I'm Full!

I am full in so many ways, I don't know where to begin. 
I am Grateful, Joyful, Hopeful and Thankful!



There really is a lot I am thankful for.



Research shows multiple benefits of gratitude, so use this season to count your blessings and realize how full you are. 

Gratitude requires reflection and stillness, which is not always easy in our busy lives, but give it a try. 
Things I am thankful for: I am alive, and healthy.  I have a roof over my head and can watch the sun rise and set.  I give thanks for family, friends, laughter, memories, nature, sleep, food, water, financial security, my freedoms, my marriage, kids and mentors, music, dancing, having choices, diversity, second chances, and my spiritual connection to God. 

Saturday 11/18 - As we approach Thanksgiving (almost the earliest in November that it can fall this year, and the day I feel it is officially time to start decorating for Christmas), I was itching to get a head start decorating because we are going to be out of town the first ten days of December and unable to enjoy the home decorations then.  For now though, I will embrace Thanksgiving and all it embodies. 

I was at the ranch before 6am and opened the coop and back pasture gate.  I also did all the mucking, deciding I would not return to ride or work out there today. 

I ended up spending most of the morning here at my computer.  Mr Fox, seen in the center of these two photos, passed through, I think looking for a drink of water from the pond.  


Cathy had gifted us three sisters and three of her friends the Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar.  It was ready for activation today, and had games and activities available.  I had held off on our house decorations, but decorated the tree in the drawing room of the Edwardian manor. 


After gaming at my computer most of the morning, I proceeded to work on the Halloween jigsaw puzzle, finishing it mid afternoon.

Here's to embracing three holidays all on the same day.  I am full of holiday hoopla. 

  

Kevin had been here power washing for several hours, so once he left, I went out to look things over.  

All the moss and dark coloration of grime is now gone from the sidewalks, front porch, garage door, and house siding.  It all looks so much better. 






Rose also dropped in after Kevin had left, and I visited with her for awhile.  She was more interested in affection than in food. 





The temperature wasn't as warm as it has been, but was still into the low 60's.  It was nice enough out to motivate me to take Maggie on a long 95 minute walk. 

We started out going past the pond, or what is left of it. 

Oops, looks like someone got stuck in the mud.  Neighbor Roger said it was a golf cart.  So there is still moisture below ground around the edge of the pond. 






Maggie and I walked up the 18th fairway and I took her photo, looking back down towards home, #17 pond, and the distant mountains.  I was wearing the ten pond weighted vest, so got a good workout during the whole walk.  


Wow, is the sun ever low in the sky this time of year, and it sets so early. 

I had wanted to see the progress up at Druid.  They are putting in a putt-putt course, practice green, and re-doing the driving range t-box area.

This crater looks like a sand trap, but it is right in with the other mounded areas that I think are part of the 18 hole mini golf.  Maybe this will be full of water with a bridge to the middle where a hole is.  Who knows. 









I am not sure what these different structures are.  It will be interesting to keep an eye on this project as it progresses. 

We came across this huge leaf pile at the edge and near the bottom of the driving range.  There were also lots of range balls partly buried all around this area. 

We took the trail past Mirror Lake, which didn't seem as low as all the other ponds in the area. 

Our walk home included the paved path in the woods, which is always so scenic. 

I was game and puzzled out, so got a good start on the Tess Gerritsen novel I had checked out of the library weeks ago.  I am thankful that I know how to read and that I have a never ending supply of books available.

Sunday 11/19 - Mr. Fox was in the back yard again.  This has become part of his regular morning route.

I did my computer things, including the advent calendar activities added to my usual gaming.  I also saw posted on Facebook (by Tim Rich), photos of the Druid project.







According to this map, that pit I saw is going to be a practice sand trap, or bunker as it's officially called on the map.  






I like this photo Tim posted, that shows the rock out-croppings that will be part of the practice putting course.  It shows the topography better than the photos I took.  





Patty, Karen and I all got to the ranch about the same time.  Patty was going to massage liniment gel into Zorro's sore spots and Karen and I were going to ride.  

Karen and I headed out on Amiga and Banner about 2:00.  We went a different route this time, and I showed Karen how to get back to the ranch coming down Eli Ford and up the drive.  

In the first photo, the chickens were running towards us because Karen had called them.  You can also see Banner's bent ear from the incorrect healing of an abscess when the cartilage structure of the ear was damaged, resulting in a flopped-over ear. 

Patty was still at the barn when we arrived back from our ride.  She took this photo of us coming down the driveway.

By the time I got untacked, did chores, and put some hoses away for winter, it was 5pm and dark.

When I arrive home after dark, I am pretty much done for the day. 

Monday 11/20 - With rain forecasted to start tonight, I planned to do a bunch of leaf removal before going for a ride.  Joe and I were out in the yard at 8:30, starting in on the task.  Joe blew leaves into piles and I raked them onto the sheet and hauled them off. 







We cleared the big bed in front, by Allen's before Joe left to golf.  I had a lot of leaf hauling to do. 

Then I worked on the bed under the hemlock tree and the one all along the front of the house.  I know more leaves will blow into this area, but felt good about how it looked for the time being. 

I decided to keep working in the yard and skip the gym and ranch.  Amiga would be glad for the day off. 

I spent a great deal of time trimming ivy from the concrete drainage ditch and pulling weeds on Allen's side.


This section of ditch wasn't as bad as the area up by the road, but shows a before and after photo to give you an idea.



Below is a look at the cleared section, looking down from the road.  It had really been choked up with ivy and there were lots of dried up weeds in the flower bed, that I pulled out. 


At 3:00 I decided I couldn't continue working until dark.  I had worked to the point of exhaustion.  Joe arrived home while I was putting tools away.  I was hangry and just wanted food and to sit down. 








After a much needed shower, we went to Stonehenge for an early dinner.  We were home by 5pm and watched two episodes of Suits.  Karen sent these two photos while doing chores.

Tuesday 11/21 - Happy Birthday to Courtney! 
I can't believe our first born is already 37. 

From a cutie to a beauty. 

And she is smart, kind, sensitive, funny, loving, generous, compassionate, and so much more. 

It rained much of the night and got quite windy for awhile.  I wasn't surprised, but felt frustrated when I saw all the new leaves that had collected where I had cleared them out the day before. 





The drainage ditch also had 'caught' a lot that blew down or came across from the church and neighbor's yard. 


And there were even more leaves that had washed down or collected at the bottom of the ditch.  Ugh.




Poor Susan had morning chores and ended up mucking in the rain.  She had also looked at the trail-cam footage and sent this clip (taken from the shed last night).  I was so glad to see that Banner was able to get in the shed (with the other three) out of the rain.  You can hear it on the metal roof.

                                  

I went to the gym for a few hours and hit a very busy Food City on the way home.  I had intended to start a little Christmas decorating, but was full from the big (late) lunch I had gotten from the carry-out restaurant in the store.  So I sat here at my computer, playing a new game that had appeared on my advent calendar. 

The rain had stopped, so to get my achy muscles, joints and blood flowing, I took Maggie on a long walk.  We looked at the new grass seed planted around the concrete slab at the Columbarium. 

Then we went down to look at the pond.  My rain gauge only had 1¼ inches in it, so it really didn't make much of a difference in the pond level.  But I was so thankful for the rain we did get.

Susan had set a clean towel on the bench at the barn when she went back to do evening chores, and Wanda decided to make it her bed.  So Susan let her be, and sent this photo. 

Joe and I watched two episodes of Suits in front of a warm fire and I stuffed myself full of popcorn. 
 

Wednesday 11/22 - It was a cool, damp, drizzly morning; and it never really changed all day.  What better way to brighten the mood than do to a little Christmas decorating.  I had pulled all the Christmas bins out of the attic storage (off the bunk room) a few days earlier.  They now sit in the corner of the balcony for easier access.

I brought the 'office' bin down and started preparing to decorate.  I ran into my first (and usual) problem.  A set of lights in the garland would not work.  I messed with it for awhile, got frustrated, and went to the gym.

After a good workout, Susan and I met at the Center to catch up and confer on horse related things.

I had planned to go for a ride before doing chores, but it was still drizzling, and too cold and damp.  So I continued with decorating.  I threw away the (un)lighted garland and put up a new string of lights (without garland) I had on hand.  But then the little light up tree I had tested (and worked) earlier, wouldn't light up.  UGH!  So this is the extent of my office decorations (after dark) for now. 




I bundled up and headed to the ranch about 3:30, just wanting to get the chores over with, and before dark.  I shared photos of our horses with everybody, awarding Banner the prize for dirtiest horse.  LOL. 

Amiga wasn't too bad, but you can't see the dirt on her brown hair like you can on Banner's. 

A nice, long, hot shower helped warm me up when I got home.  Then I organized, made a list, and started packing for our overnight trip to Nashville.  Joe had gotten my travel laptop ready to go, but then I couldn't get into Google  (Facebook and G-mail) on my large desk laptop. 


Thursday 11/23 - Happy Thanksgiving!
This is the feast we had at Courtney's house.
Not only could I not get into Facebook and G-mail, at 5am, I discovered I also couldn't get into my Blogger program.  I could put in a verification code from a text message, but the second code was sent via e-mail, which I couldn't get into.  So I was feeling frustrated. 





I did last minute chores in preparation to leave for two days and once Joe got up, he got me into Google, but there was little time left for computerizing.

Patty picked us up at 9am and we were off to Nashville.  When we arrived at Courtney's, she was hard at work with meal prep. 


Relaxing in the living room while the turkey cooked. 


Squeeky was a bit shy but the other three cats were nowhere to be seen. 







Joe was able to get the Macy's parade on TV for me, a festive holiday show to watch while still being able to chat and do other things. 









When it was time to cook the potatoes and get the dressing ready, Patty helped out in the kitchen.

Dan, Vale, Ava and Tango arrived later.  Ava was shy at first, but soon warmed up. 

She was having fun with a cat toy and teasing Papaw. 














Watch out Papaw!  Ava was full of applesauce, a term my Grandma used to use, meaning full of nonsense or orneriness. 


Courtney got more help in the kitchen, this time from Vale.  Vale was the only one brave enough to carve the turkey.  Dinner was served and we all filled our plates.

And in no time, we were all feeling quite full.
It seems a travesty that meal preparation takes hours (planning, shopping, slicing and dicing, cooking, and carving) and it can all be consumed in less than an hour. 

Ava getting to use a big person knife and fork.

After dinner Joe, Courtney, Ava and I took Tango for a walk and then we all rested while our food digested. 





Ava had fun jumping over the speed pumps, and then the white parking space lines, and then the cracks in the road.  Silly girl. 

 

 

Dan's clan had to leave to pick Ricardo up at the airport.  All of Vale's family would be with them for the holiday weekend. 

Joe, Patty, Courtney and I watched 'A Man Named Otto,' an endearing Tom Hank's movie.

Friday 11/24 - It was a slow and relaxing morning.  I worked on this blog and did a few other things on my travel laptop computer from 5-7am.  

Patty was next up, followed by Joe, and a little later Courtney.  We watched news of the first group of hostages (taken captive by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel) being released from Gaza hours after the four-day cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas took effect.  More than three dozen Palestinians jailed in Israel were also released as part of the deal. 

This (video) and photo show Courtney winding yarn into a ball from a hank or skein. 

We had turkey dinner leftovers for lunch and then headed over to Dan and Vale's. 

Ava greeted us as we came in.  And look, they already had their beautiful Christmas tree up. 

Patty took this photo of Joe and I with Ava in front of the Christmas tree. 




We didn't stay very long, and left just after 1:30 to get home before dark.  Patty made good time.  It is always nice to get home, especially after being with family.  I was feeling quite full from all the eating and from the love and hugs from everyone.

Joe left for poker and I got things unpacked and 'put away.'