Thanksgiving

This a week of giving thanks.

 I am continuing to "give intentional thanks and gather fresh joy" on my way to one thousand gifts.

Today I am thankful for:

# 103 lunch with friends
#104 so many wonderful comments from you on the 2 year birthday of my blog
#105 talking to my son John on the phone yesterday
#106 little wren right outside my window eating berries
#107 daily email photo of newest grandson Spencer

This is a busy week so I am taking the week off from posting. 
I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We all have much to be thankful for.

Rhondi xo

Breathtaking Beauty

As we drove home last week from Boston after seeing  Spencer , our newest grandson, we were treated to a spectacular show in the sky.  It was breathtaking and lasted for the longest time. 
 
"The heavens declare the glory of God

The skies proclaim the work of his hands.

 
Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display  knowledge."

Psalm 19:1,2

No other words say it quite so well.

Rhondi xo

Two Years Of Blissful Blogging

It was two years ago today that I wrote my first blog post. The first time I invited you to share a cup of tea with me I wondered if anyone would respond and two of you did, Pam at PAMKITTYMORNING and Angela at Cottage Magpie. I was thrilled. Then bit by bit I found all of you and I was hooked!

It has been a wonderful two years, travelling around the globe , peaking into your homes, listening to your stories, and sharing your triumphs and sorrows.

You have made me feel a part of a very special community of people. Thank you for all your sweet comments, the encouraging words in your posts, the inspiration and affirmation I have received from you.

I thought I'd revisit some of the photos I've used for banners in the last two years.

My Dainty Blue teaset.

The chaise lounge in my studio.



Blue glassware in the kitchen.



Summer flowers fresh from the garden.



Tea in my red tea set.



Thanks for making these two years of blogging very blissful!!

Rhondi xo

A Gift and a Miracle

Here he is gift # 62, Spencer Andrew, born Saturday November 14 at 6:17 PM, 7 lbs 7 oz. Perfect in very way. Aren't babies a miracle?

As soon as we heard the news that our daughter in law was in labor we got in the car and drove to Boston stopping overnight at my cousin's in Philadelphia. We knew we probably couldn't get there in time for his birth but at least we'd be there shortly after.

Well little Spencer waited until Grandma and Grandpa arrived and I was able to hold my newborn grandson. What a thrill!! This is our 4th grandchild and each time is just as exciting as the last one.

So I am continuing on with my Mulitude Monday One Thousand Gifts posting a day late.

Gift # 63-holding my new grandbaby, 64- new life, 65- look of joy on my son's face, 67- warm feeling of that little bundle of joy in my arms,68-I now have 4 grandchildren,70-soft cheeks, 71-little baby noises, 72, newborn baby smell, 73-healthy baby.

Charles Dickens said, "It is not a slight thing when they who are so fresh from God, love us."

Dear little Spencer, you are a gift and a miracle. You have stolen my heart and I am one blessed Grandma!

Rhondi xo

A Place To Write

This is where I am sitting this morning as I write to you. I am sitting at the table in my studio cutting and pasting pictures from magazines. There is a tiny bit of sun trying to come through the clouds and sreaming down on the table. Oh it is so nice to see the sun! It's been so dull and dreary this week.

Do you write in a jornal? I do, and have for a long time. It's just a plain composition book, with lined pages. I've often seen these wonderful creative journals where they have interesting things on every page. They always intrigued me and I was always going to do that one day. Well recently I was reading Holy Experience, and Ann had a post on how she made a visual journal by just cutting out photos or words from magazines and gluing them on the pages. I could do that!

So I began to cut and paste and have the beginnings of a wonderful visually inspiring journal, a "visual journal":

All you have to do is cut out a whole bunch of pictures . Then spread them out somewhere and begin to pick out ones that would look good together on the pages. Cut them to fit and glue them down. I use a repositionable glue stick, so if I change my mind I can rearrrange or remove them. There is something very therapeutic about cutting pictures out of magaines isn't there?

Now as I record my thoughts or events of the day, I write the words between beautiful pictures of things that please my eye or my soul. It is a delight to the senses!

I have another journal in the works. I'll tell you about that on Monday.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Rhondi xo

Goodbye

It has been dreary, rainy and windy the last two days and all the beautiful leaves are quickly falling to the ground. We can see much farther in the woods now because the trees are getting quite bare. The beautiful colors of fall are slowly fading. I captured some of the color in a collage before it was all gone. Goodbye beautiful colors of autumn. I'm going to miss you!

Rhondi xo

Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day here in the United States and Remembrance Day in Canada. It is a day we take the time to honor our veterans. I think America has lost the whole concept of honor. We used to honor people older than ourselves, people in authority. We don't any more and it's sad to me.

Whenever I see a person in the military, I always go up to them and shake their hand and say "Thank you". I am amazed at how much that touches them. One time we paid for the groceries ( it wasn't a lot) of the guy in line in front of us who was in a uniform. He told us after that he was heading off to his 3rd stint in Afghanistan! That small gesture meant a lot to him. I'm not telling you this to brag, but to give you the idea of honoring our military men and women.

Today if you can, thank someone who is willing to put their life on the line for other's freedom.

Thank you to all the people in our armed forces. I appreciate and value what you do.

Rhondi xo