Tag Archives: Thankful

What Are You Thankful For?

Another November is drawing to a close; and once again my thoughts returned to being thankful for my many blessings. Overall, I consider myself to be a grateful person, but November usually brings thankful thoughts more front and center to mind.

For the last decade or so, I’ve been participating in #30DaysofThanks challenge. I believe it is mostly on social media, hence the hashtag ?, but my reflections were mostly private during my devotion time. I really like the 30-day format because it helps me to really concentrate on the everyday blessings that could otherwise be taken for granted. Continue reading →

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/30/14

November 30, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for nostalgic Christmas memories. Our family starts decorating for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving. Thankfully, I’ve never really gotten into the Black Friday shopping thing, so my choice is easy. Over the weekend, we set up our Nativity and the village; we hang stockings and lots of garland. We decorate our entryway on the inside and outside. We finish with decorating the tree on Sunday.

I’ve always loved Christmas decorations. My decorating style leans toward nostalgic / vintage as opposed to trying to re-create a magazine photo shoot. I own lots of decorations that I’ve had since my childhood. Many of my ornaments and other pieces have great memories attached to them.

Each year, we hang the lights and ornaments while Bing Crosby sings White Christmas to us. We drink egg nog and eat chocolate chip cookies, warm from the oven. I have lots of ornaments … as I unwrap each one, I share the memories they bring to mind. I share stories of Christmas’s from when I was growing up. We reminisce our family’s memories. Some of my ornaments are from my great grandmother – some from friends – some I made myself. Many times the ornament represents something significant that happened that year. Sharing memories this way is one of my favorite family traditions.

♥ Today I am thankful for nostalgic Christmas memories ♥

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/29/14

November 29, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for Small Business Saturday. The holiday season is upon us! For many people, shopping is a big part of the season. It seems like Black Friday has been around forever, Cyber Monday came on the scene a while ago and Shop Small Saturday started several years ago.

I have to confess, before becoming a small business owner, I never really thought much about where the money I spent while shopping went. I usually just went to the store that advertised the best deal on the items I wanted … which, more often than not, was a “big box” or department store chain. These stores spend millions of dollars on advertising to lure you to their store. Many times when you get there, you find messy aisles; items discarded wherever and frazzled employees. Sadly, many of those frazzled employees are rude and have no concept of customer service.
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Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/28/14

November 28, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for Thanksgiving dinner leftovers. Our family tradition is that my sister-in-law usually hosts Thanksgiving dinner each year. She is a wonderful cook and a gracious hostess <3.

Every year she buys new Tupperware type containers and ziplock baggies for her guests to bring some leftovers home in. My family loves leftovers, especially leftovers from a big holiday meal or party. I realize that not everyone likes leftovers … I have a friend whose family simply refuses to eat leftovers – how sad. Turkey with stuffing and homemade gravy is my favorite day after Thanksgiving leftover meal. I’m doubly blessed because I get extra yummy food and new food storage containers 🙂

♥ Today I am thankful for Thanksgiving dinner leftovers ♥

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/27/14

November 27, 2014 ~ HAPPY THANKSGIVING !! Today I am thankful for childhood memories of Thanksgiving. For those of you who may not already know, I was raised by my grandparents. Sadly, my grandpa passed away when I was in 7th grade and my grandma passed when I a senior in high school. I am truly thankful to have wonderful memories of both of them 🙂

I’m a morning person, so I’m an early riser by nature. I have wonderful memories of waking up on Thanksgiving morning to the wonderful smells of onion and celery sauteing in butter on the stove … the starting point of my grandma’s wonderful stuffing recipe. Continue reading →

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/26/14

November 26, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for modern day computers and software. The other day, I was talking to a friend from high school about our class reunion (how many decades is not important). We were discussing how much things had changed over the years.

When we were in high school, the computer course we learned (or tried to learn) was called FORTRAN. We had to create flow chart programs. We had to enter our program into a key punch machine, usually resulting in a thick stack of cards. Then came the moment of truth … were your flow chart commands correct?? To find out, you loaded your key punch cards into the reader to be printed. If the pin feed printer spit out a long banner = success 🙂 … short banner = failure 🙁
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Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/25/14

November 25, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for social media. Yesterday, I shared my blog post on facebook and twitter. I had blogged about feeling miserable because of cold and sinus issues. I’m feeling better and when I logged on today, I was so touched to see lots of comments saying they hoped I felt better soon. It’s nice to know that people care about you … real live friends and those you only know virtually. Birthdays are fun on facebook too … just sayin’ 🙂

That being said, social media can have a down side too. I hope I’m not alone in this when I say that facebook (and the others) can be real time stealers. Many times, I’ll think to myself, I’ll just check facebook or Pinterest really quick and before you know it, an hour or more will have passed.

I love social media – being able to keep in touch with old friends and making new ones 🙂 However, I’m trying to discipline myself by allowing myself “X” amount of time to browse. I actually set a timer … now if I could only sign off when the timer dings … just kidding, I do most of the time 😉

♥ Today I am thankful for social media ♥

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/24/14

November 24, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for cold medicine. I’ve been fighting off a cold for more than a week and yesterday it finally won. I realize there is no cure for the common cold, but I am very thankful that there are over the counter cold medicines that help alleviate symptoms.

Usually, when I catch a cold, it’s a head cold that settles in my sinuses. I spent the whole day lounging around in my jammies either reading or watching TV. I’m hoping that by resting all day yesterday, I’ll feel better today and be able to accomplish everything on my schedule.

I’d also like to mention that I am thankful for kleenex … I can’t even think about the old days when people used handkerchiefs … eeww !! I’m doubly thankful today, since I missed yesterday.

♥ Today I am thankful for cold medicine and kleenex ♥

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/22/14

November 22, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for no alarm clock days 🙂 Weekdays, as well as some weekend days, usually start with an alarm clock going off at 5:45 am. Most of my days are pretty busy, with me dashing from one thing to another … but that is just life in the 24/7 world we live in.

Last night when we were driving home from our small group meeting, we realized that we didn’t have any commitments for today. When I realized tomorrow would be a rare no alarm clock day, I felt giddy and clapped my hands together (fyi … my hubby was driving).

Of course, I woke up at 7:30 this morning (nature calls), but technically it was still sleeping in for me (plus, I’m a morning person by nature). My hubby, who is a night owl, actually slept until 10. I don’t think the actual time matters so much as that waking up was a choice – a voluntary act on my part … I didn’t have to get out of bed if I didn’t want to 🙂

♥ Today I am thankful for no alarm clock days ♥

photo by: Alan Cleaver

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/21/14

November 21, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for electricity. I confess … I totally take it for granted. It’s just there, at the press of a button or flip of a switch – until it’s not. The power outages that I typically have usually only last hours … which is plenty long enough for me to realize how much I depend on it being there for me when I need it.
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