San Francisco and Wednesday Gratitude #35 at Heart and Home

Hello again friends.

How's everything?

I'm thinking about you!

It's Gratitude Wednesday.

If you'd like you can link your Gratitude post below.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

I'm always inspired when I see the Golden Gate Bridge.

I'm grateful for the wonder and excitement of a day spent in my favorite city.

 I love the spectacular view from up here,

on the edge of Lincoln Park overlooking the Pacific ocean.

 To me, it's thrilling knowing powerful ocean waves are crashing

 just beyond the rolling hills of the golf course.

I'm thankful for a day spent browsing

at the beautiful Legion of Honor museum in Lincoln Park.

(check out the link for more info.)

The lion guarding the entrance is freshly power-washed.

Which is the only way to wash a lion, I'm sure.

After a busy day in the bustling city,

I'm thankful for a return to my quiet part of the world,

and my home among the redwood trees.

I'm grateful for the soft rustle of the wind in the treetops...

...and for the beauty of a full moon on a peaceful night.

Goodnight, my friends!

Until next time,

XO

Heidi
linking to Outdoor Wednesday, thanks Susan!

Wednesday Gratitude #34 at Heart and Home: A Shared Meal

Hello my dear reader-friends.

I'm grateful for you!

Link your Gratitude Post below, and thank you for stopping by today.

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily." - Gerald Good

I know it's been awhile.

I haven't had a lot to say.

Thanks for sticking with me!

If I could I would have you all over for a nice fall dinner.

We'd sit around the table for a long time, and share our stories along with the food.

I'd set a pretty table for you.

I'd use fall colors, and make sure the stemware glistened in the candlelight.

What will we have to eat?

Something warm and hearty, this is the time of the year for comfort food!

It always brings me comfort to cook for the people I care about.

I'm grateful for the simple pleasure of preparing a tasty meal.

I am comforted by the flickering candles in the chandelier.

I'm thankful for the soft glow of the fire in the fireplace, and the glass votives on the table.

I am thankful for the warmth of my home on a cool Fall day.

I'm grateful for friends and good food,

and time spent sharing a meal together. 

I am getting used to this feeling that envelopes me.

 Grief is a strange thing.

One minute I feel fine, the next minute I am lost and lonely.

One day I have only happy memories,

the next day I am filled with sadness.

I am grieving the death of my parents,

and my choice to end contact with people who have been cruel.

I am working every day to regain my equilibrium,

and to get my life back on track after this major derailment.

Everyday I think of you!

 I am pondering how Heart and Home fits in my life right now.

Finding the answer might take some time,

and so I am taking things slowly.

 I am thankful for your support and understanding.

And, if we were sitting together around my table sharing a meal,

I would drink a toast in gratitude to you, my blog friends.

Until next time,

XO

Heidi
also linking to Tablescape Thursday, at Between Naps on the Porch.

Wednesday Gratitude #33: the County Fair at Heart and Home

Has it been a week already?

That means it's time for Wednesday Gratitude.

Thank you for stopping by Heart and Home,

I appreciate your visit.

 Link in below if you have a gratitude post to share.

The more the merrier!

“Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.” -G.B. Stern

The simple things in life take on more meaning when life becomes more difficult.

I'm very grateful for my daily routine,

the kindness and support of my friends and family-in-law,

and the sweet memories of a day spent at the county fair.

Every year around this time we head to our county fair.

It's one of our favorite destinations,

and annual event we eagerly anticipate.

We look forward to the Fair's arrival in the week just before Fall officially begins.

We head out to the fair grounds,

I'm thankful for the long afternoon we spend enjoying the sights.

Our first stop is always the Harvest Building.

These pumpkins are huge!

They weigh hundreds of pounds a piece.

Think of the gigantic pie that could be made from one of them.

If you could get the pumpkin into the kitchen.

It takes cranes and tractors and fork-lifts

 to move them from garden to fairgrounds.

Wandering into the Fowl Pavilion,

 we're surrounded by a chorus of clucking, quacking and cock-a-doodle-doing.

This handsome fellow didn't look too happy to be stuck in his cage.

Possibly he was thinking about November,

or maybe he was just shy.

Either way, it took some convincing to get him to pose for his portrait.

This one, on the other hand, was another story.

I'm not a turkey expert,

but to me it looked like he was strutting around and showing off.

Well, there were a lot of good-looking lady turkeys in the cages all around him.

Can't hardly blame him for wanting to show his stuff

 with such a captive audience around.

The hens didn't seem to notice him though.

They were probably used to his swaggering.

Or, maybe this he is a SHE?

I'm not sure.

Speaking of swaggering and strutting -

it's hard not to notice

the cowboys in their Wranglers!

The horse show draws a crowd.

Not a very big one at this fair, but still.

This is the place for those of us who enjoy

watching a cowboy or two,

running barrels and roping calves.

Showing us their rodeo-ing skills.

Wearing cowboy hats and boots.

I may have a small thing for cowboys, I'm not telling...
(I'm thankful I get my "cowboy fix" at the fair every year!)

 I will admit to my love affair with nannies, billies and kids.

Have I told you I'm partial to goats?

Well, I am. All kinds, I'm not particular.

As long as they are goats, I love 'em.

Someday I might even get me one.

Look at that face!

And those big brown eyes.

He's a cutie!

Of course, goats at the fair always look their best.

All cleaned up, shampooed, brushed, and polished.

A well groomed goat is a happy goat.

For now, I am very thankful that I can take my time,

enjoying and petting these sweet creatures.

No goats at my house.

Yet.

The Swine Pavilion around the corner

is another favorite place to linger.

We can't get enough of the piggies.

We especially enjoy making oinking sounds.

Yes, we are very talented in the "pig-noises" department.

They don't seem all that thrilled to see us.

Underwhelmed at the very least.

Guess we're not as good at pig-talk as we think.

Now here's a booth that speaks every one's language.

Those are some extra huge pretzels.

As you can see, they come in nearly every flavor imaginable.

But we walked right on by.

What amazing restraint!

We had our hearts set on cinnamon rolls.

We get some every year.

It's a tradition we won't give up willingly.

Hot, fresh, gooey cinnamon rolls are the last thing we buy,

 right before we head home.

The aroma in the car is so strong you can taste the cinnamon.

 I'm so thankful for the deliciousness of

cinnamon rolls at the fair.

We stop at the rose garden,

and then the flower display where we inhale the scent of hundreds of locally grown roses.

These are roses at their finest, grown by local farmers in green houses nearby.

I'm grateful they are not shipped in from across the world,

grown on land cleared of rain-forest.

Earth-friendly roses, you might say.

Their colors are so brilliant.

I matched the color of my kitchen to one of my favorite varieties.

I am so thankful for the beauty these flowers add to my life.

After the flowers we check out the photographs and art, and the quilts and collections.

Next, it's time to see the commercial tents,

and then, finally, we get to eat fair food.

It's not a completely satisfying visit to the fair

if we don't partake in some deep-fried artichokes, and chicken on a skewer.

We are enthusiastic fair-food-eaters.

And, we are probably the only ones who don't head over to the carnival.

It's really not our thing.

We're not thrill-seeking, scary-ride riding girls.

But, we do enjoy the milder attractions,

and the traditions,

and the memories we take home with us.

We get the most out of our visit, every year.
I am so thankful
 for the opportunity to spend the day with my girls at the county fair.

The end!

What simple pleasures in your life are you most grateful for?

Until next time

XO

Heidi
Linking to Outdoor Wednesday, at  A Southern Daydreamer. Thank you Susan!

Wednesday Gratitude #32 at Heart and Home

I am back, in time and even a little early for

 Wednesday Gratitude.

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." -Albert Schweitzer


I was touched beyond measure when I finally returned home to my computer and Internet access, and saw  the comments and emails from all of you, my dear Heart and Home friends. My heart is full, thanks to your considerate thoughts and gestures, and my home is brimming with beautiful flowers and thoughtful cards and notes.

Thank you for your uplifting words, your prayers, and your good wishes. I appreciate all of you so much! I am so thankful and grateful for your gracious and gentle spirits, which lifted me up when I was at my lowest, and helped "light the flame" within me as I struggled to maintain my composure during what have surely been the most profound and trying weeks of my life.

I knew it would be sad and painful to say goodbye to my father.

These past few weeks have gone by, the days ticking off slowly, with a million details to attend to.
And now, all of a sudden, it's been almost one month.

 I had heard that a death of a loved one often brings out the worst in some people, and unfortunately, we've found that to be true. Our grief has been compounded by several individuals who have exposed their darkest sides to us during our saddest days.

We have been the targets of reprehensible, threatening, opportunistic and profane behaviour.
Startling and surprising, even shocking, but sadly not unexpected, their actions have made these weeks more heartbreaking.
If I had any enemies, I would not wish this on them. Yet, I know I will get through it, and I'm so grateful for  the help of my husband and my daughters, whose unwavering strength and love are a constant in my life.

And, as always in any days filled with painful emotions, there are moments of grace that shine brightly in my memory.

I am very thankful for this Air Force Honor Guard, which presented our family the United States flag after performing a solemn ceremony honoring my dad's 30 years of service.
"Taps" was played slowly and reverently, each note from the trumpet carried up into the sky by brisk  breezes on a cloudless, perfect Autumn day in October.

I am grateful for the respect they showed my dad, and and for their service to our country, and for their ability to present themselves at their absolute best, for a man and a family they didn't even know.

They are so young and yet so serious, honorable and dutiful.

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road." -John Henry Jowett

The day of my dad's memorial was filled with moments of love and kindness, and the support of friends who traveled many hours to be with us.

As Daddy's first-born daughter, I have years and years filled with wonderful memories. It will take my remaining lifetime to revisit them all.

I can not explain it very well.
But somehow, knowing you would be here when I returned, made this all a little easier for me.   Thank you so much for your friendship and support, and for your empathy and patience as I ease my way slowly into a regular routine again.

"No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever."
- Francois Mocuriac
 
Until next time,
XO
Heidi

As always, link up if you have a gratitude post to share! Due to my slowed pace right now, and my state of mind (!) I will leave the link open for one week this time. Thanks for joining Wednesday Gratitude!

Wednesday Gratitude #31, and Blue and Brown at Heart and Home

“To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.” -Albert Schweitzer

Thank you for being here for

 Wednesday Gratitude!

Today I'm thankful

for the slight chill  in the air this evening, as the weather turns to Fall.

I'm thankful for the sun streaming through the windows late in the afternoon,

and the long shadows and changing leaves.

But, I'm not ready to redecorate the living room for autumn, not yet.

It's still warm and summery during the day.

I'm thankful I have extra space in my house

to store all these very important accessories!

A few Fall-ish items are just what's needed

 to ease us into the season.

And, since I'm joining Cindy's Blue and Brown party today,

there's some of that around, too.

Blue and white are the basics in this house.

I love the combination, and it works so well with just about any other color.

It's only natural to add a little brown, for Fall.

I collected a bunch of orbs for the mantel.

What are they for?

Does it really matter?

I like the way they look!

Their spherical shape is echoed

in this bunch of dried Love-In-The-Mist.

I gathered these in my garden

and left them on the hammock in the sun to dry.

Brown leather cushions

 and a striped woven table runner say "Fall" to me.

I'm leaving the painted sisal rug in here for a few more weeks.
(For the how to go HERE)

It's too early to bring in the dark wool one,
but soon enough we'll be glad for the extra warmth on our feet!

Year round, white candles are a staple in this house,

I always keep plenty on hand.

I love using lots of cushions to make things nice and cozy!
I whipped up these burlap ones this weekend.

They have a knife edge with a double row of black top-stitching.

I decided not to monogram them, but may change my mind.

For now I think they look nice just the way they are.

Sometimes simple is best, in my opinion.

Speaking of simple:

Here's Maggie, in one of her favorite spots.

I wonder what she's thinking about?

She's probably thankful for her sunny nap-spot,

 her bowl of food, and the bacon-flavored treats she gets when she's good.

At least, those are the things I'd be thankful for, if I were her.

As for me, I appreciate all the pleasure I get from this home,

 the joy I feel making it warm and cozy,

and the happy anticipation I have for the coming season.

Until next time

XO

Heidi

Linking to Cindy's Cottage Instincts, for the Great Blue and Brown party.

Thanks, Cindy!

Dinner and Gratitude (#30) at Heart and Home

Welcome back!

I'm so glad you're here.

After that walk on the ocean cliffs (go check it out here),

you're just in time for

a hearty ranch house dinner, with margaritas!

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - Epictetus

It's nothing fancy, but you're always welcome.

Gather around the table set for a casual meal.

It's a lovely, almost crispy Fall-ish early evening.

(still not officially Fall until Sept. 22 at 11:09 PM - according to WikiAnswers)

Autumn-y colored linens, rush chairs, hand-painted rooster plates.

Margarita glasses.

Margaritas.

Well, for some of us anyway.

The rest can drink sparkling limeade.

I'm thankful for spontaneous celebrations.

I'm always thankful for the pleasure of a shared meal.

I'm thankful I can set a pleasant looking table in my own home,

 and serve abundant, tasty, healthy food and drink to my loved ones.

You already know candle light is on my list of things to be thankful for.

And these little polka-dotted votives make me smile!

See what I mean.

They're cute, right?

I'm thankful for the simplicity

of the blue and yellow and white color scheme,

and the ease of choosing

 from among my favorite linens, dishes and flatware.

I love mixing it up with patterns, textures and colors.

I'd rather have a few favorite items that I use regularly,

than an overwhelmingly huge stash of things stuffed in the cupboards.

The exception apparently being my desire

 to own one zillion candles in every shape and color

as long as they are white.

Well, a girl's gotta have a hobby.

Excuse me while I go light the bar-by.

It's almost time to start cooking dinner.

Around here we use real charcoal,

in an old Weber that's been part of the family

 for a very long time.

Not very high-tech, or high-end, or glamorous. 

Kinda like me. 

I'm thankful I don't have to worry about those things

 among the people I love.

And that simple pleasures bring me joy,

every day.

What are the simple things that make you smile?

I'd love to know.

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

Linking to Tabletop Tues. Thanks!