Count Your Blessings--Thanksgiving Week Continues

Bing Crosby starts us off today to remind us to count our blessings.



This next song is one I can remember singing in church on Sunday morning as a child. This one is sung by The Statesmen.




While you are counting your blessings, listen to Johnny Cash sing a Thanksgiving Prayer on an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.



Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Thankful For Family and Friends: A Week of Thanksgiving Continues

Like most people, I suppose, I am very grateful for my family and friends. Where would we be, and even, WHOM would we be, if it weren't for our family and friends. We are shaped and molded and helped along by our family and friends from the moment we are born until we die. We laugh together, and we cry together. We face the world together: sharing joys and concerns, solving problems, encouraging one another, lifting one another's spirits, comforting one another, and very simply caring for one another and about each other.

The three songs I am posting today are with great gratitude to my family and friends as I continue this week of Thanksgiving. Thank you to those who I have shared so many memories with, thank you to those who have loved me and have allowed me to love them in return, and thank you to all those who have been my friend,whether we have shared only a moment or two or whether we have shared many. This expression of gratitude goes out to those I have met personally in my life, as well as, to all of my internet friends, both old and new, whom I know only through this computer. I am thankful for all of you. I feel very blessed to know you and to count you among those who care about me and whom I care about in return. Thank you for being there.




Thanks For the Memory- Bob Hope (lyrics--These lyrics may differ slightly from the ones in the clip above. It became common for Bob Hope and his writers to change the lyrics of this song to fit the occasion, events of a show in which he was performing, and/or political nature of the time.)

Thanks for the memory
Of candlelight and wine, castles on the Rhine
The Parthenon and moments on the Hudson River Line
How lovely it was!

Thanks for the memory
Of rainy afternoons, swingy Harlem tunes
And motor trips and burning lips and burning toast and prunes
How lovely it was!

Many's the time that we feasted
And many's the time that we fasted
Oh, well, it was swell while it lasted
We did have fun and no harm done

And thanks for the memory
Of sunburns at the shore, nights in Singapore
You might have been a headache but you never were a bore
So thank you so much.

Thanks for the memory
Of sentimental verse, nothing in my purse
And chuckles when the preacher said "For better or for worse"
How lovely it was

Thanks for the memory
Of lingerie with lace, Pilsner by the case
And how I jumped the day you trumped my one-and-only ace
How lovely it was!

We said goodbye with a highball
Then I got as "high" as a steeple
But we were intelligent people
No tears, no fuss, Hooray! For us

So, thanks for the memory
And strictly entre-nous, darling how are you?
And how are all the little dreams that never did come true?
Aw'flly glad I met you, cheerio, and toodle-oo
And thank you so much.






Thank You For Loving Me- Bon Jovi (lyrics)

It's hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me
And that broken old street light
Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words tonight

[Chorus:]
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies

[Chorus:]
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me

[Solo]

Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words tonight

[Chorus:]
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

When I couldn't fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me



Thank You For Being A Friend- Andrew Gold (lyrics)

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
your heart is true you're a pal and a confidant

I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow

And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me
and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend

Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend
Thank you for being a friend

If it's a car you lack
I'd surely buy you a Cadillac
Whatever you need, anytime of the day or night

I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow

And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it's hard to hear
I will stand real close and say,
Thank you for being a friend

(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Let me tell you bout a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend

And when we die and float away
Into the night, the Milky Way
You'll hear me call, as we ascend
I'll see you there, then once again
Thank you for being a friend

Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
Whoa, tell you about a friend
(Thank you right now, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna tell you right now, and tell you again)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna thank you, thank you, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend

Music Monday: A Week of Giving Thanks

This being the week of Thanksgiving, I wanted to start off today keeping the attitude of gratitude in the forefront. With that in mind, here are "Thankful" by Josh Groban and "Gratitude" by Nichole Nordeman.



Thankful (lyrics)

Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves
There's so much sorrow
It's way too late to say
I'll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It's so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences
There is a place we're all connected
Each of us can find each other's light

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more

There's so much to be thankful for




Gratitude (lyrics)

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .

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Woo Hoo! I Won! (Truly Grateful Series)

Today is Veteran's Day, so the library was closed. However, instead of having the day off, we "dedicated" library employees (not really, we were required to be there) showed up at the library anyway for an in-service training day. I was signed up to attend four different meetings. We were to be at the library at 7:30 this morning, and the program ran until 2:00 this afternoon.

Before the meetings began, flu shots were available for free to anyone of the staff who wanted one. I got my shot (which didn't hurt at all, AND I got a Bugs Bunny bandage with the deal!!) and then sat down with a doughnut, (a powdered sugar-covered, jelly-filled delight that, if you eat too many of, will cause you to end up looking like a doughnut, and which was a mistake to choose because I was wearing black pants which don't go well with white powdered sugar, which, of course, sifts off into your lap with every bite you take), a cup of strawberry yogurt, and a bottle of water from the provided refreshment table to wait for the meetings to begin. (Well, that was probably a run-on sentence, but I'm pushing forward in spite of it! HA!)

The first was about the policies and procedures at the library. (yawn) Yes, I'm afraid this one was about as dry as it sounds. I was thinking throughout this meeting that I probably should have had a cup of tea (for the caffeine), instead of bottled water, earlier, to help keep me awake during it.

The second one was about reader advisories. This one was more interesting. It was held in our computer lab, and we learned about some websites that we can use to help our patrons look for the books they are asking about. One website I wanted to mention here is Fantastic Fiction. At the Fantastic Fiction site, you can find out what are the newest and forthcoming books written by your favorite authors. This is also a great site to help you find the next book in a series that you are reading by a certain author and to find recommended reading lists as suggested by your favorite authors.

The third meeting I attended was about the Dewey Decimal system.

(YAWN) Oh golly! When's lunch? As you can probably guess, this one was not overly exciting. We did play a couple of games of sorts, though, so that helped keep us awake till the next item on the agenda---LUNCH! Hurray!

Lunch was very good and filling. We had bread bowls filled with our choice of either potato soup or chicken soup (I had the chicken! :D ) along with a spinach salad with mandarin oranges and pecans in it and a pasta salad and cookies and brownies and beverages.

The last meeting was the most exciting of all. No, not because of the subject matter, I'm afraid. It was about various money matters and issues (taxes, insurance, retirement plans, sick days, vacation and personal days, etc.). The reason it was exciting was that there was a drawing for a door prize, and I WON! WOO HOO!

I won a DVD/Audio CD/Photo CD player as you can see in the photo below.

My dog, Max, who always wants to have my undivided attention, saw me taking a picture of my prize. He brought his plastic hot dog toy over and put it on top of the box.


Then he looked up at me and said, "Please put the camera down and play fetch with me with my hot dog instead." (you can see where he put the hot dog down on top of the box in an attempt to get my attention)
Well, you know, you just can't say "No" to a face like that!


Lord, for opportunities to learn and grow, for free flu shots and free food, for unexpected surprise gifts, and for puppy dog faces saying "please," let me be truly grateful.

LEAVES!! (Truly Grateful Series)

There are leaves falling in the park that are as big as my face!!

Lord, for the fact that I don't have to rake the leaves in the park, only the ones in my much smaller yard, and for the fact that, the leaves in my yard are a much smaller size, let me be truly grateful.

Autumn Walk (Truly Grateful Series)

It was a beautiful day yesterday. I decided to take advantage of the weather. I went for a drive. The leaves on two of the maple trees in my yard are still very green. The leaves on the tree in the back have gone straight from green to brown. I think this was caused by the dry weather we had this past summer. I thought that maybe if I drove out in the country a bit that I might find some leaves changing colors for fall. I was richly rewarded with what I found.

I decided to drive up to George Bible Park which is about a ten minute trip north of where I live. George Bible Park is named after a man named George Bible (of course!). It is a quiet park with a pond that I like to visit occasionally. In the spring and summer, fishing tournaments for kids aged twelve and under are held around the pond. Various prizes are awarded to the kids for first fish caught, biggest fish caught, smallest fish caught, and so on. Even those who don't win one of the prizes are given a bag full of goodies which usually includes a fishing hat, some bobbers, hooks, lures, or sinkers. Both of my sons when they were younger enjoyed these catch and release fishing tournaments which are designed to teach kids about fishing.

When I arrived at the park, there was one lady walking her dog at the park who was just leaving as I got there. After that, other than a few birds that I saw, I was the only one there. I had the whole park to myself. It was a perfectly gorgeous day, and I enjoyed the solitude and the quiet as I walked around the pond. Although I walked alone, I had my camera with me and took pictures so that I could share what I saw there with you.

You may notice a little red Geo Metro in the background of some of these shots. That is my car. Although it is fourteen years old, it is still getting me where I want to be. I'm glad that it was available to me to take the drive up to George Bible Park. It was time well spent.

Lord, for the boundless beauty in this world that you provide for us to enjoy, let me be truly grateful.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com