Challenge: “Things to be Thankful For” 11/21/2022 – 11/26/2022
Nov 21, 2022 14:56:07 #
judy juul
Loc: Cheshire, Ct.
joecichjr wrote:
I'm thankful for having a weekend place in Fish La... (show quote)
That's such a nice way to share your thoughts about your mom and your home stead!
Nov 21, 2022 16:01:42 #
Below, you see two pictures of the hurricane that my garage is. Half of it is loaded with boxes from when we had an infestation of insects in our home four years ago. The exterminator, before spraying, suggested removing all my books - several thousand of them - because the bugs could hide inside them. So I lugged a couple thousand pounds of my prized possessions out of the house and plopped them where they have been since then. I'm lazy. Really, REALLY lazy! These boxes stare me in the face every day when I enter the garage, and they taunt me. But I have learned how to ignore them.
Books and reading are so important to me because my dearest mom encouraged me to read in my youth. Because of her, books became a reward for doing anything I needed to do - as did going to the library to borrow books. As soon as I was able to have my own money from working at P&R Drugstore for $1.00 an hour at age 16, I started buying more and more books. They've helped me to learn about life and to explore other worlds and feed my imagination. To me, books are my most cherished possessions - even though you might not be able to see that looking at the jumble of boxes in which they now reside. As I said, I'm lazy!
The most beautiful gift to me in life was my mother, who is pictured in Number Three. She was 98 in this picture, and she spent about 18 months dying from several things. She's holding a box of incredible chocolates that had just arrived from my sister for Mother's Day. This was just a quick snap, but it is such a beautiful memory for me (Sorry for the reflection, but I don't know where the original is)! On top of giving me my great interest in reading, Mom also showed me endless, unconditional love - from the beginning of my life all the way through to her end. She did this unstintingly and without hesitation. Her mom died when she was 10 years old, and she was raised by her dad and an older sister. She had to leave school in the tenth grade to stay home and take care of her brothers. In spite of many great hardships, mom developed into an amazing life force! Despite humble beginnings, she filled every room with happiness when she was in it. Despite her own loss, she generously filled every soul she met with great love!
I love words, and I love writing. However, I feel bereft of the ability to describe the pure love that my mom was and still is. I am definitely not a religious guy, but I do know that I was blessed with one of the greatest gifts, from the Almighty, by Mom's life and my 65+ years with her. The greatest things I may have inside and the most incomparable abilities I might have, are all due to her. I told her this many times, as well as I could.
I sat by her side in the hospital on the last day, listening to her labored breathing. I leaned next to her and told her how important she was to me in every moment of life. I whispered in her ear how much I loved her, always and forever. I told her how she was my best girl and the love of my life! These were all things I had told her before, when she was lucid and able to understand, so we were both lucky. Then, I took a minute to use the rest room in her room, and when I emerged twenty seconds later, my sister said, "She's gone." I went back to mom, and used the next half hour or so to continue to speak gently in her ear, with words of love and caresses of her hair, to help her into the glow of the afterlife. I am so thankful for these moments! Just yesterday was her third anniversary. I went to mass in her memory. After that, I visited the cemetery just to say hello. Mom knew anyway.
UHHers, I am immeasurably thankful that I was allowed a whole lifetime in the presence of such a magnificent, spectacular soul! And I will always be forever grateful for being so phenomenally gifted by God with Dearest Frances 💓👑💓👑💓
Books and reading are so important to me because my dearest mom encouraged me to read in my youth. Because of her, books became a reward for doing anything I needed to do - as did going to the library to borrow books. As soon as I was able to have my own money from working at P&R Drugstore for $1.00 an hour at age 16, I started buying more and more books. They've helped me to learn about life and to explore other worlds and feed my imagination. To me, books are my most cherished possessions - even though you might not be able to see that looking at the jumble of boxes in which they now reside. As I said, I'm lazy!
The most beautiful gift to me in life was my mother, who is pictured in Number Three. She was 98 in this picture, and she spent about 18 months dying from several things. She's holding a box of incredible chocolates that had just arrived from my sister for Mother's Day. This was just a quick snap, but it is such a beautiful memory for me (Sorry for the reflection, but I don't know where the original is)! On top of giving me my great interest in reading, Mom also showed me endless, unconditional love - from the beginning of my life all the way through to her end. She did this unstintingly and without hesitation. Her mom died when she was 10 years old, and she was raised by her dad and an older sister. She had to leave school in the tenth grade to stay home and take care of her brothers. In spite of many great hardships, mom developed into an amazing life force! Despite humble beginnings, she filled every room with happiness when she was in it. Despite her own loss, she generously filled every soul she met with great love!
I love words, and I love writing. However, I feel bereft of the ability to describe the pure love that my mom was and still is. I am definitely not a religious guy, but I do know that I was blessed with one of the greatest gifts, from the Almighty, by Mom's life and my 65+ years with her. The greatest things I may have inside and the most incomparable abilities I might have, are all due to her. I told her this many times, as well as I could.
I sat by her side in the hospital on the last day, listening to her labored breathing. I leaned next to her and told her how important she was to me in every moment of life. I whispered in her ear how much I loved her, always and forever. I told her how she was my best girl and the love of my life! These were all things I had told her before, when she was lucid and able to understand, so we were both lucky. Then, I took a minute to use the rest room in her room, and when I emerged twenty seconds later, my sister said, "She's gone." I went back to mom, and used the next half hour or so to continue to speak gently in her ear, with words of love and caresses of her hair, to help her into the glow of the afterlife. I am so thankful for these moments! Just yesterday was her third anniversary. I went to mass in her memory. After that, I visited the cemetery just to say hello. Mom knew anyway.
UHHers, I am immeasurably thankful that I was allowed a whole lifetime in the presence of such a magnificent, spectacular soul! And I will always be forever grateful for being so phenomenally gifted by God with Dearest Frances 💓👑💓👑💓
Nov 21, 2022 16:02:48 #
judy juul wrote:
Here's one that strikes me for this Challenge!
(I did touched her photo just a tiny bit..)
(I did touched her photo just a tiny bit..)
Vermont...love it....spent a lot of time in West Brat.....
Nov 21, 2022 16:03:42 #
judy juul wrote:
That's such a nice way to share your thoughts about your mom and your home stead!
Judy, I am also thankful for you and the talents and kind heart you so willingly share with me and everyone else here online. I sure feel like you are family to me
Nov 21, 2022 16:05:04 #
Transbuff1985 wrote:
A SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL:
Life has gotten very busy/hectic here at home.
Plus weather has been too crappy all month to take pictures for this challenge.
Probably will have to go out of town for family funeral this week.
So I plan on being on Forum just not much, hopefully once a day!
An advance thank you to all who contributes to this challenge.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Bob
Life has gotten very busy/hectic here at home.
Plus weather has been too crappy all month to take pictures for this challenge.
Probably will have to go out of town for family funeral this week.
So I plan on being on Forum just not much, hopefully once a day!
An advance thank you to all who contributes to this challenge.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Bob
Hope you have a safe trip, and thank you for always being such a cool guy and so generous with your pictures and kind comments
Nov 21, 2022 18:59:07 #
Thankful for my family and true friends in my life. So grateful to be able visit and discover all the wildlife and nature.
Nov 21, 2022 19:51:37 #
Nov 21, 2022 21:30:37 #
Cowpaty wrote:
Thankful for my family and true friends in my life. So grateful to be able visit and discover all the wildlife and nature.
A lovely composition and very serene 💜🧡💜🧡💜
Nov 21, 2022 21:31:10 #
Roadrunner wrote:
Where I was raised in Stratford, CT
Such beautiful shots of a gorgeous location 🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
Nov 22, 2022 00:11:34 #
Where to start? So, so many blessings over the years. Starting with growing up out in the country; farm country. Acres and acres of pasture, so many trees to climb, so many places to explore, knowing my two older brothers would keep me safe. Growing up with parents that worked hard, built a good life from very humble beginnings; parents that instilled strong moral values, love, compassion, sense of duty. Going to Grandma and Papa Joe's house; helping to put coal in the furnace, clean catfish, and learning how to play nicely with many, many cousins. These are the foundations I am so thankful for. Then, accepting Jesus as my personal savior in that revival tent on July 4, 1964. A day I will always remember and cherish.
Certainly raising my two sons, trying to make sure they enjoyed their childhood while making sure they grew up to be honest, honorable young men. Having the honor of helping raise my wife's son as my own, and watching all of our sons prosper, both spiritually and financially. No one in our family chases wealth, but through hard work and God's grace, each of our children have built lives where financial security takes the pressure off (somewhat) of raising our grandchildren, and now 2-1/2 of our great grandchildren. Lauren is 22 weeks pregnant, something else for which to be thankful.
I lost my dad in 1964, when I was still 15, and it was a struggle. Pretty much a whole year of "darkness." But God gave us strength and pulled us through. Mom got remarried three years later to the most wonderful man! He truly helped hold our family unit together. After he passed in 2002, I had the honor of moving my mom into our house, and Sally and I cared for her for the next nine years. As her dementia got worse, she got lost several times while we were at work, so we had to find a permanent place for mom. Again, I'm thankful for our wonderful next door neighbor who was the head nurse at a wonderful nursing home and she was able to get mom in immediately after her release from the hospital after falling. Mom had five more wonderful years at a place she grew to love, and I was again thankful that on her last day, my oldest brother and his wife, and Sally and I had time to spend by her side; reminding her how much she meant to us now and growing up; thanking her for all her sacrifices, all her teachings, all her loving "corrections," and all her love.
Since then, we've been blessed with reuniting with old high school friends; friends that took us in, and made us a part of their families as well. We celebrate holidays, birthdays, anniversaries with them. We've comforted them and celebrated with them as they have done with us. God not only kept us out of harm's way, but he has enriched our lives and allowed us to enjoy so many of His creations.
Then there are all of you. So many wonderful people I've come to cherish in the short time I've been on here. I am so thankful for your love, your encouragement, your support and your lessons. Truly one of the best support groups on the internet. Bless you all.
Certainly raising my two sons, trying to make sure they enjoyed their childhood while making sure they grew up to be honest, honorable young men. Having the honor of helping raise my wife's son as my own, and watching all of our sons prosper, both spiritually and financially. No one in our family chases wealth, but through hard work and God's grace, each of our children have built lives where financial security takes the pressure off (somewhat) of raising our grandchildren, and now 2-1/2 of our great grandchildren. Lauren is 22 weeks pregnant, something else for which to be thankful.
I lost my dad in 1964, when I was still 15, and it was a struggle. Pretty much a whole year of "darkness." But God gave us strength and pulled us through. Mom got remarried three years later to the most wonderful man! He truly helped hold our family unit together. After he passed in 2002, I had the honor of moving my mom into our house, and Sally and I cared for her for the next nine years. As her dementia got worse, she got lost several times while we were at work, so we had to find a permanent place for mom. Again, I'm thankful for our wonderful next door neighbor who was the head nurse at a wonderful nursing home and she was able to get mom in immediately after her release from the hospital after falling. Mom had five more wonderful years at a place she grew to love, and I was again thankful that on her last day, my oldest brother and his wife, and Sally and I had time to spend by her side; reminding her how much she meant to us now and growing up; thanking her for all her sacrifices, all her teachings, all her loving "corrections," and all her love.
Since then, we've been blessed with reuniting with old high school friends; friends that took us in, and made us a part of their families as well. We celebrate holidays, birthdays, anniversaries with them. We've comforted them and celebrated with them as they have done with us. God not only kept us out of harm's way, but he has enriched our lives and allowed us to enjoy so many of His creations.
Then there are all of you. So many wonderful people I've come to cherish in the short time I've been on here. I am so thankful for your love, your encouragement, your support and your lessons. Truly one of the best support groups on the internet. Bless you all.
Me, oldest brother Bill, and older brother Jim
(Download)
Dad with me and Jim
(Download)
Grandma with Jim and me by her house along the Codorus creek in York
Mom in 2002 shortly after she moved in with us
Sally, the lovely lady that has stood by my side since 1987. Or behind me when I needed help moving forward.
(Download)
Our dear friends that have taken us into their lives.
(Download)
Nov 22, 2022 03:02:10 #
PAToGraphy wrote:
Thanks for being our Thanksgiving host, Bob. I am thankful for many people and many things.
I'm thankful for the friends made and skills learned through UHH
Thankful for family
I'm thankful for the friends made and skills learned through UHH
Thankful for family
Thanks Pat. Nice set Pat, yes times with family is important!
Nov 22, 2022 03:03:32 #
Navywife66 wrote:
I am Thankful for Husker still being with us! He w... (show quote)
Navywife nice set of Husker, like the last three. Can tell you care for him very much. Thanks for sharing.
Nov 22, 2022 03:04:14 #
photophile wrote:
Thankful for: Autumn colors, Sandy Ridge Reservation bird preserve, concerts in Lakewood pk and wildlife in Ohio to photograph.
Nice set of colors Karin, luv the eagle!
Nov 22, 2022 03:04:47 #
judy juul wrote:
Thanks, Bob for hosting! Looks like your mom had her hands full and persevered as well...not easy! It's tough to
keep your mind on positive levels when the going gets rough!
keep your mind on positive levels when the going gets rough!
Thanks Judy, let me say there were times it was interesting.
Nov 22, 2022 03:05:33 #
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