Giving Thanks

AT  0 degrees with howling winds making it seem more like -20 something I thought it would be a great day to chat with my coffee friends.  I slept late this morning.  The sound of the wind did not encourage me to rise and shine.  I think it is one of those days when the jet stream is right over us.  The wind sounds like a freight train.  We have an inch or so of snow.  A little snow here, a drift there, none in that spot - all depends on where the wind wants to place it on this day.  The little birds are trying to eat and the wind is blowing them around.  They are landing on the ground to get the food that is blowing out of the feeders. Also we have so many birds this morning there is not room at the feeders for all of them at the same time.  I have four regular bird feeders, a suet feeder, a sunflower seed feeder and two thistle seed feeders.  No one wants thistle seeds today.  They also have a heated water bowl and they are drinking from that.   I would guess at about 50 birds this morning.  The most birds we have had all winter.  Of course, it has been a mild winter for Boone.  We are thankful after the harshness of the past two winters.  One of my friends got me a subscription to Birds and Bloom.  What a wonderful magazine.  I highly recommend it if you love birds.

Hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa was good to you.  He was exceptionally good to us this year.  After 38 years of owing a campground we (including the Bank of the West) now own a 2005 25ft motorhome.  Needless to say we are looking forward to some Florida time this winter.  Gee, I can have coffee with you all from Florida.  Technology is wonderful even if my phone is not smart and I do not have an ipad :).  I am the official driver of the mh - look out!!  It will be the first time I have done somethng like this so it will be a learning experience.  Quiet comical I would venture to guess.  One of my sister's says I am to write a travel log for her to read.  I wrote a couple of past adventures into logs and she has kept them for years.  She gets them out to read whenever she needs a laugh.  Be back in a minute, time to heat up the coffee and get some more of that real cream half & half.

Ok I am back with a steaming cup of well creamed coffee.  Also, a half of a banana.  I have not had breakfast yet.  I think I will have oatmeal this morning - seems like a good thing to do on such a cold morning.   I like to put bananas, yogurt, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon in my oatmeal.  My sister likes to put peanut butter in hers for added protein.  I tried that and it is good.  Have you ever had peanut butter on you pancakes?  That is really good.  A great way to get a little extra protein if you are a vegeterian - of which I am not although I do think about it.  Bob likes meat so we usually have meat around and I eat it.  Of course I like food in general.

Did you all make a New Year's resolution?  I did - one that I can keep.  Mine is to be thank  God every day for life's blessings and to make a list of things I am thankful for each day.  By the end of the year my list should be very long.  Do you ever think of some of the things you are Thankful for?  Let's see to name just a few - I am thankful for Bob, Family (Just listing names would make for a very long list), Friends (another long list by names and you are on it), Boone KOA, Sigmund (our golden retriever), Health, Birds. Bird Food, snow, trees, wind, rain, sunshine, and the list goes own and own. I am especially thankful for each morning I wake up to another wonderful day.  Yes, this will be an easy resolution to keep.  Well, my stomach is hungry and you are probably tired of reading so its off to a bowl of oatmeal.  Take care of yourselves....your friend....Joann