Sunday, December 1, 2013

A thankful heart

To all of my friends in the States – I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I told a blogging friend the other day that it was my favorite holiday. Wonderful food, loving family and friends, crisp cold temps, and no gift-buying pressure. What’s not to love, right?

The holidays are going to be a little more difficult this year without my husband in the picture but I am so blessed with all that I have. At the risk of sounding sappy, I am just so thankful for so much.

 

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The sunsets have been quite beautiful lately.

 

 

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Portrait of a stalk of Brussels sprouts.

Orange you glad you come here?

* snort *

 

My Thanksgiving was lovely. It was spent with my sons and we went to my sister-in-law’s house in New Jersey, something I’ve been doing for several years.

 

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There was a puppy there.

(this is my eldest son who didn’t seem to want to put the puppy down)

 

 

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And who can resist this baby?

 

 

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No one!

 

 

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View from the breakfast nook on Friday morning. It was a beautiful day, and quite cold. The bird baths were frozen solid.

 

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George at the kitchen door.

 

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Saturday morning’s sunrise, taken from the front porch.

 

As I write this Sunday morning, the crazy cardinal is attacking his reflection in the window again. I am not sure if this is the same bird that’s been doing this on and off since February (could it really be?) or if it’s just another crazed male cardinal. When it first began, I thought it was trying to attack the poinsettias that were left over from Christmas that I still had in the window there. I moved them but the bird kept at it. He also attacks the side-view mirror on the Subaru (but not on the Element). So I always have a nice stream of bird poop on the car . . .

 

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I photographed him this past March and wrote about it here:

Preening Cardinal

 

 

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The only plans I have for today are to take George for a walk, and then we’re going to take a little ride into Delaware. There’s a Christmas shop that I’d like to visit.

Hope the coming week is a good one for you all ~

 

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A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. 

~Cicero

39 comments:

Flat Creek Farm said...

Sweet pictures.. and yes even the Brussels sprouts.. love them! I hope you and George have a fabulous day ♥ - Tammy

Mersad said...

George is adorable!

Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography

donna baker said...

Happy Sunday to you.

S. Etole said...

What an adorable little baby. And of course George. Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables.

Nellie said...

What a lovely Thanksgiving, Kate! Babies and puppies! Who can resist either one? Hugs, Nellie

Em Parkinson said...

You too Kate. So please you had a great Thanksgiving. I'm kind of envious - I wish we had a day like it over here. x

Hilary said...

So nice to see your boy. I can see why he had trouble resisting that adorable puppy.

The wee one is just so sweet. Who knit that pretty turquoise outfit for her? It looks so soft and cuddly.

And speaking of soft and cuddly.. I love George.

Enjoy the rest of your day, dear Kate.

Carolynn Anctil said...

There ain't nothin' wrong with sappy. Happy December 1st, my friend. Give your fur babies a squeeze from me - and take one for yourself, too, while you're at it. *grin*

beth said...

hi you....

can i just ask...is it wrong to want to eat a baby up, cause i want her :)

and then that puppy and of course george....cuteness overload here kate !!!

xoox

Barbara said...

That baby is adorable! Wishing you a December full of peace and love!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post! So odd about the cardinal…that would make me sad actually. Hope you had a nice day in Delaware…I love a good Christmas shop!!! Have a wonderful week! xoxo

Jeanette said...

Beautiful pictures! We had a crazy little finch attacking our window last year. Needless to say, the cats were going crazy!!

Debbie From Illinois said...

So glad you had a nice Thanksgiving. We had a crazy one with 28 family members and eight of them were under the age of seven. Yikes!

I had a crazy robin "attacking" my side mirror on my car too. I would slip a plastic shopping bag over it when it was parked in the driveway. It worked! I just had to remember to take off the dang bag before I pulled out of the driveway. :-)

George is so handsome!

Anonymous said...

There was a void in my day also but I felt a tremendous and overwhelming feeling of thankfulness, which eased any pain and sorrow. I hope you felt the same way.

Winter is beautiful, isn't it...a new freshness that puts life in a whole new perspective.

enjoy your week to come! ♥

Country Gal said...

Hi Kate , Good to hear you had a lovely Thanksgiving . Wonderful photos . My mum had a Cardinal that did the same thing to her back door window and my father in law here has one at his truck side mirror ,funny how they do this .I guess they may think it is another male Cardinal and try to chase it off but it never seems to leave either that or these guys are just very vein lol ! Thanks for sharing . Have a great week !

Low Tide High Style said...

So glad you were surrounded by friends and family over Thanksgiving. And no fair showing us pictures of a puppy and George in one post...sigh! George looks like he is ready to ride shotgun to that shop you like!

xo Kat

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

This marks the first time in my 48 years of life that I've ever seen brussel sprouts on a stalk. Don't ask me how I thought they grew, but I didn't know it was on a stalk.

My life might be a little too sheltered. But yours looks lovely. Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving.

Hilary said...

I loved the brussel sprouts. Snort and all.

Jeanne Walker said...

Happy that you were able to spend Thanksgiving with your sons, your family, and with that precious puppy and baby! My husband claims that cardinals are the stupidest birds on the planet and I guess your cardinal confirms that! But I love the photo of the red bird! If you eat brussel sprouts, do you have to snort while doing so??? Hope you have a wonderfully blessed week and December! Hope you will have lots of merriment to keep you busy! xo

JaneK said...

When there is thankfulness, there is not room for the negative things that seek to destroy.

A puppy is always good for the heart, and....

Yes, "lime" glad I come here! *snort*

Lee Owenby said...

Interesting photo of brussel sprouts. They always look a little pre-historic to me. I don't know about the mirror on your car, but I've had good luck at stopping crazy birds from attacking house windows by taping a piece of white paper on the inside of the offensive window. Guess it stops the reflection??

I've thought about you a lot lately Kate and I'm so happy to hear from you. This is my first holiday season without my Mother and I vividly remember the holiday season after my first husband passed away. It's bittersweet. It will never be the same again but it can and will be good again - just different.

And everyone needs to be a little sappy sometimes.

Hugs!

Bluebird49 said...

So much cuteness! Babies and puppies? Goodness, you got me. Then Gorgeous George, and your handsome son with those beautiful hands of his! Oh, and I loved the manicure on the younger girl with the baby.
So much to look at and to think about. Yes, the holidays are so different without the loved ones who've left us--especially the first years. They never leave our memories and our hearts. It can be a very stressful time...but you're right, we've all got so much to be thankful for if we just think about it. You always seem to know that! Blessings Kate!

Daryl said...

how dapper matt looks in that 'stash and that puppy i can understand his not wanting to let it go .. and how handsome george looks! sappy works .. xoxox

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Love these images.. especially george all feathery in the light...

and we had a crazy cardinal do the same thing year after year, I bet not the same male cardinal. They are territorial. My guess is they think they are attacking another male.

The JR said...

Cute baby! I love puppies too.

George is cuter than a puppy...

linmil said...

Kate, your blog entrees ground my day and I look forward to every one. I'm so glad you had a nice Thanksgiving. You have been on my mind a lot, since the holidays are always my most difficult times without my husband. But when we stay focused on all of our blessings...as you are...it gets us through. Hugs to you this Christmas season. Spoil George.

sharon said...

crazy bird, reflections of a bird, he can't resist. bwhahahaha! The baby is a cutie, Aren't they all? Looks like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and George looks like he had a wonderful time too.

Linda said...

Not sappy at all. Just sappy enough:) That picture of your son & the puppy...from the few photos I've seen of your husband, they look like the favored each other very much. And the baby! What a cutie-pie! Glad you were able to spend Thanksgiving with your family. George. He's just so, George:)

Unknown said...

You make me feel very grateful.....smiles

Lili said...

I love that it was a 'portrait' of the brussel sprouts...you are so cool Kate! And sappy or not, you have the most grateful heart which makes you all the more beautiful! xoxo

growing wild on waverly lane said...

Kate, the cardinal did that to me many years ago also. It senses your loss and has selected you to communicate his message. You have to make a communication with him, however silly. I put corn on the sill and he ate it. It isn't the same bird, but I know it's you he needs to reach. And he knows how to do it. The universe has ways.

JC said...

Just wanted to say how I think it's so nice that you had a good Holiday celebration.

May the days continue to be good to you and George, of course. Pet those cute cats too.

xo,
JC

jo said...

We had a male cardinal who did the same thing for two years in a row! He even sat on the car and pecked at his image in the mirror. Odd birds.

Reena said...

So much to adore here ... family, babies, puppies and brussel sprouts! And of course, George! Sounds like you had a wonderful time with family. Hugs!

Andi said...

Puppies, babies, sunsets, and George! Perfect blog post! :)

Andi said...

OH and brussel sprouts! YUM!

GailO said...

Exactly why I love Thanksgiving too...all the food and family and fun without the stress of gift buying....speaking of which I am already stressed because I have so little done:(

I usually get lots of cardinals at my feeders but this year I haven't seen one and I am starting to worry about them...

mrs mediocrity said...

Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday. I'm so glad you were surrounded by family and babies. Xoxo

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