APPLESAUCE AND MORE
Thanksgiving is coming in two days. My house still needs work. We still need to buy a few groceries. The food still needs to be prepared. And the list goes on. If I just focus on the long list, I feel overwhelmed. Just this morning I was preparing the rest of the apples for making applesauce.
Instead of being thankful at first I just wanted to get it over with.
Usually I enjoy cooking, but preparing these apples suddenly seemed to be drudgery. Something needed to change. I needed an attitude adjustment. After I peeled, cored, cut and put the apples in the pot I took a break.
Outdoors, Photos and Haiku
Yesterday I worked on a haiku to go along with a photo. Today, as I looked at it, I wasn’t satisfied with the picture. I went outside to see if I could get a better one. The time out in the crisp air was just what I needed. It even started to rain while I was there, but it didn’t bother me. When I came back inside the aroma of simmering apples permeated the air and felt comforting somehow.
[bctt tweet=”I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but my attitude began to improve. ” username=”GaylWright”]
After loading my pictures onto the computer I finally narrowed it down to two. One was taken today and the other in March. Maybe I’ll use both and let you decide which you like best.
Tall the old oak stands
Limbs once full of leaves now bare
Await winter’s chill
I was in a creative mood, so more haiku was in order. When I was at the Botanical Gardens I took a close-up of some ginkgo leaves. As I studied them this is what came to mind:
Hanging on the tree
Ginkgo leaves flap in the wind
Like butterfly wings
When I go out in nature and observe God’s creation, I can’t stay in a bad mood. Instead I want to praise Him and look for the beauty in ordinary things. It reminds me to be thankful. My desire is to live a life full of praise and thanksgiving.
[bctt tweet=”I pray that my joy will spill over into all that I do and bring light to those around me.” username=”GaylWright”]
On Thursday we will have some of our kids and grandkids with us to celebrate with good food and fun. Whether you share with family and friends or eat alone, may you and I remember to give thanks.
Psalm 100 (NASB)
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and ]not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
I’m linking up with: #Glimpses, #MomentsofHope, #LMMLinkup, #TeaAndWord, #TrekkingThru, #DreamTogether, #CoffeeforyourHeart, #porchstories
I love your haikus. I dabbled in writing a few and I’m sure I will write more as time goes on. I like the photo of the dark skies with the trees standing out against the backdrop. I love the contrasts. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Thank you, Mary! I’m glad you enjoy them. Nice to hear that you’ve been writing haiku, too! Keep it up. 🙂 Thanks for your input on the photo. I think I agree with you.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, too! May God bless!
Dear Gayl,
Oh, I know what you mean about letting the gifts of nature touch us. Just this afternoon, in the midst of heaviness, I found myself laughing at a woodpecker and the crazy position he had gotten himself into on a tree outside our deck! God does give us such ways to bring joy into our days, doesn’t He? I love your photos and Haiku, especially the ginkgo leaves flapping like butterflies! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, my friend! Hugs & Love to you! xoxo
Bettie, that’s so funny! Wish I could have seen the woodpecker. 🙂 I love how God finds ways to bring joy to us. So glad you enjoyed my photos and haiku. I pray you have a wonderful time on Thanksgiving. Love and hugs right back to you! xoxo
The haikus are awesome. As per the choice between the two pictures i say the first one in gray is more effective. Looks more wintry
Thanks, Mandy! I tend to agree about the photo. It just seems to fit better. Blessings to you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!
Happy Thanksgiving friend!
A happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you, too, dear Tara! xo
Wishing you and yours a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving, Gayl! <3 xo
Thank you, Bette! I wish the same for you! Blessings and love! xo
Gingko leaves/trees I absolutely adore. There is one near my daughter’s home and when I walk past it – it’s like showers of gold leaf falling from the sky! Have a peaceful and FULL Thanks-giving with your family. xo
Yes, I had never seen a ginkgo tree until we walked that day at the Botanical Gardens in Clemson. They are beautiful, aren’t they? 🙂 Blessings to you, Susan! I hope your Thanksgiving is also peaceful and FULL and blessed! I don’t think we are having too many, though my daughter, Sara, and her 5 kids will be coming along with the 5 of us who live here. Two other daughters may stop by later in the day, but we’ll see. At any rate, I’m looking for wonderful family interaction. 🙂
Blessings and love! xo
and a gingko isn’t a type of lizard?? I don’t get it.
I don’t know about the lizard, but the photo I used is one of the ginkgo tree. I had never seen one until I walked at the Botanical Gardens recently. I think they are very cool. 🙂
Blessings!
It’s that “serving the Lord with gladness” that can get me down – sounds like you’ve learned out to break drudgery down w/ breaks in the sun/clouds and haiku! I read a novel this morning – which I never do – just for a rest in the midst of all the prep. Relaxing is part of God’s plan. (:
Yeah, sometimes it’s hard to be glad. That’s when I know I need a break. I’m learning to not feel guilty when I take a break, because I’m learning to care for myself better. Our bodies weren’t meant to go and go without a break. Yes, relaxing is part of His plan. 🙂 Glad you took the time to read that novel. I’m sure it helped refresh you to take that break.
Blessings to you, Sue!
This is beautiful Gayl
Thank you so much, Rachel! May you have a beautiful week! Blessings to you!
Happy Thanksgiving to you Gayl.
I am happy you got your thankful mood back.
Hugs
Thanks so much, Ifeoma! Many blessings to you with love and hugs! xoxo I hope you are well.
What a great addition to Literacy Musing Mondays this past week! I’ve been encouraged to get out of my bad mood. Thanks, Gayl!
Thanks, Tami! I’m glad you were encouraged. Many blessings to you at this time of Advent and Christmas!