30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 10 - Pets

Today I'm thankful for the pets that the Lord has blessed us with over the years. We've never had to go looking for one. They've always just come to us. Every dog we've ever had was either a stray that just showed up or had been abandoned and adopted (by us) or given to us by someone else. The same with every cat and just about every other animal that we've ever had, too. 

Our good ol' Shep died last year and we still miss him. He was full grown when he came to us and we had him for over 17 years.

Shep

At present we're down to two animals...our 18-year-old cat, Stripes. He came to us as a kitten out at the farm. He's old and feeble now, but is still lovable and very much a part of daily life. 

Stripes

And, then, there's Clementine...the Chilean rose-hair tarantula that we adopted when our friends left to go back to Brazil. 

Miss Clementine

We've only had her for a few months, but we love Clementine. For a spider, she is pretty cool and the grandchildren are crazy about her! They love watching her and are always quick to search out crickets to feed her for supper. 💗

Here is a list of a few of the many animals that the Lord has blessed us with over the years and for which I am (we are) very thankful for...

- Frisky - my first dog
- Smokey - my first cat...actually I think there was Smokey 1, Smokey 2, Smokey 3, and Smokey 4...they all looked alike...pretty blue-gray kittens that my dad would bring home from the stove foundry where he worked...something would happen to one and he'd bring me home another...he kept me in a constant supply until he quit the foundry to start his own business at home.💗
- Smiley - another stray...a dog...this one chewed bubble gum!
- Brownie - my "sister"; I had that dog from the time I was 7 until I was 21 and we did EVERYTHING together...she slept with me, I trained her to ride my bicycle, she'd let me dress her up in baby clothes, she went on vacation to Minnesota with us, she'd go out on the lake in the boat fishing with us, and she loved peanut butter kisses and pineapple malts.
- Blackie - Technically, this was my dad's dog, but he was the best hunter and the best guard dog EVER!
- Apollonia - my favorite chicken
- Vanity - my big red doberman...which I loved to pieces! 
-Duffy - my puppy (Blackie was his dad and our neighbor's dog, Punkie, was his mother); he was so sweet!
- Clemenza - my hamster
- Shana - the cRaZy cat of my youth
- Kibbles - my rescued piglet
- Snowball - my oldest daughter's first doggy
- Sparky- the sweet little dog that my mother- and father-in-law game to my oldest daughter. 
- Charlie - our beautiful, golden cocker spaniel. He had been abandoned by neighbors and we took him in. He was the BEST dog EVER! Beautiful! Regal! Prince Charles...the Crown Prince of Tails!
- Mama Cat and her three kittens (also knows as 'the Harmonicats'...they, literally, liked to sing with my cousin's harmonica playing), Clarence B. Tomcat (my beautiful Clare-ba-dee), Catfish (the flat-headed, cross-eyed cat that stuck around for over two decades), and their dainty little sister, Smokey
- Frisco and Felicia - lovebirds
- Clementine (Clemmy) - our son's hamster
...and the list goes on and on...sooo many beloved animals brought into our lives...some for short time...other's longer...but all loved and valued as part of our family. 

Until next time,

~Rebecca

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30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 9 - Church Family

Today I'm thankful for my church family...not only those that are here and serving along side us today, but those that have been there at different stages throughout my lifetime. Although many of them have passed on to glory now, and I've lost touch with most of the rest of them, they remain forever in my heart as dear friends and church family. I am especially thankful for the few who took the time to serve as good examples and be mentors to myself and my family.

Until next time,

~Rebecca

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Over the years we've made a lot of friends and I am thankful for all of them and treasure each one, but there are a handful of friends that I consider forever friends...special friends, given by God, that, no doubt, will be friends throughout eternity. 

My oldest and dearest  friends in this category I first became acquainted with back in 1966. One I met when our dads got together to play guitars (that one would be my husband, John) and the other was born to me (that is my cousin, Dave). 

John and I

Dave and I Back in the Day

Next is my friend, Dorothy. We met in fifth grade and have been together ever since (and you would not BELIEVE some of the stuff we have been through together)! And after all these years we're still havin' fun and being crazy! 

Dorothy and I @ the Frampton Concert in July of 2018

Then, there are the others...the God-ordained, more-than-friends, more-like-family friends that have came into our lives and, despite all of life's crazy ups and downs, have managed to stay and remain constant. This includes my BFFF, me broother and sister-in-law, a couple of crazy Brazilians, and a handful of others. 

Me Broother and Sister-in-Law and I

John and I and Those Crazy (But Lovable) Brazilians

For all of these (and every other friend that God has brought into my life) I am truly thankful! 💗

Until next time,

~Rebecca

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Making Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Butter

On the 31st of OctoberI carved a pumpkin to put out
front. Instead of putting a lit candle inside, like I normally
do, I decided, instead, to light the jack-o-lantern with
battery-operated tea lights.

On November 1st, not being able to bear the thought of letting all that fresh pumpkin go to waste, I chopped it in half and put it in a metal pan, face-side up.

Next I covered both halves with aluminum foil and roasted the pumpkin in a 325 degree oven for an hour and a half.

After it was nice and tender, I removed the foil and
allowed the pumpkin to cool. Then, I cut the pumpkin
into pieces, peeled away the skin, and put the
pieces in the food processor.

I processed the pumpkin until it turned into a
nice, smooth, creamy puree.

Next, I measured the puree out into batches, added brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, and spices and let the sweet and sticky mixture simmer on low until thick.

After that, I ladled the pumpkin butter into jars. After capping with new lids and caps, I put the jars into a boiling, hot-water bath and processed them for approximately 20 minutes.

Out of that one throw-away pumpkin, I got a total of 6-pints
of delicious pumpkin butter. I had never made it before,
but am very pleased with the results. I'm in hopes of
finding a pumpkin or two on mark-down so as to make a few more jars of pumpkin butter before the season is over!

PUMPKIN BUTTER

2 cups pumpkin puree

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon cloves or more to taste

Combine all ingredients in a heavy-duty saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low and allow mixture to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until as thick as desired. Serve fresh on biscuits, bread, or toast or ladle into jars, cap, and process in a hot-water bath for 20 minutes.

Until next time,

~Rebecca

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Written in 2011...

"She sits at my kitchen table drinking tea and folding tracts...all by herself. I am busy with other things...other people. When I finally make it to the kitchen table, not only has she fixed her own cup of tea, but mine, as well. She's made herself at home and she's comfortable. She's my friend. Not just any friend, but my faith-filled friend. She's the one who prays with me, prays for me, shares my heart, and can read my mind...even when I seem to have lost it. We've been through a lot together in days of late and for her I am extremely thankful!"

Other than the fact that life is pulling us in too many different directions to get together now as often as we'd like to, nothing's changed. 💗

Until next time,

~Rebecca

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Today I am thankful for the right (and responsibility) to vote! What a blessing and a privilege it is to live in the United States of America...a country with such a rich and godly heritage! A nation where we are free to choose our leaders, make our voices heard, and be part of the decision-making process! 

Don't forget to cast your ballot in today's mid-term election!

Until next time,

~Rebecca

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