2nd Week of Advent Fave Fives

 

WOW...another week in December has ended and the third Sunday of Advent begins this weekend. Let's pause in these busy days leading up to the celebration of the birth of our Savior and share FIVE of our FAVE blessings from the past week.  

I've been doing this for a number of years now, and I'm thankful for Susanne, the blogger who hosts this each week.  Check it out here and feel free to join in! 

image courtesy of N*tflix

• BEST BIOPIC!  This is probably one of the very best biopics I've ever seen and I've seen several over the years.  Harriet Tubman has always, since I was a little girl, been one of my "American heroes".  I don't have many.  She is definitely one. I've read numerous books and articles about her. And of course she spent some time here in NYS down in the finger lakes region. living here from 1859 until she died in 1913.  This movie was very powerful.  I just loved that it was so authentic.  I'm thankful for good movies on the streaming services.

Christmas Cranberry Moscow Mule

special gift/ornament

• BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS: Last Saturday was my birthday and the only thing I really wanted was to go out for dinner and drinks at my fave Saratoga restaurant. So that's what Dave, Courtney, and I did.  Courtney blessed me with a beautiful card and something for my laptop. Dave had bought me a French Press, Claire, although she had to work Saturday and couldn't join us for dinner had treated me to lunch a couple days previously and sent me a gorgeous card, and I received cards in the mail from friends and family along with this beautiful ornament from Deb, my blogging friend from Utah. (She also sent me a gorgeous silver bracelet)  I'm thankful for thoughtful friends and family and good food and fellowship. 

• SOFT SOCKS!  I love soft, warm socks. These 3 pairs are 3 of my faves.  I've needed them this week on my daily walks and on the hike I took. I also wear cozy socks around the house because we don't wear shoes in our home. I need socks in the colder months although I still prefer to be barefoot  I'm thankful for soft, warm, good quality socks!

beginning of trail
13 December

sunshine on the Orange Trail

a fave pine I always stop to hug

leaf covered trail

Shaker Creek on the edge of the preserve
and at the mid point of the orange trail

the last part of the Orange trail

•  WEDNESDAY WOODS WALK:  We live near a wonderful, small nature preserve that also happens to be across the road from the Erie Canal Towpath/Bike Trails where I often go to power walk.  The preserve makes for an easy hike.  There are 2 main trails: White and Orange.  White is about 1 mile in length and Orange is .8.  You can  combine them although then you're backtracking on part of Orange.  Or you can do them separately which is what I tend to do.  Wednesday morning I discovered that it wasn't as windy as the day before so after I ran a couple errands, I headed over to the preserve to hike.  I decided to do the inner Orange trail because the mud was atrocious. Orange was muddy, too, as you can see from the pics but the White would have been worse.  Eventually white joins up with Orange near the creek so it does make for a nice hike as you do see almost every part of the preserve.  (Wetlands, woods, meadow). I was the only person who checked in at the register and my car was the only car in the lot. I had the entire trail system to my self!  I loved every minute and am thankful I had my winter trekkers on instead of just sneakers. I'm also thankful for time in the woods! 

holiday treat bags 

• GIFT GIVING: The small group that my husband and I were co-leading from September until this past Tuesday was  focusing on the book The Art of Neighboring.  As one of the action steps suggested, I did something practical to meet some neighbors I've never met yet have lived near for almost 30 years.  I made some CHristmas cookies and fudge and put them in little treat bags and then added pretty ribbon, curled it, and attached an invite to our church's Christmas Eve services. I went to 6 different neighbors (3 were people I already have a friendship with, 1 was an acquaintance, and 2 were complete strangers although now we have exchanged names at least!).  I'm thankful everyone was welcoming and even the Indian woman who accepted the cookies even though she only celebrates Diwali was respectful and friendly and even said she and her husband might be able to go to one of the services! I'm so thankful I did this. It was kind of out of my comfort zone but I'm thankful this study nudged us to do this type of thing. 

That wraps up my list of blessings from the week.

I hope you enjoy a festive weekend doing the things you love!