posted by: | CommentsToday I’m giving thanks for corn!
My brother started picking the corn early this morning and the rest of us showed up later….some of us a LOT later. I arrived about 10 and it didn’t take long before I was up to my EARS in corn (excuse the pun). There was so much corn that my nephew brought it into the kitchen in a wheel barrow!
We handed each of the boys a knife and put them to work cutting the corn off the cob.
The whole family helped out and by the end of the day we had frozen almost 40 large bags of corn! Giving thanks today (and again this winter when we are eating it at Sunday dinners!) for corn and for family who worked together with a common goal!
