Things that make me feel grateful.
#1 ~ houses for families of birds.
#2 ~ a deer in the yard…not in the oven
(sorry, hunters)
Dear Mom,
Aesop (Greek storyteller and fabulist, best known for AESOP’S FABLES) wrote: “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.”
Although Thanksgiving Day was one of your favorite holidays, it didn’t take a holiday filled with family, friends and food for you to be grateful. By your example, you taught me to stop, look, and listen for things to be thankful for, and appreciate anything that made me smile and made the day (and the world) better. So today, in honor of your thankfulness lesson, I’m sharing some pictures of things that make me grateful.
Thank you for your noble soul, Mom. Love, Marylin
(Rainbow photo by Jim Warner; Apple snacks photo by Molly Mosher; all other photos by Marylin Warner)
(#8, at the bottom: Baby pictures of adults.)
#5 ~ Double Rainbows
# 3 ~ Colorful street trashcan art
#4 ~ Apple Teeth Snacks (peanut butter, marshmallows and
apple slices) made for the kids by your granddaughter, Molly
#6 ~ Chapman, KS schools’ new logo, after the tornado, and after
Notre Dame made them stop using the fighting leprechaun they’d used
since 1967 – way to go, little Irish town!!!
#7 ~ A dachshund visiting the elderly, and getting
happy hugs
Things I Want To Tell My Mother 
Love it, Mom.
The same things you are thankful for WOULD BE the same kind of things Grandma would be thankful for !
Hey, I’ve learned from both my mother and my daughter. Now, I’m learning from my granddaughter, too! (And my grandson, but it doesn’t fit with the female theme…)
I love the concept of the noble soul. This will be a tough Thanksgiving for us, probably not celebrated in the traditional sense, but a celebration of thanks if my father survives this surgery. Some things are more important than a big turkey.
You and your father are surrounded by love and prayers, Julia.
As you drive to the hospital, take note of simple, overlooked things to be grateful for. Feed your soul in advance; stockpile against the moments you don’t feel grateful.
beautiful and sweet tribute to your mother.
z
Thanks. You know, when I have my laptop with me as I visit my mom, I still open to your wonderful main page (the “hand” art)–my mother loves this picture and always smiles.
i continue to be amazed with that and am touched. the design is ‘verbatim’ copy of a precolumbian relic from the jama coaque indians. they produced many ceramic ‘stamps’ though no one is real sure what they were used for.. most likely to print on textiles.
the hand image is used a lot, though that one is my favorite. actually, those swirls were a challenge to draw correctly!
have you ever put headphones on your mother while playing some of her favorite tunes? i would like to do more research in that…
z
I love the quote and it is fitting not only this time of year but daily. Your mom has brought many smiles and happy memories into your home and gratitude is indeed a noble virtue.
She is the noble soul of our family, and now I’m amazed and thankful to see how she passed it on to her granddaughter and grandchildren, too.
My grandfather always said: “The true evidence of how your children turn out is based on how the grandchildren turn out.” He’s right.
Your photos and your beautiful nod to your Mom really made my day. There is much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving to your and your loved ones.
I love that you are not bitter about your mother’s disease. You are still grateful. I salute you, Noble Soul. Happpy Thanksgiving! (every day 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Deb. And every day.
Your life is rich in gratitude.
It is, Alice, and for that I’m especially thankful. One of my biggest blessings was being raised by a realist but hopeful “PollyAnna-type” mother who always found something to be grateful for.
Wonderful shots of favorite things.(I hear Julie Andrews singing in my head.) Moms show us how to “see” so much. I was with mine earlier this week, and I marveled at how much more she sees than I do. So, I watch and learn. I hope I can keep up! Happiest of Thanksgivings!
These mothers of ours are something, aren’t they? We’re both so fortunate that our mothers are still with us, K., and teaching us by example.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your mom.
I’m grateful to see all these things, too! Thanks.
You’re welcome, Nancy. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Lovely things to be grateful for! Last year and the year before we saw double rainbows. They may not seem like a big deal but considering you see a rainbow in San Diego probably once a year if you’re lucky, it was a great experience. Oh, a double rainbow, what does it mean??? 😉
There are several interpretations of double rainbows. My two favorites are double promises and double the luck. Regardless of the meanings, a double rainbow is an amazing, beautiful thing.
I’ll take double the amazement!
Happy thanksgiving indeed 🙂 I love the bird houses put together 🙂
And you’d really smile if you could see the back side…there’s another slot for a bird family!
Every time I read your posts (and see a comment from your daughter) I know your mother is SO happy: her life lessons were well received.
Your blog is proof that each of us makes an impact that ripples long after we’re gone. I absolutely LOVE reading your posts!
Thank you, especially for thinking that my mother is happy knowing her life lessons have been well received. I like to think so, too, though it’s hard sometimes when she’s very confused.
The relationship between mother and daughter isn’t always easy, love your writing.
You’re so right, Olivia. And in the best of relationships there are still bumpy roads and struggles. But at the core, the relationship between mother and daughter (and great-grandmother, grandmother, daughter and granddaughter) is a strong, sacred bond.
What a treat to have a deer in your yard and I couldn’t agree with you more – not in the oven!
Your Mother taught you an invaluable lesson
We’re not a family of hunters, and we don’t eat venison. (My favorite movie as a child was BAMBI.) Living in Colorado near the Garden of the Gods, we have many visits by deer, and some bears, raccoons, and even a mountain lion once. Our trees and plants pay the price with each visit by the deer, but I can’t imagine shooting one.
Hi Marylin,
Your title and the birdhouses drew me in like a magnet.
And then sharing your story about your mom was wonderful.
I also loved the teeth, very funky! 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Tracy
Grace “volunteered” her mom to make healthy snacks for Halloween for her 4th grade class. Molly made these great snacks, and the kids loved them. Just slice a red apple into eighths, spread on creamy peanut butter to hold two slices together, and stick on the mini-marshmallow teeth. They’re great to eat and a lot of fun. We want her to fix some for Thanksgiving and call them Pilgrim Teeth. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, too, Tracy.
What a nice Thanksgiving tribute for your Mom! THANKS for visiting my “pun-ny” photoblog and leaving several “likes.” I can’t help hearing plants, animals, and objects “talk.”
–John R.: http://TheDailyGraff.com
P.S. I can’t wait to make “Apple teeth”!
Thanks, John. You blog is lots of fun. The Apple Teeth will fit right in!
Great photos and thoughts that brought a smile to my face! Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Nancy. I brought back your book and Molly is reading it now.
Have a delicious Thanksgiving! Marylin
This is really very special – your souls continue to touch each other.
They do, Mary, and the beautiful thing is that my mother and my daughter continue to touch each other’s lives and souls as well.
Hi Marilyn:
Thanks for visiting my blog and liking some posts. It gave me a chance to find you and your blog.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Blessings.
And Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, too. Please visit again.
beautifully written and precious thoughts , Marylin.
Thank you so much, Francina. I’m so glad you visited the blog and hope you’ll stop by again.
This a beautiful piece and true testament to a grateful heart.
¸.•*¨*•.♪♫♫♪Happy Thanksgiving weekend to you! .♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ♥
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Your comment is wonderfully illustrated, Eliz. Thanks so much, and Happy Thanksgiving weekend to you, too!
As a vegetarian, thank you for the deer in the yard, not in the oven. And I saw that double rainbow! Well, at least I saw one in Carlsbad!
We actually love the roving deer. We’re not crazy when they top off all our flowers and vegetables, but everything has a downside.