Saturday in the Greenhouse

For something completely different today, here's a look at the middle of October in our yard.  I did a quick walk one afternoon and captured a last look at autumn.

Cranberries still hanging

I love the textures in the dried zinnias

1 pumpkin still hiding in the grass

Bright green mint crawling everywhere

Dried sunflower heads

And by the next morning, this had happened -

Which meant that I had to get into the greenhouse for a final picking and cleanup!

Things were still growing

and slowly ripening

which meant I had all these tomatoes to pick!

Greenhouse almost ready for winter  

and my very dark chlorophyll-stained hand

at the end of the day!

And that's all she wrote for gardening this year!

In just 4 months it will be time to plant seeds again!

I'm not quite excited about that yet -

maybe after 4 more months of winter I'll feel different :)

Gratitude Gifts Today

#4795 - #4832

- safety while storms rage all over the continent
- cocooning at home and avoiding icy roads
- empty chicken house, just in time
- cleaned out deep freeze
- room enough for all

- little trick-or-treaters
- great big 'thanks' shouted back at me
- imagination - of littles and parents
- candles burning bright in pumpkins
- "This Little Light of Mine"

- sewing
- iPhone photos - amazing technology
- slow cooker ready meals
- garlic smashed potatoes
- leftovers

- chicken stock cooking after supper
- fresh pears
- mint green tea
- rescheduling visits
- little ones playing in the sandbox

- cords and sweaters
- down-filled jacket
- warm gloves and boots
- hot dogs for lunch at school
- colours of the rainbow

- sun shining while snow diamonds twinkle
- chickadees outside my kitchen window
- fourteen cups of pumpkin for the freezer
- first batch of poppycock
- filling shoeboxes to send

- 3 gifts that begin with 'N' - our daugher Naomi, nuts and nachos

- quiet night times

- gifts that only He can give

- words of hymns that speak straight to me

- my Saviour and His unfailing love for me

Gratitude Gifts Today

#4720 - #4755

- reading books over and over with the grandchildren
- Blake singing "Jesus Loves Me"
- lights burning brightly as the nights lengthen
- 3 sets of vehicle lights shining as the combine repairs progress
- every single seed of canola - it might never have grown at all - all a gift from God (to paraphrase Ann)

- supper ready before 10 a.m.
- baking pies with Naomi and Mom
- coring apples with Blake and Maëlle
- cinnamon and sugar on top of Mom's pies (no one else makes them like this!)
- taking apple pie to the field for supper

- pictures of harvesting
- eating supper inside the van while the wind howled outside
- neighbors coming to help combine
- more and more pails of beets gathered in
- last row of carrots dug

- going to bed at 9:30 p.m.
- donuts :)
- my orange vest from Austria
- helping to setup for book fair
- marking spelling tests quickly

- delicious food at the Harvest Supper
- enjoying a movie with our Bible study group
- afternoon nap on a Saturday
- hot cup of coffee to warm my fingers
- autumn inventory in the yard

- Sunday dinner ready - on Saturday night!
- Amazing Race and amazing places
- my Gramma's pearls
- blog friendships
- text messaging

- a greenhouse to grow tomatoes in
- a dishwasher
- all the good food that He grew for us this summer
- how much abundance He has blessed us with
- singing praise hymns

A Taste of Winter

No matter which window I looked out today, the view was the same!

It was snowing when I woke up and the white flakes just kept coming all day long!

By late afternoon, it let up and the golden leaves still hanging on and the snow-capped evergreens created a very pretty picture.

Tonight's forecast is for -8 C and more flurries but a reprieve is predicted for Friday.  Oh, the joys of autumn in Alberta.

Gratitude Gifts Today

#4673 - #4720

- candles burning brightly
- digging potatoes without a fork or hoe
- more tomatoes in boxes
- a few precious apples from our tree
- 50 pumpkins from our volunteer plants

zucchini, ambercup squash, spaghetti squash, 

pumpkins and onions - all from our garden

- more pails of beets and potatoes
- much needed rain
- waterslides with grandsons
- impromptu plans
- groceries for Thanksgiving weekend

- chocolate covered almonds
- a shy little one saying "it was a good day"
- late evening nachos
- 20 lbs. of big beautiful onions from our garden
- daily blog visits for inspiration and wise words

- making Soule Salsa
- a whole container full of chopped cilantro
- taking time to make and send cards
- long afternoon naps
- her "what did you make in the oven today?" as she comes in the door after school

- more pails of beets and sacks of potatoes
- grain combined, straw baled, field empty
- building puzzles together
- Maëlle's help putting clothes in the dryer
- watching them skate at the arena

- yellow leaves "raining down"
- car heater blowing warm air
- special envelopes tucked in a bag for Gramma and Grampa on Thanksgiving
- pumpkin pie with whipped cream
- watching the cousins visit together

- heritage pictures from 50+ years ago
- history books
- cream puffs
- 80th birthday parties
- fresh flowers, many fresh flowers

- rolling up cabbage rolls
- vacuumed and scrubbed floor
- making cranberry sauce
- chickens, happy as can be
- gathering around Thanksgiving tables

- digging carrots with Auntie Ruth and Mom
- visiting with nieces and nephews
- Thanksgiving display at church
- Mom's turkey stuffing
- my Dad's giant pumpkins

- that He gives us everything - everything!
- His grace new for each day, no matter what

Gratitude Gifts Today

#4623 - #4673

- students laughing in the gym
- listening in as they share jokes with friends
- Maëlle's laugh as she watches Blake (he can entertain her like no one else!)
- more potatoes dug
- cattle grazing in the early morning autumn mist as the sun rises

- smell of autumn leaves
- empty boxes as fruit is preserved and eaten up
- mailing cards to loved ones
- time for wandering through the new Winners that opened in our community
- little treasures to tuck away for Christmas giving

- thinking about sending shoeboxes with Operation Christmas Child
- new books
- home for supper
- pansies, sunflowers and sweet peas blooming on
- bumper crop of squash and pumpkins this year

- more tomatoes
- days of subbing with good plans and wonderful students
- amazing education assistants
- safe driving
- taking the scenic route

- me in bed by 9:30 p.m. (giant surprise!)
- breakfast with grandchildren
- walking to the bus together
- seeing the community gathered at the playground at 7:45 a.m
- watching her climb aboard - all grown up and confident

- seeing her in her learning space
- sitting together on the floor while she reads about beetles
- shopping together
- finding ways to support others around the world (Tom's shoes)
- supper ready in the crockpot when we got home

- frozen fruit yogurt as a treat
- jars and jars and jars all full
- photo albums filled with memories
- reading stories together
- help to fill the shopping cart

- picking one treat
- time at the playground
- hungrily eating lunch together, all 3 of us
- watching them play together
- a walk in the park

- taking photos
- watching Heather take photos
- words of wisdom on Sunday morning
- lunch with friends
- text messages from our children

(smallest and largest of my tomatoes in the greenhouse)

- picking more tomatoes
- gradually cleaning out gardens
- sales
- His love, no matter what anyone else thinks
- feeling completely surrounded by grace and love