It's Cherry Time!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

It's cherry picking time in the Yakima Valley.

A total of 7 children and adults plus our tour guide Mr. T. visited a local fruit ranch to pick not-quite-full containers of fresh ripe delectable cherries.

Not only did we have fun traipsing through the cherry trees and orchard rows, the young fruit pickers learned several new things.

Picking cherries is harder than it looks.

It's takes lots of cherries to fill even tiny buckets. Lots.

It's more fun to visit and play than pick cherries.

Don't use the port-o-potties (as advised by Mr. T.).

It was a great outing. Plus I have a big bowl of the yummiest cherries just waiting to be gobbled up.

Fresh and raw, pitted and baked. Any way, any time.

Cherry season!



 

Thankful Thursday Brought to You By the Letter Ww

Today's Thankful Thursday is brought to you by the letter Ww!

Things for which I am thankful that begin with Ww:

~ WATER - Please, Lord, we need water to put out fires and refill our water table!

~ world, what a wonderful place to live

~ watermelon

~ waves breaking on the beach

~ waterfalls

~ walking

~ waking up

~ wonderings

~ wilderness areas

~ Water, the Living

~ wascally wabbits

~ wiggles

~ worms

~ wagons

~ wild animals and wild children

~ wading

~ waltzing, if only the tall husband and the short wife could meet and not tangle when they attempted to waltz

~ wife, one of the hats I love to wear

~ wings (on birds and costumes for children, not on me)

~ wagging tails

~ walls to keep out too much heat and too much cold

~ wages for work

~ Washington, the state

~ weather (especially snow, rain, and wind)

~ whales

~ wheat

~ worship of the One True God

~ writing

Wow! What a list of Ww things for which to be thankful. Can you think of anything else?


Shameless Plug (This begins with Ww, so I thought that applied to this post. ;)

Now is the time to order World Hunger 101, World Hunger Event Promotion Pack (E113103, $9.99).

I wrote the information for this hunger experience. October is Global Hunger Relief Month. You can use World Hunger 101 in small or large groups of people to help them gain a deeper understanding about world hunger. Ideas are also suggested for younger participants. Available in Spanish and English.

Visit www.wmustore.com or call 1-800-968-7301 to order. This item can be immediately downloaded by ordering through the website. Thank you!

Thankful Thursday Brought to You by the Letter Tt

Thankful Thursday is brought to you by the letter Tt, a most important letter (as are all of the other 25 in the English alphabet).

Things for which I am thankful that begin with the letter Tt:

~ tea

~ TJ (my sister, who may be slightly crazy, but we are related after all)

~ travel

~ trails (I do love to hike)

~ tales (I am a writer, how could I not be thankful for tales?)

~ tails on dogs, for they wag when they are glad to see you, and on cats, for those tails tell you what to expect - claws or loves

~ tacos, the spicier the better

~ thankful people - Is it not wonderful to hear others express thanks instead of complaints?

~ trees, oh, I love trees

~ teachers

~ tongues for tasting

~ teeth for chomping and talking

~ Taylor - my baby!

~ Testament, both the Old and the New

~ Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

~ tape to hold things together

~ toes to wiggle in the sand and water


Many terribly terrific things begin with Tt. What Tt things are you thankful for?

Thankful Thursday Brought to You By the Letter Pp

Ah-ha! Another Thankful Thursday is upon us. Can you guess where I found the p in the above photo? Don't peek! After you make a guess, scroll down to see the photo at the bottom.

Today's Thankful Thursday is brought to you by the letter Pp.

Some things that begin with the letter Pp for which I am thankful:

~ pepperoni

~ people

~ pepper

~ puppies

~ pumpkins (and all things pumpkin - bread, seeds, pie, soup, jack-o-lanterns)

~ princess girls (like my Khloe)

~ prince boys (like my Hayden, Donavyn, and Gage)

~ ponies

~ prizes

~ prayer

~ presents

~ pizza

~ popcorn at the movies

~ pictures

~ photography

~ peanut butter

~ peas

~ pennies

~ playing

~ Pacific Ocean

~ painting

~ PARIS

~ pen and paper

~ pants (and panties)

~ parents

~ passport - that means I can travel

~ pastries

~ pastures of horses

~ pork (I love bacon)

~ pay day

~ pine trees

~ porches

~ Praising Him

~ preacher (my honey)


Do you know how many words begin with Pp? Whoa.

I'd love to hear something for which you are thankful for. Oh, and how about if it begins with Pp.

Thankful Thursday Brought to You by the Letter Oo

Thankful Thursday is brought to you today by the letter Oo.

Ooooooh. I may have a hard time with this one!

Things for which I am thankful that begin with the letter Oo:

~ octopus (too cool)

~ otters

~ oak trees

~ oatmeal, especially in cookies and muesli

~ oboe music

~ obvious answers - this really helps me

~ ocean

~ occupation, mine as a writer and a Nana

~ olives

~ old-fashioned stuff

~ omelets

~ once upon a time stories

~ open air

~ orchards

~ oxygen


Now, that wasn't too bad. Can you think of anything else that begins with Oo for which you are thankful?

Thankful Thursday Brought to You By the Letter Nn

On today, Thankful Thursday, here is a list of things for which I am thankful that begin with the letter Nn.

I do believe that Nn is a nice letter, but difficult to use at the beginning of words. Let's try anyway, shall we?

Nn:

~ nuts, especially pecans and cashews

~ nice people

~ news, good news

~ News, THE Good News

~ night, which is perfect for sleeping

~ nap time (for myself or the grands or the snuggly kitties)

~ north - I love going north and thinking of things that exist to the north of me

~ nature

~ Nativity - Baby Jesus

~ neck - to hold up my head

~ nectarines

~ neighbors

~ numbers

~ nests

~ new stuff

~ night hawks

~ nose, all the better to smell you with, my dear (and chocolate and coffee)

~ nutrition

~ nurses to care for the sick


Now it's your turn. Can you think of something for which you are thankful that begins with Nn?

Nice job.

Thankful Thursday ~ Brought to You By the Letter Mm

Today is Thankful Thursday.

Being thankful today is brought to you by the letter Mm.

Here are a few things for which I am magnificently thankful:

~ moms

~ Messiah

~ money (it does help us purchase necessities)

~ mud (to play in)

~ Mabel and Monet (the gray kitties)

~ mountains

~ my Mazda - it gets great gas mileage

~ mahi mahi

~ machines that help us

~ magpies and meadowlarks

~ mail (real, not junk or bills)

~ my man

~ manger (the, where Jesus was born)

~ maple trees

~ maple syrup

~ markets, especially produce and antiques

~ marriage with my man

~ massage, and oh, and I needing one on my neck

~ melodies & music

~ merry making

~ mind (all the better to think about you, my dear)

~ mittens

~ motorcycle (we love the Honda Shadow - it's our hobby as a couple)


How about you? Mm is a marvelous letter for thankful thinking.

Thankful Thursday (on Friday) Brought to You by the Letter Ll

Today we are going to celebrate Thankful Thursday - though it be Friday. LOL

Happy Friday!

Here are some things beginning with the letter Ll for which I am thankful:

~ love

~ LORD

~ languages

~ laughter

~ lollipops that turn your tongue bright colors

~ linguini with lots of parmesan

~ leisurely walks

~ lounging fireside

~ lover (my best friend and husband)

~ lemons and limes

~ ladybugs

~ luggage arriving when I do

~ land

~ landscaping

~ lavender in any form

~ legs for walking, dancing, and leaping (though I be mostly doing the walking and occasional dancing)

~ leather saddles, shoes, and the accompanying smells and creaks

~ Liberty

~ lilac, my absolute favorite spring flower

~ LIFE

~ light - it's so much easier to do things when one can see what is being done

~ literacy

~ Louvre (The, in Paris)

~ losing weight

~ lunch

~ lyrics, amusing, thought-provoking, clever, sentimental

How about you? Could you leave me a short list of things for which you are thankful?

Thankful Thursday - Brought to You By the Letter Kk

It's Thankful Thursday!

I'd just like to know how it came to be Thursday already again? The days are just kicking by faster and faster.


Brought to you by the letter Kk, here are some things for which I am thankful:

~ King of kings

~ kids

~ kisses (especially those open-mouthed ones from babies who are just learning the art of slobbering)

~ kangaroos

~ kiwis and kale

~ kites that work

~ kittens

~ knitted stuff

~ KEVIN, my honey

~ kindergarteners - How can you not love this age?

~ kind people

~ kaleidoscopes

~ kilts

~ killdeer and kingfishers, both abundant in our area

~ kinsfolk

~ knees, all the better to bend and walk

~ knights (chivalry is not dead, is it?)

~ kooky antics



What kind of Kk things can you think of?


Keeping it real, friends.

Thankful Thursday - Brought to You By the Letter Gg

I am amazed (and not thankful) for the poor quality of certain letters when they are cropped from words and enlarged! So sorry for the ick factor.

Today, brought to you by the letter Gg, things for which I am thankful. I challenge you to make your own list. A thankful heart is a happy heart.

~ God (bet you saw that one coming)

~ girlfriends

~ gardens

~ green

~ groceries

~ gardenia

~ grils (what my grands call girls)

~ grapes

~ grilled vegetables and meat

~ grasses

~ grazing horses

~ Galaxy (ours is pretty gorgeous)

~ gables (on a roof)

~ gauze and gossamer fabric (cool for menopausal women)

~ gecko (cute, aren't they? Though one did drop from the ceiling onto our table once while we were at a luau)

~ giggles

~ gingerbread

~ gas water (sparkling)

~ Glasgow (Scotland, a place I want to visit)

~ going (places)

~ Golgotha (for the hope it brings)

~ giving

~ Gospel (Good News)

~ grandma (= Nana)

~ guitar music

~ guinea pigs (adorable)

~ Gypsy (our border collie, formerly named Maggie, who went to live with the dancing lady)

~ Glory


gravity, gregarious, graduation, gravy, grapevine, Grand Canyon, grandfather

Glorious glut of great Gg words.

Thankful Thursday - Thankful for Things Beginning with the Letter F

Friends, let's not forget thinking about things that begin with the letter F for which we are thankful.

~ friends

~ Father, as in God the Father

~ father - my dad

~ France (and all things French)

~ French fries (with ketchup or fry sauce)

~ fish (both alive for viewing and tasty for eating)

~ fresh flowers

~ feet (to go walking)

~ faith

~ freedom

~ February

~ fingers, oh, for so many reasons

~ fancy - events, foods, fun times

~ fun

~ forgiveness

~ fall (the season)

~ falling leaves

~ falls of water

~ fried eggs (plus bacon plus grits)

~ foxes, falcons, finches

~ FAMILY

~ ferns

~ FANS (menopausal cooling devices)

~ fireplaces

~ footpaths through forests

~ fudge

~ forget-me-nots


This female Quantrell frequently finagles fudgy treats from her fantastic spouse. Should you find other fabulous F words, comment below so we may all not forget to be thankful.

Thankful Through the Alphabet - Starting with the Letter A - Thankful Thursday

How about if we start a new Thursday tradition? Not just Throwback Thursday (which I always forget to do) but Thankful Thursday?

I got this idea from Robin Lee Hatcher, a writer and blogger I follow at www.robinleehatcher.com. She recently blogged A through K in thankful thoughts. I decided to take my time meandering through the alphabet. For one, I can really focus on each letter. For two, I will have more time to find cool letters to photograph for the blog shot.

Ready or not, here we go.

Thankful Thursday - A

I am thankful for

apples

arches (especially ones in the garden)

arachnids (only outside ones, and none on me - they do eat lots of other pests)

art

antiques

America

aardvarks (someone has to be thankful that they eat ants)

animals

arms (all the better to hug)

artichokes (the soup, as in creamed, oh, so good)

age (I've worked hard to get this old)


Did you think of something beginning with A for which you are thankful? Next Thursday, we are on to the next letter.

Angie Quantrell loves making lists, especially of things for which she is thankful.

A Month of Thanks - November 27 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks-for-giving.

That's what our son used to call Thanksgiving. Thanks-for-giving is the perfect rendition of what Thanksgiving is all about. Giving thanks. For what we have received. From God the Father, Who knows and loves us. He provides everything we need.

a place to put down our heads at night
food on our table
clothes on our backs
transportation
jobs
income
heat and cooling, as needed by season
love
family
friends
faith

Though not necessary, He also provides hobbies, opportunities for recreation, free time.

Necessary, but still a choice, He gives us chances to worship, fellowship, pray, and study His Word. He gave us the best gift ever, His Son, Jesus.

What else could we want or need?

I know. I am guilty of wanting more. But I have exactly what I need. It is contentment that I should be requesting through prayer. Contentment and peace for each day.

Today, November 26, I am thankful for Thanksgiving.

For Thanksgiving allows me pause to stop, reflect, and give sincere thanks. For without giving thanks, how can I truly enjoy that which I have been freely given?

Happy (peace-contentment-thanks-joy-love filled) Thanksgiving!