Using my senses to be grateful

I had planned to do a Friday-Tuesday gratitude list, but forgot about it this 2nd time around. I have been practicing being aware of my surroundings by using the four senses God gave me. Whether I am walking or simply sitting outside I tell myself to hear, see & feel. Imagine sitting outside with me on a sunny day as I list my gratitude's or taking a walk in the early morning hours.

Sense of hearing:

Hear the singing birds, rustle of tree leaves, the running water from nearby ponds &

the scampering squirrels. Hear the quiet.

Sense of touch:
Feel the warmth of the sun, the soft caresses of the breeze on my arms, on my face. Feel the smoothness of a rock between my fingers, the grittiness of a sand dollar, and the softness of a flower petal.
Sense of sight:
See the tomatoes ripening, the Mexican feather shrubs dancing in the breeze & the multitude of white blossoms. See the dog content & settled in the grass chewing a stick. See the patio set (where dinners are eaten), see the hanging basket of flowers & the old tricycle holding a potted plant. See the rocks, the tree, the flowers & shrubs all evidence of God's creation. See the white clouds gently moving across the sky, see the sunlight filtering through the trees.
Sense of smell:
Smell the newness of the day & take long deep cleansing breathes.

Take a moment today to step outside, use your senses & savor the moment. Let me know what you discover.

Weekend News

DH & J are on vacation this week. Not sure what we will do as a family. It has to be cheap, payday isn't until Thursday & Friday. Will have to dip into my creative resources. J sports camp was cancelled, not enough kids signed up. I don't think he was too disappointed, after all his dad is on vacation this week.

Trixie made it through Sunday without a seizure. That is one full week without a one. She & J played hard outside, both were pooped out last night.

Made yummy chocolate chip cookies last night. Haven't made those in awhile. Didn't have enough butter, so I cut the recipe in half. They turned out pretty good. We barbecued chicken & ate in J's picnic area. He created a picnic site behind the gazebo that houses an old empty spa. Rather cozy spot he made. Wind come up so I had to go inside the house (started coughing), so I bake cookies. Yum-O! Oh i also made a rather creative salad using what I had in the house. Salad greens, mandarin oranges & mizitharia cheese (spelling is wrong). I dug around in my stash of leftover condiments, you know the ones you get with every take out order & found some peanuts. Threw those in. That left the dressing. I have quit buying dressing & had nothing on hand. Mother Hubbard's cupboards are rather bare so I really had to get creative. I mixed mayo, a little milk & left over carmael sauce to make a sweet dressing. J liked it! Since he only likes ranch dressing this was pretty good!

That's it for now. Have a sunny day!

Linked Up (finally)

With this new template linking is a breeze. I finally have been able to add links to my fellow bloggers, fun & useful sites. Now I can go to my site to link to my favorite sites. I would usually go to Fruitful Words, read her inspiring articles, then link to some of her favorite sites which are the ones I enjoy reading.

Fruitful Words has a more extensive list, but here a few that I like, read & use often:

DLTK-crafts for all occasions & for all ages, games & Bible lessons. You can also print out cards & writing paper.

Crayola-fun crafts using all types of mediums & printables.

G.C. Kidz site from the Christian Missionary & Alliance site. Your kids can join the G.C. Kidz Club (G.C. stands for Great Commission). All you have to do is sign up for FREE & your kids will get in the mail for FREE, a members packet. One of the items is a Missions passport. Kids can go onto the site, learn about countries & meet Missionaries. After visiting a Country, they put a stamp on their passport. Fun, educational & teaches kids (and us) to pray globally.

Fellow bloggers (and friends)-Stitches of Grace, Being Faithful, Fruitful Words, Photo 220 & be sure to check out Hey! That's My Blog for family games. She has some yummy recipes to.

and more. Links are on the right side.

Have a glorious day!

100 Favorites

Here we go again for the 100th post (it is really my 103rd).

Favorite Flowers
Daffodils, Tulips, Carnations, Daisy, Roses, Geraniums, Cherry Blossoms, Snapdragons, Hydrangeas & Ice Plant

Favorite Colors to wear
Blue, black, green, pink

Favorite Colors of my house
Rose, Cranberry, green, blue, yellow, peach

Favorite Foods
Chocolate Brownies, Coffee, Pasta, Cheese, Crusty French Bread, Yogurt, Smoothies, Peanut Butter, Dessert Wine & chicken

Favorite Smells (candles, perfume & foods)
Vanilla, Cinnamon, Orange Peel & cloves simmering on the stove, onions frying, lasagna, Celine Dion cologne, apple pie or candle, roast simmering in the crock pot.

Favorite Songs (this year)
Moon River, Under the Sky of Paris, Beyond the Sea, Over the Rainbow, It is Well with My Soul, Canon in D, Joyful, Joyful we adore thee, Fur Elise, The Prayer, Dulamen, Edelweiss, Ashokan Farewell & many more.

Favorite Cd's
Andrea Bocelli, Celtic Woman, John McDermott, Josh Groban, KABL 101 Strings (album), Glen Miller, Harry Connick Jr., Andre Reiu-I have several, Simon & Garfunkel & more

Favorite Places I have been
Amador City, Sutter Creek, Monterey Peninsula, Nampa, Idaho, Women's Retreat, Seattle, Victoria, Catalina Island, Hawaii

Favorite Past-times/hobbies
Reading, Sudoku, listening to music, spending time with friends, Mug & Muffin, games, blogging, home decorating, learning the piano, baking, Starbucks.

Favorite TV Shows and Movies
Dick Van Dyke, M.A.S.H., I Love Lucy, Cooking & home decorating show, As Time Goes By, Waiting for God, The Sound of Music, Somewhere in Time, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Chocolat

Favorite Books/Magazines
Little House on the Prairie, Junie B. Jones, LaVeryl Spencer Books, Mysteries, Christian Romantic Novels, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Highlights

Well, that's all folks. A little more about me.

Have a lovely day!