Lots of blessings to count and no need to wait for a special day to do that. It’s good to start each day with a gratitude list. You can keep adding it all day by just paying attention to the moment.
Good news from the range. I recently received two texted pictures of granddaughters. One is showing off her engagement ring, and the other sits at the wheel of the school car with a smile and thumbs up. She just turned 14 and got her permit.
The 14-year-old’s brother called on his way home from knee surgery. Basketball is out this season, and other sports questionable because of long recovery time, but he’s doing well and we are grateful to have that hurdle over. He and his siblings got their deer so there will be much activity while jerky making proceeds. The school permit may get laid aside while the slicing goes on, but that will likely happen over the school holiday anyhow. And we are grateful, though probably not as much as their parents, that school is still on for them.
Some of my family have been quarantined but, thankfully, all are well at present.
Bruce was able to find a smaller turkey for us, as we will be alone on Thanksgiving. That is a choice we made, and it feels right. But one daughter in law wants their family to connect with us that day via zoom, which will be fun. The turkey is still bigger than we need, but we love the leftovers, so I won’t have to cook the rest of the week.
My daughter will spend the holiday with her daughter and crew on a Montana ranch, and I’m glad she won’t be alone in Cody WY on that day. Nobody going Black Friday shopping.
That granddaughter and her family were able to rescue one of the horses from a porcupine encounter, and have sold their sheep. Homeschooling is going well for them.
We have live wildlife shows right out the window most days. Swans on the lake, and herds of deer in the yard. The deer have gotten used to the dog, and when we let Tara out, she just watches mostly. If she does give a half-hearted pursuit it’s brief, and the deer come right back. We haven’t caught them at the bird feeder lately, but likely will when the ground gets covered.
Skunks and raccoons are unwelcome guests but they are gradually getting scarce, and the cat food at the barn is lasting longer. I’m always thankful when the skunks move right on, leaving only a calling card, and that the dog is in the house when they arrive.
We’ve enjoyed a new television experience. I have heard of The Voice off and on, but we just don’t watch that much tv, other than news and the cowboy channel. This fall, my 18 -year-old great niece from Oklahoma has been a contestant, so we are blessed to listen to her fantastic voice. I have vowed to listen to more music this winter. I’d forgotten how healing it is for me.
That’s just a partial list of my thankfuls, and I hope you will make your own. I did notice that most of it involves happy things for other people that I had nothing to do with. God is good. All the time.