Happy Thanksgiving...

and may the beginning of the winter holiday season be a blessed one.  If you are going out Black Friday shopping, be kind and patient with each other.  Remember, we just counted our blessings and things we are thankful for, keep that spirit in your heart as you shop for those you love.

Have a wonderful day with friends and family eating all the wonderful food our earth provides.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours.

xo

Susquehanna Sunset

As I was driving the John Deere this Friday night, trimming the fenceline of our fields, I looked up and noticed the sun was setting over the treeline and I caught my breath. The stunning beauty of the cloud formation in the sky, the dusky oranges and yellows and pinks seemed to hover in the air...watercolors sliding through the sky. At that moment, I was so glad to be alive and witnessing the quality of the light, that I turned off the tractor and just sat, watching. The next thing I noticed was the high pitched chee of the barn swallows who were skimming the grassline of the fields, catching a late dinner of insects, filling their bellies with protein for the long night ahead. I knew I couldn't sit there on the yellow seat until dark...I had a job to finish before I lost all the light, but I was so thankful to have taken that two to three minutes to just be present in my environment.

Then, Sunday evening, after a trip to the Conowingo Dam and the Union Hotel with my youngest children, my husband was driving us back home over the bridge when I hung myself precariously out the passenger window to grab this glorious sunset on my iPhone. It was breath-taking. The summer warmth, the low-in-the-sky sun, the reflection in the water...just perfect. And I remembered to be thankful again. And present. And aware. It is in moments like these when I am surrounded by nature's splendor that I feel the seeds of hope blossoming in my gut. One day I will be better. One day. Until then, I will grab on to these stolen minutes of being completely present in my environment and waiting for the next sunset.

Hoping you all had a wonderful weekend and are beginning the week with some gratitude of your own.  xo

Snowy Farm at Sunset

iPhone Digital Painting of a local farm during sunset

Today I am thankful for:

1.  My beautiful mother.  Today is her birthday and I am so blessed to have her in my life.  In many ways she has shifted to not only being my mother but my best friend.  She is such a strong woman and she has impressed me with her independence and grace since my father's passing.  I can learn something from her every day by just watching her move through life.  I hate that she lives so far away, but I am thankful every minute of every day for the time we still have together here on this side of forever.  Happy Birthday, Mom!

2.  The amazing and regal hawk I saw soaring above the out-of-season cornfield today.  You took my breath away as you gracefully glided above the ground, surely searching for your next meal among the -not-yet-plowed-under cornstalks.  That brief moment I watched you as I was driving down my road lifted my spirit just as the breeze lifts you upon the sky.

3.  The sunshine.  Well, hello there, my long lost friend.  Your kiss upon my face this morning was exactly what I needed after a long sleepless night and was so much appreciated this morning. Despite the cold temperatures, I could still feel your warm potential as you beamed down, inching ever closer to the earth as the spring equinox creeps closer.  I can't wait.

4.  My wonderful friend/artist colleague who is pushing me to get my work out there and in her new gallery!  It is so easy to say, "I am not ready" to avoid the fear deep within me that says I am not good enough.  Thank you for believing in me and what's more, pushing me beyond my comfort zone.  I love you for that!

5.  My dear, steadfast friend, who is coming for lunch today.  Our time together sharing food, worries, stories, and dreams of the future with each other not only fills my belly, but also my soul.  I am so looking forward to our time together laughing and catching up.  You are the best and I love you!  I hope you had a wonderful birthday earlier this week!

It is my wish that all of you have a wonderful, stress-free weekend doing whatever it is that makes you happy and fulfilled!  See you Monday!

xo