.. Must come to an end. Isn’t that what the saying is? If so, then it is the worst saying ever. I believe good things are endless; and although I have let the finish of my month of gratitude fizzle out, it has nothing to do with a lack of good things.
Sometimes it means I am exhausted from all the good things in a day. Sometimes I have no adequate words to express my gratitude and sometimes there are so many words they just get jumbled up in my happy brain.
Yet here we are on the last day of my #9 Good Things prompt for myself for the month of November. As usual, I have to choose between many magical moments to end up with nine and that is the great news.
My prayer and hope is that this holiday season brings everyone more good moments than they have the words to express, that their joy is beyond measure and that we all push the pause button on frantic shopping and worry for the world’s condition long enough to embrace these moments. Only when good things are acknowledged do they make a difference.
A perfectly gorgeous day to hike, breathe the air and be one with Nature
A very special treat. 😱
Spending an afternoon with friends for tea
Meeting their newest addition
(Who happens to love sitting in the Christmas tree. 🤭)
Getting an oven that bakes my favorite pizza recipe!
Uh huh..
Having a surprise video chat with my little bug and his Dad
Add a video call with Number 2 son and his twins that turned 8 today! 🤗
Helping the tiniest moth find its way outside.
So I wave goodbye to November’s good things and turn to December with high hopes and great expectation. I just know good things await us all.
In spite of all the hype, the unquestionable historical inaccuracies and blatant commercialism, I have found true celebration in honest Thanksgiving.
In a morning hike
The air, the view, the invigoration of an uphill climb
Then rest and cool breezes are Nature’s gentle reward for a job well done
A friend to share it with
An unexpected rainbow hiding in the shadows..
No matter how often I see it, this view takes my breath away
A celebratory Pina Colada after my cornbread for tomorrow is baked
(I even toasted coconut for garnish 🤭)
Yeah, fresh pineapple and coconut milk too. 😋
A sweet phone chat with my youngest about making dressing. We used to cook together a lot!
Always looking down I find so much art in Nature.
May all your days be celebrations of thanksgiving.
This post is part of Linda Hill’s 1LinerWednesday prompt along with #9GoodThings for my gratitude month. Visit her blog to meet other bloggers and check out the rules for this prompt.
The past two days have been low key. The weather has been cloudy and actually chilly today. I know, I know it isn’t 32 or -8, but for this area 63 is pretty low. It was nice to wear some leggings and want to snuggle in for a bit.
As always there are good things. I hope your Tuesday was amazing and full of good things.
1) I made a new buddy!
2) My first time making Shrimp and Grits. SO yum!
3) A new yellow and black bird at the fruit bar. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo 😕
4) This tiny bloom makes me giddy!
5) Cuz….Blueberry Muffins! 😋❤️
6) Yeah, lots of food moments. This Chicken Pot Pie was shared with us by a friend. It was as good as it looks.
7) Catching the mischief of sunlight wherever I can!
8) My own little Christmas art addition to the tree. 🤪
9) Nothing completes breakfast quite like smoked sausage and potatoes!! 🥰😍
Ready for tomorrow and more good things. Stay tuned…🤗❤️
In a world where so much ugliness slithers its way into our lives even as we struggle to find the beauty there, it can seem that the only day when people really share and care is Christmas.
If we just take a moment to step back and examine what the most beloved holiday of the year represents, we might realize that we experience its magic nearly every day of our lives. Friendship, gifts, love, beauty, brilliance and hope. And if we remember that little overblown holiday between Fright Night and Commercialism’s favorite day, we could add thanksgiving to our list.
So, starting off my list of Good Things is…
1) Traditions
Okay, okay. Yes, this a photo of Harry Potter and you might wonder how it fits in with my theme. Well, yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter movie franchise. I saw this film with my youngest son and it set in motion a tradition for he and I that went on for all the years of the story’s unfolding on the big screen. Harry holds a special place in our hearts. My son even buys me Lego Potter sets to build. It is a magical story that somehow screams of the holidays, likely because they often celebrated Christmas in the films. And it just makes you feel good.
Spending time with my kids has always been the greatest gift in the world and a very good thing.
2) Nature..
Living in such an eco diverse country brings so many moments of magical wonder. This is a Silkmoth Caterpillar. You don’t want to cuddle it. Those feelers pack quite a sting. But if left to continue its business will one day become a gorgeous adult moth.
I’ve seen one up close and they are so amazing.
Pretty huh?
3) Friendship and generosity..
How about this face? Meet Buzzbee. Yes, he’s a hedgehog. He has a brother named Weed who is a bit more shy. These brothers from the bushes are some of the cool ‘children’ of the sweet people who created our little residential oasis here. Les and Julie have a deep love of all things natural. They cultivate a wide variety of garden treasures in their greenhouse, raise chickens and quail and have turned a simple piece of property into an extraordinary bit of paradise. They happily share its bounty with all of us who live here and for this we are thankful.
4) Playtime..
Every evening is outdoor fun time for the little guys with their frisky, in-charge brother Trek keeping watch!
I love making new friends. 😀
5) A safe place to snuggle..
The hedgehogs love running around in the grass and hiding in their burrows on the hill.
Isn’t this a face you can’t resist? ❤️❤️
6) Caring and sharing..
Our hosts Les and Julie are a lovely couple who appreciate their life here in Panama and share with others whenever they can. Julie is involved in community efforts and helps organize and work charity events as well as networking to keep the ladies of Boquete connected. Les is a conscientious gardener and kindly shares the ‘fruits’ of his labors . 😱The lemons.
Julie and Buzzbee! 🤗
7) Thoughtfulness
I was sorely needing a ‘little Christmas’ and since Thanksgiving is not an official holiday here, I was more than happy to start jingling some bells.
This little tree was ours when we spent Christmas here last year, before the disaster. My sweet friend from where we lived before saved it for me, knowing we would return. Thanks Lissy for the encouragement and support during our hardship! We have been blessed with good friends and loving family.
8) Having a magical tree decorating hat! 😜
What do you think, is the magic working?
9) Ending the day watching one of my favorite shows..
I’ve been bad. But only because it’s been so good. I didn’t post yesterday, but not because I had no good things. In fact, there were so many good things in one place that we were ready for a nap when we got home.
We were invited to go up to another gorgeous spot near Boquete with amazing views and the most lovely restaurant/hotel. This time, our dear friend Julie took us with her to Hacienda Los Molinos, about 15 miles outside of Boquete. To say that this country club area is amazing would be an understatement. Someone found the perfect spot to build the community. Standing on the lawn of the clubhouse you get a 360 view of the mountains and canyons of the area as well as two waterfalls. There is even a hike you can take down to the waterfall. No, we didn’t do it on this trip but I definitely want to go back-and hike I will!
If you click on the link you will see a video of the hotel and the breathtaking nature there. Meanwhile, you know I took photos. I’ll try to keep it to nine. Honestly up there I lost track of how many wonderful things there were.
But the very first good thing happened before we left the house. A video call from my little monkey back in the states. That boy sure makes me smile.
Hey Bug!
The most visible of the waterfalls
The clubhouse at Los Molinos
A panorama shot of the canyon
The pool… so natural. No hubby and I didn’t swim.
We want to go back and spend a night.
The pool area includes an outdoor covered dining area, lounging tables near the pool and another bar which was closed.
View beyond the dining room
My very yummy Complete Bourbon Experience. Wake up, John Howell! Although not made with Woodford Reserve it was a unique smoky delight.. with real smoke uncorked at the table.
A tasty chicken wrap for me, the Canyon Burger for him
I love waterfalls.
But the best good thing? You’re lookin at it. Another day together. Thanks Julie!
