Gratitude~Day 30

November 30th!

I made it!

Today I'm grateful that I posted for 30 days in a row...

something I've never done before!  

I love blogging, but everyday is more then I normally post!  Still this has been a wonderful experience and made me think and look around at all the things in my life to be grateful for! 

Some were silly (not cooking Thanksgiving because my oven wasn't working...oh and the Mr fixed it...yay) and some were serious (grateful for my Mom's improved health), but all of them were from my heart! 

So thank you all for taking this journey with me!

I hope it inspired you to think about and be grateful for the big and little things in your life also!

So today I'm grateful that I took this challenge and learned so much from it! 

Now!!

Let the Christmas fun begin!

A very Grateful,

Linda

Gratitude~Day 29

Today I'm grateful for all of YOU!

Those of you who read my blog! 

The one's who leave comments

 (and also those who don't :)

  I am so grateful for my readers!

Your encouragement means so very much to me! 

I have learned so much from all of you about life, crafting, thrifting,

 blogging and friendship!

You have helped me spread my wings and fly!

Thank you all for being in my life!

And a special 'Merci' to Mary at Ms. Redo for letting me join her on this 

30 days of Gratitude journey! 

Hugs,

Linda

Gratitude~Day 28

Today I re-arranged the living room and made many trips up and down the basement stairs!

So today I'm grateful for

The Hot Tub!!

When I met Mr ALC he had a hot tub.  I had been in one from time to time but never on a regular basis.  During the summer it is just too hot for me but during the winter it is awesome! 

Tonight the heat and the bubbles felt so good on my sore muscles!  

I do appreciate the hot tub so much.  

Once we sat in the tub with coffee while it snowed...it was pretty darn awesome! 

Hugs,

Linda

Gratitude~Day 27

I am continuing my gratitude for music today!

I love listening to music in the car!

I drive almost 2 hours one-way to visit daughter and family several times a month.  I don't like the radio, too much talk and commercials, not enough music.  I mostly listen to CD's!

Some of my favorite artists

James Taylor

Dixie Chicks

Michael Buble

Adele

Josh Groban

Trish Yearwood

and so many many more!

I think my favorite singer is Kathy Mattea

I've shared that her Christmas CD "Good News" is one of my all time favorites.  Her voice moves me like no one else.  I have been blessed to see her once in concert and I was moved to tears.  

Her rendition of  'Mary Did You Know' is my Christmas favorite

If you have never heard it please enjoy this YouTube video

I treat myself to a new Christmas CD every year!

This year's is Blake Shelton's new release

'Cheers, it's Christmas'

I love this guy on 'The Voice' and know I will enjoy his new Christmas CD! 

What is your favorite Christmas Song?

Linda

Gratitude-Day 26

I am grateful for music!

If it's fun and silly songs with Tiger

or beautiful hymns at church...

I love it! 

This time of year I especially enjoy the wonderful musical offerings in my community!

A few years ago we all went to a performance by the Atlanta Ballet and saw the Nutcracker! 

Gorgeous dancing of course, but the music was amazing!  

If you ever get a chance to see this you should! 

A thrilling experience!

I also love concerts given at churches! 

I love Handel's Messiah of course.  It's soaring notes and blend of voices just gives me goosebumps!  I can't sing a note but my youngest daughter was in choir in high school and sang the Messiah with a community choir.  Such a wonderful experience for all of us!

Have you heard of the 

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols?  It is a Christmas service that brings the real meaning of Christmas into your heart.  Performed each year by the Kings College, Cambridge it is one of my favorite events of the season.  Mr ALC took me to a performance one year at Agnes Scott College and I hope we will be able to go again sometime!  Truly memorable!

Music makes me smile, laugh, cry and fills me with joy! 

Wishing you all of that this holiday season!

Linda 

Joining You're Gonna Love It

Gratitude~Day 25

Only a month until Christmas! 

I've taken down all the Fall decorations 

and I'm starting to bring up the Christmas bins!

Today I'm grateful that my Mom kept some of our old ornaments!  I thought she had gotten rid of all of the old Christmas things but recently when helping her downsize she mentioned some boxes of Christmas in the garage! 

I opened some boxes to find ornaments...but not just any ornaments...Shiny Brites! 

Look at the graphics on these original boxes!

Look at all this gorgeousness! 

I remember some of these from many years ago.  Mom gave me a 'few' when I moved out but to have her still have these boxes full has made me so happy! 

Even the faded colors are beautiful to me!

Thank you Mom for still having these reminders of my childhood! 

Sharing at 

Sunny Simple Sunday

and 

Seasonal Sunday

Linda

Gratitude-Day 24

I am Grateful for Joy!

This is the start of such a magical time of year...

Christmas!

Joy to share with those we love....

Finding Joy in the big and little things of life

I am so excited as we share this season full of Joy

Together! 

hugs,

Linda

Sharing this post at A Favorite Thing
and 
Rednesday

Gratitude-Day 23

I am very grateful for thrift shopping!

I am on a very limited income and so I shop

 thrift stores, yard sales and online bargains!

I buy a lot of books for Tiger and find them in thrift stores and yard sales for under .50 ea all the time!

I try to take a new book to him each time I visit and the only way I can afford that is to thrift the books.  I find so many that look like new! 

Tiger loves them and so does my daughter!

We buy clothes like this warm fleece shirt

and toys like this little ride on toy also at the thrift shop! 

 Bargains are there for the taking!

I find fun seasonal items all the time.  It's the only way I can decorate my home like I love too!

I also finds dishes at wonderful prices.  These were all bought on 1/2 price day and I paid less then $3 for all of this!

My family and friends know I also buy Christmas gifts at the thrifts and I've been buying some the last few months!  I can't share those with you yet! 

So today I am very grateful that I have found a way to stretch my income and buy items for friends, family and myself I otherwise couldn't!

Hugs,

Linda  

Gratitude~Day 22

I am so grateful for all the wonderful food I had to eat today!  I am so blessed to have all the food I need each and every day!  Not everyone is so lucky!  

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Hugs,

Linda

Gratitude~Day 21

Today I am so grateful for Mr ALC!

We have been together almost 5 years.

We are best friends and great partners!

We share many interests 

We both love junk and have gone to the 

World's Longest Yard Sale for several years

It's been an adventure we have really enjoyed!

We also both love photography

Carter has taught me so much and improved my skills.  

He is a really great photographer! 

Here are some of his shots taken on our very first date.

 We went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

I love these colors and the rain drops on the tulips

I knew he was a really special guy!

These photos are some of my favorites!

He requested no photos of him and I respect his wishes!  He is my guy and I'm lucky to have him in my life!  He takes care of things at home while I travel to visit my girls, my grandson and my Mom!

I really don't know what I would do without him! 

Hugs,

Linda

Gratitude~Day 20

I am grateful I was not planning to cook Thanksgiving Dinner this year!

You ask why???

Tonight while cooking a meatloaf I realized that the oven was not working correctly!  Not heating like it should!

YIKES!!

It is over 10 years old and was in the house when we bought it.  So the Mr. will take a look tomorrow and see what's what! 

Just very grateful this guy isn't waiting on me this year!  I'll be having Turkey with friends on Thursday!  

Hugs,

Linda

Gratitude~Day 19

I wanted to share the cubbies decorated for Thanksgiving!

I'm grateful for the seasons of the year!

Each one offers us a blessing!

Winter with its cold and lovely snow!

Spring with it's new beginnings!

Summer with heat and beauty of flowers in full bloom!

 and of course

Fall with it's brilliant colors and crisp days!

Each season also offers us special holidays to share with family and friends!

By using my cubbies to decorate for seasons and holidays it lets me really enjoy each one as it comes along!  I gather items for the seasons and holidays all year long.  Each display is unique and changes from year to year!

It also allows me to share some of my collections 

Do you have a favorite season?  Mine seems to always be the one I'm currently in!!

Hugs,

Linda  

I'm also joining Brenda for Tweak It Tuesday
and Kathe for You're Gonna Love It Tuesday

Gratitude~Day 18

Today's post is sad! 

I came home from some wonderful days with Sara and Tiger to read some devastating news.  My blogging friends Diann and Troy from The Thrifty Groove have had their precious Lia taken from them by an incompetent judge.  I can't say how angry this has made me and so sad for Diann and Troy.  Please read their story HERE

As we all know legal fees are sky high and Diann and Troy are not rich folks!  They are honest and hardworking and the nicest people.  Diann and I made a wonderful connection through blogging and she was one of the first blogs I ever followed.  They have given Lia a loving and safe home for 4 years and to have her taken away and put in an unsafe environment in the manner shared in their story is unconscionable!  

I am asking that you read this post about Lia's Catnip Puffs and consider a donation to help Bring Lia Home!  I will also be donating all profits from any sales in my Etsy shop to them for the next 3 months at least!  

So today's post is sad but also I am Grateful to a blogging community that has already reached out to Troy and Diann and will continue too.  Please add them to your prayers!

Linda 

Gratitude~Day 17

I am grateful for my health!

Yes I know that's me in a big donut! 

I am blessed with pretty good health!

I am also thankful for medicine that helps me stay healthy!  At 62 I do take priolsec for reflux and zyrtec for allergies but mostly I'm just pretty darn healthy.  I know I need to loose weight and exercise more, and hopefully I'll do that soon!  

No more burgers??  

Hugs, 

Linda

**I had the last three days of gratitude posts ready but somehow blogger didn't publish them as I hoped.   Be sure to check out days 15 & 16 below!**

Gratitude~Day 16

I am grateful for my faith!

I don't talk much on my blog about religion or politics but I do have thoughts and feelings about both.  However I can't have a month of gratitude posts without one about my faith.

I am a Christian and I am thankful for the freedom to believe and worship

 in my own way.

I believe in the power of prayer!

I believe miracles are everywhere!

Linda

Gratitude~Day 15

I am grateful for time spent with blogging friends!

I have met some wonderful friends here in the Atlanta area through blogging.  We get together periodically for lunch and junk!  Or sometimes just lunch and lots and lots of talk! 

We always have a good time!

Christmas tour of the Governor's mansion

Birthday lunches or holiday brunches!

Food always seems to be involved, and being bloggers there are always photos!

We should be having our next get-together soon to celebrate Christmas with an ornament exchange!

Yes I am grateful for my Atlanta blogging buddies!

Hugs,

Linda

Gratitude~Day 14

I am so grateful for my Charlie!

I love this sweet and gentle cat so much! 

I am so grateful that 14 years ago our eyes met across a crowded PetSmart and the rest, as they say, is history!  

**I'm going to be taking care of Tiger for a few days and my internet access may be spotty.  I'm going to prepare some gratitude posts to hopefully publish while I'm gone**

Hugs,

Linda

Gratitude~Day 13

I am so very grateful for books!

I love reading and have since I was a very young child.  I had story books I would take to the adults and have them read to me....apparently over and over again.  If they tried to skip pages I would make them go back and read them!  Funny, I see my Grandson being the same way!!

This was last year!  I take Tiger a book each time I visit and we read it together! 

I love non fiction!  I always have a book I'm reading.  I read one at a time.  I like a fun mix of mystery, suspense, chick lit, intrigue and drama!

Thrift stores have allowed me to find used books at very reasonable prices!

I always have a stack of TBR books!

It's an addiction I tell ya!

I have always been a fan of the library! 

Growing up I loved checking out books.  I always took my girls to the library and they participated in summer reading programs.  

I seldom read a book more then once! I also have stopped keeping most of my books once they are read.  I would not have room to store them all!

I share books with friends and family after reading them!  My best friend Terry and I always exchange books.  She has introduced me to some good authors I would not have found on my own!

I like books that make me laugh, take me to far away places, make me think and make me cry!

I can't imagine my life without books!

Do you read? 

I'm joining 

You're Gonna Love It

Hugs,

Linda

Gratitude~Day 12

I am grateful for our Veterans!

In the midst of so much turmoil in our world I am always grateful for the men and women who served in our countries armed forces!

 Who protect our country and our freedoms!

I have mentioned before that my Dad was a career Marine.  He was a fighter pilot in Korea and served as a commanding officer in Vietnam.

I grew up with an appreciation of the sacrifices

made by men and women in uniform.

Thank you to all Veterans who fought and served our country! 

Linda