thankful

Windmills in Winter

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Windmills in Winter

We had a glorious night snowboarding a bit ago. At the top of the hill, I sat down for a minute to listen to the windmill and enjoy the snow fairies dancing around me. How awesome is this view and the sound of the windmill in action?

Windmills at Jiminy Peak

I’m a bit late on this post, but it was for Nov 30.

**For the month of November each year, I try to focus on something I’m thankful for each day. It is the month that holds Thanksgiving where I live, after all. Focusing on the positive and remembering the little things that make life great is something I should do more often. If you want to see some blogs I’m thankful for, check out my main site, Word Quilt.

thankful

Thankful for Beautiful Snowy Mornings

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Thankful for Beautiful Snowy Mornings
Snowy morning in November
Thankful for snowy November mornings.

**For the month of November each year, I try to focus on something I’m thankful for each day. It is the month that holds Thanksgiving where I live, after all. Focusing on the positive and remembering the little things that make life great is something I should do more often. If you want to see some blogs I’m thankful for, check out my main site, Word Quilt.

thankful

Thankful for Games

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Thankful for Games

I just discovered a new game, and I adore it. The game is called Iota, and it’s box is smaller than my hand 🙂 So yeah. Easy storage. But tons of fun. We played it with the young adults in our world over Thanksgiving, and it became even more fun.

Mollie, Hudi, Chris (and me) playing Iota.
Mollie, Hudi, Chris (and me) playing Iota. 

Iota is kind of a cross between Scrabble and Dominoes. When played with adult rules, it’s surprisingly tricky. But it can be played with little kids, too. With rule variations.

Last time Chris and I played alone, it took almost an hour. You have to think of colors, numbers and shapes. Can’t have more than four in a line, and each card has to either be all the same in those arenas or all different.

We actually had a bit of a hard time with the rules at first, but Mollie is an expert Googler, and found help. I am pretty sure this is the site she found with great instructions. We also used a spreadsheet on the computer for keeping score. 

Iota card game in action.
Make sure each set of four is all the same or all different. Surprisingly tricky.

Playing games is really fun. But it’s difficult to find one everybody appreciates, and one that can be played in a short period of time or a long one. So far, Iota seems to be a winner.

**For the month of November each year, I try to focus on something I’m thankful for each day. It is the month that holds Thanksgiving where I live, after all. Focusing on the positive and remembering the little things that make life great is something I should do more often. If you want to see some blogs I’m thankful for, check out my main site, Word Quilt.

thankful

Thankful For Flowers in Winter

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Thankful For Flowers in Winter

**For the month of November each year, I try to focus on something I’m thankful for each day. It is the month that holds Thanksgiving where I live, after all. Focusing on the positive and remembering the little things that make life great is something I should do more often. If you want to see some blogs I’m thankful for, check out my main site, Word Quilt.

thankful

Pedicures

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Pedicures

We celebrated Christmas at Thanksgiving while Hudi and Mollie were visiting. They gifted me with a pedicure. I’ve never had one before. On Black Friday we hit the mall, and Chris and Hudi walked around while Mollie and I sat in massage chairs and had our feet soaked, exfoliated and prettied up.

Pink and green toenails.

My favorite part? I got to hang out and talk with Mollie while we were getting spoiled.

When we initially walked in we were asked to choose nail-polish colors. After we each got one, Mollie pointed out we had gotten Christmas colors 🙂 How perfect.

I chose red because I’m sloppy at doing my own toenails and would never pick such a pretty, vibrant color that would show all the flaws of my application. So it was a super treat to add the color to my toenails.

I feel festive and loved and pampered whenever I look down. Thanks, Hudi and Mollie! Awesome gift!

**For the month of November each year, I try to focus on something I’m thankful for each day. It is the month that holds Thanksgiving where I live, after all. Focusing on the positive and remembering the little things that make life great is something I should do more often. If you want to see some blogs I’m thankful for, check out my main site, Word Quilt.

thankful

Thankful for Breaks

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Thankful for Breaks

I’m six “thanks” behind for the month, and I’m thankful that it’s okay 🙂 There’s one of the six, haha. There have been many thanks over the past few days, but I was busy living life and enjoying time with family and didn’t have as much time to write. So this is a six-in-one post to get myself back on track.

I am thankful for:

One:

As noted, the ability to take breaks from work and writing to be with family.

Two:

Finishing a 11.5 hr workday on Tuesday to find the dishwasher loaded with the Christmas mugs from the year prior — so they would be all set for our holiday celebrations with the kids, who were arriving that night.

Christmas mug and decorations.

Three:

Listening to my mother-in-law playing hymns on the keyboard. She also plays the organ in church, and I love hearing her at home as well.

Mom playing the organ.

Four:

Having Star come to visit. She lives with the kids now, and it’s great to see her so happy with them, but it’s fun having here back here, too.

Five:

Video Calling. Zoom, Skype, Facetime, Facebook Video, whatever. It just makes the holidays and other times all the more fabulous when you can actually see your loved ones even though they live across the country or world.

Six:

Gutenberg. Yes, I know this one is not everyone’s favorite, but I personally love blogging with the new WordPress block editor. I find it a LOT easier to organize my thoughts and portray them on the page as I visualize them in my head.

**For the month of November each year, I try to focus on something I’m thankful for each day. It is the month that holds Thanksgiving where I live, after all. Focusing on the positive and remembering the little things that make life great is something I should do more often. If you want to see some blogs I’m thankful for, check out my main site, Word Quilt.

thankful

A Festival of Trees – Thankful for Community

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A Festival of Trees – Thankful for Community
Dinos on the tree? Perfect at a museum!
Dinos on the tree? Perfect at a museum!

Generally we have a house rule that the Christmas season doesn’t kick off until after Santa waves at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but this year, Chris and broke the rules. We’re going wild now that the kids are grown and out of the house 😉 Friday night (yes, almost an entire week before Thanksgiving) found us heading to the Berkshire Museum for a fundraiser highlighting a Festival of Trees.

Persuading me to go was not difficult. 🙂

As a newbie to the area, it was really cool seeing all the different business represented. And seeing community members themselves coming to support the museum.

Local businesses created trees based on songs. It was up to us to figure out while songs each tree represented. See that one on the left? It's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
Local businesses created trees based on songs. It was up to us to figure out while songs each tree represented. See that one on the left? It’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” 
Ribbon Candy on the Cookies
Ribbon candy on the cookies
Holly Jollytini and snacks. So festive!
Holly Jollytini and snacks. So festive!
There's just something about seeing classic animations highlighted next to classic sculpture.
There’s just something about seeing classic animations highlighted next to classic sculpture. 
Funky tree toppers
Funky tree toppers
A “tree” made by musicians. 
Info about the musicians' tree.
Info about the musicians’ tree. 
Info about the musicians' tree.
Info about the musicians’ tree.
Chris enjoying the delicious hot chocolate and cookies.
Chris enjoying the delicious hot chocolate and cookies.
My favorite room - the ones with the trees from local daycare and child centers :)
My favorite room – the ones with the trees from local daycare and child centers 🙂
Chris took this pic of me by one of my favorite singers. There's nobody quite like Ella Fitzgerald, imho.
Chris took this pic of me by one of my favorite singers. There’s nobody quite like Ella Fitzgerald, imho.
So many creative trees!
So many creative trees!
See Chris in the tree in the corner? That one had woodsy sounds inside. Calming.
See Chris in the tree in the corner? That one had woodsy sounds inside. Calming.
Had to take this one for our Bri, who loves pugs. Great tree topper, and the list is what the animal shelter needed donation-wise. So smart.
Had to take this one for our Bri, who loves pugs. Great tree topper, and the list is what the animal shelter needed donation-wise. So smart.

The video above this paragraph gives a bit of the feel of the museum. Love how the art is surrounded by so many different trees. If you listen closely, you can hear the high school choir singing “Silent Night” in the background.

The video below is of a tree depicting “Stairway to Heaven.” It was created by our friend Mark and his team. I think they did a fabulous job.

**For the month of November each year, I try to focus on something I’m thankful for each day. It is the month that holds Thanksgiving where I live, after all. Focusing on the positive and remembering the little things that make life great is something I should do more often. If you want to see some blogs I’m thankful for, check out my main site, Word Quilt.

thankful

Thankful for Opening Day of Snowboard Season — In November!!!!

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Thankful for Opening Day of Snowboard Season — In November!!!!

It’s November 17. Not even Thanksgiving, and Chris and I got to hit the slopes. Last year was less than stellar as I slipped a disc in my back on Valentine’s day and had to sit out the rest of the season (yes, I slipped it putting on my snowboard boots, which makes me not-quite-so-hard-core, but  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).

But that all aside, we hit the slopes today, and it was amazing. Walking back to our abode, I commented to Chris that there are just moments that hit you once in a while. Moments in which you are reminded you are blessed beyond blessed, and it would be a crime to not acknowledge that. And we are that. #sothankful.

Opening Day at Jiminy Peak
Opening Day at Jiminy Peak

So for those of you that know and love me (thank you for that). This is the year. I am finally going to get comfortable with turning right. I know I say every year that I will learn to turn right, but last year I actually did it, and I think that doing it on opening day is a good sign that it will only get better. I know  I’m flailing a lot, but I’m adding this video as a baseline so I can hopefully see improvement. By the end of this year, I will do it naturally. Right? (Please say yes.)

Figuring out how to turn right and go toe-side.

**For the month of November each year, I try to focus on something I’m thankful for each day. It is the month that holds Thanksgiving where I live, after all. Focusing on the positive and remembering the little things that make life great is something I should do more often. If you want to see some blogs I’m thankful for, check out my main site, Word Quilt.

thankful

Thankful for Sleep

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Thankful for Sleep

Last night the wind was howling, and the snow was swirling, as I tucked into my cozy bed for sleep. Since I’m on vacation this week, I didn’t worry about having to get up and do anything so I didn’t start my next day for another 10.5 hrs. Pure bliss.

sleep GIF

And the best part? Now I’m blogging in front of a fireplace movie, looking out at the snow and the trees, and the setting is lulling me to sleep once again. Nap time. Catch you tomorrow… 😉

**For the month of November each year, I try to focus on something I’m thankful for each day. It is the month that holds Thanksgiving where I live, after all. Focusing on the positive and remembering the little things that make life great is something I should do more often. If you want to see some blogs I’m thankful for, check out my main site, Word Quilt.