I set aside my Gratitude Journal for way too long -- and I AM grateful, to God and universe and the moon in its phases, to and for...

1. Aunt Bobby, for uploading my beautiful Avatar when she got tired of seeing a Gray Man's Outline where the lovely teacup is now -- and helping me display it here as well!

3. Artella -- Land, and Muse, and Family, and Community, that they simply exist!

4. This forum, where I can freely say "I am grateful"!

5. SATELLITE, where once there was just dial-up!  

Hi Constance!

I love your new Avatar. It's a beautiful teacup. I'm glad Aunt Bobby got tired of that gray man you had. I also got a case of the giggles when I read #5. I've spent a long time trying to forget how bad dial up used to be. Thank God for speedy ISPs!

  Hugs,   Julie

You truly are 'distinguished' and 'delightful', Constance Bates!  Beautiful avatar, I'd say - let's celebrate with a cup of High Tea and cucumber sandwiches. 

"Remember the tea kettle - it is always up to its neck in hot water, yet it still sings!"                ~Author Unknown

- chameleon

Today and always, I AM grateful, to and for...

1. Julie and chameleon, for caring enough to read and respond and encourage others daily. Doubly bless them today!

2. The God of creation for this beautiful day, the clear skies, and the strong winds in our stand of trees to remind me of his power.

3. My father-in-law coming to live here on our property, bringing with him the perspective of age and experience, countless skills, and lots of bird feeders.

4. My son's successful surgery yesterday, the surgeons' discernment, the anesthesiologist's awareness, the nurses' wisdom, Brian's faith, and the angels who ministered to him.

5. My daughter-in-law Becky, who juggled their daughters' schedules, PTA, college, Brian's responsibilities, her own illness, and still managed to keep us up to date on Brian's welfare. 

Hi Constance!

Your words really made my heart glow today. I feel like you wrapped your arms around me and gave me a big hug. I had another little giggle when I saw that your father-in-law wasn't coming alone to stay on your property. He and I share a common passion! I'm also sending good thoughts and wishes your way for a speedy recovery for your son and a great big fat get well soon for your daughter-in-law. Next time I go to church, I'll light a candle for them. I have another little wish for you but if you want to know what it is, you'll have to visit my blog at http://artellacafe.com/blogs/glitter_girl/default.aspx.  (Mischievious Giggles)

   Like my bonnet?       Hugs,    Julie

Bless you, Julie -- Your words are refreshing!!  I want to learn to use the PhotoShop-type program, too (and I LOVE glitter)... Thank you for your notes, and the graphic is perfect!

Today, I AM thankful to and for...

1. Personal healing. 

2. Glitter and sequins, so that even the poor among us may sparkle.

3. My computer -- in particular, not having to dial the paper up from the carriage to erase four carbon copies and paint white liquid on the first page and wait for it to dry and retype 180 pages because I changed a sentence on the first page.

4. Queen Esther for giving us a female model of courage and integrity and the great line, "If I perish, I perish..."

5. The tearing of the Veil so that 2000 years later I can talk personally with God. 

Hi Constance!

I'm not sure who Queen Esther is or what the tearing of the Viel means, but you sure know how to make me giggle! When I read #3 and saw the word "computer", I immediately think high tech. So, before I finish reading the sentence, I'm wonder what kind of machine has a carriage that has paper that needs to be fed into it. Even with dot matrix we didn't exactly use that terminology (remember dot matrix?). I always say, if all else fails, read the directions or in this case, the whole thought. Then, the giggles. Yikes, carbon copies and white out! How cruel and uncivilized life used to be before the birth of computers. Oh, Yeah, I sure do remember those days!

     Hugs,     Julie

Julie, my first couple of jobs, I worked on a manual typewriter, where you'd literally "sling the carriage" for Return... Smith-Corona, Royal Underwood, Olympia.  When we heard about the IBM Selectric with the electric return and typing element ("ball") with different fonts, I could not imagine such a luxury.

Esther = the Bible story (read The Artella Daily Muse Heal Estate today, and follow the link to the Wikipedia article for more history).  In short, the Jews were going to die because they wouldn't bow to the king, and Esther, herself a Jew, agreed to approach the king to change his mind; she knew the chance that her plan would backfire, then decided, "If I perish, I perish" and did the right thing.  The Jewish holiday Purim celebrates the events that followed.

Veil = When Jesus died, Scripture says the veil in the Temple that separated the Holy of Holies (only the high priest was allowed in) was ripped from the top down; it's interpreted that being in the presence of God was no longer the privilege of men of a certain lineage (Levites, I think) nor only for those of scholarly religious learning or specific ritual cleansing (priests).

That's what I was taught, anyway!  cb

Hi Constance!

I went to a public all girls trade High School and had a double Major. The double major was business and academic. The business part had typing, stenography, and bookkeeping and the academic part would put me on a college bound course. We started learning on manual typewriters, but, in the last year we went to electrics.  After High School, I went to the typing pool and had a Selectric (so coooool and high tech, for the error). I was then promoted out of the typing pool into a Secretarial position with, guess what, a manual typewriter. My boss actually allowed me to pick out an electric model (I think it was an Olympia) before I left that postion. Oh, the good old days!  Nothing like carbon paper and blue/black fingers and whiteout. Actually, my company had yellow and blue file paper and the real sophisticated bosses would allow you to get blue-out and yellow-out!

Thanks for all of the information. I will certainly be reading that article in the Musepaper. I try not to let a day slip by with out my fix of the Daily Muse. It happens, but only occasionally!  I think just this week I missed the first part of the "Get In the Greeting Card Business" article. Boy, I was updset with myself (I just fell asleep and when I woke, it was after midnight and already the next Musepaper).

Thanks for the info on Purim. I was raised Catholic, but I go to the fitness center at the Jewish Community Center and they are having a Purim Festival. Now I know what the festival is celebrating. Passover will be here next month and I like to be an equal opportunity celebrater and thought I would make a Passover Greeting like I did for Easter. But, I don't know what a Passover Greeting would say. Do you? I was thinking about this this morning on my way home from the gym and just thought I would ask someone at the gym, but maybe you could help.

(We'll be drawing bunnies in the Drawing Forum for this challenge. 

Julie -- here's one sentiment you could use on a Passover card:  "Just want to wish you the peace and the pleasure of a Happy Passover.'

Passover celebrates the time in the history of the People of God when they were captive slaves in Egypt and God sent the Death Angel to cause every first-born son to die, so that the Egyptian ruler (Pharaoh) would let the People of God go.  The People of God were instructed to sacrifice an animal and paint their door frames with its blood.  God promised that the Death Angel would "pass over" homes where there was blood on the door frame, sparing the first-born sons in those houses. 

Hugs ~~ Aunt Bobby

 Today I AM so thankful to and for...

1. Bobby and Julie, sharing stories and facts that enrich my day already.  Bless you!

2. The blue skies, the pistachios & pomegranates & pine trees & alfalfa growing across the street (even in freezing winter nights and blistering summer days).

3. My wind chimes -- the gentle tones in a soft breeze, the raucous cacophony with swift winds.

4. A calm place to write and think and live. 

5. Mickey's lab work shows perfect thyroid levels (he's 12, on medications for a couple years now) and Georgie's seeing fine (the vet predicted when Georgie was a pup that he would soon be  blind; we give him eye drops daily).  -- Mickey's the chow/wolf, and Georgie's the Border Collie/German Shepherd.

6. My "Iceberg" rose made it through the winter!

 and...

7. I'm SO thankful that Bobby taught me how to insert the photos here!!!

Is that a purple martin house I see in the background? My father-in-law puts his up every year. How cool! Love your chow/wolf mix - we have a wolf mix (we call her a "wog" - wolf/dog, lol)

~copper cat

No, but I see what you mean -- !  My good friend Dianne has such a birdhouse in her yard, and it is gracious and inviting.  I love your "wog" !!  Mickey was road-find as a pup, wild and scared barkless of us all; the vet named his parentage -- we thought he was a grown shiba inu.  He has become such a great companion to me.  Different, that's for sure... There are some things about civilization he just never will understand!

You should have seen the look on Mickey's face when we brought Georgie home: his forehead wrinkled up and he looked at us in disbelief, like, "What on EARTH are you THINKING?"  Georgie is prettier in person than here; his ears are semi-prick, and his tail curls up and has fur 12 inches long on it!  They are such a lot of company.  cb

Today, Easter Sunday 2008, I AM grateful to and for...

1.  My husband, Paul, lover of animals and small children, with compassion for strangers with car trouble and victims of tyranny past and present.

2. My children, Brian, Kirsten, and Philip -- strong-willed, bright, articulate, angry at wrong, given to God, dedicated to their own children, filling unique space in the world.

3. My grandchildren -- unique, quick to laugh and make you laugh, sharp, applying themselves to school and learning, sensitive to others, loving to Grandma and Grampa.

4. Being a U.S. citizen at another Easter season with the freedom to worship (or not), work on my property (or not), meet with friends and colleagues (or not), publish what I believe (or not).

5. This bright beautiful day, and the unique technology that gives me the "real" temperature (71 F) and the "feels like" temperature (75, and how do they DO that?).

6. My son's first chuckle since his surgery, and the good proud feeling that I provided it.

7. My husband is bringing home a puppy! 

 How exciting about the puppy, Constance!  What a lovely thing to look forwards to - and also to help you celebrate the brilliant news about your son feeling better.  Happy Easter, Happy Spring, Happy Puppy!

KateSinging