Like most all of you, this will be a busy week here at Idyllhours as we prepare for Thanksgiving Day... I've checked my lists, crossed off a number of things I needed to do... checked all of my baking supplies... yes... I think I am ready for the week ahead... Wednesday I'll bake my pies... three pumpkin, everyones favorite!... since I can't wait till Thanksgiving for some yummy homemade pie, today, I will bake an apple pie from the windfall apples our friends down the lane gave us... there is just something so enticingly delicious about baking a pie with windfall apples... always seems sooo much better... maybe it's because I like the name of them... sweet little apples that have fallen to the ground... but still so yummy with cinnamon and sugar and baked up fancy in one of my vintage pie tins... then topped with oodles of billowy fluffy whipped cream... mmmmm..... a little pre~Thanksgiving treat...
Like all of you too, I will be counting my blessings even more this week of Thanksgiving... so many things to be thankful for in my life... of course my precious family tops my list... I have a small family nowadays... my mama, daddy and my sister Jo have all passed on... I thought they would be here forever... well, they are here always in my heart... but I miss them... I will say a prayer of thanks for my beautiful loving parents who raised me to be the person I am today... always encouraging me to always "be myself", to always "do the very best you can"... and to always "have a little faith"... every Thanksgiving when I was a little girl, as our family gathered around the big table, before we ate, my daddy would ask us all to tell everyone what we were thankful for... I love that tradition too... and keep it to this day... I could do an entire post of all of the things I am thankful for... my family, my faith... a cozy warm home... plenty to eat... our daily Nature walks and all of God's precious little creatures... this little furry face who is wondering if Santa Dog will come again this year?... Tessy is my little gift from God... when we rescued her almost two years ago come February, she was lost and alone... abandoned by her former (awful) owners... (yes, I told them in no uncertain terms what I thought of them and no way would I have given her back to them had they wanted her, which they didn't!)... in search of her forever home... with us... Jack and I must have been in search of something extra special that we needed in our lives as well... for she has blessed us with so much unconditional love and happiness... she is my best friend... my confidant... we talk to each other all day... we take long walks down the trail and share kisses and secrets with each other... the love she has for us shows in her eyes every time I look at her... and yes my sweet Tessy... you will get a little bit of turkey too on Thanksgiving!...
"Santa baby... forgot to mention one little thing"...
Tessy's First Christmas in her Forever Home
Tessy's First Christmas in her Forever Home
December 2011
I began a gratitude journal a while back that I posted about... it is getting really full... soo many things to be grateful for in life... I have had my fair share of life's up and downs... all of us have... but I don't dwell on them... instead, I want to think about the positive things in my life... of which there are many... one of those positive things in my life, is having all of the good friends I have met through blogging... recently, I met a fairly new blogger named Stephanie of The Enchanting Rose... she is such a cutie!... loving wife and mama to a darling little boy, homemaker, crafter, and all around nice lady!... her posts are always happy and uplifting, which I love to read... I recently won her beautiful Christmas giveaway... look at all of these gorgeous things that arrived yesterday, all handmade by Stephanie... Christmas cards and gift tags, darling little pictures in precious frames, shimmery white lace ornaments, a lace pin, stunning beaded ornaments... an adorable little penguin pillow ...
and this exquisite white Christmas stocking... isn't it beautiful!... if you have not met Stephanie yet, please visit her at The Enchanting Rose... be sure to tell her Julie Marie sent you!... Merci Stephanie... I love everything!...
and this exquisite white Christmas stocking... isn't it beautiful!... if you have not met Stephanie yet, please visit her at The Enchanting Rose... be sure to tell her Julie Marie sent you!... Merci Stephanie... I love everything!...
Our wintry weather of a week or so ago has turned back to beautiful once more, and if you can believe it the almost three feet of snow we got pounded with has almost all melted as our temps have been in the 50's again this past week... perfect weather for Thanksgiving Day... another blessing I shall add to my long list of things I am thankful for... well... time for our Nature walk while our pie is baking...
down the lane... around the bend... and past "my" barn...
down the lane... around the bend... and past "my" barn...
Wishing you all a most beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving as I count you all among my many blessings as well... xoxo... Julie Marie
11 comments:
Julie-Marie, pie sounds wonderful today. Your picture with the elves is so cute. I am afraid if I sat the table with empty places for my lost ones I would not be able to hold myself together. xo, olive
What a beautiful post, Julie Marie- I read every word. I am so glad that you gave your sweet baby a permanent home. What a blessing in your life...and in her life, too.
I love your tradition of setting an extra place for your Mom and Dad. I think I would cry every time I looked at those empty places though as I glanced along my table. My daughters (2 and 2 dil) went on a Christmas house walk yesterday and afterwards at lunch my oldest daughter and I started talking about how fast the little girls were growing up and how old Annabella would have been and we both started bawling and couldn't stop. Happy/sad tears, you know?
Have a wonderful day with your fallen apple pie- they are the best!
Happy pre-Thanksgiving to you and have a wonderful Sunday- xo Diana
Today sounds like the perfect day for baking! I have been cleaning and organizing and I just want to do something fun and relaxing. This is such a beautiful post...not a day goes by that I don't think about all that I have gratitude for. Life can throw us some fast balls, but if we are positive, we can always find something to be thankful for and the experience makes us stronger.
Tessy looks adorable in her red cape. You have provided her with such a good and loving home, it almost brings a tear to my eye.
Have a wonderful week and enjoy that pie! Love the little elf helpers!
XO,
Jane
Wishing all of you the most wonderful Thanksgiving ever! Even tho I already knew the Tessy story, it still brought tears to my eyes reading about the way they did her again. Their loss, and your gain. Give her a kiss. We will be traveling, and of coarse our precious Sophie will be traveling right along beside us :)
What a wonderful post and photos ! Oh boy I could smell that apple pie as I was reading YUMMY ! Glad to hear the snow is melting and the temps are nice for you . So happy you and Tessy had found each other and she is in a happy forever loving home with you both ! Have a great evening and a Wonderful Thanksgiving on the 22nd .
Oh you lucky gal! What a great give-away. Nice that you have your Thanksgiving well in hand. I only have to work 2days and then I can start my holiday preps. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Kit
Julie-Marie ~ You are just the whole package, you know that? You totally "get" what life is all about; you cherish each day God gives you; you love unconditionally; and you never hesitated to give sweet Tessy a forever home. Love you for all of this, sweetie. I want to be like you when I grow up... :)
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!!!
xoxo laurie
I always love seeing pictures of 'your barn'. I also think Tessy makes a darling little Santa.
I am going to be baking pies this week too. I love every part of making the Thanksgiving feast and can't wait until the day arrives : )
sending hugs...
I too will be making apple pies this year. I just love reading your posts... Wishing you a very wonderful Thanksgiving.
Mmmm!! Julie Marie, you and Jack enjoy a delicious piece of your apple pie for me!! I always enjoy reading your posts, kind friend. We share the same feelings about so many things in our life. I, too, am so thankful for my parents and all of my family and the wonderful influence they had on my life. I love your little cooking elves and all of your vintage baking items. Tess is so sweet and such a lucky little dog to have found you and your home. I know she brings many happy hours into your life as well. I am thankful today for your friendship, Julie Marie. You have been a friend since the very beginning of my Bunny Cottage journal, and I thank you. Happy Thanksgiving!! Vicki
Tessy looks amazing in red! And I love your bed. Very pretty!
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