NOVEMBER 2021

November - the season of Thanksgiving. I pray you will be able to gather with your loved ones and friends this Thanksgiving. So many were unable to do this last year due to the pandemic. Many of us have become more grateful and aware of the blessings of being able to gather with one another around a table and laugh, eat, and give thanks again. We have so much for which to be thankful don't we? I know many are still hurting and have gone through so much in this past year or more. A quote comes to my mind when thinking of this:

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

-Charles Dickens

Let us gather and be thankful for the good we do have.  The old hymn Count Your Blessings is still one I love to sing. When we are feeling down and discouraged, singing (even if we feel we can't sing well) will have an uplifting effect on us. Another up-lifter is writing your blessings. Use the alphabet, starting with the letter A writing something begining with the letter A for which you are thankful. Don't stop until you go through the entire alphabet.  This works - it really does. This is a good project to do with a child, teaching them about thankfulness.

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness, it will change your life mightily."

-Gerald Good

"We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction."

-H. A. Ironside

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." 

-1 Thronicles 16:34

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"Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other."

-Randy Pausch

Are we kind enough? I don't think we can be too kind. We need to make this one of our top priorities. Be kind to everyone we meet - we all are fighting a hard battle. We don't know what another person is facing in their lives. When people lose their tempers or are fractious with us, we are to be kind, because we don't know what they are going through. 

People seem to be more unkind and unloving lately. This we can change one person at a time, beginning with us. It is difficult to act ugly to another when we are smiling and thinking gratitude. Let us commit to let only kind and loving words come from our mouth today. Let's remember to be grateful to others as we go about our day. Say thank you to anyone who serves us in any capacity. Give nice tips and a thank you to workers.  People are having a difficult time - think about others.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

-Colossians 3:15

"Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough."

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

If people don't agree with us or share our religious or political opinions - still respect them and be kind and loving.

"You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

With Thanksgiving coming we may be thinking of good foods to bake. In November the weather starts to turn cold, and we tend to be indoors more. The above picture is an easy cookie we can bake.  

I am all for "easy" cooking. Now, if you enjoy baking home-make cookies go for it. But for these we will use bought sugar cookie dough (or your own cookie dough.) Cook according to direction until almost done. Just a minute or so before they are done press a butterscotch candy kiss in the middle of each and let bake just a minute more (don't let the candy melt completely.) This is an easy way to bake with children as well.  These are good warm (yum)!

Holiday Bacon Appetizers

Take buttery rectangular crackers

Spread with parmesan cheese

Wrap in bacon (probably half or 1/4 slice per cracker) and bake (350 degrees) until crisp

We often get so busy during the holidays and spend our time doing things to get ready that we miss the joy of the season and time with our loved ones. I believe in doing things the "easy" way, as much as possible. 

"The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing each others' loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays."

-W. C. Jones

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."

-Edith Sitwell

You may e-mail me at sandykwright@yahoo.com