Melancholy Turns Joyous Thanksgiving Day

Happy belated Thanksgiving! And this Joy Solar Powered Garden Word Art states perfectly how my day turned out to be. It was filled with joy!

The spirit of thanksgiving is a year-round thing so every day is a day for giving thanks. That said, I could not wait to share with my readers how my melancholy day turned into a joyous occasion.

I began my favorite holiday with an attitude of gratitude; however, melancholy thoughts seeped in, as they often do this time of year. I did what I do best when this happens, I began writing my thoughts and feelings down - the result quite cathartic and the end result joyous!

You can read about the purging of my emotions of the day and see the face of my joy right here and add your own thoughts of the day in the page comments if you wish: Give Thanks

I give thanks to my pal Marsha for the opportunity to be linking my Joyous Thanksgiving post up with the blog hop she hosts - HOP and SQUIDOO - where Squidoo writers share their blogging that pertains to their Squidoo publications. Join Squidoo and blog hop along with us!

Blessedness of Being a Thankful Soul

It is that time of year again when on the fourth Thursday in November citizens of the USA celebrate Thanksgiving day. It matters not whether you are an American or whether you participate in the traditional festivities of the holiday. What matters most lies in the blessedness of being a thankful soul - learning The Secret of Saying Thanks.

In the spirit of giving thanks, every day, I share the blessing of one of my life lessons with you and I trust you shall accept the gift of its telling and share it with a grateful heart ... Click on the six words to follow.

Thanksgiving is all about the Peaches!

After reading my mom's giving thanks story, shared in her peach pie recipe, I urge you to give pause in giving thanks and publish a thankful writing or blog post of your own. When you do so, you are more than welcome to share the link to your story on the Giving Thanks Link-Up List at the end of this article.

This article is linked up with Six Word Saturday, a blog hop where we share the thoughts of our day in a 6-word sentence or phrase, with or without explanation.

Praying Mantis as Prophet of Thanksgiving

Here it is November, once again, the month of thanksgiving. I can not help but have a spirit of Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) in my heart throughout the month each year when it rolls around.

Naturally, in my mood of giving thanks in November, I have created a postcard of thanksgiving to send to family members and to friends. In my choice of graphic images for my card this year I have chosen a gift from Mother Nature - Praying Mantis - the Prophet of the Greeks, with human-like arms folding in prayer.

Praying Mantis Giving Thanks by abitosunshine

Get your postcards printing from zazzle

 

To whom might you send this postcard of thanksgiving?

And what might your message be?

 

 

 

Fall Turkey Tidbit

Quickly post your answer to the following Thanksgiving turkey question in the comment section below:

Which President of the United States of America first offered an official turkey pardon?

For the answer to this Turkey Tidbit, visit the article:

Fall Board Books for Baby

 

Old Uncle Sam with Turkey
Buy This at Allposters.com

Giving Thanks for You

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

On this day of Thanksgiving,
I give thanks for each of you.
I give thanks for...
each person
each family member
each pet
each friend
and yes...
for each foe.
Every one of you have left your footprints
in the grains of sand of my lifetime.

Giving Thanks Challenge

Thanksgiving Day, November 24th, 2011

 

 

Week of Giving Thanks

TODAY: I give thanks for today ... I give thanks for each sunrise being the blessing of a fresh start in the race of life and for each sunset holding the promise of sweet dreams to be fulfilled ... tomorrow.

WORK: Job-related, my schedule slimmed down to 3 days off, leaving me more time to concentrate on making money with my creative endeavors, online and offline. And, since I won't be working early Sunday mornings, I'll now be able to attend Church services on Saturday evenings. Looking forward to attending the healing and recovery service offered at a local church--invited by a regular customer from work, who is pastor of the church.

HOUSEMATE: Grateful to Scott for all he does to encourage and support me in all that I do. He's a great friend, one whom I give thanks for every day. He has taught me so much about friendship and compassion for others.

FAMILY: My cousin Marsha and her husband, Larry, were thinking of me and how I would be spending my Thanksgiving this year since my Aunt Martha Bell (Marsha's mom) passed away. They stopped by my job to visit me to let me know I was on their mind. How kind!

WEATHER: Still no first snow! There's an autumn chill in the air, as well as a few raindrops falling, but no white stuff is sweet sunshine to me!

LOVE: I am thankful for the gift of loving and being loved. Thankful even for lost loves of my life, for without the love each shared with me a different person I might be.

SLEEP: Insomnia attacks allowed me extra time for creativity this past week. But, a good night of sleep last night has me energized for a day of productivity, too. Dreams being fulfilled with or without sleep!

Giving Thanks Challenge

Day 16 through Day 22

For As Long As I Can Remember

For As Long As I Can Remember
©Ruth Cox

For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. And trust me, Tom Turkey has blessed me with many a memory.
Not one Thanksgiving has passed by in the last thirty-five years without me thinking of, and sharing with another, my last conversation with my mother. Oh, so many suns ago. In fact, a few years ago I finally put it to writing. In case I lose my memory?

Here's the link to my Thanksgiving memory of the year 1975, when my mother was still alive: Practice What Is Preached: Better yet -- practice peaches.

Fast forward with Tom Turkey and me to our Thanksgiving memories of the past decade. The year 2004 stands out in my mind as another I shall never not remember. I was temporarily living with family, trying to get my feet on the ground having recently escaped a domestic violence marriage. I'd "come home" seeking comfort in the arms of the known.

However, the holiday plans of the house didn't allow for my drug-addicted adult son to be present, so I accepted an invitation to spend this Thanksgiving with my boss and her family and friends. Cynda welcomed my son with open arms, as she would again on Christmas.

Cynda was a treasure. Here she is Thanksgiving 2005, her last Thanksgiving alive, making a round of her eggnog specialties for patrons of the bar. She owned Rafters Bar and Grill and I was her favorite bartender. I smile. For the few years I worked with Cynda, I would always bartend Thanksgiving day, and she would have me close up in time for dinner at her home, bringing any of my customers with me who had no place else to go. She was a lady with a whole lot of class and a wee bit of sass to her spirit.

Added to my memories is another Thanksgiving spent with family-by-choice. I'd met Mark and Terry at Rafters and we immediately became good friends. They fell in love with a bartender named Sunshine!

Anyway, Thanksgiving 2007, Mark's mate, Terry, had to work, so Mark invited me to tag along with him to his family get-together. We had a fabulous time! Mark's entire family is wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed the spirit of thanksgiving shared with southern Ohio style and comfort. Good food, good friend, good fun -- I couldn't have been more thankful for the day.

Last year, I discovered my Aunt Martha Bell would be alone for Thanksgiving. And my roommate would be going to his family get-together, which would have left me alone, too. Even though I was invited to go along with Scott, I chose not to let my aunt spend the day without family. She was ever so happy to have me spend half the day and half the night with her. And I was, I think, even more delighted than she, for it did my heart good to know how happy I had made her on what should be the happiest day of thanksgiving of the year.

Last week, I again spent Thanksgiving with my Aunt Martha Bell so she wouldn't be alone. This year, though, my roommate Scott joined us, as his family gathering would be in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We had a wonderful time reminiscing, mostly listening to my aunt's homespun stories and looking through hundreds of old family photos, each with a story of its own.

Here are a few photos taken Thanksgiving 2010:

Thanksgiving will always be my favorite holiday, for as long as I can remember.

Submitted 12/05/2010
iWriteiBlogiWin

Turkey Talks

My turkey hen climbs atop the table with a bit of internal rhyme just in time for Thanksgiving...

First posted as a Yahoo! Contributor Network assignment.

Also, for those who would like to keep up with my November gratitude list, you may read and comment on my blog post -- Giving Thanks Challenge

Giving Thanks Challenge

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I can always find something to be thankful for, no matter the life storms I or my loved ones may be experiencing. It is also one of the few holidays that hasn't been bitten by total commercialization. Best of all, it is a time of family and friends gathering together to share their life blessings one with another, face-to-face or from afar. It is in this spirit that I accept the Giving Thanks Challenge.

The Challenge is an opportunity for me to show my gratitude for living and for me there is no better time to do that than during the season of Thanksgiving. Leah from South Breeze Farm is hosting this challenge, but I actually learned of this challenge from Diane at Bibliophile By the Sea.

The challenge is quite simple...There are (30) days in November, (30) reasons to feel thankful--add (1) to the list each day of the month. If you decide to join a few days into the month like I have, just catch up. And be sure to add the 2010 Giving Thanks Challenge Button to your blog so others can join in our sharing of thankfulness.

What things tug at your gratitude heartstrings? I do hope you'll share that which you are thankful for this November in a Giving Thanks Challenge post of your own.



 

GIVING THANKS:

1...I GIVE THANKS for the dawn of each new day, each new sunrise that opens up my eyes.

2...I GIVE THANKS for a special friend and roommate who has kept a roof over my head while I've been unemployed and while doing so has encouraged me to write and build my online businesses, Poetic Creations by abitosunshine! and abitosunshine Hosting and Design.

3...I GIVE THANKS for the love and devotion from my dog, Tidbit. She is my canine companion and soulmate, has been for a decade now.

4...I GIVE THANKS for the 9 years of silly sunshine my dog Scratch (Tidbit's daughter) gave me. Even though I lost her this past year, I carry her JOY within my spirit.

5...I GIVE THANKS for those family members who care to share their lives with me, even if only occasionally.

6...I GIVE THANKS for each day of life my son is granted, for each step he takes in the wake of his battle over addiction.

7...I GIVE THANKS for a few good friends who have stood by me through life trials and tumbles. Without them I would surely have crumbled.

8...I GIVE THANKS for those who inspire me to reach higher, for those who aMUSE and challenge me to attain my writing goals and share the gift I've been given.

9...I GIVE THANKS for each good memory of the past I can pull out of the rumble of my life storms.

10...I GIVE THANKS for Diane, her Giving Thanks Challenge post, which inspired me to want to do same. I awoke this morning with the sun shining and immediately whispered, "Thank you," and my next thought was of the many things a new day brings, beginning with my morning coffee at the computer with my writing ToDo List--first thing first ... Giving Thanks.

11...I GIVE THANKS for the military men and women of this nation, and for their families, all of whom sacrifice their very lives for me and mine.

12...I GIVE THANKS for afternoons such as yesterday's--spending time with my son and grandson, holding JOY in my arms; moments that will ever be held in my heart. Can you tell I am a first-time Grandmother?

13...I GIVE THANKS for the strength of hope found in my faith; sight unseen, yet known to me, the God of the heavens and of the earth shines bright, even in the darkest hour of the night. The power is held in the belief of Goodness, for I believe there is plenty good that grows in the earth beneath the sun in the sky.

14...I GIVE THANKS for the quiet of a Sunday morning--Serenity. Even though I live in a rural area, the road out front is the main road into town and is a highly traveled road.  But on Sunday mornings there is very little traffic as I sit at my computer sipping my coffee. Perfect peace is the feeling I get as I surf the net and glance out the window at the busy birds, scurrying squirrels, and country kitty cats. For the moment, all is well with my world.

15...I GIVE THANKS for the many friends I have met over the internet in the past decade. Many have been saviors of my sanity, in more ways than one. I am thankful for those social networks wherein I share my poetry, my writings, my thoughts, and my life.

16...I GIVE THANKS for having good sense--sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. And for the sixth sense--the hunch, the gut instinct, the intuition, the feeling--that innate instinct of right and wrong.

17...I GIVE THANKS for the houseplants that have survived my lack of a green thumb. I am at my computer surrounded in greenery ... Life!

18...I GIVE THANKS for Making $$$ Online! I've made enough this week to keep my car on the road for another month, hooRAYo!

19...I GIVE THANKS for chatting on the phone with a loved one. Now, you need to understand, I am NOT a phone person - send me an email! But, that occasional phone call, hearing a friend's voice, catching up, chatting about our lives, sharing a bit o' gossip - I do love it. Last night, I chatted with my brother Randy for an hour and right at this moment - I'm on the phone with my friend Karen. I am filled with glee and gratitude for the phone.

20...I GIVE THANKS for a good night of sleep, which I had last night! I have suffered insomnia most of my life, generally sleeping only four or fives hours a night, some night's not at all. So when I get in a good eight hours like last night, I'm floating on cloud nine.

21...I GIVE THANKS for my faith in God and my faith in the power of the Sun. I'm thankful for my beliefs and I am also thankful for my unbridled acceptance of the beliefs of others. Through my God and the Sun I have learned lessons of love.

22...I GIVE THANKS for my Aunt Martha Bell and the stories she tells. Tales of her past, my mother's past, my grandparents' past - my past, from whence we all came. I do hope to get her to record them so the stories live on, in her own voice, long after she is gone. I'm thinking we better get it done, for as she said last night, "I'm tired, Ruthi." And I know that she is and has every right to be so.

23...I GIVE THANKS for the lessons I've learned along my life pathway. Some of these life lessons were learned in a hard way; some were learned while I was hard at play; either way, I'm grateful for them all for they have made me the person I am today.

24...I GIVE THANKS for all net friends, near and far, who take the time and effort to share themselves online through the sharing of personalized emails, comments, stories, writings, talents -- the internet is a true blessing of friendship for me!

25...I GIVE THANKS for yet another day to just "be" -- HAPPY THANKSGIVING

26...I GIVE THANKS for the blessing of spending (yesterday) Thanksgiving with my Aunt Martha Bell and my roommate, Scott, who joined us. It was another special day of sharing memories and creating new ones to be remembered. I love my Aunt Martha Bell.

Now, if I can just figure out how to use this camera my friend Renda gave me, I'd be even more thankful, hahaha! I do thank you, Renda!

27...I GIVE THANKS for having known unconditional love here on earth. Of the canine kind with my dogs, Scratch and Tidbit, and of the human kind with my friends, Scott, Joe, Mark, and Terry. How I wish all relationships, whether romantic, family, friends, were all of this special quality of loving each other just the way that we are.

28...I GIVE THANKS for jigsaw puzzles. I always have one on the table being worked upon. Putting puzzles together reminds me a lot of living life, with each piece a part of the whole. Sometimes I glue them together to be framed for hanging on a wall; other times, back into the box the pieces go.

29...I GIVE THANKS for second chances; a third chance; and more. As the sun rises each day to start life anew, I, too, am given another chance at life renewal. Rebirthed each day--what a thing to be thankful for!

30...I GIVE THANKS for the Giving Thanks Challenge of 2010's month of November and all the things I am thankful for; I will remember.