6-5-4-3-2-1 FAVES

 

What a full week but what a good week!

Let's pause in the busyness of our Christmas preparations and find FIVE things that made us smile this week and say "Thank You, God". Susanne is our gracious host for this weekly gratitude post. 

and let's see if any of you can figure out why I titled this post the way I did!

me with my new friend Ping

Heading towards the pond and bridges
on the Red trail
a 1.5 mile loop trail that has a spin-off trail of .5 miles

the first bridge over Willie Wildlife pond
15 December

me meditating/forest bathing in the glorious sunshine
looking out over the pond
photo courtesy of Ping

a fave part of the trail 
this is on the other side of the pond...
this is about the 1.2 mile point of the hike.

On the back side of the pond 
in the deep woods
we were thankful for this bridge
across the icy cold rushing brook

• DEEP WOODS HIKE: Last Friday was just perfect late Autumn weather.Low 50s in town and low 40s in the mts with blue sky and sunshine!  Remember, although it became Winter season officially yesterday, last Friday, it was still Autumn.  But...parts of the Adirondack Mountains have snow....the higher peaks have some significant snow!  This hike is a new to me trail although I had been on the short piece of it (the half mile part) a couple years ago. It's called Willie Wildlife Refuge and is located in the southern Adirondacks near Caroga lake. I had never hiked the entire trail system: the red trail is a 1.5 mile loop around a very large pond. It's absolutely stunning and I'm only sharing a portion of the photos we took. It's a great place to do some forest bathing, meditation, praying, and just being with other hiker friends. I invited my new friend (originally from China) to join me. She joined our church last summer and we became friends through a small group I was leading. She lives down the road and around the corner from me. It's been fun getting to know her....we are alot alike when it comes to nature/God's creation and hiking. While we were hiking, she shared part of her story with me, and wow.   I'm thankful for new friends and beautiful trails that get us out into the deep woods.  

my youngest sister's  (Jill) youngest daughter
Mady (my hiking buddy) age 15

l-r: my sister Joy, my oldest girl Courtney (30),
 my sister Hope.....we're laughing because that moose bag
has been going around the family since like 10 years ago!

Generation Gap boardgame.....a BLAST
you do need one person for each generation
Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z
on your team 

Emma (Jill's oldest, age 20)
is a Swiftie like me and my girls......
she loved the make up bag I gave her! 
That's her bf Sam next to her

Jill's husband Mike
and Joy's son Luke (31) 

• XMAS PARTY:  This year it was Mike and Jill's turn to host our family party.  (my youngest sister and her husband Mike) We still exchange gifts although some of us are going to end that part of the tradition beginning in 2024. We had a great day Saturday of pizza, salad, desserts, a birthday treat for Joy, cocktails and other cold drinks. ( Joy is 2 years and exactly one week younger than me!) We also played Generation Gap which is a huge hit with my own family and with Dave's, so because we all loved it last year when Dave and I brought it, Mike went out and got it for their family and we all just laughed and laughed at this game that really stretches your brain. Sadly, I didn't get a good photo of my sister Jill or of my husband!  And Claire our youngest had to work so she couldn't go.  I'm thankful for family and good times. 

Veggie/Rice/Quinoa Pot Pie
as requested by Claire, the birthday girl

Claire loves the "This is my Christmas Movie" mug

 a gift from big sis!

chocolate crinkles requested by Claire
made with coconut oil and applesauce instead of eggs

• BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION:  Claire, our youngest, is our Winter Solstice baby (born in the wee hours of Dec 21) but she had plans with friends to celebrate her 25th  birthday Thursday.  So she came over Wednesday evening for her family celebration.  Courtney and Dave joined us once they got out of work and we all ate chicken pot pies/veggie pot pie and for dessert, Claire wanted vegan chocolate crinkles. I first started making them a couple of years ago.  They're just like the original ones except instead of 4 eggs, you use coconut oil and applesauce. We actually prefer them to the originals because these are much more moist. She opened her gifts and we loved the creative one Courtney got her:  a 1998 (get it??) quarter, in a pretty frame, to represent Claire turning a quarter of a century. After gifts, we all hung out in the family room to watch one of Claire's fave classic Christmas movies: Christmas in Connecticut.  I'm thankful for the family time. 

  

  from my backyard
  20 December

the historic cemetery in our neighborhood

looking across the farm to the Green Mts of Vermont

• NEIGHBORHOOD WALKS:  This past week I was able to get outdoors and do a good 1.5-2 miles power walk in my immediate neighborhood each day.  Monday was a downpour almost all day so I did an in-house workout via the Silver Sneakers videos on You Tube. The rest of our week was dry, sunny, and cold.  In fact, yesterday, the official first day of Winter was only 28 degrees F at 2 pm when I went out to do my walk.  I'm thankful for pretty skies and sunshine! 

musical piano plays
"Anniversary Waltz" 

• SPECIAL GIFTS:  My sister Hope gave me and my other 2 sisters, old photos from Dad's albums, as a Christmas gift.  She also gave all of Dad and Mom's grandchildren (5) a pic of them when they were either engaged or newlyweds.  I am the only one that didn't get one with Dad in it BUT...I got the pic she found in a very old album of our great grandparents camp.  It no longer exists as it fell down  years ago but the chimney is still there and she and I actually hiked to that spot this past summer. This was Dad's grandparents camp when he was growing up.  That's my mom in the chair, as a teen as they were dating then. This would be the late 1940s. The photo of the musical piano is one that my "second mother".....a dear woman (Ruth)  who was like a spiritual mom to me from the time I was born until her death in 2020 (she was married to my childhood pastor who just passed away in 2022).  Our two families were very close and I am friends with all 5 of their daughters and roomed in college one year with their last daughter who was one of my best friends for years. Because I used to collect musical pianos (I was a  piano major in college) and only have 1 left today, she thought I'd like this.  When she was visiting one of the daughters who is now in her early 70s, Hope was told to choose anything she wanted from Ruth's collection. I'm so thankful I now own this and can pass it on to one of my daughters one day. I'm thankful for thoughtful gifts. 

That wraps up the blessings from my week...the speical things that made me smile and say "Thank You, God".  What about you? What things are you thankful for today, the first full day of Winter? 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!