Autumn Treasures & Thankfulness

Such a big, blank, white screen.  My mind just goes in a million directions when I open a blank screen.  All the possibilities are just amazing.  In fact, most of the time there are so many different directions it can be confusing.  And yet, these rambling  thoughts provide the backdrop for where my writing wants to go.  I just feel like writing today.  It's a good day.  A busy day.  A day to be thankful, like any other day really but today it seems a bit easier to be thankful than some other days. The thankfulness is always in my heart, it's just difficult sometimes to get my life bent around it.


If you let it, Autumn and thankfulness will bring out some amazing things.  The colors of Autumn are so bright and brilliant.  The air is crisp and clean.  It feels to me as though life is refreshing itself and it's letting me be a part of that.  It always amazes me how quickly the scenery around me changes.  One day a tree is green and the next the leaves have changed to a burning orange and then they fall. Autumn feels like a time for new adventure.  A time to experience new things in life.  A time of exhilaration and of new beginnings. I hope you find some time during the Autumn season to experience new things and to enjoy what the Lord is providing.

Autumn reminds me immediately of looking forward to Thanksgiving.  Yes, I know it's a couple of months away, but I can't help it.  Thanksgiving reminds me to be thankful.  Right now I am so very thankful that my knee is no longer giving me a problem.  The last three weeks of restricted mobility has made me very thankful that it was temporary.  It feels so good to be able to move around and not hurt.  It made me very aware of how much pain my hubby is in each and every day.  I don't know how he does it except for the grace of God and lots of prayer.  

I'm looking forward to, and am very thankful, that I have an opportunity to take a few days to go to CA and visit my family. (I have my camera in my purse Brother Bill and hope to be taking some awesome pictures.)  I would imaging that "up on the hill" as they call it, looking down over the Sonora Valley the scenery is going to be magnificent.  The sunsets are always absolutely gorgeous. I also am looking forward to taking pictures along the way.  I'll have to make a special effort to remember to stop and take pictures because once I get headed South on I-5 I have a hard time slowing down to take pictures.  But it's really important to me that I do that this trip...Aaron's going with me.  I want him to have an amazing time seeing his grandma and extended family.  I want him to remember the beauty of it all.  I want it to be a very special time. I'm looking forward to the conversations going and coming, of laughing together, of remembering the great times we had when he was little and the great times as he grew.  Captive audience don't ya know!  It will be somewhat of a short trip but we have to be back for a doctor's appointment the first part of the next week so we're going to make the most of every single moment.  There are those moments again!

I just have to ask, is this "Indian Summer" as they use to call it, or what?  We go from cool and crisp weather to still, quiet and 80 degrees.  I think the weather's trying to fool us.  For crying out loud, Ray is trying to get me chains before we head south this next week.  Snow chains?  Give me a break!  I don't even have all my Fall clothes unpacked yet.  I'd like to be able to wear the autumn colors for a couple of weeks before we have to start bundling up in winter duds.

So, to wrap it up,  thankfulness is all around me.  I hope I never forget to be thankful.  Life literally "hurls" things lately but I always want to remember to be thankful...to matter who "hurls" what. I need to remember to spread that thankfulness.  To let others see the thankfulness.  I want people to know that I have a a heavenly Father who wants the best for me. Of course I don't always like it or agree.  Do you always like and agree what happens to you?  Of course you don't.  But you know what, we can spend our time disgruntled and unhappy or we can take a look around and fine the one thing at that moment to be thankful for.  As hubby says, "every day above ground is a good one!".  Ya think not?  Think about the alternative....and then be thankful.