Tuesday 4 ~ Thankful

 Hello friends and welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  

Thanksgiving Day is about here. Let's talk about the holiday and thankfulness.

1. Whether you are from the USA or not, thankfulness is beneficial to a nation and people.  Is it a natural thing for you to think of being thankful or is it something you must be reminded about?

We had Thanksgiving in Canada in October.  It is natural for me to be thankful for everything both in good times and in bad even if we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving on a specific holiday. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

2.  Plimoth Plantation is the site of the original settlement and everything is authentic to the 1600's including how they speak. Have you been to Plymouth Rock?   How about the Plimoth Plantation (yes that is the proper spelling). Would you like to go visit these places?     What places are you thankful for having seen?      

I've never been to Plymouth Rock or to the Plimoth Plantation. I don't have a particular desire to go to these places but if I ever had an opportunity I would take it since I love seeing new places and learning more about history. I have travelled to many countries and to several of them on more than one occasion. Sometimes I wish I had spread my travelling to more countries instead of returning to the same places on more than one occasion. I hope that I will still have an opportunity to visit more new places if the Lord tarries and if it is safe to do so. I am thankful for the many places I have been able to see around the world.

3. Do you tune into the Macy's Parade?

No I do not. It isn't part of the Canadian ritual and in fact, these days I don't really watch parades even at home.  When I was a youngster I did enjoy them.

4. What will you be eating on Thanksgiving Day this year?

This year we had ham roast for dinner with potatoes and brussels sprouts and various condiments like pickles and so on.  I can't remember if I made scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes. I think I made red, garlic potatoes. One thing I do know is that as the years go by, we tend to eat less and less at holiday meals and just in general. I can no longer eat a huge meal at one go and nor can my loved ones it seems.

Thanksgiving 2019

Hi friends,

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada so I'm popping in to wish my Canadian readers a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving weekend.

It is a quiet and more relaxing weekend for me though I am making the traditional turkey dinner. It is always sad to me when I meet many newcomers to Canada or immigrants who have come in the last few decades but they do not ever partake in a traditional turkey dinner at Thanksgiving or even at Christmas. Even vegans in Canada do celebrate thanksgiving with substituted dishes of course.  Whenever I am up to it I do try to invite people to my home for a traditional meal but the past two years I haven't felt up to it.

Even right now I am feeling tired and a bit run down. For some reason the Fall season doesn't agree with me physically.  It is a pity because I absolutely love the cooler (not cold) weather and the gorgeous colours in the leaves.

I hope you are all enjoying a beautiful weekend wherever you are in the world.  I hope you will also find something for which you are thankful even if you are not celebrating an official Thanksgiving like I am.

I've been away from this space a bit longer than I intended.  These days I am trying to get as much rest as possible and it takes a lot to deal with people with serious health or another needs who live half way across the globe.  But I will be back to more regular blogging soon.

Despite not feeling up to par, I want to close with a list of things I am thankful for at this time.  The list is always long but I will try to keep it a bit shorter for you *smile.

* Better health for a long time friend who was given very bad news by his cardiologist about 2 weeks ago.  He was told he would die imminently as the medicine he has been on hadn't been successful in restoring heart function which was now only 33%. Today he was called by his General Practitioner who said he had "great news".  Another test (I forget the name but it involves dye) given just last week indicates his heart is now at 55%. That is a real miracle and we give thanks.

*  I'm thankful I live in a country where there is freedom to vote for the leadership of your choice and that we can vote on election day without worrying about our safety (our national election is on October 21 for our Prime Minister and our federal ministers). We cannot take these freedoms for granted as things are getting more difficult in free countries each year.

*  I'm thankful that the Lord provides my daily bread and that I can choose (or not choose) to study his Word.

*  I'm thankful for young friends that feel free to discuss their spiritual walk and challenges with me and that they readily thank me for listening. Not only do I help them but they help me understand that I am in God's will concerning being a mentor for them.

*  I'm thankful that after several weeks of almost non-stop rain we've had a few weeks of mostly sunny days and blue skies.

* A friend in Kenya needs a Police Certificate called "Certificate of Good Conduct". They need such a document in Kenya for all kinds of purposes. He thought it would take a month but when he went to apply it only took 3 days and he didn't even have to go to Nairobi to do it!

* Another friend in Kenya has been studying for his English language test as part of his applications for graduate school in Canada. Praise God he has written several tests this week and we pray for great results.

* A friend from Tanzania has successfully defended his thesis at the University of British Columbia and can now call himself doctor.  I was invited to witness the event.

*  Another friend in Kenya has written and successfully passed his licensing examination for medical practise. He will graduate on November 10, 2019.

* Ernest in Kenya still has a leg plaster but his health is improving greatly due to a dear friend who contributed food money so he can eat nutritiously.

*  My friend Eunice has been in hospital for over 8 months now. We have a Go Fund Me campaign for her medical care, nutritious food needs and family needs as they don't live in the city where she is hospitalized. Though we haven't raised much of the funding needed, I thank God we have managed so far and that her health has improved. We are now awaiting results of tests to show how effective the medicine has been and what further course of action is needed. In meantime we continue to pray for the support needed. Check/click here if you are interested in the background.

There is so much more I can list but I will end it here. I hope you enjoyed reading and would love to hear what is on your gratitude list.

Until next time I wish you joy.

Thankful

It is Thanksgiving here in Canada and I want to wish my Canadian readers a Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm grateful to have an officially sanctioned time each year to to pause the ordinary course of events and reflect on the goodness of God and the blessings in my life.

Of course one doesn't need to wait and give thanks only once per year. I try to do that on a frequent basis but it is still nice to have one holiday called Thanksgiving. Even more so if one knows the purpose of the holiday.

Life comes with it's share of sorrows, trials and tribulations and it can make some people very bitter.

But there are also times of  joy and happy moments. Daily too there are little things that give our lives added beauty, joy and meaning and put a smile on our faces if we let them..  As a person with an abiding faith I also hold on to the scripture that says 

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

No matter what happens I feel that God will work it out in the end if I just trust Him.

Things always happen for a reason and sometimes we do not know what those reasons are in the moment.

Only later can we look back with greater clarity and understanding.

That is the Burrard Street Bridge in background and on the right is the beginning of the West End (Downtown).

I am grateful for so many things, large and small.

Sometimes I just need to stop and think hard about what those things are. Sometimes we lose sight of the goodness and the blessings when everything is not going the way it should or the way we would like.  Those are the times when it is even more important to consider how blessed we really are.

The bridge above is Granville Street Bridge. The highrises in back are Fairview Slopes area.

I'm grateful for living in a beautiful city and having beautiful places to visit, either alone or with friends.

On the day of these photos, my friend invited me to Granville Island after stopping a very nice place for coffee in another part of town. But on other days, I have visited alone and still have a wonderful time having coffee or lunch, buying fruits and vegetables and people watching.

Another view of Burrard Street Bridge.

I'm always awestruck by the beautiful scenery at the waterfront no matter what part of the waterfront I happen to be visiting in this city.

This day it was rather quiet at Granville Island. It is a long weekend, Thanksgiving weekend.  I  suspect many people have left the City to be with family and loved ones.

I am grateful I have family and loved ones too.

Though my family is small, I love them dearly.

I am grateful that though my elderly mom is sick she is still here and I can talk to her each day.

I pray daily for her many needs:  for compassionate and helpful caregivers and that God would help her memory which is starting to fade, relieve her pain and help her in every way.

I am also grateful that this Thanksgiving, I have loved ones who will join me for Thanksgiving Dinner and that I can still make the odd large meal though I don't cook one nearly so often.   Even if I couldn't we would still gather and dine on rotisserie chicken and other fixings. 

The important thing is just to be together.

On the day I visited Granville Island there was a break in the weather and the sun came out. That may seem like a small thing too.  But it is the little things that add up to make pleasant days and beautiful weeks and months and years if we take the time to appreciate them.

We will have a few sunny days this week. I'm grateful for that too because it won't be too long before the winter rains come.

Bridges is a very popular restaurant on the Island. They have large deck on the other side where you can sit and enjoy the view.

There are so many more things for which I am grateful but I won't enumerate them all.

Mainly I wanted to share these photos that I took a few days ago.

They depict a very small part of Granville Island.

If you are interested, I've posted several other times about Granville Island and in more detail.

If you would like to read them you can find them here.

Thank you for stopping by.

Have a great week!

Meeting Jo

What a wonderful treat I had when I visited Kenya recently. I got to meet a blogging buddy and she is a treasure.

I met my blogger friend Jo in Nakuru Town when she and her husband made a pit stop on their way back from Nairobi to Kimwarer Valley. I was so grateful because it would have been a pity to be so close to her and yet not meet her. Through God's design and Jo's perseverance we were indeed able to meet and see one another in the flesh.

This is Jo!

Our meeting was brief but long enough for me to sense the special treasure that Jo is. She really is a delightful, gentle spirit.  Jo and her husband hail from South Africa but are currently living in the Kimwarer, Valley near Eldoret, Kenya.  I had a moment to introduce her to the three boys I was treating to lunch and they were thrilled.  In case, you don't know Jo yet, please see her wonderful blog here.

From left to right:  Martin, Hillary Joseph and Moses. You can read more about them here.

Thank you Jo for making time to meet with me. I hope we get another chance to talk in depth some day, Lord willing.

Give Thanks

Thank you and welcome to my newest follower, Ciccia from Sicily.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thess. 5:18

I want to give thanks for the prayers of faithful people and to God for looking after my mom these past two weeks in hospital. She was discharged from hospital on Tuesday afternoon (April 26, 2011).

She was in a bad way and we almost lost her two weeks ago from a bad infection. She pulled through though and is slowly gaining strength. She has been in hospital so often this past year that is it a wonder she is still with us. I know that given this backdrop her time may be limited so I am happy she is with us yet and I pray she can get stronger and enjoy some time yet with us for as long as possible.

Flower from my garden

I barely managed to plant some seedlings and bedding plants when I had to travel suddenly to see mom.
I hope to be going home by Friday and tend my garden.  I also hope to catch up on visiting your blogs :-)

About a Boy

I am so thankful today. Lately it seems I've lost some of my ability to be thankful. It isn't that I don't appreciate what I have. More like I have been preoccupied with my own needs and issues. I've been too busy to really savour what I have and to ponder exactly how the good Lord blesses me each and every day.

Every now and then though something happens and comes to my attention to teach me just how good I have it. Though the economy has been rough, Jehovah continues to provide me with food and shelter and more stuff than I really need. In fact, I've been giving away things. This is our culture in North America, where we tend to have an overabundance of things. I believe when we have too much we forget just how much of the rest of the world lives.

Today I cannot forget.

My friend Jonah lives in Kenya.  He recently went on a relief mission to try and alleviate starvation amongst the Pokot people (I'll be posting about the relief effort soon). Jonah is a student and so he is doing this as a volunteer. The food was provided by USAID and Jonah enlisted the assistance of a local NGO to take the long journey north to Baringo, Pokot and Ngoron and deliver the food.

While on this mission he came across a young boy who is in desperate need of assistance. Please be ready for a sad sight but this is real folks...real needs.

This little boy's name is Kigen.  His head is covered. I think because of his condition and the strength of the hot sun.

This boy desperately needs medical attention. The nearest hospital is hours and hours drive from the small village where Kigen lives. I don't even know if the place where he lives has a name but it is close to another small place called Kamurio, Kenya. Kamurio is so small you will not find it on a map.

The closest hospital is in Eldoret, at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.  I want to help this boy and I would like to encourage others to help him.

Basically what needs to be done is for my friend to hire a car to make the long journey back to this place to pick up the parents and boy and then make the journey with all of them to Eldoret. These parents have no education and they've never been out of their small village so this is a huge journey for them.  They will need help in every way for lodgings, accommodation, medical costs and medicine as well as the return journey. My friend also needs assistance for food and lodgings and to pay the driver.  Not just any car for hire will do. In order to get into these back roads, we need to hire someone with a reliable SUV.

This is a picture of Kigen without the cloth over his head. You can see his skin is literally peeling off and I fear the worst if he doesn't get medical attention immediately.

Just think if this was your child, your nephew, your grandson. What would you do?

I am thankful today, that my nephew doesn't need to rely on the kindness of strangers when he gets sick. I am thankful that he doesn't have to travel hours and hours on a bumpy, dusty road to get to a doctor and the medical help he needs. I am thankful for so much more.  But right now I am particularly focussed on medical blessings because of this precious 9 year old boy, Kigen.  A boy who lives far, far away from me in a place I've never set foot in and yet he tugs at my heart.  I hope he tugs on your heart too.

If you can help, please contact me as soon as humanly possible.

You can donate to assist in little Kigen's medical mission through

 Pay Pal here. Just click the donate button.

 

Photo credits: All photos the property of Missions of Hope, Kenya, Pastor Jonah.
If you wish to share this story, photos may be used with credit. Many thanks and blessings.

Today I am Thankful

Thank you to my newest follower, Ginny Hartzler! You make my day ;-)

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Today I am thankful for:

* a mom who though ill is still with us
* a brother who tries to help though he has a lot to learn
* friends and relatives who care
* the Canadian medical system
* books to read
* a God who loves
* a home
* food
* interests outside the home
* faith
* hope
* love
* a shower
* music
* internet
* green grass
* clean laundry
* sunshine and the rain
* natural beauty all around me
* rest

There are so many things to be grateful for and this list is just but a few of them.   My list is not in order of importance, just listed as they came to me. I am celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving today with the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, a stock reduction instead of the usual gravy and pumpkin pie.

This bird is approximately 10 pounds.

Here it looks like a monster bird as pointed out by Lonicera.

I haven't stopped often enough to give thanks but today I did just that during this Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I pray you also have much to be thankful for both this day and every day.

Keeping Busy

Hi friends,

I have been very busy the past few weeks and lately have slowed down with blogging as a result. I see that a number of you have slowed down with your blogging also. I guess this is all part of the lazy, hazy days of summer, lol.

Last weekend I had a great surprise. A cousin of mine whom I haven't seen for years was here to visit me. This was totally unexpected and she came from very far away with other relatives on a long road trip. Her other relatives were visiting close by to where I live so it was very convenient for her and I to get together and I invited her to stay for a few days. Unfortunately her ride left a day earlier than expected so we didn't get to do everything we wanted but we did get to visit a lot. In fact, we were up to the wee hours of the morning both nights and we were both very tired as result but eager to get caught up on years of living.

In one of our outings we spent a good deal of time watching the small birds and pigeons, and of course, feeding them. One thing that fascinated me is watching the little birds take a bird bath in the dust after they had eaten. Here is a little bird in the hole he/she dug to play around in. You can see the two birds better if you click on the photo to enlarge it.

Another thing we did was hang up some of my pictures and souvenirs that I hadn't had a chance to get around to since moving back into my condo. Now holding pride of place in the front room is the Maasai wedding necklace from Narok, Kenya; an African mask from Mombasa, Kenya and Kisii soapstone bowls from Kisii, Kenya.

I am sorry about the lighting and the resolution for the photos but I guess it is really too dark in my front room at this hour of the night to take good photographs. Hopefully you can see them well enough.

I also had a chance to re-hang my Aboriginal art in the front room. The small piece that is hanging under the wooden carving (on the right of the photo below) is a very unique piece created by Woodlands Cree elder (scroll down to the third biography on the page link), Angelique Merasty, who has now passed. It is called a birch bark biting and I have had it framed. It is a very special piece to me because it is an almost extinct art. You can't see the biting design but I will post a close up of it sometime. For now I simply wanted to show the grouping of pictures. Each of these pieces has it's own story which I may tell sometime. (There are actually two Angelique Merasty's and both of them do birch bark biting. I don't know for sure but I think the younger woman is related to the one who has passed on. In any case they have the same name and the younger one is quite prolific in her work towards cultural preservation.)

In addition to having company, I have enrolled in an Osteofit class for those with joint problems. The first class was a real work out but manageable. Yesterday and today however we are having a heat wave so I opted to stay home from exercise class today. I will return on Monday next week. In the meantime, I have my 3rd swimming lesson tomorrow.

In between these activities I have been super busy with the mortgage renewal process. I use a mortgage broker to shop around for the best deal for me. Due to the fact I am now retired, I have to provide numerous documents to confirm my income so gathering and sending them has been rather time consuming. With the global recession and banking problems in several countries, our banks are now more stringent in all forms of lending. So this time around, I need to get a real estate appraisal done as well. The appraisal was done today and the report should be submitted to the broker tomorrow. I expect to hear about my loan options on Tuesday of next week. This process works so nice and fast and that suits me perfectly!

Once I decide on the lender, I want to get all the legal work completed by the end of the third week of July. This is a little challenging given the classes I'm taking, personal appointments and a diabetes group I will attend that same week. But I push on as I want to get everything done before I visit mom again at the end of the month.

In reviewing the documents required by the broker and the potential lenders, I came across some issues and discrepancies in the mortgage statements provided by my current lender. I spent some time on the phone with them today and they are opening an investigation into my queries. It seems that they may have been applying less of my bi-weekly payments to the principal than I had thought. It also seems that my municipality has taken more in real property taxes than they should have as I am entitled to a homeowner grant on a portion of the taxes. I need to follow up with the City Hall in the next day or two and get this straightened out. Normally, this has never been an issue but I'm finding that it very much depends on the lender. The very first mortgage lender I engaged with was simply the best and they were on top of all their paperwork and in turn, their reporting to me and making sure I was completely in the loop.

Now you may wonder why I didn't find out about these issues earlier. In fact I did, but never had time for everything to "gel" and become clear to me, or the time and motivation to really get to the bottom of it all. It seems the time is now. I am confident it will all be sorted out before I travel again. The travel really does cut into my ability to get things done here at home but I am thankful I can still visit  mom and help her with her daily needs also.

I realize my list of summer activities thus far is probably much different than yours. I tend not to lie on the beach or go camping or picnicking unless I go with a larger group,  visit relatives or go on holiday.  What activities are keeping you busy this summer dear reader? I would love to hear from you!

Today I am Thankful

Stephanie at her blog post here asked what is it that we are joyful about today. This blog exists because of my desire to be joyful each and every day over the small things. Today I will give a short list of things on my mind right now to be joyful about:

1.  I am happy that though my mother is not well physically she is still here on planet earth. Whenever it is her time to go I will miss her terribly and so I do what I can right now to visit with her and be there for her despite the challenges. No photo of my mama is posted here as she wouldn't like that.

2.  I am grateful that I connected with an old friend I haven't seen in ages. She is retiring early and leaving the city and I am sad about that but we will get together for brunch tomorrow before she moves into the next chapter of her new life.

3.  I am happy I have a new hobby, knitting. I am so glad I have finally learned how to knit and I am on my 3rd pattern for dishcloths. I hit a snag with trying this new pattern but I believe I've figured it out and will try it out over the next week.  I made 6 dishcloths while I was away. I still have to weave in all the ends so they are not quite finished but here they are.

4. I am happy that I am going to take swimming lessons. I have a real fear of water after almost having drowned 3x. I have taken lessons previously and have learned a little but haven't been in the water for a long, long time. I start my lessons on Tuesday. I need to get to the store tomorrow to buy some plastic thongs so I don't slip.

5. One of my goals for 2010 is to crochet a doily which I haven't done for many years. I started a new pattern the day before yesterday and I hit some snags getting going but at last I think I've got it, lol! I hope to make some progress on it this weekend.

6. I am grateful that while I was away recently my brother tried to plant the rest of my garden. He didn't do a good job, lol but at least he tried.  I hope the strawberries and the corn do come up. If they do I will post pictures later.

7.  I am happy to be seeing the nurse practitioner today. She will help me with dietary issues and give me a glucose monitor as I've very recently been diagnosed with diabetes.

8. I am happy I finished reading the book "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" and will get to start a new book soon. So many possibilities.  I think I will be reading "The Shack".

9. I am happy to see my small garden growing; that is those things I planted before I went out of town. It has been raining an awful lot and it is just nice to see something growing and blooming rather than being drowned in all the rain.

 

10. I am happy I have such nice blogging friends.

Give thanks in all things. Life is short and choosing to be happy and grateful makes us realize how much we really do have. God bless you all.

Update:  My friend Jan requested I post this blog to Simple Joys Saturday in case you are confused about why it is posted on a day other than Saturday *smile.  Please join Jan and others here and  let us know what gives you joy.

Today I am Thankful For.....

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am,
therewith to be content.

Phillipians 4: 11

I am thankful for....

1. Nurses attending at my mother's home to cleanse her leg wound and the scheduling of a doctor appointment to evaluate the nature of the wound. The nurses suspect it is now cancerous. My friends and I are praying that it is not. Her doctor appointment is on June 22, 2009.

2. Pastor Jonah's safe journey to and from Hekspoort, South Africa to attend the Amahoro Gathering. Read more here about his journey.

3. My student friend and little brother Enock, in Kericho, Kenya. He was to leave Bible college to the village to find more money for his tuition. But praise God, he received a phone call and his father is sending him funds. He won't have to travel back to the village after all. God is looking after his schooling needs.

4. My friend Bornest, in Kericho, Kenya died a few days ago. I am thankful that arrangements are well underway for her funeral and going home party which will be held today, Wednesday, June 17, 2009.

5. I am thankful for my brother who is handling fire insurance matters and other business. He is saving me a lot of time and energy.

6. I am thankful that rain is expected so that my little garden can flourish.

7. I am thankful for bloggers, Shell in Australia and some of her friends who blog about beautiful things and have creative gifts to lift the spirits of others.

8. I am grateful for a cleaning woman who cleans my bathroom daily while I am at the hotel.

9. I am grateful that I can soak my feet in "salts" and relax.

10. I am grateful for beautiful flowers.