Chapter 11, Page 30, Book 18

There is no duty we so much underrated as the duty of being happy.  By being happy we sow enormous benefits upon the world.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Today I’m thankful for Happiness

If you want to find happiness,

find gratitude.

Steve Maraboli

Happiness is truly an inside job.  It means that only I can created happiness in my life.  You cannot buy, beg or borrow it from anyone else, it is a feeling deep inside that makes you want to smile through any circumstance.

Happiness is a choice we make.  We can either choose gloom or doom or we can choose to keep happiness in our hearts come what may.  They say don’t cry because it’s over, but smile because it happened and that is the way I try to view life.  You can either allow your circumstances to define you or your can let them strengthen you. 

If we’re peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower.  A big part of our struggle with life is figuring out what makes us happy and more importantly, what makes us consistently happy.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.  Happiness is not a destination, a place in the future, it is possible in the now and here.  We only need to choose it.

For me happiness is being content with who I am, what I have and where I am.  I’m an exceedingly happy person.  I don’t have a lot in the way of material things but I do have a lot of what truly matters in my life:  my faith, friends and family.

  I do think we have a duty to be happy.  After all is said and done, this is a day the Lord has made and we should rejoice and be happy in it.  The happy make the world better and the unhappy make it worse.  The unhappy, such as the moody, the chronic complainers, the drama kings and queens frequently ruin the lives of those around them.

Happiness is contagious.  Being happy not only affects us, but everyone in our lives.  If we want to contribute to the greater good of the world, then we need to choose happiness.  I’m not saying that nothing bad ever happens in my life, but I am saying that it’s my choice about how I want to feel about what happens to me.

I’m happy to say that this is the last of my Thankful posts for this year anyway.  Tomorrow, we welcome in the month of December which will bring with it a season of JOY. 

I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness; it’s right in from of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.

Brene Brown.

Chapter 11, Page 29, Book 18

I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.

Og Mandino

Today I’m thankful for Light

Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.

Walt Whitman

There is no doubt about it, I was made for sunny days.  When darkness comes early and the light fades, so do I.    I am afflicted with seasonal affective disorder also called SAD.  It is sad for me that symptoms begin in fall and continue into the winter months. It saps my energy and makes me feel moody.  If I were a bear, I’d be happy then I could hibernate all winter long.  But life goes on and I try to cope.

Not only do I have a very low energy level, all I want to do is sleep.  It’s like my body’s internal clock has slowed down and needs winding up.

When we have sunny days, I’m always happier and more energetic, even when it’s cold outside.  So I wear colorful clothing, turn on the lights and play some music to try and push off the feelings I get without much daylight and very little sunshine.

Truth is life as we know it would not be possible with out the heat and light of the sun. It’s probably why people like to go south for the winter.  The closer to the equator you are, the more sunny days, you’ll have.  The sun gives us our best supply of Vitamin D which is why they call it the Sunshine vitamin, so I’ve started to take a daily supplement.  We can get it from the food we eat too.  Canned tuna is an excellent source and readily available.  And almost all types of cow’s milk are fortified with Vitamin D. Eggs are a convenient way to get it too.  No matter what time of year, I try to include these things in my diet.

The good news is that the first day of winter isn’t very far off and then the days will begin to grow longer one minute at a time.  There is a light at the end of my tunnel.  Spring will come again.

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength.  Give thanks for your food and the joy of living.  If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

Tecumseh

Chapter 11, Page 28, Book 18

For every one of us that succeeds, it’s because there’s somebody there to show you the way out.

Oprah Winfrey

Today I’m thankful for Mentors

A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out in you.

Bob Proctor

If you’re lucky, you’ve had at least one great mentor in your life.  They are those special people that inspire and encourage you to be the best version of yourself, take risks and not to be afraid to chase success.  I’ve had many good mentors in life.  Some were the school teachers I’ve had, and some were good friends that I worked with, but the one that stands out the most was my grandmother.  She took the time to teach me many things.  

She taught me about life.  She taught me about religion, She taught me a lot about cooking and sewing. She had a very strong love of family.  She taught me how to love unconditionally.

She had 10 children of her own, but she also taught school and was a post master/mistress at one time.  She was a Sunday school teacher and she made pin money by selling eggs.  She made do with what she had and knew the value of living life in the moment.

I can never be thankful enough for the precious times I spent with her.  She made great impact on my life.  She encouraged me to be a better person.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou

Chapter 11, Page 27, Book 18

The cure for all the ills and wrongs, the cares, the sorrows, and the crimes of humanity, all lie in that one word ‘LOVE’.  It is the divine vitality that produces and restores life.  To each and every on of us it gives the power of working miracles, if we will.

Lydia M. Child

Today I’m thankful for Love

Best of all, Christmas means a spirt of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of  our lives manifest, the presence of God.

George F. McDougall

Love is everything.  Love is all we need.  I would say that one cannot live a full and happy life without love because with out love, life would be meaningless,  life would mean less and less.

Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.

Mother Teresa

There is no doubt about it: the world could use a little more peace, love, and understanding.   We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love to help others and make a difference.

Love is life.  And if you miss love, you miss life.

Leo Buscaglia

Love will find a way.  There is something about that word that summons the common good in all of us.   Love will give us supper human strength to do the seemingly impossible.  Love will lift us up to where we belong.

On my thankful list for today:

6559. for giving, for me it's better than receiving

6560. for snail mail for those without email

6561. for much to do, life is never dull

Love only grows by sharing.  You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.

Brian Tracey

Other things may fade away, but love lasts forever.  Love will always win. Love will always prevail and love is what will keep us all together.  Love makes us want to be better people.

Most everything we do is because of those four magical letters - love.

The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we never give enough is love.

Henry Miller

Chapter 11, Page 26, Book 18

Count your blessings.

Once you realize how valuable you are

and how much you have going for you,

the smiles will return, the sun will break out,

the  ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪  music ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ will play, and

you will finally be able to move forward

with the life that God intended for you

with grace, strength, courage and confidence.

Og Mandino

Today I’m thankful for music

For me music brings Christmas to life…To me each one of these special songs is a pretty package that I get unwrap again every year.

Ace Collins

Yes, I do love Christmas music and I’m playing it now and all the days until Christmas. Christmas carols, songs and hymns are my very favorite kind of music.  I’m in love with Christmas and like to sing about it.  After all Christmas is all about love.

Music is a splendid thing.  It can cheer you up when you’re sad, make you dance like a fool and allow you to drown out the world when you need to.  Music evokes emotion and emotion can bring memory with it.  Research says listening to songs evokes a sense of joy,and will cause increased circulation which encourages good heart health.  Music is good for the heart and the soul.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas;

Soon the bells will start,

And the thing that will make them ring,

Is the carol you sing

Right within you heart.

Meredith Wilson

If you want to get in the holiday spirit, then turn on some festive Christmas music.  Nothing does it better.  

I know we just celebrated Thanksgiving, but it’s time for some music and joy !  Christmas comes but once a year, and I want to make the most of it. Let music fill the air !

Let us have music for Christmas..

Sound the trumpet of joy and rebirth;

Let each of us try, with a song in our hearts.

To bring peace to men on earth

Mildred L Jarrell

Chapter 11, Page 25, Book 18

I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

Stephan Grellet

Today I’m thankful for Kindness

The best portion of a good man’s life; his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.

William Wordsworth

As far as I’m concerned life is just too short to be anything but kind.  There is not room in my life for negative thinking, anger or bitterness.  When you’ve lived a full long life like mine, you come to realize the important things in life.  It might be nice to be important, but it is much more important to be nice.

Kindness matters and makes such a difference.  Being kind is the best way to live your life. When you are kind to others, it not only changes you, it changes the world.  Individually each of us has the incredible power to affect another person’s life - for the positive or negative.  Everything we think, say, and do matters immensely.

We all have the opportunity to make someone’s day a little brighter.  We always have the chance to choose kindness and compassion.  One of the easiest ways to spread joy from one person to another is to show them kindness.

On my thankful list for today:

6553. for a whole month until Christmas

6554.  for a warmer day to get the decorations out of the storage unit

6555. for the coming season of Advent, a time to prepare

Two words that say it all:  Kindness matters

Don’t underestimate the value of being kind to others.  One act of small kindness can release an enormous chain of positive events.

You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Chapter 11, Page 24, Book 18

Even when you know where you are going, the journey is still often filled with surprises.

Steven R. Webber

Today I’m thankful for Surprises

Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.

Boris Pasternak

Life is so full of unpredictable beauty and strange surprises.  You never know just what is coming around the next corner.  As much as we want to plan our lives, it has a way of surprising us with unexpected things and sometimes they will make you happier than you originally planned.  

One of the greatest things about life is that when you thought you’ve seen or heard it all, it jumps up and surprises you again.  Sometimes what your looking for comes when you are not looking at all.  It’s a surprise.  

On my thankful list for today:

6550. for our unique and varied talents

6551. for a whole week of Thanksgiving

6552. for our sweet Sugar, AB and our Cutie Patootie, it’s their party day

The only thing we can control is our attitude and what we do when faced with surprise is up to us.  For me I try to keep an attitude of gratitude.

Sometimes the best things in life are unexpected surprises.

Author Unknown

Chapter 11, Page 23, 2018

Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don’t unravel.

Author Unknown

Today I’m thankful for anything Handmade

The only gift is a portion of thyself.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

It seems to me that those handmade gifts I’ve received over the years are the ones I’ve kept longest and appreciated most.  When you hand make something you give of your precious time.  Whether it be cooking, sewing, knitting, or painting.  They are true treasures of the heart.

They say that making things by hand is great for decreasing stress, relieving anxiety and improving your mental health.  I know for a fact that its a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you finish making anything from a homemade pie to a quilt.

Making things by hand yields personalized results.  No one can reproduce the work you make because it come from uniquely you.

Memories are stitched with love.

Author Unknown

The word craft means strength or skill and describes an activity that involves making things by hand.  Kids are great at making cards or little gifts for their families.  They love to craft, but they are not the only ones.  When you know that someone loves you enough to put their time into making something, it becomes a keepsake to remember them by.

I love to paint and at Christmas, with the exception of a few stocking stuffers,  everything I give is hand painted with love. It’s the only way that I can give everyone a gift.  My family is large and it would cost a fortune to buy everyone something.  

Even though I use a pattern for what I paint, each item is unique.  Every brush stroke is different and so no two things are ever really alike.  They are truly a gift of love and time.

Love is the thread that binds us.

Author Unknown

Chapter 11, Page 22, Book 18

Ah! on Thanksgiving day…

When the care wearied man seeks his mother once more,

And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before.

What moistens the lips and what brightens the eye?

What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie?

John Greenleaf Whittier 

Today I’m thankful for dessert

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

Grandpa Jones

One of my contributions to our family Thanksgiving this year was pumpkin pie.  It’s one tradition that I’d hate to miss out on and as no one else volunteered, I decided to make it.  It’s just not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie.

Over the river, and through the wood 

When Grandmother’s cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun.  Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Lydia Marie Child

Pumpkin pie is going to grandma’s house over that river, it’s a warm fire on a winter night, it’s pure sweet, spicy comfort in a crust.

We had other desserts too, not just pie, there were plenty of cookies to keep the kids happy.  They are not yet lovers of pie. There was brownies, apple pie and pumpkin roll too. I think everyone’s sweet tooth was met and more.

There is no better way to bring people together than with desserts.

Gail Simmons

I grew up in a family where there was always some sort of dessert on the table and did the same for my own family.  My dad had a sweet tooth and I must have inherited that trait from him.

Having dessert on hand to share with guests, along with a good cup of coffee, is the way we welcome people to our home.  My mom was a firm believer in feeding people, and I guess I am too.  No one will ever leave my house hungry for sure.

On my thankful list for today:

6544. for family gatherings, they are wonderful

6545. for so much to be thankful for, I am blessed

6546. for joy and laugher with family and friends

Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.

Jim Davis

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Chapter 11, Page 21, Book 18

How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their days.

John Burroughs

Today I’m thankful for LEAVES

If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.

Hal Borland

I am blessed to be surrounded by trees here at my house and I am thankful for the leaves.  They give plenty of shade in the summer and they also provide plenty of nutrients for the grass in the fall.  I mulch them up with my lawn mower and return them to the soil.

Even though they are a lot of work in the fall, they provided a lot of welcome shade in the summer.  There truly is nothing free in life.  After a barren winter, the returning buds of green growing leaves always thrill me.  The color of the leaves, whether it be green or gold brighten my days.  

The sunlight shining through the autumn leaves looks beautiful and big piles of leaves for the kids to jump in is lots of fun!

On my thankful list for today:

6541. for our Cutie Patootie, it’s her birthday

6542.  for smiles, they do brighten my day

6543.for stores close by, I don’t have to go far at all.

 Trees are a symbol of life.  We need trees to survive and because they provide us with beauty in our daily lives. So today I’m very thankful for the leaves.

Fallen leaves lying on the grass in November sun

bring more happiness than the daffodils

Syril Connolly