Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Being Grateful for our many Blessings-- Thanksgiving, 2020

Dear Friends,  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours...  2020 has been a 'strange' year for so many of us.  The Covid virus is still around --and for many of us,  it seems to be getting worse instead of better..  As I say A LOT,  will it EVER END??????

As we enter into the holiday season,  most of us are seeing many changes in our lives and our families.. Instead of gathering among loved ones for Thanksgiving Dinner this year,  we are staying home and are talking to loved ones online.   It's just not the same.  

George and I thought we were one of the lucky ones this year,  hoping to spend Thanksgiving with son Mark and his gal,  Robin...  We were so excited... HOWEVER,  they called Tuesday night and gave us some bad news... Robin is the Director of a pre-school in Knoxville and just  found out that her assistant had tested positive for Covid. SO--Robin got tested Wednesday but won't get her results for about 4 days or longer.   THEREFORE,  our wonderful Thanksgiving with them has been postponed... We all were SO disappointed.  So---George and I will be home talking to all of the family on the phone and on Facetime...  Life is different for sure!

Many of you have been talking all month about showing gratitude --even through the rough times.  SO--today,  I have picked out some of my favorite quotes and ideas to share with you... I have always 'tried' to be POSITIVE with whatever life gives me/us... But I'll admit that I am one who needs to read these quotes over and over --each and every day!!!! Another quote which I love says that there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for!!!!  Oh --how true that is... 

For me,  I am truly grateful for being out in nature  and experiencing God's Beauty all around us.  That is why I also included a couple pictures I took on 10/21/20 of the beautiful Fall colors... I hope they will bring a smile to your face on this Thanksgiving Day in the USA.    ENJOY!!!!!







I took this picture on 10/21/20 at Indian Boundary Recreation Area,  off of the Cherohala Skyway --not too far from Tellico Plains,  TN

On 10/21/20,  late in the afternoon --we were headed down the mountain toward home and stopped just to capture this incredible sky.  

Hope your day is WONDERFUL...  With God in our lives,  what more could we want!  George and I were supposed to go to the beach next week --but postponed that trip until March  due to so much Covid around (we have been very lucky so far and want to continue to stay lucky).  But--there's another reason:  Even though I had a Cardiac Ablation only 3 weeks ago,  I went back into A Fib already,  and was not feeling very good for about 20 hours --until I reverted back to Normal Sinus Rhythm.  Tis LIFE ---BUT I will continue to give it my best shot...  God continues to bless me in so many other ways!!!

Have a fabulous day --and weeks ahead... I won't blog again until December 7th...

God's Blessings on ALL of you.  Thank you for always being there for me/with me each and every month/year.   

Love,

Betsy💝💛💚💕


 

20 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Hello Betsy!
I wish you and your family a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! Have a happy day!

Ann said...

Wonderful quotes Betsy. All good reminders for us. Sorry your plans got changed. I hope Robins test comes back negative.
Have a happy Thanksgiving

George said...

Thank you for a beautiful Thanksgiving Day post. 2020 has been quite a year, but we have so much for which to be thankful. I'm especially thankful for you.

Fun60 said...

Your Thankgiving celebrations will be very different this year but as long as you have that wonderful man by your side you will have a blessed day.

Betsy said...

Oh my dear Betsy, I'm sorry that you've already had another bout of Afib. It has to be so frustrating for you. Life is indeed different this Thanksgiving, but we all have much to be grateful for if we just look deep enough. God has blessed me beyond what I could ever deserve.
I pray that you and George have a great day together. That's what is important isn't it? Dennis and I will be group chatting with Alex in London, Mandy in Omaha and Jamie in Helena all together and we'll be able to see each other. We've had it arranged for weeks! Technology is indeed wonderful. I'll be praying for Mark and Robin.
Happy Thanksgiving my friend.
Blessings,
Betsy

Ginny Hartzler said...

Betsy, I am so sorry that the ablation did not work better!! Today I am so thankful that we do not have Covid, and can breathe deep! Good to know you are both being so safe, please let us know the test results when she gets them.

Lowcarb team member said...

Hello Betsy,
Thank you for including both wonderful quotes and glorious photographs on your post.
Yes, Thanksgiving (and Christmas) will be very different this year for so many of us.
I was sorry to read about your change in plans, but hoping and praying that Robin will be ok.

In the meantime I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, there is still so much to be thankful for.

Take care, my good wishes.

All the best Jan

Ruth Hiebert said...

I am sorry to hear that the A-Fib has come back again, and so soon. Wishing for you and George a Happy Thanksgiving .

happyone said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and George and all your family.
Our son David and his girlfriend Liz are now recovered from the virus. Both were in great health so they had a mild case. She picked it up at the dentist office where she works. So thankful they have recovered.

The Furry Gnome said...

Happy Thanksgiving Betsy!

David said...

Betsy, Hope that you and George had a great Thanksgiving. This is the first time in 6 years that we weren't with our son and his family for the Holiday...just the two of us. This is the time to be safe...so we'll be here for Thanksgiving next year! Sorry to hear about your recurring Afib... Stay Strong! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Linda said...

These are challenging times. I pray that you will get back to full health.

Marcia said...

We have a lot to be thankful for. Glad we have a bubble with daughter and her family. Glad we have a house to mold that daughter and family in Buffalo are staying well despite it being a hotspot. Glad that my youngest sister survived Covid though still without tow senses: taste and smell.

My 6 word gratitude story for Thanksgiving. We all shared them this year. "Sunrise. Sunset. Glad to be alive."

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

Yes we are all to be grateful for all we have. So far we remain the fortunate ones. 2020 has changed our world forever. A new tech era is emerging and will force us all to live a new way . Many months will pass before a vaccine will give us some protection . But a lot will happen before that. Businesses are going to collapse under this burden we need to impose for saving lives.I am happy to see the beauty you show is. God Bless.

Lady Di Tn said...

Got my computer back and now I have time to read blogs again. Our lives were so consumed by caring for my MIL. I am beginning to have time on my hands. Wow what a concept. I plan to start painting again and finish the 3 canvases I started some a couple of years ago. wonder if I can find my brushes. I am so very sorry about the cancelled TG plans but then again it is 2020. My wish for you is that you continue to improve. Take care and be safe. Peace

Kay said...

Even in this time of pandemic, we do have much to be grateful for. Have a wonderful week, Betsy! And happy belated Thanksgiving!

Shug said...

Many disappointments this year for the Thanksgiving Holiday. I think everyone has been overwhelmed with all of this covid stuff....but yet, we all know of friends or loved ones who have passed away from it. We canceled Sam's mom and Dads due to their age. We all are vulnerable, but at the age of 92, it's best to try to protect them in every way possible. We have much to be Thankful for and it is my hope that we can all push forward with more Thanksgiving in our hearts.

Lady Fi said...

Now - more than ever - we need to focus on all the good things we have going on.

diane b said...

Sorry that your plans were cancelled. Covid is changing the way we live. We are so lucky here in Australia as we have got the virus under control we have eradicated it from the community. The only cases are those flying home from other countries. But they have to quarantine for two weeks in Medi Hotels.

Barb said...

A beautiful post, Betsy. I've been thinking about you. Bob and I spent hte holiday alone, too, though we talked with many family and friends digitally. I'm so sorry to hear your A-Fib is again a problem. Keeping my fingers crossed that you remain in good rhythm.