Hello, my dear friends. The last few weeks, I have been regaling you with our road trip adventures. I decided to take another tack with this post. I like to listen to music while I'm house-cleaning, and a few days ago Don Henley was my inspirational selection. His song "My Thanksgiving" has always been a favorite, but the lyrics struck a deep chord (pun intended) with me this time. This song may have been released in 2000, but I think the sentiment is as relevant now as it was then. I have included some recent photos, but the focus is meant to be the lyrics. "For every breath, for every day of living This is my Thanksgiving."
A lot of things have happened
Since the last time we spoke
Some of them are funny
Some of 'em ain't no joke
And I trust you will forgive me
If I lay it on the line
I always thought you were a friend of mine
Sometimes I think about you
I wonder how you're doing now
And what you're going through
The last time I saw you
We were playing with fire
We were loaded with passion
And a burning desire
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving
Now the trouble with you and me, my friend
Is the trouble with this nation
Too many blessings, too little appreciation
And I know that kind of notion - well, it just ain't cool
So send me back to Sunday school
Because I am tired of waiting for reason to arrive
It's too long we've been living
These unexamined lives
I've got great expectations
I've got family and friends
I've got satisfying work
I've got a back that bends
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving
Have you noticed that an angry man
Can only get so far
Until he reconciles the way he thinks things ought to be
With the way things are
Here in this fragmented world, I still believe
In learning how to give love, and how to receive it
And I would not be among those who abuse this privilege
Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge
And I don't mind saying that I still love it all
I wallowed in the springtime
Now I'm welcoming the fall
For every moment of joy
Every hour of fear
For every winding road that brought me here
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving
For everyone who helped me start
And for everything that broke my heart
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving
Don Henley, Jai Winding & Stan Lynch
Happy Thanksgiving to all in the US, and wishing the rest of you many moments of joy!
Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme
where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain
time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your
blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and
enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an
easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I
stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join
in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.
(to be sung to the tune of My Favorite Things, made famous by Julie Andrews)
Sheep on the hillside and grouse on the moor Pretty carved pumpkins light up the front door Time with the family, it's always a fling These are a few of my favorite things
Ponies at the seashore, ice cream to boot Hiking the footpaths, do we know the route? Parsnips and leeks, the garden it brings These are a few of my favorite things
Mushrooms are popping all over the place Old country barns that fall down with grace Wine at the pub, a drink fit for kings These are a few of my favorite things
Yes, we have been in the UK for nearly two weeks, and most of the activities I hoped for have come to pass. Spousal Unit and I walked the footpaths near Reeth, and although we technically lost our way, it did not diminish our enjoyment one iota. The River Swale punctuated our walk, as we followed a loop that began and ended near the river.
The Reeth Swing Bridge. The original bridge, which stood for 80 years,
was destroyed in a flood in September 2000. The current bridge was
completed in 2002 and perfectly replicated the original.
As we climbed higher on the moor, the classic view of farm fields in a patchwork formed by dry stone walls lay before us.
Red grouse rose regularly from the heather, winging away with their characteristic call.
Look closely - a grouse is standing in the water
I will never tire of these moments; I stand above the valley, attempting to soak the vista into my very bones.
Top: a grouse butt is typically a stone structure used to conceal hunters
Time with family has included days out and relaxation at home. Our customary trip to the seaside town of Whitby offered an extra bonus since it was also Goth Weekend, which drew scads of visitors in costumes ranging from Steampunk to Victorian. The town was heaving (read: crammed with people), and it was almost impossible to take quality pictures, but perhaps you get the idea with the mosaics below. We were fortunate to find a restaurant without a long queue; you can't leave Whitby without sampling the fresh fish and chips!
Upper right: Pony rides Lower right: A section of ruined Whitby Abbey
Lower left: How I feel some days - just kidding! People used parts
of the ruined Abbey for other structures
Upper left: Jewelry I purchased at the craft fair
Upper right: More Abbey ruins
Lower left: Never too cold for someone in England to be in the sea
At home, it's been running, playing Mexican Train, afternoon walks, a bit of stitching and my mother-in-law's tasty home cooking (hence the running and afternoon walks).
Upper left: English bacon, fried egg and mushrooms. English bacon is akin to eating thin slices of ham!
Middle left: A leek and carrots from my father-in-law's garden
Bottom left: Pan Haggerty made with the leek and carrots from the garden, plus potatoes and corned beef
Center top: Parsnip still in the garden Center bottom: Spotted Dick with custard
Far right: Shepherd's Pie with Carrots, Leeks, Green Beans and Corn
A feeling of deep contentment comes over me when I sit in the front room, working the felt applique on my ornaments, and chatting with my mother-in-law.
To celebrate Halloween, we carved pumpkins using patterns that you can buy in many shops. The weather was brisk but sunny, so we worked outside. An ideal autumn day in my sentimental world of traditions.
I will tell you more about our stay in the UK in future posts - you can expect more countryside, and historic buildings. But as the metaphorical sun begins to set on our getaway, I have saved the best for last to close this entry. If you read my October 13 post, you'll know that I was hoping to see a hedgehog (as I always do). Can you believe it? While we were in Hamburg, my in-laws found two (two!) hedgehogs in their garden, the first time in 40 years! Check out the videos below. It may not have been the in-person encounter I wanted, but it was good enough for me.
Due to our return travel, I may be delayed in commenting. See you then!
Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme
where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain
time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your
blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and
enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an
easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I
stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join
in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.
Oasis? In Montana? Yes! Oasis is defined as "a pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a difficult, troubled or hectic place or situation". Pleasant? Check. Mother Nature graced us with several weeks of blue-sky, 60-degree weather. Peaceful? Check. Visitor bookings were slow, at only four days. Difficult situation? Check. The world has plenty of troubles; I keep my head down and focus on my 2018 goals. It might be a bit of head-in-the-sand, but it's my refuge, my safe haven and my sanctuary. Come join me at the oasis.
ONE: COLOR
Orange has always been a favorite color, so it's no surprise that I enjoy autumn, with its many shades of ginger. Decorating for Halloween is a bonus that involves an outside display of pumpkins, corn stalks, hay bales and mums.
Inside, my focus is our dining room table. We've had this Halloween tree for many years; normally the kids would split up the 'ornaments' and place them on the tree. A little sad that I do this on my own now …
Of course, Mother Nature outperforms all of us with Her decorating.
Cotton clouds over the house
Upper left: sand cherry; Upper right: burning bush
Bottom: Larch framed by scudding clouds
TWO: CONCOCTIONS
Kung Pao Chicken
My cooking mo-jo revs up in the fall - maybe the cooler days and a craving for comfort food is the gas for that particular engine. (And it helps that weekly cooking is one of my 2018 goals.) Spousal Unit and I have created a bit of a routine with the cooking thing - I look up recipes on Pinterest and he reviews them for process, ingredients and overall interest. If a recipe passes muster, he buys the ingredients during his normal shop. Then, it's a joint session in the kitchen with his fine assistance as Sous Chef. We've had pretty good luck lately with our choices; only the Savoy Cabbage recipe failed to make it onto the 'keeper' list. (links to all the recipes except the bread are at the end of this post)
A family recipe for Pumpkin Bread
Lemon Fettucine Alfredo
Pad Thai with spaghetti squash
Savoy Cabbage Casserole
THREE: CREATURES The trail cam has not delivered much this month; I tried out some new locations that were a bust, apart from the ubiquitous deer, some dim shots of a coyote and dark visions of a hare. More interesting was the parade of turkeys near the fire circle, which I captured in the video below; this mama was quite intent to get her young'uns across the open space!
And then there are creatures of the Halloween kind … a couple of weeks ago we made an inaugural stop in the Tailing Loop Winery, and lucked out that someone had organized a jam session as part of a Halloween party. As musicians rotated on and off the stage, the harmonica player would be struck with inspiration, grab a mike and wail away. Check out this video of his talent.
Of course, following last year's post about Halloween and the Whitefish costume contest, I am sure you all have been tortured by pins and needles, waiting for this year's entry. Wait no longer … behold James Bond and his date from the Spectre movie. Surely you see the resemblance?
Now, folks, we were not the only loonies to adopt an alter ego … FOUR: CROSS-STITCH Progress continues on my 30 Christmas cross-stitch ornaments. I snatch some moments during car rides with Spousal Unit, but I usually double down while watching Dancing With the Stars (I favor Juan Pablo or Milo for the mirrorball) or football. When I most need to escape, cross-stitch is my retreat.
FIVE: CHANGE
But change is definitely afoot. I recently ordered my Day-Timer pages for 2019, and I thrilled to a fresh motif, a vibrant color scheme and the clean sheets. Just a coincidence that January says "Seek Peace"? Autumn is prime time for planting, and we've transplanted no less than 2 juniper, 18 aspen, 5 Engelmann spruce, 2 Douglas fir and 9 larches. Throughout the winter months, I will dream about my babies; only in the Spring will we get a grade on the quality of our process.
Snow has dusted the landscape several times during the month, but has quickly yielded to the sun and warming temperatures.
Note these pictures were taken by the trail cam on the
same day, only six hours apart
But it's as good an excuse as any (if one was ever needed) to crank up the fireplace. Come on November; I'm ready for you.
