Christmas Cottage

 

Goose Tracks

 

Yankee Puzzle

 

Courthouse Steps

 

“May I take a moment now and speak to you individually? No matter what may have happened in your life, I echo and proclaim the words of my beloved friend and fellow Apostle Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: ‘It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s atoning sacrifice shines.’ Though choices may have taken you far away from the Savior and His Church, the Master Healer stands at the road that leads home, welcoming you. And we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ seek to follow His example and embrace you as our brothers and sisters, as our friends. We rejoice and celebrate with you. Your return will not diminish the blessings of others. For the Father’s bounty is infinite, and what is given to one does not in the slightest diminish the birthright of others.” – Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Four Two-Patch Log Cabins

 

Our Christmas tree is up, and decorated with homemade ornaments. It’s pretty, but something is missing. Maybe it needs some of these:

 

Dried Orange Slices

 

1 large navel orange

1 large cara cara orange

2 small blood oranges

 

Preheat oven to 200F and line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone. Use a very sharp knife or mandolin to thinly slice oranges. Blot excess juice with paper towels, then arrange slices on cookie sheets. Don’t overlap. Bake 2 to 4 hours, turning every half hour to prevent burning. Store up to 2 years in an airtight container. Use to decorate wreaths, garlands or Christmas trees.

Twelve-Inch Spools

 

Michael J. Fox celebrated his sixty-second birthday in June. He’s been living with Parkinson’s disease more than half his life. In interviews, he describes what that’s like. His first symptoms were a twitching finger and a sore shoulder. Later, there were tremors and slurred speech and muscle rigidity. More recently, there have been falls and broken bones. “That’s is a big killer with Parkinson's – falling and aspirating food and getting pneumonia. You don't die from Parkinson's; you die WITH Parkinson's. I'm not gonna be 80.” But he has a deliberately positive attitude. "I recognize how hard this is for people, and I recognize how hard it is for me. But I have a certain set of skills that allow me to deal with this stuff. And I realized, with gratitude, optimism is sustainable. And if you can find something to be grateful for, then you can find something to look forward to, and you carry on."

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

"Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer." – Maya Angelou

“The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so.” – Nora Ephron

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the eons, it’s that you can’t give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it.” – Rick Riordan

"We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives." – John F. Kennedy

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." – Charles Dickens

“The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.” – Norman Vincent Peale

“Thankfulness is measured by the number of words. Gratitude is measured by the nature of our actions.” – David O. McKay