Dear Reader:

I think the importance of the holiday season each year….Thanksgiving and Christmas… is to make us pause from all our daily busyness and reflect on all the blessings we have received in our life time. Mankind almost needs a huge annual Road Sign that says

“Slow down and pause…Take time to Remember Your Blessings and then Honk if You are Grateful.” 

If not for the holidays…taking time to stop and celebrate the season of blessings with family and friends would not happen…We would just keep going round and round in our human hamster cage...moving fast through life but just going in circles.

The title artwork comes from a card Chris Frazier sent me with the sweetest thank you note for the blog post. Chris and I taught some courses together and our circles re-circled several times in our teaching careers. It made my day finding her card in my box. Thank you Chris for pausing to send such a sweet message.

Than to add a cherry on top of this friendship dessert…came Laurie’s annual newsletter/card at the same time.

I look forward to it each year. Laurie David and my teaching paths also coincided on a few occasions and I always admired Laurie for her inner strength and determination to keep teachers informed of educational proposals …all of which was made more difficult by a personal chronic health problem which never slowed her down but would have stopped others cold in their tracks..

These days she is a gal ‘right up my alley’ …retired and loves working and being in her garden. She always sends the most helpful tips on growing a diversity of plants, along with an interesting history behind one or two… accompanied by touching quotes and ideas on how to send and remember service men/women in unique, creative ways, educational updates, anecdotes, quilt histories…with lots of “Peace in the Garden” photos.

Thank you Laurie for all the hard work it takes sending this newsletter out each Thanksgiving. Now I want to pause and take time to thank and honor you for this wonderful gift I (and many others) received annually.

Some years a package of seeds have been included in her envelope and this year it was a 2020 pocket calendar with this ‘thoughtful quote.’

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir

Your cards/newsletters remind me that none of us are ever really alone…we are blessed by present neighbors, friends, and family while harboring amazing memories from the past…waiting to be ignited with a note of correspondence. Thank you all.

So until tomorrow (another quote from Laurie’s newsletter by President Franklin Roosevelt)

 “A nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh oxygen to our people.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Update on the ‘Terrific Turner Team’.…Eva Cate and dad were partners, her teacher/coach was there to cheer them on…and Mandy said that Jake wanted in too…so it ended up being a family affair….everyone finished…lots of fun to end Girls on the Run!

My Bradford Pear is out-doing itself this year…by another week it will be at its peak…beautiful red and orange leaves are changing hourly it appears…you can see it all the way down the street…the neighborhood has declared that this is our prettiest fall street in a long time…we love Rainbow Road!