I COULD USE SOME HELP ON THIS ONE.....PLEASE

"we must not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time."
T. S. Eliot

COULD IT BE TRUE?

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more...

It can turn a meal into a feast,
a house into a home,
a stranger into a friend.

It turns problems into gifts,
failures into successes,
the unexpected into perfect timing,
and mistakes into important events."

Melody Beattie

A NEW DAY

"The wonder of our Lord is that He is so accessible to us in the common things of our lives:

the cup of water...
breaking of the bread...
welcoming children into our arms...
fellowship over a meal...
giving thanks...

A simple attitude of caring, listening, and lovingly telling the truth."
Nancie Carmichael

WONDERING

Well, it's a lot like being in limbo....

Through the marvels of electronic wizardry we have stayed connected during the Thanksgiving holiday. I trust that all travelers are home safe and sound...and now...
we look ahead to the Christmas season.

However, even though I have begun preparation,...some decorating, some shopping and some baking...it seems a bit early to begin a "Christmas Series" on this humble blog.

So here's where we're going for the next week or so:

Many of the quotes and thoughts that I have shared in the past months have come from a little book that Debi and Mark gave me in 2004. And beginning today I am simply going to open it to today's date and "post" the thought found there; and then continue the same in the days ahead.

Some are quite brief....some a little longer.

Some may seem quite appropriate to the moment...others may be less so.

But it's going to be the "luck of the draw" so to speak, and what will be interesting will be to see how many speak very meaningfully to anyone or all of us on any given day.

So, here we go....November 27.

"We are made for God,
and nothing less will really satisfy us."
Brennan Manning

ps: plan to add a picture from time to time

A LINGERING THOUGHT

Turkey was delicious....the dressing just right, the gravy steamy hot, the melted masrshmellows atop the golden yams toasted and crunchy. Hot rolls dripping with butter and lots of whipped cream engulfing the perfectly seasoned pumpkin pie,etc. etc. etc.!

Fun and fellowship made the occasion really special....and then...The Kansas City Chiefs were victorious over the Denver Broncos. What a day!

And the best of it lingers on....

"Thanksgiving isn't just a holiday. It's an attitude, a way of life, and a disposition of heart.

Try putting on a fresh smile. Try speaking a cheerful word. Try spreading a good feeling. Try thanksgiving!" Turning Point magazine

A prayer for today:

"Thou hast given so much to me,

Give one thing more--a grateful heart;

Not thankful when it pleaseth me,

As if thy blessings had spare days,

But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise."

George Herbert

TFT: May Thanksgiving fill your heart every day of the year.

GIVING THANKS

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with thanksgiving.
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we
ourselves.

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His loving kindness is everlasting,
and His faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100 

GREETINGS

Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim are joining me in
wishing each of you a Blessed Thanksgiving.


I think she must be planning to make a lot of pumpkin pies!












For years these were always on Mom's kitchen table.

Love to all..... 

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

I have a special guest visiting me.

His name is Tom, and he has been
coming around this time of year for
almost 20 years.

You see,, he comes to my house
to hide out!
I call it the TPP. (Turkey Protection Program)


















If things go as usual, he'll be leaving again before the weekend is over.

I'm trusting all of you not to tell. 

REMEMBERING

A Thanksgiving Proclamation:
The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.

To these bounties, which ae so consstantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and provoke their aggresion, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore.

Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousnes of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel has devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.

They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nervertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solmnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverences and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

Abraham Lincoln
Issued in The Year of Our Lord 1863 

ONE MORE LOOK

These were taken before the frost. Thought
it would be nice to see one last splash of garden
color as we move to Holiday Time and the
excitement and beauty that it holds in store.

"You are a creation of God; unequaled anywhere in the universe...Thank Him for yourself and then for all the rest of His glorious handiwork."
Norman Vincent Peale



















Enjoy your weekend
Next week: Continuing to give thanks 

I CAN RELATE

I think that most everyone who will be reading this post will understand why it gave me a smile..actually a laugh out loud chuckle.

A Texas rancher, visiting a South Dakota farmer friend, asked him to show him his farm.

After seeing the 1000 acre spread, the Texan bragged that down home he could get into his car, drive all day, and by evening would still not have gotten to the distant point of his ranch.

The South Dakotan simply replied, "You know, I had a car like that once."

A week from today is Thanksgiving. I'm going to add having a dependable car on my list of things to be thankful for. :)

ps to Peggy: Is yours still fibbing to you?

RE: YESTERDAY'S CHALLENGE

Jennie and me.....
The Chihuly Exhibit at Botanical Gardens













The 17th Annual Risotto Cookoff at Milos

















"Make new friends and keep the old,
one is silver, the other gold."

Starting today, with God's help, I am going to seek ways to stir up the gift of friendship within me.
I will continue to pray that God will help me to become more tolerant, more compassionate, more accepting, more loving; and...

Today, I will begin by putting "good intentions" into action.

When an act of friendship comes to mind..a note written, a phone call made, a word of encouragement....just '"being there" ... I will "just do it".

"As your friend,
I appreciate your strengths,
I accept your weaknesses,
I do not wish to judge,
control, or change you."
Kim Anderson

FALLEN LEAVES

The cold grey sidewalk across the street
from my house has become a
pathway of vibrant fall color.
"The rare and beautiful experiences of divine revelation are moments of special gifts.
Each of us, however, lives each day with special gifts which are a part of our very being, and life is a process of discovering and developing these God-given gifts within each one of us."

God's Celebrating Grace







May each of us spend a portion of this day realizing and then consciously seeking to develop a special gift within us. It can make any "ordinary" day exciting! (reports on this experiment would be welcome : ) )

FROSTY MORNING

This was taken Sunday morning.
"God promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night! My life is God's prayer."
Psalm 42:8 The Message

EPILOUGE

Hopefully, beginning Monday, this blog will
return to it's original format.
However, as we approach the
winter, there will probably be
fewer pictures and perhpas more
"thoughts".
For this seems to
be the season for reflection.
As the days grow shorter, and cold
temperatures nip at our noses and
and fingertips, something
within us seems to beckon to "snuggle
in" and spend more moments in quiet
times with ourselves, our loved
ones and our God.
Once again the garden has a lesson
for us.
As it settles in for this time
of dormancy , unseen activity
will be taking place there. Silently ...
underground.
I planted about a hundred bulbs
this past week; and I will be watching
for them to break through the
cold, seemingly barren ground as
early as February.
" In the bulb there is a promise...."
(see archives -May 24)



















TFT: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

AND SO IT ENDS

I have saved the best part of my walks
on The Hill, whether it be early morning,
noonday, or evening....
The people.






Friendly faces.

















Some a little shy and choose to hide from the camera.












It's a grand place!














please scroll down... 

And so we say.....
"hi" and "bye" as this story of "Morning On The Hill" closes.












TFT: "Be the living expression of God's kindness;
kindness in your face,
kindness in your eyes,
kindness in your smile
kindness in your warm greetings.
We are all his instruments who do our little bit and pass by.
I believe the way in which an act of kindness is done
is as important as the action itself." Mother Teresa

THE END

Footnote: All the pictures in this epic were taken within a four block radius of my home between 6:00 and 8:00am on warm summer mornings. I have tried to illustrate with images and words what I called "the rhythm " of what takes place every morning in this place.

Except for one.

You see, the people and most all of the businesses on The Hill "keep the Ssbbath";
and but for the coming and going of worship, it is mostly very quiet on Sundays (the word "peaceful" comes to mind).
And that's just one more reason why I am so happy here.

Footnote II: Thanks for coming along, and if you think you'd like to move here....

well, I saved this one for last : )

HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

People have often ask me how i came to live on The Hill.
There is a series of events that preceded my move here, some involving not only where I was in my life journey, but also what was going on in the lives of other members of my family.
It is trackable, but takes quite a while to explain, as each detail is important to the whole.
So i have come to very respectfully reply, "It's a God thing", which, by the way, I believe with all my heart.
However I would like to allude to one very important part of the story
My home is directly across from the entrance to St. Ambrose School. This had a great deal to do with my decision, as I knew how very much I would enjoy seeing the children coming and going, and to hear them playing on the schoolyard.
I have not been disappointed; and as we begin to close down this summer adventure, what better experience to include than the sure sign that summer is drawing to an end....
The first day of school.











For some it is a true "Kodak moment", because it is literally their "first day of school".

And it seems to be a family affair.

It's all done in order as the morning parade on this narrow one way street passes by.












TFT: "Train up a child, in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Tomorrow: Saved the best for last 

PROUD TO BE AMERICAN

In the movie, "The Game of Their Lives", also called "The Miracle Match", we find the incredible story about the men behind one of the all-time greatest upsets in sports history.

Two weeks before the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, a ragtag group of recreational soccer players from St. Louis and New York were chosen to represent the U.S.A. In spite of conflicts - personal, cultural and playing styles - they had mere days to become a team.

And then they had to play the British, the best team in the world. Inspired by a new found belief in the team, their passion and talent turned into pure magic on the field - and the unthinkable happened. ***

This strength and courage came from deep inside, and the spark that kindled this flame was the pride they all felt in representing their country, The United States of America!

Much of this film was shot on The Hill as 5 of the players on this soccer team were from this neighborhood. The opening dialouge of the movie jumped out at me as truly describing the "feel" of this place. As the camera pans some recognizable and significant "landmarks" of The Hill, the accompanying script puts it this way.

"The Hill, settled by Italian immigrants around the turn of the century, is an area of about 20 square blocks. A tightly knit, self contained enclave, their world revolved around hard work, family, and food. Bocce ball, baseball,...the church...and soccer!"

Yes, this place is awash with red, white and green.



But also with red, white and blue.
Many homes proudly display "Old Glory", and she waves daily in front of St. Ambrose School.
















I do so enjoy watching the older students raising her each morning and lowering her each afternoon; carefully handling and making certain she doesn't touch the ground!

And if it begins to rain, they come out and take her down.

In this day when so many of our nations flags are often displayed with wavering respect, it means much to me to witness the "tradition" that I grew up with.

TFT: Let's never forget how blessed we are to live in this country. Don't forget to vote...people gave their lives in order for us to enjoy that privilege!

Tomorrow: More about the school's part in this story.

***Fron the jacket cover of the movie, "The Miracle Match"

HEADING HOME

Our walk is almost over as
we head home to begin the
activities of a new day.
This week we will look at
a few final pictures and
share a few final thoughts
concerning "Morning On The Hill".

Did I mention....

This ia an Italian neighborhood : ) ?



















Besides the banners and the flags, check out the sidewalk and the fire hydrants!

Bragging rights.














Tomorrow: Being Italian is not all these folks are proud of.

TFT: "Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we will carry nothing out.
1 Timothy 6: 6-7 

MORNING COFFEE ON THE HILL

There seems to be as many ways to
enjoy that early morning coffee as
there are folks who partake.
You can stop by Shaw's Coffee and...
drink it there

















with a friend,
(these two were there every morning that my walk took me up to Shaw Avenue)















or you can enjoy a few moments of solitude before beginning a busy day.

















please scroll down...

You can take it with you...
to work,
















































or you can take it home.

I think "the story" of this picture is pretty obvious. : )
Check it out: "His & Her" coffees, a little brown sack which we know holds something sweet and yummy.
And the morning paper. (the one in his hand)
He does look happy, doesn't he? Life Is Good!












please scroll down...