Happy Thanksgiving!

“Thou hast given so much to me, give one thing more, - a grateful heart;

Not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if Thy blessings had spare days,

But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.” 

 

~George Herbert 

Thankful??? Me??

Thanksgiving is nearly here. I love the holiday. I think it is my favorite holiday. -- Of course, I think EVERY holiday is my favorite when they arrive. I love Christmas, New Year's (a fresh new start!!), Valentine's, etc.. You get the idea. I even love Arbor Day. A day about trees, what's not to love?? 

I digress.... (see, I love having a blog, I can ramble on and off topic if I like...)

Thanksgiving. THANKSGIVING!!!

Turkey, stuffing, SQUASH, mashed potatoes, gravy, WATERGATE SALAD, rolls, apple pie, pumpkin pie, it's all good. 

Family and friends together eating, laughing, sharing, playing Balderdash! Fun stuff.


Giving thanks. Thanks to God for all He has done. Praising Him for His goodness to me.


Giving thanks.... Wait.... Hmmm..... It is what the holiday is all about, but am I thankful? Really? For what God has given me?? Really? Or....do I have hidden resentments... God, why did this HAVE to happen... God, You are in control, Why did You allow this to happen?? Am I thankful? Really? For even the BAD stuff that has happened?? Hmmm. "Give thanks in ALL things." Well. I'm glad somethings are in the past, done, overwith. But I'm not thankful they happened......AND..... I don't think that is what He intends either. I think He wants me to be thankful that through out this life with it's joys and it's sorrows, I have Him. He is there. Loving ME. 


I am so very thankful for Him and His great love...


Happy Thanksgiving~
~Penni

There is something I must say....

Know what? I love having a blog. I love the idea that I can share what I want, when I want. It is so gratifying for me to be able to write about what ever happens to interest me at the moment. It doesn't matter if anyone reads it or not, it is just the writing of it, getting my words "out there" that is important to me. I have had some writings of mine published before and that was a great experience too, money does come in handy at times. ~ (smile), but it is the WRITING of it that is NECESSARY for me.


Maybe it is because I am by nature a quiet person. I prefer to listen rather than talk.  People fascinate me. I love to watch and listen. But that is another topic for another time.--  

Maybe it is because I have learned the hard way, that I have a amazing ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I have learned to be a good listener rather than always having my say. I remember once being interviewed at the Border's in Bangor by a local news crew about homeschooling - I twisted my words around so strangely they could only show about half the interview - what they had to delete was embarrassing when friends shared with me afterwards just what I had said!! Eek!! And no, I'm not sharing what I said. ~(Anyone out there remember that night??) On another occasion, I chose to gossip about someone (a horrid, horrid confession) and as life would have it, that person was sitting DIRECTLY in front of me. Mind you, I was sitting in bleachers. Yep. I was a COMPLETE moron. I didn't realize they were there, let me assure you. So I ended up hurting someone's feelings and making myself look like a cruel, uncaring person all in one shot. It was NOT a pretty picture. 

Hopefully with blogging, I have hurt no one - I certainly have no desire to and also, I hope I do not come off as being crude as well.

Maybe it is because I am not always willing or able to share my thoughts orally, that makes writing that much more important to me.

Whatever the reason, I enjoy my little blog and even if no one else ever reads this blog, (which in a sense means I am talking to myself right now - hah!) That's cool, too.

Now, I'll go off quietly and cook dinner,


God bless,
~Penni

I'm molting.... I'm molting.....

My lovely little hens are molting. They sure look pitiful right now, with so many feathers missing. In a couple of months they'll have all their new feathers and will be beautiful once again. For now, they must go through this shedding process-  in a sense they are losing all that they had that made them who they were or who we perceived them to be.

Honestly, it is as though I have 8 entirely different birds. Formerly, they were beautiful. Their feathers were shiny, full, and fluffy. They were good egg producers, averaging 5 or 6 a day from the 8 of them. They were always busy scratching and pecking at the ground and running here and there looking for something to eat.

Contrast that to their present day appearance and behavior. They have lost a lot of their feathers and have several sticking out at odd angles. Two of my hens have lost most of the feathers off their heads and just have these funny little white, spiky, pinfeathers on their heads. My, my, my, they sure are homely! I would post pictures of what my girls look like now but I will spare them the embarrassment. (Wink!)

Whereas they used to be so busy, now, it would appear they have gotten to be downright lazy. They can be found lounging around most anytime. They still scratch and peck and look for food, but not nearly as much. You see, their bodies are using their energies for growing those new beautiful feathers and it takes a lot of energy. So, if you drive by and see my girls laying around out there, don't think the worst of them - they are still working hard on the inside!

In many ways I feel a bit like my hens. Oh I'm not losing feathers and I'm certainly not laying around lounging all day, but I'm changing a bit too. My new feathers are growing in everyday as I learn new things. I've written before that this is an exciting time for me, one of change, of growth. I am learning who I am, what I am, what I need, what I must do. I am excited to learn what God has planned for me. 

And...... if you do happen to pass by and see my hens..... I would ask you to remember the famous quote by Aesop.  "It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds." 

~Penni

What a Wonderful World

I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom for me and you.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white,
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands saying, "how do you do?"
They're really saying... "I love you."

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow.
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world
  

Yeah... I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

~Louis Armstrong

How do you do?

A Child at Heart

I'm 43. ~~Gasp!~~ That sounds so middle age-ish! I remember when I was a teenager I thought anyone in their late 20's and beyond were over the hill!! My perspective sure has changed. Fact is, I don't feel any older now than I did 25 years ago. I look older and am, hopefully, wiser but inside I feel like the same person. I am privileged to have a number of friends in the 65+ age range and they tell me the same thing. It is as though our personalities, our souls?, are ageless. For me, personally, I love the 40's. I really do. Each new day is a learning experience and there is so much I want to learn about. I have a great desire to become fluent in French, raise and milk goats, raise sheep for wool and learn to spin, become an expert (hah!) at baking different kinds of breads, learn to make the perfect pie crust, make soy candles, read the diaries and original documents of our "founding fathers", know the Father more, more, more, memorize long passages of scripture, know the names of and the uses of ALL the plants on my property, have a huge garden (I sure do love to hoe - must be a genetic defect or something, I know of no one else who feels the same way!), have a ministry working with and teaching children (Their enthusiasm is contagious! How can you not feel happy when you look into the face of a smiling child and hear their laughter?), learn to play the guitar, be able to give a speech without becoming a nervous wreck, ......the list goes on and on. In many ways, I feel like a little child wanting to learn everything at once. Honestly, it is a fun feeling, even if a bit overwhelming at times. This is such an exciting time....
Life begins at 40? I agree.

The Purpose and Practicality of Pets

This is a picture of our sweet little Belle.
She passed away a couple of days ago.


I have been thinking a bit about pets.
I have heard it said many times that pets are not needed. They serve no real purpose and are not practical.

Well...
certainly having a little guinea pig for a pet (or a dog for that matter) can not compare to having a child, they are not the same as a human, BUT ...

in the case of little Belle here....

she was always sweet and cheerful in her little way. She loved to be patted, cuddled, and held. When looking at her, you couldn't help smiling --she was just plain old cute. She made me smile every time I walked by her.

So...

yes, she did serve a purpose...

She made others happy, each and every day, she never lost her temper or sulked, she never complained......

....If only that could be said about each of us.........

Golden Days of Autumn

There is just something wonderful about the way the sun shines on an autumn day. Everything looks so golden. It makes me feel happy and nostalgic. I love the reflection of it on my dining room table and my buffet, the sun adds such a richness of color to them. Somehow it always gives me the desire to study about and do old fashioned type things from the colonial period... I know it romanticizes the period but it is fun to stir my apples for pie with a wooden spoon, wear a long apron over my skirt, make soap, and make candles.... and feel a wee little bit like I am living in the past.