Monday, November 21, 2016

Week of Thanksgiving



And Fall rolls on...this, the week of Thanksgiving and we have much to be thankful for.  We are to have dinner with my side of the family at my nephew and his wife's home.  As always, should prove to be - interesting.  I pray that besides eating a meal together, we can share some love and emotion. Those things are commonly found to be somewhat lacking at our holiday table.

Since my sister's stroke a few months ago, and the small tumor they found on her brain, she hasn't been able to hear very well and because of that, finds conversations frustrating.  She also has trouble with balance and was told to use a walker for stability, but because of her pride, she refuses.  Oh how quickly circumstances can change.  There is much I could say, but I will not.  I choose to be thankful because I know the situation could have been so much worse.



Other than a week of respite from the rains, this Fall continues to be one of the wettest on record.  We truly are, in monsoon season.  Our grass has grown thick and lush, and is so vibrantly green as to be shocking.  In between downpours, we continue with our winterization projects.  Thanks to those few days of dry weather, we were able to let the deck furniture dry out and move everything inside for winter storage, just got the barbecue moved inside the shed yesterday and all the firewood that we'll need is neatly stacked inside the woodshed.  Our camper has been thoroughly cleaned, has been removed from our truck and is tarped and sits where it has protection from the southerly winds that blow this time of year.  My favorite time of the year has been foregone for an early winter.  That is, what we call winter around here.  I know compared to many, our winters are extremely mild.  We rarely get snow or cold weather, but more than our share of rain.  So, we are in full blown winter mode.  We bring the horses inside each evening and let them out to pasture each morning.  They are wooly and oh, so very muddy.  Unless we find time to haul to an indoor, riding is but a distant memory now.  To me, it seems like such an abrupt change.  The days are short now, it's dark before I leave work and just having got light when I rise in the morning.  Long evenings, for me, are the worst.



So far, my goal of riding my horse once a week has not happened, but once.  When the wind is blowing and the rain is pelting down with such force, it takes so much sheer will just to walk outside if you don't have to, let alone groom my horse, haul the tack into the trailer, load the horses and drive to the arena.  And then when we're finished, all the tack must again be hauled back inside because anything left outside in the barn or the trailer will be covered in mold in just a few days.  Have I mentioned lately just how much I detest living where I do when it rains so much?  Well, hate it I do. And this fact is becoming more and more apparent the older I get.  I enjoy four seasons, and definitely not all the rain we get.  It isn't like this every year, but time is short and I question our motives for staying.  I don't mean to sound so depressing, but I guess maybe I am a bit lacking in joy lately.

Here's my Christmas cactus that was blooming just before Halloween.  It used to be a darker, vibrant pink but something must be lacking in the soil because now it's always this light pink color.  The blooms were a welcome site in our home, and now the flowers are declining.



And my Chrysanthemum is finally blooming!  I kept waiting and waiting for the flowers to emerge, but because it's on the north side of our home, it gets very little sunshine.  I'm thankful for this beautiful color near our front door.  This photo was taken about a week ago and already the blooms are fading because of relentless rains pelting on the flowers.  The only thing that seems to thrive with all the rain is the grass.



This is how the dogs spend their time.  We let them come out to the barn with us during evening chores so they can get some exercise and play time, but they suffer when we come back inside because of "muddy paws".  Even though this doesn't exactly seem like torture, to them it's imposed confinement and they die a little each time they're told to lay on the rug.  Rough life huh?



During this week of Thanksgiving, I will try to remain focused on all the good in our lives.  I will acknowledge so many blessings that have been bestowed on us, and give thanks to God for keeping us within His protection and Grace.  We are richly blessed, and I do know that.  My hope is that all can count their blessings and are thankful as well.

Draw your loved ones near and enjoy a long and peaceful holiday.

Until next time,
Blessings.
Lorie and all, here in our little corner of the world.

15 comments:

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...


We've had a very dry summer and autumn in New England - winter has just shown up a tad early. I just blanketed the horses yesterday -

My Ccactus are all blooming now, they bloomed three times last spring too.. odd!

Happy Thanksgiving -

DJan said...

Yes, it's been uncommonly wet, and I see on the weather forecast that Thursday is supposed to be the wettest of several wet days in a row. Since I only have to take care of my own self when I go out in the rain, it's not so bad. I don't envy you trying to take your furry friends outside. And thanks for the sweet comment on my blog last Sunday. I wish I had your faith in everything turning out well, so I'll ask for a prayer or two if you don't mind. :-)

Denise at Autumn Sky said...

We were thankful for a full day of rain yesterday. If it went on day after day after day, I would get a bit grumpy about it. I hope you have a peaceful and stress-free Thanksgiving holiday....and maybe some sunshine.

Oak Creek Ranch said...

I hear you on not being able to ride much. Now that my foot has healed enough that I can ride, the short days and rain conspire to keep that from occurring. I do, however, like the rain -- probably because my whole life has been lived in climates where there isn't enough. Best of luck with Thanksgiving -- ours will be quiet this year; spent without family. I love my kids but the rest is just... drama/difficult.

Grey Horse Matters said...

Have a great Thanksgiving! We have a drought here so would welcome some rain. We did have a snow flurry yesterday but it melted by afternoon. I'm still getting used to the darker earlier days, I really wish it would stay lighter longer.

Gail said...

Thanks for the horse fix. I still miss mine so badly. They left a big hole in my life but made a big gift to many others.

I would be glad to have rain. I feared this when August was so wet...the rains will come when they are ready.

Have a blessed week.

T.L. Merrybard said...

It's as dry as ever here. It is hard to imagine ever getting tired of rain, but some silly people do here even in one of the dryest cities on the planet. Somehow they don't seem to link that annoying wet stuff with what they need to drink and wash every day! Bet your reservoirs never get empty like ours do!
:)

T.L. Merrybard said...

Druids speak of the dark winter times as a time for quiet contemplation, germination of ideas, rest, and of course, handicrafts! I love the long winter evenings because they give me lots of crocheting time, but I must admit that when I worked I did hate leaving work in the dark, especially with animals at home to feed and wood to get in in the darkness. these days life doesn't seem to take weather and season into account like our ancestors wold have done. It's a shame, because it was resting times together, crafting things and telling stories and playing games, that built societies and learning into what humans became.

aurora said...

Glad you were able to let things dry out, to put away for winter. I did as much as I could before our winter weather arrived. What's left takes less of an impact, like my gardens. I leave the plants up for the birds & winter interest - that's my story & I'm sticking to it!! We grill year round here, a cover & strategic placement is all our grills ever get. It does take more of an effort to ride in inclement weather. We've done less riding ourselves. I love a good moody rain, but it would affect me as well if it was never ending. The thing about relocating, is it all has pro's/con's. Like everything in life. You just swap one set out for the other. With that said, sometimes change is good. That's what I keep telling myself anyways.

aurora said...

Almost forgot to wish you a Very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Linda said...

There was a theme in the way you described your flowers--"declining/fading." Late fall is a representation of that, isn't it? And, sometimes life seems to imitate or at least enhance it to us. It's not easy to accept the shortness of our days when we spend so many of them inside working, only to go home in the darkness. I watched a beautiful day, yesterday,slip through my fingers as I worked in the office. Today, I'm off,but it's raining. Anyway, finding things to be thankful for is truly essential, as you said. Yesterday, before work, a flock of geese flew over me, so close I could hear and feel the swishing of their wings. The day before that a flock of quail flew directly past my right shoulder and landed in the pasture as I walked to the barn. Those two things have brought me a lot of happiness. I hope your Thanksgiving brings you some special moments, too.

Linda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michelle said...

I've lived in drier climes, in much colder climes, and in warmer climes; THIS is the best place, IMO. And I predict that you'd feel much better for "just doing it" -- load up and RIDE! You won't melt.... (Hey, you asked me to comment! 😉)

C-ingspots said...

Ha! Be careful what we ask for right?

Unknown said...

My Ccactus are all blooming now, they bloomed three times last spring too.. odd!


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