Sunday, November 20, 2016

Thanksgiving Gratitude


This Thursday will be Thanksgiving in the United States, a day most families gather together to give thanks for all their blessings and to enjoy a delicious dinner.  My husband and I feel so fortunate to be living close to our children and grandchildren and to be able to share wonderful occasions with them throughout the year. One of our traditions is to visit a farm's pumpkin patch to enjoy all the wonderful activities there and to choose pumpkins and gourds to decorate our homes for Autumn.


It is fun making these memories with our grandchildren, and their smiles and laughter are our treasure.


We also treasure living in this beautiful state! After living 3/4 of our lives in New York City, which gave us many opportunities throughout our lifetime, we are now grateful for the new experiences we have, and the incredible scenery we see, in our new state of Colorado.


Where we see swirling clouds surrounding high peaks...


....and tall aspen groves lit in orange and yellow leaves like candle flames.



Where snow capped peaks tower over golden fields and deep green pine forests....


...and where there are still areas of vast pristine wilderness...


Where you can climb peaks over 14,000 feet high to touch the sky...


..and where winding trails are almost right outside our door.



We are grateful to live in a place where the Old West still survives...


...and cattle drives are still a part of daily life...



...yet city experiences and culture are still available close by.


To live in a state where we see abundant wildlife...


...and wildflowers galore to enjoy in spring!


We are grateful to live in our beautiful and peaceful valley, where we just had our first snowfall.


On this Thanksgiving we have much to be grateful for...
For Faith, Family and Friends, as well as place.
We are also aware that many do not enjoy all we do
and that we need to share our bounty with those less fortunate, 
to strive for equality and peace in this country, as well in the world,
and to protect and preserve nature, as it is God's gift to all of us.

"Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayers. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good."  ~ Maya Angelou

May all that celebrate this week have a very Happy Thanksgiving!


'm linking this post to the following blog events:

Thank you to all the blog hosts!

Bookmark and Share

42 comments:

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Pat, this is a beautiful post of gratitude! Your area is so gorgeous--the "aspens like candle flames"--such a beautiful description. The photo of you and your grands enjoying each other is so precious. It's lovely to hear of your gratefulness and hope for those who are less fortunate. I love the Maya Angelou quote. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! ♥

Lady Fi said...

Wow - beautiful scenery! Wishing you and yours a wonderful week.

Maggie said...

I'm thankful for the chance to step inside your beautiful world today even if only for the briefest of visits.
Your amazing photographs take us straight to the heart of everything.
You do indeed have much to be grateful for and it's obvious that you cherish it all very, very much.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and you wonderful family.

Daniela said...

I'm so grateful to you for the wondeful life, nature and environments you allow me to take part to with your so gorgeous posts, darling Pat, blessed be !

Sending blessings of joy on your Monday and on your days to come,
I'm thinking of you with much love,
enjoy your Thanksgiving Day with your family with gladness

Xx Dany

Rajesh said...

Wonderful series of images. Have a great time with the family.

rupam sarma said...

Beautiful pics :)
Greetings from India

eileeninmd said...

Hello Pat, beautiful words and post. The images are lovely. You are blessed to be living in a lovely place and so close to your family. Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving. Happy Monday, enjoy your day and new week ahead!

Terri Steffes said...

Pat such a beautiful post. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

The Furry Gnome said...

Yes, it looks like you live in a beautiful area. Happy Thanksgiving!

Snap said...

Beautiful post, Pat. All the images are gorgeous ... of your family, of your new state and all your new experiences. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Happy Monday!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Beautiful Thanksgiving post Pat.

Vee said...

A wonderful Thanksgiving week to you and yours, Pat! Love those plaid shirts you and your granddaughter are sporting. The boys are growing so big and how fun to catch a glimpse of your littlest granddaughter, too. Love the description of the aspens. Your posts are always beautiful. So much for which to be grateful!

Linda W. said...

You do indeed live in a beautiful place! And I'm glad you are near your family too. Happy Thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post filled with good things to be grateful for. God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving and always.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It is so beautiful in the Fall with the Aspen trees! And you've put together wonderful mosaics this week! You take the best photos! Happy Thanksgiving sweet friend. Hugs, Diane

Fun60 said...

Happy Thanksgiving. You have expressed your gratitude so well with your photos of such wonderful sights and love of your family.

Ciao Chow Linda said...

A beautiful sentiment well said. Gratitude makes us appreciate what we have so much more, even when there is loss. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your wonderful family.

carol l mckenna said...

A truly wonderful post and fantastic photography for Thanksgiving ~ thanks,

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving week ~ ^_^

NCSue said...

Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/11/cana.html, and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Tamar SB said...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lowcarb team member said...

A truly beautiful post and wonderful to look at and read.

Wishing you, and yours, a very Happy Thanksgiving

All the best Jan

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I love how you have enthusiastically embraced you new residence. Have a great Thanksgiving.

Lorrie said...

Your words and photos are full of the beauty of God's gifts. So much to be thankful for and a good reminder to all. Happy Thanksgiving, Pat, enjoy your time with family.

Jeanne said...

Hello Pat, Thank you for your beautiful thankful post and your comment on my post. It certainly gave me a chuckle. It sounds like your hubby enjoyed those 42 years of turkey. Big smile here.

Your photos are the best story of the happiness you have found with the wonderful place where you live. The collage of the pumpkin patch completes the post of your greatest treasure of all. Your precious family.

I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving in the beautiful state of Colorado with your darling family all around your table. It is a blessing to be able to live close to the loved ones in your family.
Hugs, Jeanne

Ruth Hiebert said...

Beautiful scenes.Every one is special in its own way.I must say I am partial to those mountain scenes.I just never get tired of seeing mountains,perhaps it is because of living on the prairies.

Anonymous said...

Dear Pat, am thankful for blogs like yours - for others to see that family is important and America has so many stunning landscapes, whether it's mountains, vallies, forests or lakes. Having a relationship with grand children makes all the hard work of raising children worth it, eh?
Many thanks for sharing these details of your thankfulness with ALL SEASONS. Happy thanksgiving!

Rhonda Albom said...

Thanks for a fine collection of autumn color. I particularly like the Aspen trees, they remind me of a town where I used to live.

Breathtaking said...

Hello Pat!:) You have chosen a beautiful State to live in, and all your photos of the scenery, wildlife, flowers, and family are lovely.
Thank you for sharing your words too, and I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving.:)

Ola said...

For such views one simply must be greatful! 😀

Rambling Woods said...

What a wonderful Thanksgiving post... My husband is a native New Yorker....Please have a wonderful Thanksgiving.... Michelle

Villrose said...

A beautiful landscape around your home!

R's Rue said...

Pretty.

handmade by amalia said...

We all have a lot to be grateful for. I hope you're enjoying the day.
Amalia
xo

LV said...

I love visiting your blog. I feel like I have been on a wonderful vacation.

Nevin said...

Great sceneries

Spare Parts and Pics said...

Beautiful photos of a beautiful area! I really like the shot of the aspen grove!

KL said...

A Very Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Yes, Colorado is a beautiful state to live. Loved all the pictures.

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Beautiful post! Yes, lots to be thankful for. I too feel blessed. I love Colorado. Reminds me a lot of Utah. We love vacationing there. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann

Photo(Geo)grapher said...

Wow - beautiful scenery!

eileeninmd said...

Hello Pat, I really enjoyed this post. The aspens are lovely, the views of the snowcapped mountains are gorgeous. The wildlife in Colorado is awesome. I like the cute turkey, I hope he was pardoned from being dinner. Awesome photos.
Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and the week ahead!

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

SO much fun with the grands at that pumpkin farm and more lovely shots to enjoy of scenery , etc. :)

Mary K. said...

Pat you are so lucky to be living in Colorado next to nature. I know that New York is great but after so many years you crave to see nature. I feel that way too. I love living close to nature. Also the cost of living in NY is on the rise and is prohibitive for many of us. It is great that you can be close to your family and live in such a beautiful area. That is my hope too, to be close to the kids.