Category: gratitude

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100 Things To Be Happy About

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These particular children

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These perfect grandbabies

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Missionary boy phone calls on Christmas day

Fleece slippers    cheetoes

A bag of Cheetoes–baked not fried

Painted toenails

The smell of real Christmas trees

blue-birds

A well stocked bird feeder

Picking raspberries

Real Hot Chocolate with real whipped cream

Wearing pigtails

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Striped socks

Bright pink mittens

A reading lamp

scotland

Men with Scottish accents

Baby kittens

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Stone cottages

Cherries from a roadside stand

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A backyard full of autumn leaves

Thundery rainstorms

Cheerios

Snowed in with everyone home

gas-prices

Gas prices right this second

The power of prayer

Thatched roofs

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“Baby First Step”

Indian corn

Music boxes where you can see the insides

Porch swings

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A sister

Baby kisses

Pecan logs without cherries

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Pumpernickel bread with Swiss cheese

The picture book, “The Relatives Came.”

Old photos of total strangers

Caramel apples

“Seabiscuit”

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Metal crochet hooks with taped handles

Christmas lights in very tall trees

Canopy beds with curtains

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PeeWee baby dolls

Football games

Very old houses with very old trees

Jack in the Box tacos

Border’s gift cards

sunshine

Surfer hair

Crocheted dust ruffles

Old buttons

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“Little Lost Baby”

 

Lousia May Alcott books

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Beloved crazy people with New Year’s fireworks

Being read to

Flute music

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Beany my love

Vlasic Kosher Dill Spears

Farm houses

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A Brother

Embroidery scissors

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Rainbow Brite

The “Out of Africa” soundtrack

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Summerfest

Peter Brinholt music

Cable tights

Light purple

Cinnamon pinecones

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Mourning doves

Creamers

Rootbeer floats in grama’s backyard

Christmas cards with photos inside

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Letters with foreign stamps

Wind chimes

Gift baskets with really cool stuff

Jane Austen movies

Wool Felt

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My dad in a kilt

Pink malt balls

Babies born gently

Snapset pools

Maxfield Parrish paintings

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Baby fingers and toes

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Cute boys with big feet

Freeze dried ice cream

Church steeples

Old friends that come back

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Icicles

Waterfalls

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Free range giraffes

Button up sweaters

“Goose Girl”

Twelfth Night

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Christmas Eve

Stuffing

Kisses on the hand

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Pastry Blenders

Little girls in dresses and tights

Pink and purple petunias

Ballet Slippers

Mission

My sweet Mom

My cute daddy

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Happy Thanksgiving!!

ThanksgivingWe here at Gracious Rain hope you have the happiest of Thanksgivings and that you eat so much turkey and cranberry sauce and potatoes and pie that you sleep for a week…well, no…then you’d miss all the cool sales tomorrow and that would be would be terribly counter-productive. Maybe, use moderation…

oh, forget it.

So, ok…go eat stuffing.

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My cute little son in Lithuania breaking dry bread for stuffing–8 hours ago–

because HE knows that some traditions must go on, even in a far away land.

Have a wonderful holiday!

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5 Things I’m Thankful For…

…at this very moment…

1) A sister who brings over Turkey Cupcakes–they look like turkeys, they taste like chocolate–that are so, so cute–I couldn’t let anyone eat them until we got a picture. Plus, I figured if I could distract everyone long enough…I wouldn’t have to share. Heh, heh, heh…

2) A big black cat named Beany, that sleeps at the foot of my bed–the far right side of the foot of my bed so that I can still move my feet if I want to OR scoot my feet under him to keep them extra toasty. Yeah…he’s a good sport.

3) Thanksgiving decorations all over the place. Laurie–the cupcake sister–made the pilgrims for me a billion years ago.

The turkey bailed into my cart at JoAnn’s last year.

4) The piles on my ridiculous desk. So much potential for fun stuff. I can’t wait to sort them out and see what’s in there. I must point out…this s not a mess. I mean it. This is total order in my world.

5) “Thing 1” and “Thing 2.” The squishyist and most magnamonious babies in the world. It’s quite possible that I made both of those words up. If so…don’t tell me. They are perfect for my needs–thank you.

 

 

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.”

~Meister Eckhart

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Photo Journal

While looking through a ton of old pictures the other day–I noticed that we had quite a few in the folder marked “Ghosts of Thanksgivings Past”–but they are all online and so I’m constantly having to say to family and friends, “I’ll email you a copy.” Sounds noble, yes? Well it would be more noble if I had a clue how to actually email pictures.

Hence, the Thanksgiving Photo Journal was born.

First take a hardbound journal or blank book—whichever…

Trace around it on to scrapbook paper.

Cut out to the measurement of your book. I had to work around the spiral binding of mine. Cutting out 65,000 tiny notches was a bit of a pain, but it turned out ok.

Glue the paper on to the cover of your book–being careful to keep the edges straight.

Secure a piece of ribbon to the back with glue and tie a bow in the front. And ta-da! Your book is finished. Except that now you can make copies from your computer–and stick them in the book for all to see.

So, bring it with you to the turkey dinner and share the book around. If you are really brave you can let people write their comments or memories on the blank pages. If you have a few of these books and lots of printer ink, they would make a great gift for the Thanksgiving hostess. Never hurts to butter up the lady with the pie…

Heh…heh.

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Gratitude Tree


This is a simple and fun way to help family members be on the look-out for all the things they love and are grateful for…and clean up some stray branches from the yard at the same time. Ahhh…green waste.

Oh, and earlier today–this tree was called the “Gratitude Tree” but it got on my nerves. Honestly, it sounded way too much like “The Giving Tree”…which is not ok with me. If you know me even a tiny bit you know how I feel about that book. Grrrr….more on this later…no doubt. MOVING ON…

You will need:

flower pot

craft stones, rocks, or art sand

short branches

colored paper, scrapbook paper, or craft foam

paper clips

Fill a clean flower pot with rocks, stones or sand…yes, kitty litter would work, but I’d hate to confuse poor Fluffy, so personally, I’d stick with the rocks. Shorten the tree branch to suit the size of your pot. I stuck three small lilac branches together with packing tape. Set the branch securely in the rocks. Wiggle them around until you’re convinced they will “sit and stay.”

Next, cut out about two dozen leaves–template link below— from colored paper or craft foam. Push a partially straightened paper clip through the stem end of each leaf. Set the leaves in a small basket with a black marker, next to your thankful tree.

Encourage, nudge, ok, force– family members to write their names on one side (unless they want to remain anonymous), and something or someone they are thankful for–and why, on the other side. Have them hang it on the tree and by Thanksgiving Day–your tree will be a beautiful reminder of your family’s blessings and a really cute tree–that you don’t have to water. That’s a plus.

NOTE: Click here for a bunch more family Thanksgiving Crafts or a simple leaf template to make your own Gratitude tree.