What am I Thankful For....

Good Morning:
It is Friday, November 21, 2008. As I sit here reading my emails, I came across one from Adlandpro.
I read the gentleman's blog about Thanksgiving, and I wondered what am I thankful for.

Well in todays' economy I am very thankful for my job.


I am oh so thankful for my health. Other then just recently having surgery to have my Gall Bladder removed, and I really could afford to loose a few pounds; I am in very good health.

So What Else?

Well how about the country that I live in, I can come and go as I choose, I can wear what I want, I can buy what ever food I want, I live where I want, say what I want, and have to bow down to no one.
I Worship my God and Creator without fear of death. I have the ability to choose where, when and how I wish to worship.

Pretty much, except for Taxes, I can do as I wish with my money.

What else, I am thankful for is my family.I have two really great kids, with 5 wonderful, happy, healthy, loving, spry, energetic grandchildren.
Each visit is wonderful. You can see them grow, each day. What a pleasure it is to see how they are learning. The smiles and the laughter and the joy watching them play. Knowing they are in good homes, and they are treated well.

I read this morning of a baby that was found in a dumpster dead. The Mother had just dumped it in there like garbage.
With so many couples that wish to have children and are never able, to have this type of tragedy is just appalling. I do not think I will ever be able to understand such behavior, there is just no excuse whatsoever.

It is so unbelievable that there are so many children that suffer in their everyday lives.

They live in poor dirty unhealthy homes, some with drug abusive families, some with physical and mental abuse.
Some in other countries do not have to the privilege of clean running water. They do not have a "bed" with blankets to keep them warm at night.
They do not have "breakfast" to eat in the mornings. They do not have the warmth of a heated home or air-conditioned in summer. They live with bugs, dirt, filth.
Heck that is not just in foreign countries but in our own as well.
They do not have clean dishes, or cups or eating utensils. They do not have electricity, gas, toothpaste and a toothbrush, or a clean pair of jeans.


I am thankful just to get up every morning with a smile on my face, a good cup of coffee to start another great day.

Wishing you peace, joy and a happy heart
Carol

If I weren't Afraid I Would........

Well here it goes, Thanks Roxanne for the push.

If I weren't afraid I would .....go back to school and get a degree in Ornamental Horticulture.

I found my love with plants years ago.

There are so many different varieties, textures,
smells, leaf shapes, stems shapes, sizes, thicknesses, not to mention colors of flowers.
Have you ever looked at the flower of a Oleander.
Yeah, I know that does not sound to exciting does it. An Oleander.
Well look at the inside of the flower. The shape of the flower its self it trumpet shaped. The inside depending on the variety is; say, white on the outside with a yellow inside where the stamen is.

Then there are trees, boy, the list could go on forever there. Just trees alone is incredible.

The sizes, shapes of the trunks, the type of wood, the skin color, does it have a heavy coarse bark, does it peel away, is it multi-colored.

Then lets talk leaf shapes and sizes. Some have single veins, some have a palmatte shape, some are "oak tree shaped". some are long and linear, some have rounded edges, some have ridged edges. Some have noddles on the back of the leaf, kinda look like spores.
In the fall some are yellow, some are red, orange, some are just brown or golden.
Some tress are evergreens.

Then you can get in to the root systems. Wow, some have tap roots, that can grow has long at the tree is high, some have surface roots or are shallow rooted, some have very deep roots.
Some trees have roots that spread out and travel quite aways.

Then there are the conifers, man there are a bazillion varieties there.
Cone sizes, shapes, even the needles of the trees are different. It is amazing.
Some are round, some are oval, or cone shaped, some are long and linear, some have smooth edges, others have rough sharp edges.

Oh, I have not even talked about grasses.

Again, there are so many different varieties, from lawn grasses to tall shrub like grasses to even Corn. Yeah, I bet you didn't know that.

Then of course, lets not forget about the Rose. Now there is a list to look at.

There are so many different species of plants it is amazing. To be able to travel the world just to be able to enjoy what this planet has to offer in natural beauty. What an incredible gift.

My ultimate goal was to be an Arborist.
Learning about diseases, how to prevent them, what causes them, and how to cure them.

So my fear, is my age, and not being able to afford the journey.
Not being able to complete the task at hand. I started once, and wasn't able to continue because of finances.
Then again, I was letting others make the decisions for me. I guess I still am.