Over the Backyard Fence

There are so many things that I love about this season of the year, and near the top of my list of favorites is the light that comes in December. The holiday lights are spectacular, and this year we have been treated to some amazing sunrises and sunsets. All to remind me how important it is to be a light in times of darkness. My friends and I had a really neat discussion about that over coffee earlier this week. Which leads me to my first favorite for Friday's Fave Five.

A quote ~ I've been reflecting on this quote by Mother Teresa:

Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.

I'm trying to be especially mindful of how my words and actions affect people around me. There is a lot to be concerned about these days, for sure. While I keep many of the concerns about the state of the country and the world and the environment, in my prayers, I'm trying to reflect optimism and hope to those who need it.

Light! ~ One day this week, we were treated to this magnificent view, right across the street from our house. I could swear I heard a whisper from the heavens - "Nice, but watch this." 

More light! ~  Last Saturday, Dan and I went to the botanical gardens holiday lights with my dad and Carol, and our niece Elsa. I love this photo of her. The display is a little different each year, but always the best! It was a beautiful, calm night, great for strolling the gardens and sipping hot chocolate.

 A day late and a dollar short. One of my mom's little sayings referring to someone who couldn't get their act together. That's how I often feel about Friday's Fave Five, always coming in at the last possible moment.

But there's no time limit on gratitude, so here we go ~~

Golf and Frolic-ing ~ The weather continues to be unseasonably warm with clear blue skies and that beautiful sunlight. The lack of water is a concern for sure, but we are making the best of the gorgeous days. On Monday, we played golf with our friends Mary and Gary, and then went to a favorite brew pub called Frolic. We sat outdoors in 60 plus degree weather. The end of November, for heaven's sake. I'm thankful for good friends and being able to play on a weekday.

Music ~ Joey and Sam are sharing their Apple music plan with us. I have no idea how this works, but I do know that I'm having lots of fun coming up with playlists, including a new holiday list. It contains oldies and new artists and we're already swinging to holiday tunes at our house.

Google maps ~ I drove to the city earlier this week, in rush hour traffic no less. I'm no fan of the traffic, but I thought about how easy driving is these days. If I miss a turn - which I did - my driving assistant, whom I've named Nick (with a yummy Australian accent), guides me back to my route. No more pulling over and wrestling with a map that unfolds to beyond the width of the front seat.

Looking for the helpers ~ Is it Mr. Rogers who said that in a bad situation look for the helpers? We had a chance to do that this week when Dan's truck was broken into. Our entire neighborhood gathered outside, everyone comparing security video, and in the course of this we realized that one of our neighbors had been quite sick for a week, so a couple of us arranged to make meals for the family. We still don't have an answer on who broke into Dan's truck (it's in the shop, and an extra thanks here for insurance).

Thanksgiving Day 🦃 ~ We had a lovely day with Dad and Carol. Too much food, but some good leftovers to share. We heard from all the kids throughout the day, and in the evening watched a new-to-us holiday movie, which for the life of me I can't remember the name.

Today, we finish putting up Christmas decorations. Dan put the lights on the house yesterday, and brought the tree up from the basement. I set up the Christmas village. Today, I decorate the tree. Let the festivities begin!

I'm a little late for Friday's Fave Five, but I do want to remember some of the graces that came my way last week. It was a busy week, filled with ups and downs. One big disappointment is that Joe and Sam won't be coming for Thanksgiving as planned. I really had my hopes up and made plans to kick off the holiday season with them. As it turns out, they will fly out here for a weekend in December, so I need to just get over it.  Here are some of the blessings that kept my spirits up.

Matching purple eyeglasses ~ These two have me smiling in no time. Brooklynn got new glasses this week and we took selfies of our matching eyewear. Then she re-taught me some games that I hadn't thought about in years! Remember when you played a game and had to figure out who goes first? There was eeny meeny miney moe. The one I had forgotten about is Bubble Gum in a Dish. Oh my gosh, listening to her recite that little rhyme, as we all sat in a circle and she fist bumped each of our hands, took me back to when we were kids. We would put our little sneakered feet into the circle and one person would go round and recite the rhyme, eliminating someone each time. Do you remember? It's so neat that these traditions get passed down through the years, almost as though kids have some secret message system that keeps the rhymes going. 

That's my week! Lots more happening, but I'll close for now. Wishing all of my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving this week. And I'm so thankful for all of you who stop by and visit me over my backyard fence.

Busy day ahead, but first I want to join the lovely Friday's Fave Five group and take a look back at some of the blessings in my week!

~~~ A really nice dinner out with Dad and Carol. We went to a restaurant that Carol recommended and had the best fish ever! I had swordfish with pumpkin filled ravioli that was to die for. It was a final toast to our DC trip and it was so nice to revisit those memories.

~~~ My niece Brandi came for dinner one night. She loves to cook, so we turned over the stove to her and she made some gruyere, fig jam and bacon grilled sandwiches that were out of this world. I made butternut squash soup to go with it. Our weather is back to be really mild again. After dinner we had dessert outside - brownies and ice cream with mugs of hot coffee. It was late and the sun had gone down, and we ate dessert by the light of a little battery lantern.

~~~ I met a friend for coffee on Monday in a new to us cafe. It's along the old main street of a nearby town. Lots of fun gift shops that are all preparing their window displays for Christmas. We ducked into a couple of shops and even bought a few stocking stuffers. As we left one of the stores, it was snowing! ever so lightly. It is the first of the season -- really late this year -- even though the weather people don't consider it as such because there wasn't a measurable amount.

~~~ A new library book came in for me yesterday, just in time for the weekend. It's called The Seagate by Jane Johnson. It looks really good, and I'm so ready to dive into a good story!

~~~ As I mentioned above, our weather is so mild again, which has made for the most gorgeous display of autumn. It's not something we take for granted, because more often than not we get our first snow in October and there go the leaves!

Have a happy weekend, everyone!

 I'm a day late for Friday's Fave Five. It's been a good week, so I'll get right to it.

A beautiful sunrise ~ I've never been much of a morning person. Even as I get older and I am waking up earlier than ever, it's usually all I can do to grab my mug of coffee and slowly sip on it until I gradually come into consciousness. On Monday, Lilly beckoned at the backdoor to come in, and when I opened the door the glorious colors of the sky just took my breath away. Oranges and reds and streaks of purple. I stood on the back deck and just took it in, not chastising myself for missing so many sunrises, but just enjoying the one that was right there in front of me.

A beautiful life ~ Earlier this week, I attended a memorial service for my friend's mother. I never had the pleasure of meeting Roburta, but the service was so beautiful and her daughters spoke from their hearts, so that I felt like I knew her. She lived a beautiful life, accomplished many things, not the least of which was creating a home and family that radiated love. The love they all shared was palpable.

New glasses ~ It's been several years since I've had an eye exam. I went in for one on Wednesday and found my prescription has changed quite a lot. No wonder I kept wearing my current pair of glasses higher and higher on my forehead to see fine print!! 😂 I ordered two new pairs of glasses yesterday and can't wait to get them! 

Dan's return home ~ Dan went out of town this week (which explains why I was up letting Lilly in at the crack of dawn Monday, and got to see that beautiful sunrise). He arrived home very late on Thursday night, and I barely heard him come in. But, it was enough to know that he was there, home again safe and sound, and I fell into a deep sleep comforted by that.

Happy Halloween everyone!

"This is the greatest challenge of being alive ~ to witness the injustice of this world and not allow it to consume our light." (author unknown)

One theme that has been coming through in my reading lately is that as children of God we are called to be joyful. Joy isn't something that just makes me feel good. It's when I'm at my best, when my disposition radiates peace and joy, then my words and actions are more likely to lift up those around me. It's one of those tricky things that if I think about it and try hard, it feels false. But when I look for things to be grateful for, then joy is a natural outgrowth of that, and I feel lighter and more content.

Linking up with Friday's Fave Five to remember the good stuff from the past week.

Glow in the dark PJs ~ Brooklynn and Bentley stayed with us this week. They are lively, entertaining, playful, curious . . . and Dan and I were ready for bedtime as soon as they fell into bed at 8:00 each night. I bought them new pajamas for the week, and they were thrilled to discover they glow in the dark! What I didn't realize is how LONG they continued to glow each night, until the first night I rolled over to find a skeleton lying beside me.

Wow, last week was a busy one! All good stuff, mainly a few days in the southwest part of our state to visit my brother and sis-in-law, and then coming home to cram a week's worth of work and chores into the remaining three days. And a little golf thrown in for good measure.

I'm taking a few minutes to slow down and relish the moments that grounded me through it all, because even when busy times are good times, it can be taxing on a person, and it's food for the soul to take a few moments to look for those moments in particular when God is at work.

Colors! That seems to be the general theme. My sense of color is heightened in the fall, when the sun's rays bring out the vividness and temperatures of color like at no other time of year. The mountains are in their glory with changing foliage. During our drive to Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado, we drove through mountains where the changing leaves showed all shades of green - mossy, olives, deep forest -- and beautiful hues of gold -- saffron and glittering yellow -- and bright reds and glowing oranges. I'm thankful to live in a place where Autumn is displayed so beautifully.

One day we drove to Taos, New Mexico. We visited a number of shops displaying the most beautiful artwork. One of my favorites was a weaver's shop. I fell in love with these pillows -- just a bit lot outside my budget. The rugs were gorgeous, too, and I made up my mind that somehow I want to introduce more color into my home. I'm thankful for artists who share their gifts and inspire me.

We had a delicious lunch out on the patio at a Mexican restaurant. I had shrimp enchiladas that were some of the best I've ever had. It was a tiny restaurant and the employees really had to hustle to keep up with the crowd. I'm thankful for good food, talented cooks, and the people who worked so hard to provide a lovely experience.

We stayed at my brother and sis-in-law's home for two nights. They have a beautiful log home in a place where there's not much city light, so you can really see the stars at night. We sat on the back deck until late in the evenings. The planet Venus was so bright, and each night I watched as it sunk slowly to the horizon and out of sight. I'm thankful for my family and the time we share together.

It was on the second day of the trip that I realized I had left my credit card at a coffee shop where Dan and I had stopped on the way down. The shop was closed, so I went online and deactivated my card until I could talk to the proprietor the next day. She was such a nice woman, in fact the reason I left it behind was because she and I got to talking so much, that we weren't paying attention when I left it on the counter. She apologized, I apologized, but it all worked out. After trying to chase us down, she put it in the shop's safe. I'm thankful it was all taken care of so easily, and that for some reason I was able to let go of worrying about it one bit.

Sharing gratitude this week with the lovely women at Friday's Fave Five. 

It's been hotter than blazes this week, with temperatures topping out at 100 degrees F. But I'm not complaining, I've been looking forward to summer for so long and you get what you get. And how lucky are we to have access to water for cooling down, washing off, drinking up and playing in! Looking back at what I'm thankful for this week, water is the general theme for this Friday's Fave Five. You can find the link here.

Outdoor water aerobics ~ This makes my list every summer, and especially so this week. I love starting my day working out in the pool at our local water park. There is a lake nearby that attracts ducks (who occasionally hop in the pool with us) and lots of vegetation that attracts bunnies, who frolic up and down on the rocks near the waterslide. It's quite entertaining.

A car wash ~ This crew did a great job washing my car last Saturday. I can think of a better way to keep them busy and cool on a hot day.

Waterfowl ~ Earlier this week at one of our local ponds I found creatures of all shapes and sizes enjoying the water. 

This cormorant was resting after taking a swim. . .

What is unique about a moment that has the power to bless us and the potential to feed us is not so much the power of the moment itself, but rather the quality of presence we bring to that moment.

A Tree Full of Angels; Seeing the Holy in the Ordinary by Macrina Wiederkehr

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Hello, Friday! I can't speak for everyone who participates in Friday's Fave Five, but for me it's a lesson in how to be more present as I go through my days and to soak up those moments of joy. They come in all shapes and sizes. Here are a few from the week:

Church bells ~ The church down the street has the most beautiful bells that ring every Sunday before the 9 o'clock service. In the winter, when the house is closed up, I don't hear them. But last Sunday, I was outside working in the garden when the bells rang out. The sound was as clear as the blue sky, and it was as if they were heralding the arrival of summer.

Water aerobics outdoors ~ Class is meeting outside again for the summer. We skipped last summer because of Covid, so it was like old home week when we met up on Monday. It was so good to see familiar faces, and to start the day out in the sunshine working out to music.

Books ~ What would we be without books? I'm loving a new fiction book that I picked up for my Kindle on Amazon for only 99 cents (see sidebar). I mentioned a couple of weeks ago the book I'm reading with friends (quoted above). We finished our discussion over coffee on Wednesday. There is so much in it, it's so rich and full of meaning, that my copy is underlined from cover to cover. Second to reading a meaningful book is having friends to share its wisdom.

Alone time/Together time ~ Dan was away last weekend for the car race that I mentioned in last week's FFF. He and the team had a blast (no trophy), and are ready to go again in September. I usually LOVE having the house to myself to work on projects or just putter. This time, I found that it was a bit lonely at times. I made plans with some friends on Friday, and kept pretty busy all day Saturday. I found that I enjoyed the alone time, and was so grateful for the together time that Dan and I have now. He came home early on Sunday and we went to a graduation party. I am reminded that everything is temporary and to seize the moments of alone time and especially our time together.

New sofa ~ Yay!! After waiting for SIX months, our new sofa was delivered on Monday. This is for our basement which Dan made into a beautiful family room. The love seat arrived in May, the barstools came a couple weeks later. Now, the set is complete and we are hanging pictures and setting things in place. We celebrated with the new sofa by watching the last two episodes of a series we've been enjoying, McCleod's Daughters, on the big screen TV.

Bonus #6 ~ Roses are in bloom and the scent of lily of the valley wafts through the yard. The best time of year for gardening, when everything is new, and the heat and weeds haven't taken over yet!

 I've been anticipating summer for so long, but it's still hard to believe how quickly the month of May flew by. This week's weather has been sunny and beautiful, the temperatures just about peaking up to hot a few times, and it was definitely time to turn on the AC in the car.

Some of my favorite moments this week on the cusp between spring and summer:

Morning coffee on the back porch ~ We had to wear sweatshirts over our pj's, but it was finally warm enough this week for one of our favorite summer rituals. It's a great way to start the day, sipping hot coffee, watching the birds eating breakfast, and surveying the gardens . I have my morning devotional book and a pen and journal, Dan reads the news and catches up with the world on his cell. 

Spotted Towhee ~ A new bird for our backyard! This little guy is just striking I love the contrast in between the rufous color on his sides and the white on his belly. And those spots against the black wings make him look so distinguished, I think. He eagerly scratches through mulch and leaves looking for bugs. I usually see him at the base of the rosebushes. 

My friend Mary and I have been reading a book together for the past couple of months. We read a bit on our own and then share our thoughts over coffee. The book is A Tree Full of Angels; Seeing the Holy in the Ordinary by Macrina Wiederkehr. I've had so many 'aha moments,' and it is with this in mind that I'm joining Friday Fave Five in giving thanks for an awesome week.

Looking for God in the here and now ~ I love this passage: "To keep the spark of life inside me ablaze! What a precious responsibility! . . . If the spark of life in me is ablaze, that means I am full of enthusiasm, and to be full of enthusiasm means to be possessed with God." (Macrina Wiederkehr, A Tree Full of Angels) In the book, the author talks about 'gathering up the crumbs,' those little things in our lives that will make for us a banquet. FFF is one thing that guides me do this each week.

Going to the garden center ~ I picked up an order of rosebushes at the nursery earlier this week. The people who work there love what they do. They tromp around the wet ground in their boots with muddy garden gloves and smiles on their faces. They grow the rosebushes in the greenhouses where a corner of one is made up to serve as an office. An old table holds the computer and peg boards that line the walls are stacked with tags bearing the names of the hundreds of different roses they sell. The light rain doesn't bother them as they carry my order to the car. 

Bird walks with the local club ~ I've found that gardeners and birders are people that teach me to pay attention. There's so much to learn! A flower isn't just a flower and a bird isn't just a bird. Where I would once go on a walk and hardly notice my surroundings, I now come home and boast of seeing a dozen different kinds of birds. I'm grateful for the others that surround me, teaching me to open my eyes and see Grace in a moment, in a flower, in a bird.

 Seizing the moment ~ My friend Mary (mentioned above) and I wanted to get together for coffee this week, but our calendars and to-do lists didn't allow time. Yesterday, I was walking into the grocery store and heard a familiar voice, "Excuse me, ma'am." It was Mary, and we embraced in a hug, and then  decided to go grab coffee right then and there, because life is too short. 

My husband ~ My gardening buddy, who digs all the big holes in our clay-filled Colorado soil, sets up drip systems, and then tells me how beautiful my gardens look. He does all the hard work! How grateful I am for this partner in life. He's a gem.

Happy Friday to everybody. Have an awesome weekend:)

I always have the best of intentions to get my Friday posts up early in the day. But then the week flies by and it's halfway through the day before I think about it. I'm glad that there are few rules for Friday's Fave Five, and I'm grateful to Susanne for hosting each week.

Today I have a good excuse for being a bit late. Dan and I went for a hike this morning and then out to breakfast. I'll start here with my Friday Fave Five.

A new place to explore ~ This morning we went out to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. The 15,000-acre site is just east of Denver. What used to be a weapons manufacturing site for the Department of Defense was converted into a wildlife refuge in the 1980s. There are miles of hiking trails from which you can observe nearly 300 species of birds and animals.

We saw a herd of more than 100 buffalo including lots of calves. I just loved seeing all those red-coated little babies. And these two bulls who were frolicking around. We also spotted lots of deer and more than 20 species of birds. It was such a beautiful morning. In some areas the city skyline is visible with the mountains in the background.  I'm thankful for how nature and people can coexist, and to see evidence of how nature can reclaim areas for itself with help from mankind.

A good book ~ I chose this book for our book club selection for February. On Wednesday, we met over Zoom and had a great discussion about it. It's the story of an expedition of women in the mid 1800s who go looking for a lost ship in the arctic.  A good read for the cold month of February!

It goes so fast. We never had time to look at one another. 

Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? 

(Our Town by Thornton Wilder)

This week I watched the movie Our Town. I've seen the play, but have always wanted to see the 1940 movie version. The line above is a poignant reminder of the passing of time. I immediately thought of Friday's Fave Five, our weekly exercise of being deliberate in noticing the blessings in our lives. Thanks to Susanne for keeping it going week after week.

Another thing I'm thankful for this week is a little gift from my hubby! Now that his workshop is completed (it sets in the far corner of our backyard) I can no longer pop out to the garage to borrow a tool, but in the cold winter months have to trek all the way out to the back 40 to get what I need when hanging a picture or doing a craft. I've long had a little hammer and set of screw drivers in the kitchen junk drawer, but decided to put together a more complete tool kit. He gave me a level, a tape measure, and then came home from work one day with a pair of pliers. My kit is complete.

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love sending cards and receiving them in the mail. Yesterday, the mail did not disappoint:) This year, I left up our little dining room Christmas tree and it is all decked out for Valentine's Day.

On one of my walks this week, I met a woman who lives not far from me. We started chatting and come to find out, our families knew each other really well when we were growing up. She and I were in different classes, but I knew her sister. We shared lots of good memories -- our mothers knew one another quite well and became friends. One of the things I like about living in a small town -- there are always friends I didn't know I had!

HaPpy VaLenTiNe'S DAY everone! <3