Last Days of November

Already?

These were made in school by my second graders, with their incredible art teacher! I couldn't stop myself from photographing and sharing them with you! Don't they make you smile?

My family Thanksgiving was wonderful: an abundance of loving company, good food, warm drinks, puppy play, football, and laughter.

♥

Very Thankful For You!

I am always grateful that my husband enjoys cooking and baking

and that he's incredibly good at it!

Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. friends

and Happy Harvest,

Happy Blog World, and

Happy Friendship around our globe to all of you!

I am so very grateful that we met and that you visit me here. Wow.

♥Kath

I Am Grateful

...for 21 successful, inspiring parent-teacher conferences last night and this morning.

...for my renewed joy in the classroom with my 24 students.

...for the meeting of minds and hearts.

Happy Thanksgiving, US Friends, and happy days of joy to all of my Blog Friends! ♥K

Heart Filled With Love & Gratitude!!!

Oh my goodness! Can it be? YES!

My brother, Jim, has had to move across the US in order to keep working. He thought it would be for one year, but it has been 3 years and 2 months of living in Florida while all of his family has stayed here in WNY. A lot of trips back and forth... But yesterday morning, great news! Jim has landed a job here and is moving back home for Christmas!!!!

We've always been close, being only 15 months apart in age (he's older, haha).

Welcome Home, Hime!♥♥♥ WooHoo!

Gratitude

I am so grateful to have choices.

I love the promise of a morning. A morning at home to do what I want to do and to make decisions about my own day. I don't have to leave and run out the door this morning. I can actually stay home and cuddle Ellie, throw her Wubba, clean my filthy house (!), and create and read and walk outside in the sun, take photos, eat almonds, stretch, call a friend, think about Christmas shopping (but not go).

Thank you, God, for my many blessings and for allowing me to have choices today...even if You already know and made my plans for me!

Happiest of weekends to all of you, who I am SO grateful for every single day. More than you will ever know. xo ~Kath

Gratitude Journaling...

I remember as a child, realizing for the first time, that I could think something inside that no one else could see or know. I remember who I was with, what I was thinking, and where I was standing. It was a startling discovery. It was amazing. It was scary. I was a little kid and I felt a whole new large life beginning. The power of the human mind. The power we could all tap into.

As an adult, I still am amazed at how much we can think and feel and wonder and solve. I know there is an infinite amount of mind energy that we can only hope we'll one day realize. And I know the incredible power of faith. And of prayer.

Amazing.

Wishing you all a very mindful day. Love, Kath

Grateful for...

...a new friend at work.

I have so much respect for good, hardworking reading specialists and I love the way our school has set up new reading programs for the children who need different kinds of learning. The reading dept. is great, and when I met with one of the teachers who works with a handful of my second graders, well, we really hit it off. Today we had to discuss two students' progress and after we communicated about that, we ended up talking about faith and prayers and health and alternative medicine and family....It wasn't even a super long talk, but it just flowed.

Have you met anyone lately but it feels like you've known them for years?

Gratitude

I am so very thankful for hot showers and flannel jammies. I can hardly stand the anticipation! Today I will relax before dinner.

aaaah.

I am Grateful for...

...inspiration.

Whether it sits softly next to me...

or sticks me like a pin, I am grateful that it can revive me, energize me, and keep me going.

I fell in love with this fabric. It reminds me of art journaling and of the beauty in listening to other languages.
{This set of fabric push pins will be available in my shop very soon! I have a 7:00 p.m. doctor's appointment for a physical tonight. Yuk, but necessary I know. I have to go back on the full dose of medicine. I am fighting for energy again.}

Thank you, Inspiration! Thank you, my creative friends!

I am Grateful for...

...nature's therapy.

Whenever I feel a little down, Mother Nature shows me the light.

This is the new phenomenon in Western New York: we've never heard of it nor seen it before, yet it occurred twice this past week:

Frozen Fog.

When it happened the second time, I tried to capture it for you. These photos are untouched. Hope you can see the icy air! It was crispy, crystalline, and beautiful.

~♥K

Today I am Grateful for...

...weekends.

~to be able to sleep later than 5:40 a.m.

~to be able to stay in bed if I want to...though I do love to be productive in the mornings!

~ to go outside in the crisp, fresh morning air...just to walk.

~to catch up on all things behind at home.

~to get Ellie out of her crate to kiss good morning instead of knowing someone else gets to do it!

~to go to Barnes & Noble with my son, to play!

Enjoy your Saturday! Peace!

My Gratitude

For a day as beautiful as this, how could I not be thankful?!

A miracle for November!

~Clear blue sky and a whopping 54 degrees F

so I could walk Ellie through the park without a coat!

Aaaah for fresh air and a brisk walk in the sun.

Today I am Grateful for...

...a kind smile from a stranger.

Have you ever been rushed or stressed and then someone just looks at you and smiles? Have you ever been in a store or on a street and a stranger inspires you in some unforgettable way?

Sometimes that's all you need to make the day go better. I love that. ♥ A little unexpected kindness is so simple, but can mean so very much.

I am Grateful for...

...self discovery

and all of its stages.

Today I am Grateful for...

...my "experiment" that worked!

Yes, I am taking only 2/3 of the medicine and I have a lot more energy. I feel like my old self again. I can even imagine working out soon, and I am signed up to try yoga the week after Thanksgiving! One step at a time...

I am so very thank ful. I just wanted to feel alive again.

(Thank you for asking for an update!. I am very thankful for you.) ~Kathy

Sunday's Gratitude

Memories and Relics

I am grateful for the fact that there are people who care to preserve,

cherish,

and share the old,

the antique,

the vintage,

the past.

I love to look at pieces of life from long ago and picture in my mind the person creating it,

or choosing it as a gift,

or....

I wonder what that person would think now.

I wonder how she would feel to know that what was once in her sewing room

is now being smiled at by hundreds of admirers?

I always feel that connection.

It warms me and comforts me.

It always makes me smile.

Today I am Grateful for...

...my sweet Ellie.

Unconditional love.

And her neck is so soft.

And she stretches sometimes 23 times when she wakes up in the morning.

Ellie can go to the bottom of any fresh laundry pile and come out with the dryer sheet.

And shred it.

I love her to pieces.♥

Today I am Grateful for...

...having my own little spot.

In my house, I have my own little PaperPumpkin room.

And in my own little Pumpkin room is everything I love to play with.

And among my playthings is a collection of many journals.

And in my journals is me. Letting go.

Today I am Grateful for...

...forgiveness.

Everyone messes up sometimes.

We say things we wish we didn't. We don't say things we wish we did.

I find that being angry hurts and is exhausting.

But worse, is the feeling of regret.

The feeling that I am really sorry but someone is still mad, and I hope they will forgive.

And they do.

Then comes the part where I have to forgive myself.

When it's over and forgiveness frees it all

the feeling is

a little closer to perfect.

And that's all I could ever ask for.

Gratitude. Day 3

Today I am thinking about the beautiful differences between people and I am grateful that people share their many feelings, talents, and thoughts. I am grateful that when I am feeling overworked at my desk, I can hear laughter from down the hall. We can learn so much from one another. I think that's such an amazing, incredible gift. Aah, our sweet differences. (Or, Thank God not everyone is like me!).

Today I am Grateful for...

...the sunshine.

The brisk fall weather feels okay when the sun shines on all those colors!

"Nature's beauty is God's greeting card". ~unknown

Gratitude

November seems like an extra special time to show gratitude. Inspired by Lisa at curious girl, I will focus on the many things for which I am most grateful...and share them as often as I can.

Today I am grateful for my friend LB at work. She is an incredibly postitive, warm, caring, generous, kind person. And tomorrow is her birthday. I am glad I have been given the gift of her friendship in my lifetime. ♥