A little inspiration motivation ...




The Music Won't Last
(Author Unknown)

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down; don't dance so fast,
time is short, the music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "How are you?" do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed
with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You'd better slow down; don't dance so fast;
time is short - the music won't last.

Ever told your child we'll do it tomorrow
and in your haste, not see his or her sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die
'cause you never had time to call and say hi?

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
it is like an unopened gift....thrown away.

You'd better slow down; don't dance so fast;
time is short - the music won't last.
For more Thursday's thoughts...click here!
When we were in Virginia a few months ago, we found a few antique shops. I had been looking for a small vase for my kitchen window sill. I found this one. It's only about 5 inches tall and great for those short stems that accidentally get broken off in the garden. Every other day, I would snip off a few blooms and make a new bouquet to enjoy!


I found this small plate.....


and this curved one to hold my glasses. I only wear glasses to drive and it seems I'm always looking for them....

“Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends.” ~H. Jackson Brown

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Happy Turkey Day!


Enjoy the day with family and friends!..and I hope you have a laugh or two!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Over the river, and through the wood,
Now grandmother’s cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Lydia Maria Child (1802

*****
Turkeys perched on trees and refusing to descend indicate snow. Old weather proverb

The average person in the United States will eat 17 pounds of turkey this year, compared with 9 pounds for the average Canadian.

Wattles, Caruncles, & More

A male turkey is called a tom, a female is a hen, and a youngster is a poult.
A group of turkeys is called a rafter. The loose skin below a turkey’s chin is called a wattle. The warts on the wattle are called the caruncles.
*****
Because the wild turkey is quick to defend itself and fight against all predators, Ben Franklin wanted it, rather than the bald eagle, to be the symbol of the United States.

~Wordless Wednesday~

Thank God that we enjoy PEACE in the United States.
For more Wordless Wednesday entries, click here...

Being a Christian....


is like "being a pumpkin." God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc., and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good..." Psalm 100:4
*~*~*~*~*~*
God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.
Have you used one to say "thank you?
William Authur Ward
*~*~*~*~*~*
Thank you...
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

SNAPSHOTS OF AUTUMN!

Thank you...


I want to thank Theresa over at "Theresa's Life" for
giving me the "Ray of Sunshine Award" .
She is one of several faithful visitors to
my blog that keep a smile on my face!
Thanks again,Theresa!
So, in turn...
I would like to pass this award to Tracey,
She inspires us all to be creative and to live life to the fullest!
Swing by her blog and you'll see......

" Show and Tell Friday "...

is hosted by Kelli over at "there is no place like home".

A few years ago, we were replacing the bathroom floor in my Mom's house. The original floor had been put down many years before with the anticipated "indoor plumbing". When we took up the old boards we found several layers of newspaper underneath to help insulate the floor. I enjoyed looking through these worn and faded papers and decided to keep some. Recently I came across them when I was cleaning a closet.
Check out these styles and prices: ( THE YEAR WAS 1944)




I apologize for the quality and darkness of the photos.
For more "Show and Tell"...click here!

A little inspiration motivation...




Remember….
To spend some time with your loved ones,
because they are not going to be around forever.

To say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe,
because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

give a warm hug to the one next to you,

because that is the only treasure you can give
with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

"I love you" to your partner and your loved ones,
but most of all mean it.

A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt
when it comes from deep inside of you.

hold hands and cherish the moment for someday
that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak!

And give time to share
the precious thoughts in your mind.

Author~Comedian George Carlin


Why don't you join us for "Thursday's thought for the Day " over at Lisa C. Writes ?

You're soooo talented...

Over the weekend, I met a several interesting people at a local craft and vendor show!

Beverly is a very talented lady that loves to create handcrafted cards and gift tags. Her blog is full to the brim with plenty of unique papercrafts. It includes lots of photos and clever designs to inspire you. She has a wonderful blog over at "Country Frog Creations". So hop on over there and give her a look!...Tell her Suzy sent ya!

*****
I also met Bob and Christine from Patterson Images. They're a husband and wife team and the wildlife photography is outstanding ... Of course, the shots of flowers are my favorite! I know that you'll enjoy browsing through their website as much as I did ... so why not stop by?

See it Sunday...

is a photo meme with a different theme each week.

The theme for this week is : TINY



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Why don't you join us over at See it Sunday?

Will the winter be wooly?

When I was a little girl, I often heard my grandparents talk about the wooly caterpillar and the prediction of winter. This fall, I've seen several in my flower bed and they were all marked this same way:

" Some people believe that the coat of a wooly bear caterpillar can be used to predict how bad the coming winter will be.

There are many wooly bear caterpillars in the United States and Canada. They can be seen anytime from May to October.
They believe that if a wooly bear caterpillar's brown stripe is thick, the winter weather will be mild and if the brown stripes are narrow, the winter will be severe.

In the late 1600s, farmers relied on weather history to predict weather. For that reason, they looked for something in nature to help them. They found the wooly bear caterpillar. Reports about the weather, along with a comparison of wooly bear stripes, made people think that the wooly bear's coat was a good signal about weather. Some people still believe the wooly bear caterpillar can be used to predict weather."

Author Unknown

Hope your wooly caterpillars all have a WIDE brown stripe!!!!

A little inspiration motivation....


Success
By Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of
honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even
one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
If you would like to join us for " Thought for the Day"...click here!

The sun was shining this morning….

And then the wind kicked up and the dark gray clouds started to roll in. I could feel the temperature dropping. They are calling for the first snowflakes of the season tonight! I still had a few garden ornaments and pots to store away for the winter, so I got an early start on that.

All the while I was thinking… “ This is soup weather”!!!
So………
I decided to do some cooking for today and the rest of the week. I had a couple of chicken dishes I wanted to try. They are in a book called “The Low-Carb Bible” that I got for two dollars in the clearance section at the book store!




First, I thawed a bag of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I’ll cook the whole bag at once and use it in several recipes. Sometimes I just brown the breasts in a little olive oil in a large skillet or I melt some butter on a cookie sheet, dust the chicken with some whole wheat flour and bake it ‘til golden brown.

Here's the recipe:
Chicken and Vegetable chowder

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup sliced carrots
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup whole kernel corn
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 cans of reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1/3 cup half-and-half

Slow cooker directions:
Combine all ingredients except half and half in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours until vegetables are tender and chicken is no longer pink in center. Next, stir in half and half. Turn to high. Cover and cook 15 more minutes or until heated through.
Variation: If desired, add ½ cup shredded swiss or cheddar cheese to thicken chowder, stirring until melted.
Makes 6 servings~
Calories:389
Carbs:13 grams
Fat: 17 grams

*****

Lemon Garlic Chicken

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
Directions:
Combine oil, garlic, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush oil mixture over both sides of the chicken to coat. Lightly oil grid of outdoor grill to prevent sticking, (I think I’ll use my George Forman) Grill for 10 minutes, turning once.
Makes 4 servings~
Calories:199
Carbs:1 gram
Fat: 10 grams

Just in case you were wondering...


Do you know pumpkins are a fruit?
***
The largest pumpkin ever grown was 1,689 pounds.
***
The top pumpkin production states are
Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.
***
In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an
ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
***
Using pumpkins as lanterns at Halloween is based on an ancient
Celtic custom brought to America by Irish immigrants.

A little inspiration motivation...

Thursday's thought of the day:
~ GRATITUDE ~

By Melody Beattie

Say Thank You until you mean it.

Thank God for Everyone and everything sent your way.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home,
a stranger into a friend.

It turns problems into gifts, failures into successes, the unexpected
into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events.
It can turn an existence into a real life, and disconnected situations
into important and beneficial lessons.

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,
and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Gratitude makes things right.
Gratitude turns negative energy into positive energy.
There is a solution, it is gratitude. There is no situation or circumstance so
small or large that it is not susceptible to gratitude’s power.
We can start with who we are and what we have today,
apply gratitude, then let it work its magic!

Say Thank You, until you mean it.
If you say it long enough, you will believe it.
If you would like to take part in "Thursday's thought of the day"
please join us over at Lisa c writes !