Thankful thoughts week four…

Just in case someone is just finding their way here, I thought it bears repeating why I am posting my thankful thoughts each Sunday. I am reminded of that word because it comes up so often this time of year…THANKFUL! Just like everyone else, I have both good and bad in my life but I believe every day of the year we need to think about and focus on what we are thankful for. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I have decided that every Sunday evening and this week I have decided to continue until the end of this year with my thankful thoughts. As we begin the hustle and bustle around Christmas and other Holiday festivities, stopping to pause and be thankful for the reason for the season and other blessings and gifts in my life is is something I want to be more cognizant of. I will be making a post about just that - drawing from the events of the week prior. Most will be light hearted but sometimes, I may get a bit serious as well.

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I am thankful for late foliage against a brilliant blue sky!

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I am thankful for late blooming pink Dianthus.

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I am thankful for my Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad. I know I mentioned this last winter but as the nights turn very cold, it once again found it’s way out of storage and onto our bed. It is dual controlled so it allows each of us to set our own temp. Mr. Red Door keep it off all winter. I turn my side on about #5 (from 1 –10 with 10 being the warmest) a half hour or so before we go to bed and then once in bed I can turn it to lowest setting for the rest of the night. With just two us here at night it allows us to keep the heat turned down very low and I am still toasty warm. I have no idea if they are any better than a heated blanket but heat rises so it seems to me that it must be! All I know is that I am so thankful for this modern convenience!

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And even though the nights get pretty cold, I am thankful for some sunny warm days still.

I am thankful for a wonderful husband who rakes the yard so Lili and I can play.

I am thankful that Burning Bushes have little red berries that amuse Lili.

I am thankful that her pretty brown eyes can so readily spot them and that her dimpled little hands can pick them.

I am thankful for white mum petals that fall to the ground like snow.

I am thankful for this little blessing who reminds me to stop and be in the moment.

And I am thankful for curls that just have to escape!

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I am thankful there are talented, creative people in the world and that I can sometimes purchase their creations. Here is my very own A Primitive Place Santa – crafted by my friend Lana Testa. He is so cute!!

I love how he has his legs crossed and is just leaning back and relaxing and reading.

Can you see what he is reading??

You too can own your very own exclusive creation – to find out more just click ~HERE~.

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I am thankful for discerning friends who know that I don’t have time for every email and joke that goes around but instead send only the really good stuff on to me. Like this email that I received from one of my first online prim friends. Karen (primkarlee) and I met over at Webshots several years ago. She is one of those internet friends that I know I will meet in person someday and I know it will be like we have known each other forever. Thanks Karen – this was the perfect for ending my post this week.

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A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way. "I wrote: 'Today is a beautiful day; but I cannot see it.'"

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign reminded people how fortunate they were to have their sight. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story:
Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.

It's a beautiful thing to see a person smiling.
But even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason for the smile!

Faith is not about everything turning out OK; Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out.

If you appreciate this message, please share this blog post. You may touch someone's heart today and forever.

Enjoy this beautiful day with a heart full of thankfulness!

Until next time – prim hugs , Grammee Linda

‎Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.~ Melody Beattie