This Perfectly Imperfect Life

Over the river. Over the river. Over the river. Back over the river. Kitty snuggles, leftovers & reading. I'm thankful after so many years of working retail on black Friday (and the day after Christmas too) that I don't have to leave our home on this day if I don't want to! And 9 times out of 10 if I do, it's to take a walk, go for a ride, or maybe a bite to eat. I do not go shopping. (Nor do I shop on Thanksgiving). And I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am! This is one of the few times of year when no longer being physically able to work like I used to doesn't wear on me as heavily as usual. (One of the few silver linings of this disease).

Our mantle. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  Today I am thankful for so many blessings, so full of gratitude, love, and joy!  Wishing you a day filled with the same!

Autumn journal. Holly tree in bloom. Knockout rose. Thanksgiving prep on Thanksgiving Eve. I am thankful for the grounding and comfort of journaling, always seeing something beautiful on my walk into town, roses that survive killing frosts and freezes, and the pure joy (despite the pure exhaustion) of cooking and baking for Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Eve!

View from the kitchen. Cold and gray here at the Perfectly Imperfect Homestead this morning. What leaves are left on the trees are falling like snow. It's rather magical!  But it also makes me a little sad. My heart will feel the absence of their beautiful Autumn colors keenly until they return again next year. 

Creekside. Creekside. Front porch view. Livingroom. Livingroom. I am thankful for the breathtaking beauty of wintry sunsets (no filters needed or used!), cozy evenings at home with the Hubbs, and the cheerful glow of twinkle lights.

November red. As seen during breakfast. New livingroom sofa (and recliner too). I'm thankful for Autumn reds, silly signs that make me laugh, and new livingroom furniture (for the first time, ever). 

The Perfectly Imperfect Homestead. Sweet Potato Chip macaron from the bakery downtown.  I am thankful for the simple, quiet beauty of November, and for simple pleasures like a sweet treat with a cuppa tea.

One of our (mine) many (heh-hum) bookcases! Our neighborhood. I am thankful for books, the joy of reading, and for being able to take a walk on a beautiful Fall day - to the library & back to pick up a book I requested that I'm excited to read! 

November roses courtesy of Knockout 'Rosa Radcon' taken after sunset Calming blues with some autumnal hints thrown in. I'm thankful for the comfort of freshly laundered sheets, evening garden walks and roses in November that help re-ground and center me after the "unseasonably warm" yet really not all that uncommon for November here 68* weather and roller coaster cold & warm temps has left me disconcerted to the point I'm feeling very out of sorts with the season(s).

Shiny new kettle! 11/13: I'm thankful for a good sale plus a coupon to make it easier to replace something we need like a new kettle.  Loving the extended Autumn colors this year! 11/14: I'm thankful I didn't break or sprain anything when I fell off the step stool late in the afternoon, while I was home by myself switching out the livingroom curtains. I don't use ladders for this reason, but I've used this 1.5 step high step stool for years without incident, and I don't even know how it happened. Thankful, thankful, thankful...

Locally grown, had to stop and snap a photo! I'm thankful for a colorful Autumn sight like this on a gloomy, rainy morning on the way home from my IV session, when I really needed a lift.

Hubbs, taken this morning during Veterans Day services. On this Veterans Day, I am not only thankful for my husband, a Veteran of the US Marines, and currently active with the American Legion, the US's largest and oldest Veterans organization, I am thankful for all of our Veterans, of the past, the present, and those to come, for their service and sacrifices. The less than 1% of our Nation's population. Thank you Veterans for your service, for my freedoms, and thank you to your families as well!

Hubbs, age 18/19 I am thankful for the United States Marine Corps, and more specifically, my husband, who is Once A Marine, Always A Marine. 

View from the back yard. I am thankful for crisp mornings with pretty sunrises, even when I'm not feeling up to par. 

In our neighborhood. 11/7: I am thankful for scenery like this during my morning walk.  Hubbs during the Veteran's Day Parade (heart covering our location). 11/8: I am thankful for this guy, the Hubbs, my heart, always. 

View from our front porch. I am thankful for sunsets, no matter how fleeting. 

Azalea foliage. I'm thankful for rain, of which we've had far too little for far too long, and I'm thankful for this spot in our livingroom (minus the geranium at the time I shot the photo because it was on the front porch for the afternoon) just because it makes me happy.

This is a stock photo I've been using off & on for years; I no longer remember where it came from! 11/3: I am thankful for the right to vote. And I exercise that right from local elections right on up through national.  My late morning setup. 11/4: I am thankful for a comfortable laptop on which to write when my arthritis is flaring up and I'm unable to write longhand (my preferred way of writing initially). 

Miss Boo, being silly Mama (calico) and Bobbi, reluctant snuggle partners I'm thankful for my furry companions, who, despite their quirky personalities, and sudden need to cry at our bedroom door on the hour throughout the night waking us up countless nights in a row now, provide me with a lot of comfort, love, and even entertainment.

Taken Sunday, 11/1 Welcome back to my annual November tradition of giving thanks on a daily basis throughout the month, and sharing my blessings here with all of you!  This is something I do on a regular basis anyhow, though usually in my journal, not here on the blog, and I can't recommend it enough. Appreciating our blessings truly makes me see and feel how much we in fact *do* have (and I don't mean that In just the way of stuff), and it helps me through the bad days, when my health and other things are more than rough, when I'm in danger of being overwhelmed by negativity, fear, and who knows what else. Again, I can't recommend it enough!  As for yesterday, I was thankful for this moment on our dock at the camper, this quiet, peaceful, beautiful Autumn moment amid an extremely busy morning.  Now, it's your turn!

Front porch Zinnia And Happy All Saints Day. I'm not ready for you, November, not ready to say farewell to October.  Not ready for 30 days of Thanksgiving* not ready for 30 days of daily writing, both beginning today. (Although I'm thankful every day and I should be writing every day - my bestie and I's version of NaNoWriMo , because we're not up to 1,667 words per day this year).  Not ready for the hustle and bustle of the holidays, not ready for the weather to turn completely cold once more. But, I keep reminding myself there's still plenty of Autumn to be had, and so November, I welcome you. *Join me here for 30 Days of Thanksgiving starting tomorrow!