Enjoy, we all need a little bit of this at such a busy time of year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70kdwGBv8fQ&feature=share&noredirect=1

Serenity

Yesterday I took a walk over at the park.  I decided it would be better to walk during lunch than it would be to go and eat something unhealthy.  Not that I am much of a health nut because I am not.  But I am always up for a little serenity in my life.  The park does it to me.  A place called “The Garden” is always kept so pristine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colors were vivid in the garden.

 

I was the only one there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found a beautifully carved metal box at the entrance of the park which held information about the park and the different vegetation.

 

 

 

 

Then I found serenity

and I stopped to reflect on what I have to be thankful for

Only a few hundred feet from the park along the walkway it opened up into the local cemetery.  The colors were even more vibrant.  I walked along the path and saw many names that meant nothing to me but had a lot of meaning for someone else.  It took my breath away and I knew that in a few more weeks this same place will be adorned with colors of Christmas.  I will want to come back.

As I was leaving the sun broke through the clouds for just an instant and I took a deep breath.

The day was unusually warm.  The sky was dark and very cloudy and on my way home I  was chasing the storm. 

As soon as I walked in the door, the love of my life greeted me with a big hug and smile and asked how my day had gone.  It just can’t get any better than that.  No matter what storm I was chasing…or what my day had been like, I knew I had come home to serenity.

My strong sweetheart is healing.  Not as quickly as he would like, but he is healing.

I am grateful for his calm serenity.  All the storms he has faced and trials he has gone through; he is such an inspiration to me.  He is a man of honor, integrity and courage.

He is my serenity

Here I am

It has been brought to my attention…that I have been neglecting my blog.  Not only have a few friends noticed but one of my 3 children mentioned it to me.  Yes, I haven’t been blogging.  I don’t have a very good reason, just that I haven’t been.  Summer came and went, then came back again.  Yes the weather in my part of the country is warm VERY WARM.  I was all ready to pull out what few items of winter clothing I had and had to put them back up on the shelf!  I took some amazing photos of my Northern grandies in August.  I will share a few of those photos and also a few fun facts about Thanksgiving….which I didn’t know!  These little turkeys will be visiting for Thanksgiving this year.  We will have a  house full…I like it that way….

For some reason Lauren was so serious this little photo session, I think she was modeling for me LOL

 

 

 

 

There are many of her but these were a couple of my favorites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owen also had a serious side during this photo session

 

Pure sweetness!

 

 

 

 

It is hard for Ryan to sit still long enough for me to take his picture so I am thankful for anything I can get!

 

Well have you all had enough? Well don’t fret….they is a lot more to come….just not today! 

This one is for you BARB! LOL

 

Thanksgiving Fun Facts

Fun Facts about the First Thanksgiving

The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate the Thanksgiving.

The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America.

They sailed on the ship, which was known by the name of 'Mayflower'.

They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.

The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. He invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast.

The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.

Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, popcorn, milk, corn on the cob, and cranberries were not foods present on the first Thanksgiving's feast table.

Lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast.

The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.

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Thanksgiving Facts throughout History

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.

Sarah Josepha Hale, an American magazine editor, persuaded Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb"

Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving.

The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.

In 1939, President Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving would take place on November 23rd, not November 30th, as a way to spur economic growth and extend the Christmas shopping season.

Congress to passed a law on December 26, 1941, ensuring that all Americans would celebrate a unified Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year.

Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey and two dressed turkeys to the President. The President does not eat the live turkey. He "pardons" it and allows it to live out its days on a historical farm.

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Fun Facts about Thanksgiving Today

In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.

Each year, the average American eats somewhere between 16 - 18 pounds of turkey.

Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.

Although, Thanksgiving is widely considered an American holiday, it is also celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season.

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Fun Turkey Facts

The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.

The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.

A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.

The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.

Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef.

Turkeys will have 3,500 feathers at maturity.

Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clucking noise.

Commercially raised turkeys cannot fly.

Turkeys have heart attacks. The United States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier. Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks.

A large group of turkeys is called a flock.

Turkeys have poor night vision.

It takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey.

A 16-week-old turkey is called a fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a young roaster.