Using the Word Thankful.. STILL....

Turkey leftovers and forgotten mash no longer sit upon the shelves of the fridge. Thanksgiving has come and gone. Christmas seems to be "hot topic" now! Maybe I'm slow on the take... but, I'm still pausing to reflect and give thanks for all that I've been gifted with.

Non-traditional observances aside - Hubby & I enjoyed a beautifully warm, seaside to mountain top week of Thanksgiving observance. What began as a "time to unwind" post-Goat Hill getaway to the ocean, ended up being the start to our holiday.

Just past the hills, and sitting in the low-lying farming area of the California central coast is a cluster of tiny towns that are quite the slow paced, verdant, oceanic paradises of my dreams. We visit Half Moon Bay when our bodies say "rest".  Hubby & I frequent this place, and my parents traveled over these hills to bring their four children to sandy playgrounds when I was young. Their fist home was nearly purchased here.

 

Hunkered down in the San Benito House, an inn that hasn't seen much updating in years, we plopped ourselves on wooden benches and watched the world go 'round us. Taxidermy heads-'n-horns line the walls of the pool hall. A happenin' pub serves up a mean Bloody Mary. My brother joined in for an ale at the outdoor fire pit, and a lobster roll down the Highway.

 

Ocean smooth as glass ... the oddest of sights! I don't know that I've ever witnessed nearly nonexistent wave action at this portion of the coast. We took in some local fare.. as in - artichoke soup from Duarte's (I've posted on this before), and we backroad-ed to see country stores, shops and... here's another strange curiosity - fence posts trimmed in dried fish heads!!  what?? yep....

Two days of beachy bliss! Thankful for every minute of it...

 

Travel with me to the next Thanksgiving stop....

I hope to continue regular posts.. at a much more regular pace! Until next time...

Thanksgiving & Three....

Abundant Life...

Abundant Love...


Thankful for all that I am blessed to have, and all that I work for ~


ABUNDANT PICNIC...  on this Thanksgiving day, my words here have reached their 3 year Anniversary!

Three years ago on my first post {click link here} I spoke of having three Thanksgiving festivities to attend. This year I am sitting in my parents warm ( a tad too much so) house in the pines. Hubby & I have walked through the pinecone and needle laden streets. We've watched the New York parade, and now the television is tuned to football. The four of us will join a few of my parents friends for turkey dinner out. A whole new experience - and just such the sort of thing I consider the filling of an ABUNDANT PICNIC!

As time passes it is easy to reflect and wish for more time with our loved ones, many more hours on this earth, and in this beautiful life. How very thankful I am that my parents are still here.  How sad it makes me feel that my other Pops has left a wistful feeling in our hearts, as we near the one year anniversary of his passing.


Blessings of abundance and wishes of joy to all....


Shari

Do Goats Sleep Standing?

There is hope yet that I will come back to this little secret place of mine to tap out some memories, and get journaling back to some regular frequency.  Goat Hill Fair completed the 5th show - our fall event.

cows sleep standing or sitting...

Tell me, do goats sleep standing up? Being a "goat-ess"... it sure seems right now that I could!!
This work that I do - the assisting, selling, marketing, designing, decorating, photographing, greeting for Goat Hill Fair - is such fun, yes time consuming, and after awhile, us goats need a rest. I'm at this moment sitting in a cafe at the beach for a couple of days - resting my weary self!! hhhaaa 

It is Thanksgiving week. From the beach, travel up the Interstate to rest, eat and visit with family is on our itinerary.

me & goat at previous show...

Fall Scenes and Silly Poetry

Tomorrow we have Thanksgiving day
A wee bit shy of 24 hours away
It shan't be traditional - no hope there
Yet thankful -YES! I'm most aware

Family will the focus be
love, comfort and laughter the key
Savoring each - and the feasting too
Pray same is what I wish for you!

A Trifle Early for Christmas

Yumm!! Yes, trifle.. such a sweet delicacy! yeah... back to the thought at hand...no time like the present to be mindful of all things Christmas. Though, I usually have a distaste for the rumblings of Christmas - when in fact Thanksgiving has yet to be celebrated. But, in this case I will forget that rule of thumb and share something I found today.

I read a blog called French Essence. This writer has a bountiful life, I'll tell ya - she "tubes" about from her home in the South of France, to London and she hails from Australia. This feast for the eyes video was from her blog this morning. Click and watch. Over the top advertising and scrumptious in every way! I loved this! Makes for marvelous dreams of travel, and London and shopping and... and... and....


http://youtu.be/0k5OJhUkIrA

Not Christmas yet...

Preparations are underway - the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us.  Upon us, but not heartily embraced at our house. In Hubby's family we are still experiencing parental dilemmas. We will be with them, in their home where Pops is the most comfortable. Non-traditional fare - and everything else too for Thursday. A slightly unique Thanksgiving, but cornucopia loads of love and thankfulness. We'll make the best of what we have.

No shock here - there will be a mix of traditional and wild with my family. This is one place that the holiday weekend might be business as usual. Many people, lots of noise and plentiful food. It's sure to feel good to smile, laugh and for a brief time let the other thoughts sit quietly in the back of your mind.

Thanksgiving last year

No matter which home we're in, or with whom we are laughing... we are forever grateful for this life we lead. Abundant in every way.

Gatherin my Gals and Everyone Else too...

Days and days I've meant to get to my blog... only to be sidetracked, or decide I had absolutely nothing to journal about. In reality there is probably so much I can say. My days are full. Not necessarily full of all good. There is plenty to be happy and grateful for, so I'll just go with the glass half-full thought!!

By the end of the year.. somewhere near Halloween and the start of November - it's time to start marking calendars for all of the Holiday events we'll participate in.Time for gathering your people to you. A busy time. Trying to fit in different sets of friends, family {which takes precedence}, work and maybe time away gets to be exaspperating! All of it matters so very much to me. I don't want to miss anything. I've always been this way. Now though?... feeling sorta old for an overly packed calendar... hhhaa - my dance card is too full! I kinda like being at home, making a pot of soup and catching up on reading. But, it is that time of year... so off we go...


I was head Fall "Birthday Buddy" for my San Francisco girlfriends. First on the agenda was to get eight gal's calendars to coincide and schedule time for a fun event!


For our Fall Birthay Event:

 

 

 

fun to design...

 

 

 

Next event I helped plan is for Christmas with the SF gals. We have an annual ornament exchange.

 

 

  we'll be celebrating again!.....

 

 

 

the invite I sent...

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas last year with the gals...

 

 

 

 

 

In between planning the above events, life continues to happen and throws curve balls in my way. Sadly, my Father-in-law is ill and hospitalised for a 2nd & 3rd time in quick succession. Everything points to complete recovery, but with lots of time to get there. He will soon be transferred to a nursing facility so that the staff there can help him progress in walking and abilities to get him back home where he belongs. This takes a toll on my Hubby and on his Mom too. My dear Mother-in-law is a caregiver and emotional gifter of her time, energy and love... she is having a difficult time watching her husband in his frailty and incomprehensive state..  who wouldn't find that difficult?

 

 

Gathering loved ones to you! More and more important and the thought is very much on my mind at this time of year. THANKFULNESS!  How might we gather and celebrate Thanksgiving?

 

 

Luckily, happily, I had no part in deciding our family Thanksgiving. My brothers will be hosting. Not to say that I will not pitch in. I may be asked to decorate. Surely I will bring a dish, or two. Thanksgiving blessedly is not about gifts and commercialism - that's what I find so endearing. It's all about the gathering and the food.  A few curveballs here too. Not all of the family can attend, but that's doable. Luckily everyone is healthy and we'll hope to see one another for Christmas...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, Christmas! Yeah, well.. coming into some problems with the communication and planning of the family portion of this holiday. I'll be happy to celebrate any of these holidays with my in-laws..... God willing we'll be able to gather together at home, not at a hospital bedside. Too many of us and too many miles in some of my family's planning.  Very difficult to gather each and everyone to your side. We're not used to the separation. It is not feeling comfortable. Wishing that everyone would find their glass half full, be thankful, and do their best. If we cannot gather together then at the very least we should, as a family, extend loving sentiments to one another. Explore new ways of celebrating. We may have to have more than one Christmas. I wonder what other families do? What about the ones that live across the entire country... and possibly only see one another once a year? I've never had to think about that. I've always seen my family for Christmas. As I said, this is more and more important to me... and more and more difficult to obtain. Hubby and I will do what we can.        

 

 

In the meantime there's more planning to do - Sunnyvale friends' Christmas, Hubby's workplace, will there be a cocktail party at our cottage?,New Year plans maybe???                    

 

 

No more curveballs or detours, and God willing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey! what happened to the quiet evening at home with a book and pot of soup?

The Calm After

 Much of yesterday was spent cooking, cleaning, decorating. Then too there was the eating, drinking, talking. ABUNDANCE of all kinds!

Felt the need for quiet, outdoor walking today. Also I crafted, read and managed to consume left-over pie!

I did NOT go Black Friday shopping, cook, or decorate for Christmas. Waiting a week or two for that!

Pretty sure that I will start my Christmas-mood jump start on Monday evening. I'll be continuing a long running family tradition of watching this ~

Gather

Family time tomorrow. The thought makes me happy. I may possibly weep when I'm with everyone....

May my family and friends know the love that I carry for each of them...

Out with the Old - In with the New

This isn't a post for the New Year as Glamour mag may do for the most current WHAT'S IN/WHAT'S OUT.
Just a good title for this day. The NEW happens to be my first post on this finally realized blog! hooray!! Also more new.. as in new decor to come.... because I'm setting OUT the old, and tired looking Autumnal bits. It's time for Christmas. This here gal doesn't like to change the guards until after the turkey has been made into soup! Thanksgiving should have it's time. A lovely time it was too. In fact Hubster & I had 3 Thanksgiving events to attend.

Non-turkey Day was actually Italian. A short, sweet time at a local spot since we couldn't all be together on Thursday. Real Day of Thanks we traveled north and ate and drank for hours. And last, but not least important was the weekend feast with yet more nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters. Each gathering etching it's mark on my list of yet another abundant picnic!