Thanksgiving
The memorial service for a friend of ours was this morning. I'm sad that she passed away but glad that because she believed in Jesus Christ as her Savior, she is with him in heaven right now. As I think about how quickly life passes, I'm especially grateful this Thankgiving. Here are a few things I'm grateful for in no particular order:* my husband and my daughter* my family and friends* a body that moves and breathes and performs countless tasks every day that I take for granted * a mind that can think, learn and reason* provision for basic needs and many, many extras besides* holiday get-togethers with dear ones* mashed potatoes

This Week
I'm a little under the weather this week. I'll be back next week. As Thanksgiving approaches, let's be thinking about the beauty around us and what type of beauty we are thankful for and why (ex: music, dance, literature, creation, etc). If you have a minute, leave a comment about it.

In the Mountains
I was in the midst of beauty last weekend. We stole away to the north Georgia mountains for a few days. Along the way up to the cabin, we drove across a small bridge over a stream that was rushing from recent rainfalls. We went through a narrow passageway with the leaves on both sides; the woods appeared to be on fire all around us. When we got up to our home for the weekend, we stood on the front porch and gazed at the mountains in the distance, with the trees below. It was gorgeous. We were grateful.Inside the simple, comfortable, and newly-built cabin, the fragrance of wood paneling welcomed us at the door. Every window opened onto a different view of creation. Ahhhh...Whatev

A Few Things I Love about Fall
"The day I see a leaf is a marvel of a day." ~Kenneth Patton (courtesy of my friend Bonnie Bruno)A Few Things I Love About Fall:leaves in full glory, giving glory to their Creatorpumpkins of every size as far as the eye can seeclear blue cloudless skylittle kids wearing orangeblue jeans and sweaters and rugged old shoesapplesapplesauce apple cinnamon anythingfall festivalsthe smell of a firechilly temperatures that turn noses pinkcolorful scarves handmade by my nieces and my friendflannel pajama pants on Sunday afternoonscozy evenings at homegiving thanksHow about you? Wha

Painted Leaves
"October is the month for painted leaves. Their rich glow now flashes round the world. These little leaves are the stained windows in the cathedral of my world." Henry David ThoreauFall is just now beginning to make her appearance where I live. Lately, we've had unseasonably warm temperatures and sometimes devastating flooding. I've never seen as much rain as we have had this last month or so. People have lost their homes to creeks and the river rising. The severe drought that I've occasionally written about on this blog is officially over.But I don't want to write about rain as I sit enjoying the sunlight streaming through my windows today. Sunlight, sunbeams, sun's