seeking peace and simple joy...

as i seek peace

and simple joy

this holiday season,

i will do so

in the quiet

of our home

on the prairie.

~~~

i will do so

leaving prairie pastimes

to rest

thruout the christmas season

~~~

and so i wish you

and all of yours

a very blessed

and merry christmas

and a happy and healthy 2011.

~~~~~

~~~

~

may your christmas be full of

peace and simple joy...

peggy

thoughtful thursday...

thanksgiving

is a time

of quiet reflection

upon the past

and an annual reminder

that God has,
again,

been ever so faithful.

the solid and simple things

of life

are brought into
clear focus,

so much so

that everything else

fades into insignificance.

~~~

charles swindoll
~~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a reflective thanksgiving...

peggy

making my list...

today is the day

that i'm making my list,

my list of what i am
most grateful for

this thanksgiving season.

~~~

i am most thankful for~

~~~

my husband

who works hard

and provides me

with a wonderful life,

~~~

my daughter

whose life has changed

my life

in incredibly wonderful ways,

~~~

my grandsons

who give me so much

love and joy,

~~~

my dad and mom,

brothers and sisters

and their spouses,

nieces, nephews

and their kids,

a family i looove to be part of,

~~~

my friends

that are near and far

who love and accept me

for who i am,

~~~

my home

that is cozy and warm

and full of all that i love,

~~~

my overall good health

that allows me to do

the things i love,

~~~

my animals

that amuse me

with all of their antics

and show me unconditional love

in return

for a little

something to eat,

~~~

the chance

to sponsor okiru

in uganda

thru compassion

which has brought me to

an even keener awareness

of hunger and poverty

and how i can help,

~~~

all the lessons

i have learned

thruout the year

that have made me

a better person,

~~~

a God

that always loves me,

and even delights in me,

and who provides for me

all that i need

each and every day.

~~~

i am

abundantly blessed.

~~~

and i am grateful...

~~~~~

~~~

~

have you made your list?

peggy

it's beginning to look a lot like...

it's beginning

to look a lot like...

~~~

thanksgiving

in south dakota!

~~~

it's cold and snowing

this morning,

not unusual

for a late day in november.

we've been especially blessed

this year with

a long and beautiful autumn,

full of mild days

and glorious color.

~~~

and now,

with thanksgiving

only 3 days away,

winter appears to be approaching.

~~~

i am grateful

for these days

as we approach thanksgiving.

~~~

i am grateful

for all

that i have been blessed with.

i am most especially

grateful for

family,

friends...

~~~

the barn that houses

the animals i love,

the garden shed that

holds my hopes

for spring and summer...
~~~

and

our home.

~~~

wishing you a day that looks

like thanksgiving to you!

peggy

thoughtful thursday...

for flowers that bloom

about our feet;

for tender grass,

so fresh, so sweet;

for song of bird,

and hum of bee;

for all things fair

we hear or see,

father in heaven,

we thank thee.

~~~

ralph waldo emerson

~~~~~

~~~

~

for all our blessings,

we thank thee...

peggy

pretty and handy...

i like my things

to look pretty and to be handy,

and in that particular order!

~~~

i like to have my dishsoap handy

because i use it so often,

and in a pretty bottle

so i smile when i see it!

~~~

so i use

a vintage glass syrup bottle

to keep my dishsoap in!

~~~

handy and pretty!

~~~

that's what i like!

~~~

i have another
pretty and vintage
syrup bottle
in the laundry room!
~~~
they're a good thing!
~~~
i think martha would agree!
~~~~~
~~~
~
wishing you a pretty handy dandy day!
peggy

go...

karen

(my best and favorite

movie-going friend)

and i

went to secretariat last nite!

all i can say,

and i know karen would agree,
is go!

~~~

go!

~~~

go to this movie!

~~~

this movie is based

on the life of secretariat,

an incredible horse

that raced in the 70's.

~~~

i remember this horse racing!

~~~

if you love horses,

if you love diane lane

who stars as secretariat's owner,

if you love a feel-good movie...

you will

love, love, love

this movie!

~~~

get your best and favorite

movie-going friend

and go!

~~~

go see secretariat!

~~~

get your buttered popcorn

and large diet pepsi

and

laugh and cry and cheer

for this incredible woman,

her incredible team,

and their incredible horse!

~~~

go!

~~~~~

~~~

~

oh happy day...

peggy

thoughtful thursday...

if the only prayer

you ever said

in your whole life

was,

"thank you,"

that would suffice.

~~~

meister eckhart
~~~~~

~~~

~

may your prayer be one of thanks...

peggy

blessings of warm and cozy...

in this season of thanks

i am being,

more than ever,

mindful

of all that i have

to be grateful for.

~~~

today,

on this cool and gray day,

i am grateful

for our fireplace

that warms me

and makes our home

warm and cozy.

~~~

being warm and cozy

is a blessing

and i am grateful.

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a blessed and grateful day...

peggy

tasty tuesday...

it's pumpkin season!

~~~

with the baking of pumpkins

for tasty autumn treats

comes the roasting

of pumpkin seeds.

~~~

roasted pumpkin seeds

are an easy peasy

tasty autumn treat!

~~~

here's what you do~

~~~

scoop the pumpkin seeds

into a greased baking sheet,

pour on a little

olive oil,

stir,

salt,

bake at 350

for 15 minutes

and...

~~~

you have yourself

a tasty autumn treat!

~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a tasty autumn...

peggy

thoughtful thursday...

gratitude unlocks

the fullness of life.

it turns what we have

into enough,

and more.

it turns denial into acceptance,

chaos to order,
confusion to clarity.

it can turn a meal into a feast,

a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.

gratitude makes sense of our past,

brings peace for today

and creates a vision for tomorrow.

~~~

melody beattie

~~~~~

~~~

~

may you be filled with gratitude...

peggy

learning grateful...

several years ago

i heard sarah van breathnach

discussing her then new book

"simple abundance."

~~~

i listened to her speak

about being grateful

and how it changes your life.

~~~

i was intrigued

and interested

in being more grateful

in my life.

~~~

shortly after,

i bought her book.

i can truly say

this is one of the books

that have changed my life!

i've read and re-read

this book.

~~~

"simple abundance"

is written as

daily readings

and each month focusing

on a particular principle

relevant to living

a simply abundant life,

~~~

one of sarah van breathnach's

suggestions is to

keep a gratitude journal.

this gratitude journal

is a journal

in which you daily list

5 things for which

you are grateful for.

~~~~

big things,

little things,

whatever you are grateful for that day.

~~~

some days

it is easy

to list 5 things (or more!)

that you are grateful for.

other days...

well...

some days really sssssssss...

stink,

and on those days,

it just isn't as easy

to be grateful.

listing 5 things that you are grateful

on a day that really stinks

isn't easy,

but it is possible.

~~~

i believe being grateful,

especially on days that really stink

is learned.

~~~

learned.

~~~

i believe i've learned

to be grateful

on good days

and on days that really stink.

and i believe

being grateful

every day,

has changed my life.

~~~

~~~~~

~~~

~

what are you grateful for today?

peggy

a season of thanks...

the season of thanks

is here.

~~~

sometimes,

it seems,

thanksgiving is forgotten.

~~~

sometimes

givings thanks

is forgotten.

~~~

my hope and prayer

for myself,

for my family and friends,

and for all of you,

is that thruout this

season of thanks

that we will all

take the time

to be mindful

to give thanks

for our many blessings.

~~~

and that in

each and every day

that follows

this thanksgiving season,

we continue

to give thanks...

~~~~~

~~~

~

give thanks...

peggy

what fun...

there was an old witch,

believe it if you can!

she tapped on the windows

and she ran, ran, ran!

she ran helter skelter

with her toes in the air,

corncobs flying from

the old witch's hair!

swish goes the broomstick.

meow goes the cat.

plop goes the hoptoad

sitting on her hat.

"whee!" chuckles i

what fun!

what fun!

halloween nite

when the witches run!
~~~

i learned this halloween song

in sixth grade

from mrs. kaufman,

our music teacher.

~~~

i loved it then

and i love it now!

~~~

i don't think

there's a halloween

that goes by

that i don't sing this song!

growing up,

my brothers got tired

of my sister and i singing it,

especially out of season!

~~~

i've sung it to my daughter

and this year i sang it

to my 2 grandsons!

and next year i'll have

a new grandson to sing it to!

~~~

what fun!

what fun!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a halloween

full of fun!

peggy

happy and sappy...

i love halloween!

~~~

the orange and black,

the jack-o-lanterns,

the candy,

the happy part

of happy halloween!
~~~

i love jack-o-lanterns

that are silly...

~~~ and smiling!

~~~

everyone

should be smiling

and having fun

on halloween!

~~~

the jack-o-lanterns,

the witches,

the ghosts

the goblins...

everyone!

~~~

i love halloween

when it's

full of fun

and full of candy!

~~~

that's what

i love halloween to be!

~~~

like i said yesterday,

i love sappy and sweet!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a happy, sappy, and sweet

halloween!

peggy

judging a book by it's cover...

i love to read!

~~~

i just read

"saving ceecee honeycutt"

by beth hoffman

(her first novel)

and i would highly recommend it!

~~~

this sad and sweet novel

is about a young girl (ceecee)

who moves to the south

to live with an older aunt

after her mother dies.

~~~

i loved it

you'll love it too!

~~~

now

i've started to read

"home to holly springs"

by jan karon.

~~~

have you read the mitford series

by jan karon~

the father tim series?

~~~

i love, love, love

this series!

love it!

sappy and sweet,

just how i'd like my life to be!

~~~

"home to holly springs"

takes us to where

father tim grew up.

~~~

i love to read

but i don't make time to read

so it takes me forever to read a book,

which tends to be hard on a book,

at least my books!

~~~

i have this book in hardcover

and i know i'll keep it forever

so i don't want to

bend, rip, and tear the dustcover.

(yes, i'm a little (some would say a lot!) anal!)

so...

(finally to the point)

i made a bookjacket for my book!

~~~

i used a piece of scrap wool

and cut the bookjacket

(using the book as my pattern)

the heighth of the book

around the front and the back

of the book,

(moving the book from the back

to the spine

to the front as i cut)

adding a few extra inches

on each end

of the width

to jacket the book.

~~~

i pinned the extra inches

on each end in place

and sewed them

to make the jacket.

~~~

easy peasy!

~~~

the p (for peggy)

is entirely decorative

and is cut from

another scrap of wool.

the button finishes it off!

~~~

and now i have a bookjacket

that will keep my book,

cozy and warm

and as good as new,

as i haul it here and there,

until i finish the story

of father tim's childhood home!

~~~~~

~~~

~

happy reading!

peggy

tasty tuesday...

more granola!

~~~

one can never have

too much granola!

~~~

this granola is a variation

of a variation!

~~~

one can also never have

too many granola variations!

~~~

variety is the spice of life

ya know!

~~~

autumn granola

~~~

7 c old-fashioned granola

2 c raisins

1 c walnuts

2 t cinnamon

1 c brown sugar

3/4 c butter

1/2 c honey

~~~

bake at 350 for 35 minutes

~~~

for this variation

of autumn granola

(aka autumn granola 2!)

i left out the walnuts

and added:

~~~

1 c raw pumpkin seeds

1 c raw sunflower seeds

~~~

i love it!

~~~

you will too!

~~~

variety is a good thing!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a day of variety!

peggy

autumn blessings...

another amazing autumn day...

~~~

they just keep coming!

~~~

and i'm grateful.

grateful

for the blessings

of these late autumn days.

~~~

this morning,

on my walk,

i picked field corn

to hang

on an old corn dryer.
~~~

this corn dryer

has a hook

on the top

of the wooden peg

to hang the dryer.

~~~

it has nail-like extensions

on all 4 sides

of the square wooden peg

to hold the corn

and another hook

on the bottom

of the peg

to hold another dryer.

~~~

what a blessing

to have so many

beautiful autumn days

to enjoy all the gifts

of the season!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you

beautiful autumn blessings...

peggy

thoughtful thursday...

listen...

with faint dry sound,

the leaves,

frost-crisp'd,

break free

from the trees

~~~

and fall.

~~~

adelaide crapsey

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you ears to hear

the faint dry sound...

peggy

looking for the great pumpkin...

halloween is nearing

which means

looking for

the great pumpkin!

~~~

i spent this morning

doing just that~

gathering

the squash and pumpkins

from the garden.

~~~with all that i gathered,

the great pumpkin

has to be amongst them!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you luck in finding

your great pumpkin...

peggy

a full day...

here i am,

all set up

for the 36th annual

arts and crafts festival

at faulkton, sd!

~~~

pumpkins,

trick or treat goodie bags...

~~~

more pumpkins,

autumn handbags...

~~~

christmas stockings,

mittens,

pillows...
~~~

simmering potpourri,

jingle bell trees,

twinkling star cookie cutters,

little lite decorations...

~~~

glittery gold stars,

wooly rag balls,

more mittens,

more stockings...

~~~

snowmen,

and popcorn balls!

~~~

a full day...

filled with lots of goodies

and lots of people!

~~~

after all,

that's what craft fairs

are all about!

~~~~~

~~~

~

wishing you a full day...

peggy

christmas craftings...

as long as you're

"hanging" around here,

(and i'm glad you are!)

let me show you

some of the

christmas craftings

i've been working on

for the craft show

on saturday!

~~~

i've been sewing and stitching

several wool stockings,

one ready to be hung

by your chimney with care...

~~~

stockings are such

an old-fashioned

part of christmas.

~~~

i love them!

~~~

i love them wooly,

rustic,

and

simple.

~~~

i use recycled

and repurposed wool

for my stockings

and all my wooly creations.

~~~

i love mittens too!

~~~

wooly,

warm,

and cozy!

~~~

and again,

ready to be hung

by your chimney with care...

~~~

and what would christmas be

without a wooly

and jingly tree?

~~~

so...

if you happen to be

in the faulkton, sd area,

stop by

and check out

the 36th annual

arts and craft festival!

~~~

stop by my booth and

i'll treat you to one of my

homemade popcorn balls!

~~~~~

~~~

~

come see me...

peggy