| Five Things I am Thankful for Today....
Two other blogsites I saw lately had similar ideas to this one and I really enjoyed reading them. The idea is to list five things I am thankful for today. I just did a treasury on etsy about a thankful heart being a joyful heart. I want to cultivate this more for myself, and maybe inspire someone else to do the same.
Note: Lest anyone think I am too like Pollyanna in these posts, remember, I am focusing on the positives. This does not mean bad things do not happen in my life, but that I am concentrating on those things that cause thankfulness to rise in my heart. I find that as I think on these things...the good becomes more and more overwhelmingly evident.
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April 30
- Oh my goodness, as I typed the date, I realized that "Thankful April" is almost over. I have enjoyed the challenge and discipline of listing some of the things I am thankful for each day. In some ways I will miss keeping this journal, but I am also happy to be moving on to something else.
- I love that I live close enough to work to come home on lunch, and to leave a few minutes before I am due to be there.
- A walk this morning in the cool air. I stopped to snap some pictures of one of the beautiful trees in my yard and some daffodils.
- One of the accountants at work helped me fill out a difficult tax form, I am thankful to have that service available without paying a huge fee.
- My husband chuckling about something he is watching on "Monk." I love his chuckle.
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April 29
- The rain has stopped.
- My mom is coming for a visit next week.
- Unusually pleasant day at work today.
- I'm starting a new sewing project tonight, if I get to the store in time to get some zippers.
- Lastly, but most importantly, my friends in Virginia made it through yesterday's tornados O.K.
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April 28
- Serene of Serenstitches, a wonderful quilter, has agreed to be the featured crafter for the month of May. I am always so excited to get all the information and pictures to put up on the site to share. I love learning a little about each crafter just as much as I enjoy showing off their work.
- Productive day for shop inventory. This morning I listed two more sets of journaling tags on icraft, and tonight I finished my first felted bag. I think it turned out kind of cute too!
- Gentle rain all day today, which we needed for our newly planted grass and vegetable seeds.
- Spoke to my daughter about two meetings she had today which potentially could have been stressful. Instead they went fine. Thank you God.
- Had a nice dinner of chicken fajita's and apple pie for dessert. Quick and tasty meal after working all day. I love the comfort of being home.
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April 27
- When I went in to look at my granddaughter first thing this morning, she was totally sideways in her crib, her head pressed up against the side rails and her feet up against the opposite side. When she awoke, she gave James and I a wide, wrinkle-nosed smile. Nice morning with my daughter and granddaughter before they left for a friend's daughter's baptism, and we headed home. Omelet, sausage, grapefruit, and toast for breakfast. A nice snuggle and photo session with the baby in front of the french doors in the morning sun. I love to take photo's in natural light.
- Pleasant and safe trip home. We were able to fill up before we left at a lower rate per gallon then we get in this area.
- I got two new quilting magazines to inspire some good ideas for my shops.
- I had a nice conversation with my sister, whom I haven't spoken to for awhile, and my mom too.
- It was cool enough out today to wear one of my favorite combinations - sandals and a zip up hooded sweatshirt.
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April 26
- Visiting some of my favorite people in the world- my wonderful daughter and her family.
- Playing, holding, and just drinking in my littlest granddaughter, she is so sweet!
- Getting to babysit tonight while my daughter and son in law go to a movie.
-The walk we went on around the neighborhood in the evening with her little red stroller looking at the spring blooms in all the yards, and listening to the peepers.
- Helping my daughter sort through and organize stuff in their storage room. It feels good to put things in order.
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April 25
- Riding along in the car with my husband with the windows down, perfectly relaxed, listening to the Beach Boys and other summer time oldies.
- A call from my good friend Patty.
- The open-mouthed happy look of surprise on my granddaughter's face when we drove up to her house unexpectedly while she sat on the front porch looking out.
- Getting our storage unit cleaned out (which will save us money each month), throwing some stuff away, giving some to my kids, and taking some to the salvation army.
- Having a popsicle when I was hot and thirsty after all that work.
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| tulips in my back yard |
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April 24
- I got out of work early to pick up my eldest granddaughter from school. We spent a pleasant afternoon planting some morning glory and lettuce seeds, having a quick dinner, and cleaning up the house for fellowship tonight.
- Happy to be together with my husband and granddaughter. For the first seven years of her life, we had her stay with us almost every weekend. It is great to be together this evening.
- It looks like the custom order is a go. I emailed the first paper suggestion to my customer tonight. If it is not what she had in mind I will look further. I enjoy the challenge.
- Love my mostly quiet neighborhood. We lived in a college section of a city before we moved here. It was party time every night, very loud. This is so much more peaceful.
- My son came to pick up his daughter and ended up staying for some meatloaf, potato and cornbread. He is a full time student, a husband, father of two girls, and he works full time. In addition to all that, he manages to stay on the president's list at the college. I am amazed and pleased with his faithfulness and determination.
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April 23
- A co-worker asked if I wanted to go for a walk at lunchtime today. That worked out well for me. I have been missing my morning walk because I am usually on the computer, and my evening walk has been pushed aside by yard chores.
- I got an inquiry about a custom order on some stitched paper sleeves today. I don't know if it will work out, but am gratified that someone likes my paper goods.
- I have been working on getting volunteers lined up for the children's fellowship at our church. Tonight someone agreed to teach this Sunday, which is great because I will be away and had not yet found anyone to cover.
- Got some peas planted today, hooray! Yesterday I planted green beans by mistake. I was going to wait a little longer before planting the beans, but grabbed the pack in the twilight mistaking them for the pea seeds.
- Cool temperature this evening which will make for pleasant sleeping weather.
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April 22
- I found myself in a treasury on etsy by a curator I do not know. That is especially edifying, although it is great to get in a treasury anyway you can. I like making them too.
- Another fabulous sunny day. Spring has come upon us full blown in all its glory. The ornamental pear in our yard has bloomed.
- I spent my lunchtime buying vegetable and flower seeds. Isn't it amazing how much promise and potential there is in a little seed. And all I do is plant and water it.
- I received a package today from Robayre (see February's featured crafter). It is a gift for my mom who will be arriving for a visit soon. I know she is going to love it as much as I do!
- Our car repair was finished sooner than anticipated, cost less than we thought it would, and there might even be a rebate available on the service because it was a recall item.
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April 21
- I am thankful my husband and I worked outside on our back yard raking up leaves, digging for a small garden, for a little while this evening. The weather is so perfect right now. Not too hot, no mosquito's yet
- I got to work super early because of the having only one car situation, but it worked out well because it is an especially busy time for me right now, and otherwise I probably would not have had the discipline to spend extra time at work getting the necessary done.
- A co-worker and I walked over to McDonald's and had a very pleasant lunch outside on their patio, chatting. Again, on a normal day I would have gone home for lunch and missed this opportunity.
- I got a lot done this evening after work...some laundry, calling volunteers for children's fellowship, bill paying, working outside, making a nice dinner. A productive day. I am so thankful to have the energy and health to be able to do this.
- Last night I got two coin purses finished, photographed, and listed on etsy. My goal is to list at least one new thing a week, so meeting this goal is gratifying.
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April 20
- Gorgeous weather again today, gotta love spring.
- Thankful for how children's fellowship went. We only had two little ones today, but they were both so sweet and so smart it was a joy to work with them. I love teaching in children's fellowship, the 3-6 year olds are my favorite age to work with.
- A safe and pleasant ride down to Johnny G's diner this afternoon to meet my daughter and two granddaughters. We had a snack and hung out for awhile and then brought one of my granddaughter's back home after her 5 day visit.
- Finished quilting and washing a bag and hope to finish two coin purses this evening.
- A new Christian B&M shop is opening in my neighborhood. I want to check it out and see if I can sell some of my items there.
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April 19
My husband and I have spent the day shoveling and raking compost, so today's thankful list is about the little things that happened:
- We had the energy and strength to finish the job!
- We communicated well and were like minded (with just a little bickering when we got too hot and tired).
- We took several loooong breaks to cool off and relax, during one of which I was able to get an etsy treasury and check in my shops.
- Our friend Judy stopped by to see how we were doing, and our granddaughter called to let us know she, my daughter, and the rest of the family are all on a train on their way to NYC for the day.
- I was able to start two coin purses and a bag this morning. In fact I am at the quilting stage, which is my favorite part.
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April 18
- So wonderfully warm (79 degrees) today. I just came in from a walk around my neighborhood and snapped a few pictures of the first flowers in bloom, forsythia in my yard.
- I was planning on making a few change purses this afternoon and pulled out a stash of scraps to sort. Among the various scraps was a full set of beautiful batik squares just right for making a bag to sell in my shop. I do not remember buying this fabric, so it was a great surprise!
- Looking forward to a long working weekend getting things done in our yard. I love to work together with my husband.
- One of our cars broke down this evening and we spent a few hours renewing our triple A and waiting for the tow truck to arrive. The part I am thankful about is that it happened tonight rather than tomorrow when it would have messed up our work plans, or Monday when we had to go to our jobs.
- We can sleep in a little tommorrow morning if we want - Yahoo!
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You visit the earth and water it,
make it abundantly fertile.
God's stream is filled with water;
with it you supply the world with grain.
Thus do you prepare the earth:
you drench plowed furrows,
With showers you keep the ground soft,
blessing its young sprouts.
You adorn the year with your bounty;
your paths drip with fruitful rain.
The untilled meadows also drip;
the hills are robed with joy.
The pastures are clothed with flocks,
the valleys blanketed with grain;
they cheer and sing for joy
Psalm 65:10-14
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April 17
- I am thankful for the pleasant day I had at work today. Hardly anyone was there, so it was nice and quiet, which makes it easier to concentrate.
- It is absolutely the most perfect day outside - sunshine, birds chirping, 83 degrees. It won't take much of this weather for the spring flowers to be in full bloom.
- My granddaughter called me this morning and we chatted for a bit. She is young to have a cell phone, but I am really thankful to be able to stay in touch with her. And she has been quite responsible with it too.
- Pleasant Bible fellowship tonight with a few other folks from our church. Tina brought yummy peanut butter cookies to share. I don't know how she gets the time to bake them working full time and taking care of her family too.
- I learned two things I needed to know about felting today. They are small things, but necessary for me to finish up my first project. I am so happy to learn something which helps advance my crafting journey.
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April 16
- Today was wonderful spending time with my daughter and two of my granddaughters. I was able to help out a little with housework, which I love to do (I love to help out that is, not housework). We took a nice walk in the 68 degree weather, admiring the spring flowers and drinking in the sunshine.
- The baby went on her first swing ride with her mom, and thoroughly enjoyed it. She laughed and giggled so much that she got the hiccups.
- My eldest granddaughter delights in serving and in making things (a lot like me). She made all of us yarn friendship bracelets and gave us a spa treatment, complete with hand massages, fingernail polish, and hair do's.
- My daughter's large dog escaped out of the house and got in a fight with another dog in the neighborhood. Thankfully a kind (and brave) neighbor stepped in and broke up the fight and no one was hurt.
- I had a safe and uneventful trip home and was welcomed with a big hug and a store prepared chicken dinner by my husband.
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April 15
- Last day of tax season, yahoo! We had a party at work to celebrate, lots of yummy food. And I was able to leave work a little early too.
- My eldest granddaughter and I drove down to my daughter's house, and had a wonderful evening. The baby has grown and changed again (even though it has only been a short time since I last saw her). She is just adorable, and I got in lots of snuggles.
- Even though my daughter's home is only a few hours south of ours, all the early spring blossoms are out. It was lovely to see, and encouraging that our blooms will be here soon.
- I had a wonderful phone conversation with a good friend I had not talked to in awhile.
- My husband was concerned he wouldn't get up early enough to get to work on time without me home, but he did O.K., thank God.
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April 14
- I am excited and thankful about a new project I have been working on. I love the look of felted items, so I bought a circular loom and made a little bag. Then I washed it in hot water to felt it, and tonight I got a little starter needle felting kit and added a felted butterfly on the front of the bag. I think it looks really cute.
- Work was very busy and went pretty well today. And a co-worker agreed to help me with my taxes, which have been overwhelming for me this year. I will have to file an extension for the first time ever. But at least it gives me more time to figure out the forms.
- I will traveling down to my daughter's house tomorrow with my eldest granddaughter. We will spend the night and enjoy some time with my littlest granddaughter. Can't wait!
- I received a very nice feedback on the latest bag I sold. I am so thankful that people like what I love to do!
- The first of the organic cotton arrived today. It will be fun to experiment with some natural dyes and hopefully make something wonderful.
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April 13
- The teaching at church was especially good this morning. I am thankful of having a Bible, a playbook of how to live (even when I fail, the information is there for how to get back on track), and for the teachers who help deepen my understanding. I wasn't going to go this morning because my husband wasn't feeling up to it, but I am so glad I made the effort and went!
- The IRS site where I can read and print out the info I need to finish these tax forms!
- Having a washer and a dishwasher to make cleaning SO much easier than when I had to haul my clothes to the laundromat, and do the dishes by hand.
- Finding two perfect gifts on etsy for some family members. I love to buy handmade, such personal attention and quality items.
- Getting my husband to do a few yoga stretches for his sore back and laughing together about it. ( It even helped a little.)
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April 12
- Awoke to a downpour which quickly changed into sun shining through the raindrops on the trees, lovely!
- Went to the Post Office today and found a line almost out the door, I guess because of the tax deadline looming. Fortunately the line for the automatic service was only 3 deep, so I was able to get my package mailed in almost no time. Love those self-checkouts!
- Had a refreshing lunch with four women friends at Olive Garden to celebrate two of our birthdays. Nothing like being with others who are basically in the same age range to laugh, commiserate, and generally catch up on what each is doing. It was really wonderful. We don't see each other often, but when we do it is a lot of fun. They gave me some wonderful roses, truffles, and a violet too!
- Having windows open throughout the house with the spring breeze blowing through, and red buds in the maple tree.
- My wonderful husband working outside to get our yard spruced up for summer.
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April 11
- I love being part of the internet craft community on etsy, icraft, createaday, and all the other sites available. The internet has brought so many opportunities for connection with people from all over the world.
- Today I took my eldest granddaughter to the dentist for her first filling. Thankfully it went very well. This dentist specializes in children and makes the whole experience almost pleasant. He even let me stay in the room, which my granddaughter had insisted on.
- After the dentist visit we went to the craft store to buy some yarn for her to make friendship bracelets. She was so thankful about such a small thing, she hugged me and told me how much she loved me, awww!
- O.K. I am breaking this thankful episode into three parts because it had a lot to it. This part is gratitude for the new crafting tool I bought for myself at the store. I have been wanting to try felting because I love the end product. So, not being much of a knitter (I crochet a little) I got this knifty knitter set. Last night I got a start on making a small bag. So far I am liking it.
- I sold my Sunrise Over the Ocean bag!
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| A New Project |
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April 9
- started the day with prayer with a friend who also likes to get up early.
- I mailed out an item I sold yesterday, and made a stop at Target, and still got to work on time.
- Feeling thankful for the many years I have had to enjoy my mom, and which I did have with my grandparents before they passed away. That connection to the past is important, and for that matter, family is important, where ever you find them.
- Another beautiful sunny day with a spring breeze
- pleasant day at work, and I got to talk with my son at lunchtime.
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April 10
- I had a wonderful walk this morning. The weather is perfect for spring. I can't wait to see the tulips and daffodils come up!
- Another excellent teaching at fellowship tonight. About the holy spirit, what it is and how it works.
- I love being at home. There is so much to do here. I am thankful that while the children were growing up I had a few years to be at home quite a bit. Even when I worked part time my home got a lot more care than I have the energy to give it now.
- Tending the plants in my house was fun today. I love green things, love to garden. It is so amazing how all we do is plant the seed and maybe water, and God does the rest.
- I am thankful for our body's ability to heal. How many times in my life have I been restored to health? I do not take it for granted.
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| Business Card / Magnet |
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| April 8
- It is a beautiful, sunshiny day, and is supposed to get up into the 60's later on. I love the early morning light.
- So thankful I had the time to do some yoga and take a walk this morning before work. Morning is my favorite time of the day. I would prefer to work just afternoons. There is too much I enjoy doing at home in the morning.
- I am grateful I have this opportunity to have a website and some online stores for my crafts. There is much more I want to do with this business, but right now I am happy it is up and running.
- I am blessed that God is so faithful. He never leaves or forsakes us. His Word is the truth. He simply spoke, and it was done.
- Polished up my business cards today. I use them for magnets as well as business cards. I was going to add more information, but then realized that people can reach my shops etc. with just the web address. I like simple!
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April 7
- I finished the second batik bag in my sun series this morning before work.
- the beautiful sunshiny day we are having here, 65 degrees
- we both made it safely home once again
- I just came home from a children's fellowship meeting at our church and I am reminded of how thankful I am to have been a part of children's fellowship since my daughter was little, twenty eight years now. I so enjoy being with the young children.
- the good, productive day I had at work today.
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April 6
- Church this morning, fellowship with other believers, the joy of singing, a rather confronting teaching about Christian maturity.
- Finishing one of two bags and listing it on etsy
- a lovely dinner of steak, strawberries, potato salad, and an ice cream sandwich for dessert.
- Alone time with my husband.
- A quiet, peaceful Sunday, relaxed at home.
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| April 5
- Getting up early and having a cup of green tea while I spend a little time on the computer before getting into the day.
- Spring is coming, I love hearing the birds again after the winter.
- Getting some bills paid, and my daughter's taxes done.
- I came to a new understanding of a method of assembling my bags which will not only streamline the process, but will improve the quality. I am very excited about this breakthrough in the process.
- Enjoying a long sunny Saturday with all its freedom and possibilities. Oh, and I got in a stretch session of yoga, and a walk.
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| April 4
- My friend Patty's birthday today, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATTY!" She has been a gift to my life, and to many other's lives also.
- I got out of work early!
- Two of my granddaughters and another young friend here for the afternoon playing dress up, chatting over lunch, playing "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader."
- Laughing with my husband about some of their funny remarks, and watching a movie together after everyone went home.
- Helping a friend out with an income tax issue.
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April 3
- Every Thursday night a small group of us (kids, teens, adults) get together for a family fellowship. We sing, pray, and share about our week. But the best part is having God's Word taught to us by a really wonderful teacher. I am renewed and refreshed.
- Some really tasty garbanza bean salad I had for dinner
- My husband helping me clean this afternoon by vacumning and taking out the garbage.
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- Talking with my daughter. We chat about our plans, our jobs, my kimbuktu business, and especially about my littlest granddaughter. Tonight she was having lasagna for the first time (baby food style). She is 9 months old and wonderful.
- The electric blanket which we preheat each night so it is warm and toasty by the time we are ready for bed.
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April 2
- Sunshine through the April showers. I took a lovely walk today breathing in the spring air and listening to the birds.
- A good day for my kimbuktu business yesterday. I sold a couple of things. My March tutorial on freemotion quilting was featured on the Quiltsy blog, and I got a convo regarding selling wholesale. Don't know how that last one will pan out yet, but all is moving toward growing this business.
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| Turtledoves in our Backyard |
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- good women friends, two of whom I got to pray with today, which is one of my favorite things to do.
- the create a day gang, they keep me motivated and excited to keep on producing items for my shops
- laughing out loud
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April 1
- The years I have been alive, that they have been lived in peace (not war) I have never gone hungry, I have had shelter, people to love and be loved by.
- health, which has been generally very good, lots of energy.
- my home, when I think of all the people who have no safe shelter, I am indeed grateful and prayerful, and encouraged to take better care my home.
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- my husband, who has been a faithful friend, tender support, and available listener for almost 22 years.
- my children, my great joy, it is true that once you have children, your heart travels outside of your body for the rest of your life.
- my grandchildren, pure enjoyment, bear hugs, smiles, sweetness overflowing with energy and exhuberance.
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