I have taken enough time off from posting some fabulous recipes so beginning today will get back to sharing some new recipes you will want to experience this Thanksgiving! Don’t just settle for the same old green bean casserole when there are so many wonderful and new exciting recipes that are just waiting for you to set, proudly, on your beautifully decorated table!
Speaking of table decorations, you don’t have to spend a lot of money! Buy a bag of fresh cranberries and use any clear candle holder. Pour your cranberries into the container and buy one pumpkin scented candle and push it into the middle of the cranberries until just about 2″ of the candle extends out from the berries! When lit, the smell of the cranberries will combine with the pumpkin scent and fill the room will a glorious scent. Place an individual small baby pumpkin at each persons seat with their name written on the pumpkin, with a pretty ink.

What a beautiful morning! The sounds of the morning come rushing in as I open the windows and patio doors to let fresh air come in. The sounds of the lawns being mowed, people driving to work, people on the street below us walking to different places, sometimes, even hearing a siren go by. It reminds me that in the normal daily routines or our lives, those “sirens” of unexpected occurrences are “sounds” that we do not like to think about or experience!

Yet, as we go about our day really not usually stopping to think anything about the “sirens” that are happening to others, we get so caught up in what we are doing or thinking about what is next on our lists of things to do, or our own troubles, that we forget that those sirens mean that another persons life has been interrupted and is experiencing an unexpected bend in the road! Today, as we go about our daily routine, let’s ask the Lord to place on our hearts a softness for people who we know who might be experiencing that unexpected “siren” in their lives! Let’s remember that we are here to pray for others , to bear one anthers burdens and to be a “light” to those in need.

During this time when we are in a brand new place, far away from home and trying to make this as “close to being our home” as possible, God has sent me comforting messages through the church bells across the street! After my morning devotion this morning, I was having a little pity party thinking how much I missed my kids and grandkids and was just struggling to put a smile on my face. I had even snapped at Randy this morning. When Jodi, my daughter called she and I both broke down and tried to talk this “move to California” thing out! It was then that I heard the church bells across the st ringing out “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and then “Leaning On The Every Lasting Arms”. It reminded me that God is faithful and hears our cries and we can lean on Him for every burden! It was such a comfort to me to hear these old hymns that have comforted me through the years! God is faithful and a few minutes later a new friend called to see if I wanted to meet her for lunch on Friday. It was just what I needed today. Thank you Lord for your sweet blessings. It was enough to put a smile on my face and I went walking to town to eat outside and stop at the grocery store before walking back! This week look for a new way of how God is trying to bless you and write down the different ways He uses to give you a blessing! It will bring a smile to not only your face, but to your heart.

We did it! We drove 1475 miles in two days and as of today I have Internet service and can write on my experience of moving here in California from Dallas! I would like to say that i made my first homemade meal at our corporate apartment last night of chicken stew with lots of veggies and it tasted so good! Of course after two meals of In and Out burgers over the weekend, veggies tasted good to us.
We had a very bad experience at the movies on Saturday! Don’t know if I’m going to like it here! Randy and I walked up to the window where Randy handed the nice (i use that word”nice” very loosely) and asked for two senior tickets for the 2:55 movie. The “nice” young man said,”sir could I see your ID please?” to which I replied, “oh honey isn’t this great, he doesn’t believe we are seniors, ” the “nice” young man quickly responds, “oh no mam, I’m just checking his ID for the credit card.”! maybe all the sun we have had the last 2 days has already aged our youthful glow. I think I had better go back to Dallas where the youngsters are a little smarter and have better vision!