Gina Rae Mitchell

Happy Thanksgiving 2021 Friday Finds

Today’s Friday Finds is a list of some of the things I am most thankful for in my life today. It goes without saying that I’m appreciative of my family, friends, and health.

 

Books

Books have brought me joy from the time I was a little girl. When life was difficult, as it frequently was in my early years, I found escape in the books I read. They could take me away from the disharmony, fussing, fighting, and feuding that made up a large portion of my youth. Once I moved in with my Aunt, I lived just a block from the public library. It became my haven. To this day, when there is a bit of turmoil in my life, it helps me to bury myself in a book.

Food

One of my greatest joys in life is to gather friends and family together for a special meal. I find it incredibly rewarding to prepare favorite foods for each person in my life. Everyone has a particular favorite dish that I serve for their birthday meal. Whether it’s lasagna, fried chicken, or no-bake chocolate cookies, I love seeing a face light up when I bring out that special dish that they know I made with thoughts of them in my heart.

Crafts

My crafty obsessions have changed many times over the years. The first craft I learned was embroidery. I used to walk up to the local Five & Dime store to spend hours perusing the brilliant colors of thread and cute little project patterns available. Next, I learned knitting which I promptly put aside after that first pair of 4-H slippers for about 50 years. When I was first married, my mother-in-law taught me to crochet. This one never really clicked with me, although I can manage the basics well enough. My last obsession was weaving. I believe this is the craft for me. I find it incredibly soothing to slowly build fabric by weaving row after row. I’ve dabbled in many forms of wearing from bead weaving to pin loom weaving. I enjoy all of them but always return to my favorite rigid-heddle looms.

Blogging

I feel like I’ve found my people in the blogging world. I’ve made so many friends here from other bloggers to authors to the people who read my words day after day. Each and every one of them, you included, means the world to me. A simple comment on a blog post brightens my day and brings a smile to my face. Blogging has given me the opportunity to combine all my many hobbies into one website where I hope every visitor finds something to entertain them.

The Farm

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how blessed I feel to live the life I have. We no longer work our own farm ground, we hire that out. But, we make wonderful use of our homestead. Tom is an extraordinary gardener. That is his spring to fall outdoor love. My part of that is to cook and preserve what he grows so we can enjoy that homegrown taste all winter long. While the barn is still used for storing all the farm necessities, it has become our family’s party central. We love to fill it with laughter, food, and goodwill every chance we get. Summers are quite fun with grandkids (and the big kids) swimming, running through the yards, walking in the woods, and learning everything their PopPop & Nana have to teach them while we still have the chance.

 

That wraps up my little gratitude post for Thanksgiving 2021. I hope you will continue to join me on my journey. Tell me, what are you most grateful for this year?

Peace & Love

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