Merry Christmas!

Dear Readers, I pray that you are enjoying a wonderful holiday season. You all have been such an amazing part of my life this last year and I appreciate your readership.

I will be taking next week off as I prepare for 2012. I'm anxious to see what the new year has in store for my readers!

With Christ's Blessings!
Tamara

Black Friday

Black Friday arrived in shades of gray while I was snuggled in bed with Scamp, Dad's dog. I refuse to do the Black Friday shopping thing!

Today I am thankful for:

• a day to get stuff done
• a tiny kitten to visit and love on
• my amazing family
• words for my novel flowing easily today

Enjoy Black Friday whatever you are doing!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I would like to thank all the readers who participated in my book giveaway. I enjoyed reading about the gifts in your life. I'm sorry I couldn't give all the participants a copy of the book.

Now to congratulate the two winners:

Lisa from That's What She Said

and

Karina from Siestas and Cupcakes

Lisa and Karina, I have sent emails to you both to get your mailing information.

Congratulations and Happy Reading!

1,000 Gifts - Final Day for the Book Giveaway!

Don't forget to get your comments in for the giveaway of Ann Voskamp's 1,000 Gifts! Comment on this post or any of the posts this week and you are entered in the drawing :o)

Today my gifts include:

• sunny, cool fall days
• my heavenly Father's love
• answered prayers
• support and encouragement as I pursue my dreams
• a soft kitty cat purr
• an afternoon off

What gifts are you thankfully for today?

1,000 Gifts

One of my readers posted yesterday about a "movement of thankfulness" and I love that idea. I've seen it growing on Facebook and Twitter as more people are publicly proclaiming the gifts in their life! I didn't start the movement, but I'm thrilled to be a part of it because I have been so blessed.

I've lost count of where I am, but today I'm thankful for:

• being a part of the ACFW and getting to meet some great folks on Saturday
• the great seminar I went to on Saturday with fabulous teaching by Angela Elwell Hunt
• the mild fall weather we are having right now
• the forgiveness of my heavenly father even when I'm at my worst....let's just say that when the green-eyed monster and I had a tea party recently God gently brought me to my knees and then forgave me. I am thankful that He doesn't keep count of the times He has to forgive me.
• that my family, friends, and coworkers allow me to be a little wacky occasionally, okay, a lot

What are you thankful for today?

Don't forget to share the giveaway with your friends!

GIVEAWAY! - 1,000 Gifts Continues

Numbering my gifts – my blog readers are definitely a gift for which I am thankful.


When I started thinking about November for my blog I knew I wanted to do another month of Thanksgiving. I have done this in the past and have been blessed by the slowing down of writing posts to focus on the things in my life that I have to be grateful for.

In September this year I began reading a book called 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. While I haven’t finished yet, I have been thrilled by this little book. Ann writes in Chapter 3 how she came to understand the meaning of the word eucharist.

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them. ~Luke 22:19 (NIV)

Ann references this verse and the fact that in the original language “he gave thanks” reads eucharisto. Her study of this word showed:

Charis means grace

Eucharisto means thanksgiving

Chara means joy

She writes:

“So then as long as thanks is possible…I this through. As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible. Whenever, meaning – now; wherever, meaning - here. The holy grail of joy is not in some exotic location or some emotional mountain peak experience. The joy wonder could be here! Here, in the messy, piercing ache of now, joy might be – unbelievably – possible! The only place we need see before we die is this place of seeing God, here and now.”

It was after this revelation in her life that Ann began numbering her gifts. It is because of this beautiful little book that I have begun counting the gifts in my life and this became the theme for my November Thanksgiving posts.

I know I won’t reach 1,000 gifts here on the blog by the end of the month, but I know my life is so full of the little gifts were I to count them all they would number way more than 1,000. I am learning to see God, here and now. My life is full of grace, thanksgiving, and joy.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

 I want to share this book with my readers and was planning to give away a copy to one of my readers, but then Saturday I was blessed with a second copy so now I have TWO copies to give away and I am excited to share this little gift with you, my reader!

Here’s how you can be entered to win a copy of this book:

1. Leave a comment below sharing some of your gifts.

2. If you have a Facebook page, please use the FB button below to post to your profile page abd share with your friends to let them get in on the giveaway. If you do this, come back and leave a comment and you will get another entry into the drawing.

3. If you have a Twitter account, please use the Twitter button below to tweet this to your followers and when you do, come back and leave a comment for another entry into the drawing.



The giveaway will close at midnight (MDT) and I will do a random drawing over the weekend and announce the two winners.

1000 Gifts

One of the things I am very grateful for is the number of fellow writers who have come alongside of me as I pursue using my words for God. In the last year I have become involved with a local critique group and they continue to inspire and encourage me.

We meet a couple times a month to read each other's work and offer suggestions and encouragement. While it's sometimes hard to hear critiques of what Stephen King refers to as our darlings, critiquing is an important aspect of the writing process.

During our meeting one person reads another person's submission aloud while the group makes notes on the manuscript. Then we use the sandwich method - start with something good about it, talk about things that need work or might need to be changed, finish with a second dose of something good.

We move around the table until every one's work has been critiqued.

One aspect that has really appealed to me is hearing someone else read my words. Not because I'm such a spotlight hogger (although sometimes that's the case) but because having someone else read it reveals areas with the wording is awkward or doesn't make sense. As a writer I want to keep my reader immersed in the story and if the wording confuses them and they have to stop and think they get bumped out of it. This isn't a good thing.

The other aspect of reading aloud is hearing other's put voice to my characters. It is enlightening to witness how they perceive the people in my story by the volume and tenor they use to "be the person." Sometimes I listen and think, "They understand this character." Other times I think that's not the way I "heard" them. I actually learn things about my story as the folks who have lived only in my mind thus far come alive in the reader. It's a very cool thing.

Today I am thankful for the peeps in my little critique group. And, if you are a writer without a crit group, I highly recommend one!

Also, don't forget to come back next week for the give way! More details to come.

1,000 Gifts Week 2

16. 4 years ago today we laid my mother to rest. It was a sad day, but today I am thankful for 42 amazing years with her.

17. pre-lit Christmas trees....yes, I have my tree up...no ornaments yet, but the lights are pretty

18. an interesting and intriguing book that came in the mail unexpected

19. a job that I enjoy going to even on a Monday morning

20. my readers... the mountaineers who return to see the abundance of God in the life of an ordinary girl

Dear Readers, I love to read your comments and invite you to join me on this journey of numbering the gifts in our lives. This theme was inspired by the book 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. This book has inspired me so much that I want to share it with you all.

So, for the first time EVER I will be doing a Give Away here on the mountain. More details to come this week. The give away will run next week and at the end of the week I will choose one reader to receive a hard back copy of the book!

I've been the lucky recipient of give aways on blogs and am I so excited to be able to bless one of my readers!

1,000 Gifts

10. yesterdays Wordless Wednesday is one of my gifts...that's Mr. Magoo. He's my niece's kitty. It was this sweet little guy that convinced me I needed a kitty boy of my own.

11. a beautiful covering of snow yesterday morning that brings moisture to the earth

12. the amazing scenery of this semi-arid land I live in

13. peaceful evenings at home

14. a wonderful group of women who share my passion to spread encouragement through written words

15. my trusty Sheriff Woody (also known as an SUV) with his all-wheel-drive to handle snowy, icy mornings

"To fully live - to live full of grace and joy and all that is beauty eternal. It is possible, wildly. I now see and testify. So this story - my story. A dare to an emptier, fuller life." ~Ann Voskamp in 1,000 Gifts

1,000 Gifts

1. Any list of gifts has to start with being loved by my Sweet Savior

2. Family always ranks top of my list - I grew up with incredible parents and 3 amazing siblings

3. My Wilson - you knew that one was coming, didn't you!?!

4. I am healthy

5. I have a job

6. And a place to call home

7. Incredible friends

8. A brilliant moon in the sky to light the night - last night it was beautiful

9. Today is Election Day - I'm grateful to live in a country where I can vote

1,000 Gifts - November is a Month for Thanksgiving

October has slipped by and November has arrived on a breath of wind. Harvest has been accomplished and the world is settling in for winter.


November is a time for thankfulness as we remember all that we have. It is an acknowledging of that hard first year as the pilgrims started their life again in this new country.

For the past 2 years I have devoted November to gratitude here on the mountain. This year, as I once again focus on my gifts, I have been reading Ann Voskamp’s 1,000 Gifts. This beautiful little book has helped me to capture in my heart the many things I have to be thankful for.

Ann recounts her journey of listing the everyday gifts she has been given. She daily jots down these gifts in a notebook from 1 to 1,000.

In her book she offers this quote from Sara Ban Breathnach:

Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter

Everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe

That change forever how we experience life and the world.

I love this idea of everyday epiphanies and moments of awe. These are the moments that fill our lives and give us something to hand on. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get so caught up in the big that I lose sight of the small.

This month I will be counting my own gifts here on the mountain. Each day I will be posting and adding to my list.

I would love to have you join me by posting some of your 1,000 gifts in the comments each day

Thankful for Dad

Well, here we are at the end of November 2010. One month ends and another begins. This has been a month of busyness, holidays, and family. It has been a month of remembering the many blessings God has bestowed on me.


Tomorrow starts the Christmas month. The month ahead promises more busyness and definitely more holidays. Family for Christmas this year will be just me and Dad and the animals. No out of town visitors and no trips to visit family are planned. This year will be a mix of old traditions and some new ones borne of it being just the two of us. While it makes me a little sad that our celebrations will be smaller this year, I am thankful for this time with Dad.

One thing I have always appreciated (as an adult anyway) are my parents. Except for the years I lived in the Great Northwest in the 90’s I have always lived close to Mom and Dad. I love being able to just pop over to the house and spend time with Dad. I don’t get to do enough of that, but certainly more than when I was out on the edge of the world.

Have I ever told you about how grateful I am for my Dad? I don’t think I have done a proper Dad thankfulness post this month. Daddy has always been my hero. As a little girl I believed he could do anything. As an adult I know that he would do anything for his family. He has been there through the trials of my life when I needed a handyman or a computer repairman or a sounding board. He has supported and loved me in a way that only Dad’s can.

Yes, my Daddy is definitely a keeper and for that I am very thankful!

Forgetful Thankfulness

Thanksgiving has passed once again. As I was working on things this afternoon I realized I hadn't posted my thankful post yesterday or today.

Yesterday was a little busy with family stuff. It was a great time with my sister and her family. But, I got caught up in life and thankfulness was pushed to a back burner. Don't get me wrong, I was still thankful but it just wasn't on the tip of my tongue.

Gratitude is like that sometimes. Life gets busy and we forget to count our blessings. This time in November has been a good reminder for me that I need to be thankful each day, not just one day a year.

Black Friday

Yesterday was Turkey Day and I spent the day with my family cooking, talking, laughing, eating, and being thankful. I have family in from the far reaches of the world, also known as Nebraska so I haven't had a lot of time to write and post and I didn't plan ahead. Thus, there was no post yesterday. It's okay, though, because I am pretty sure all my readers were busy feasting and being grateful also.

So, today is Black Friday and I am thankful that I am not crazy enough to want to go shopping with millions of other people. Seriously, I am not a fan of shopping as it is and when there are large crowds of people bent on getting a better bargain involved I just shrink back into my shell. Today instead of saving money I am going to be spending some. I am so very grateful for a day of time with my sister. We don't get to see each other much so a chance for her and I to get our nails done, go to a movie, and do whatever else we deem important is what is on our agenda for today. Therefore, I now proclaim this day, not Black Friday, but Sister's Day On the Town! Let the merriment begin.

On another note, I have been considering changing things up on the blog but haven't made any decisions yet. But, I am thinking about something a little different for the blog in the month of December. I will work it out this weekend and then post on Monday about my thoughts and what I have decided to do.

The Little Things

The other day a friend posted on Facebook that her daughter told her she was thankful for stairs. I chuckled when I read it. It was a little ironic though since in recent weeks as I have vacuumed the steps at my house I think about how I hate stairs.

It may sound weird. I don't hate them because I have to vacuum them. Or because it takes a little effort to climb them.

No, I hate them because they remind me of my mother's death. She fell down the stairs and broke her neck. Nine days later she died. I was with her when the accident happened. I didn't realize she was there by the steps. I heard a little, "oh" and turned just in time to see her fall, but not enough time to race over a catch her.

That moment has tormented me for the last three years and often I get to the top of a set of steps and suddenly I am reliving it and can't breathe.

But I don't want to live in those moments and so I push them away and remember who my mom was. I remember her smile and her zest for life. I remember all the little things she taught me about life and living. That's what life is made of after all; the little things that we share with one another and teach one another. And for those memories and those things I shared with my mother I am very thankful.

The Cat's Meow!

If you've been here before there's a good chance you have read about my kitty cat, Wilson, and how much I love him.

Today I am thankful for my sweet boy who waits at the back door when it's time for me to come home. Yes, he does seem to know how to tell time, don't ask me how. This is the same adorable boy who just had a rousing bout of chasing his tail.

He's just been such a joy in my life.

Planning Turkey Dinners

It's finally Thanksgiving week! I'm excited that my sister and her family are coming for a visit. While talking about Thanksgiving dinner Dad suggested Honey Baked Ham which does more than just ham. I said if he wanted a real turkey dinner I would be happy to cook. Turns out he would like some real turkey and dressing so I am playing the hostess on Thursday and cooking up the bird.

Despite the fact that I have been an adult for over two decades, I have cooked very few full turkey dinners. So I'm having to do some pre-planning and research to make sure I get everything right. Luckily, I have a little "voice" from the past to help me along the way. Back in 1990 when my youngest sister was first married Mom wrote a long letter to her in October with details about how to fix a turkey and dressing! My sister was gracious enough to forward me a scanned copy of the letter.

The letter is a great tool for me as I plan my meal. It is also a beautiful reminder of the special person my mother was and I am so grateful to have a copy as part of my cookbook repertoire.Written in her hand writing it causes me to hear echoes of her sweet voice as I read through it.

Today I am thankful for the amazing woman who I am blessed to call Mom and for the little bits of history she left behind.

Sunday Thankfulness

So, I forgot to post yesterday. It wasn't that I didn't have anything to be thankful for 'cause I did. I spent the morning at my dad's house helping to get ready for a visit from my sister and her family. It's been a year since I have seen them and I am super excited they are coming. Then Dad and I did our typical Saturday night thing with church and dinner. I am so very thankful for my family.

Last week I posted about my printer spitting out random pieces which frustrated me, but I was able to find a good printer that will allow me to print not only from my desk top computer but also my laptop computer so I am thankful for new technology.

Friday night I spent the evening with three of my friends. We call ourselves a secret society and while I am not going to divulge any secret society secrets, I am going to tell you about these friends. You see the three of them are amazing, intelligent, beautiful women who have fabulous jobs; jobs that in one way or another touch the lives of thousands of people. They are dedicated to their jobs and give up much in their lives in order to do what needs to be done. Sometimes in pursuit of perfection for others they give up too much and forget to take care of themselves. So, they decided it was time to reclaim their lives. They knew that if they didn't they wouldn't have the strength needed to carry on their work for others. So they began to take time for themselves to remember that while work is important, life is important also.

Earlier this fall they invited me to join them on a life reclamation trip to Wyoming. Having quit my job earlier this year in an attempt to reclaim my own life and pursue my dream, the trip was just what I needed. And after that trip we decided that we needed to have a time at least once a month to get together to just enjoy life and each other's company. The society was formed one beautiful, chilly night under the stars. Da goils and I are now society girls ;-)

Today, two of these friends and I are going to see the newest Harry Potter film. It promises to be an afternoon of magic, mystery, and possibly a little mayhem.

Woohoo!! I am so thankful for friends and family!

TGIF

Today I am thankful for weekends, lunch with an old friend, and a group of friends to spend a Friday evening with.