November Blessings Sampler

A Sample of my November Blessings

Contest Prizes

Coming home to a decorated house

Breakfast with neighborhood friends from Philly

Baby Snuggles

Games Party

3-D Glasses

Valet Parking in Center City

Center City walk

Corned Beef Sandwich

Friendsgiving meal in Giant's Food Court

Palm Plant Sales

Skee Ball

Visiting an Uncle

Meeting old neighborhood friends in new settings

Helping hands at Thanksgiving food prep time

Poinsettia Black Friday Specials

Paid Holidays

Thanksgiving blessings

As I sat in church on Sunday, I heard the priest talk about the need for people in the parish to volunteer to drive others to appointments.  I searched my heart and with working two jobs, I couldn't honestly feel that I would be able to commit to be on the team that does this .  However, I do know that I obtained the second job because I am blessed with a new vehicle (and a car payment) and I remember, all too well, the times in my life when I was without transportation.

That very evening, I had the opportunity to share my blessing when a co-worker asked what time I was leaving work and asked for a ride home.  I was more than happy to blurt out a yes.  As we were leaving for the evening, I remembered that I really wanted to head over to the supermarket straight after work and get my Thanksgiving supplies.  Since I already told the co-worker that I would take them home, I took them.  It was a very windy night and I was surprised how far my co-worker lived from the bus stop.  
I went back towards where I had just come from to go to the store and I got in line after a couple who had a big order.  

"Oh great" I thought.  "I'll never get home"
As I waited, the cashier handed them their receipt and told them they only needed thirty more dollars for their free turkey.  They were deciding what to do when I volunteered to have them ring up my order under their shopper's card because I had around fifty dollars worth of food.  They could get their turkey after that.  The husband eagerly volunteered to bag my groceries for my proposal.  

On the way to my car I realized that we had been talking in our meditation group about approaching situations as if you chose them.   If I hadn't given my co-worker a ride, I wouldn't have been in the store at the same time as the people wanting their free turkey.   I tried to relax in both instances realizing that my immediate wants were not necessarily the priority at the time.  There were greater needs  that I was able to assist with.

I am thankful that I was part of their blessing for that evening. I  will be making a commitment to relax into the moment even if it I don't think it was in my plan. I also will be making a commitment to look for those little ways to assist such as providing a ride when I am so fortunate.

October Blessings Sample

A Sample of October Blessings
from my blessings basket

Beautiful Baby boy born

Family times waiting at the hospital

Family dinners

Deer ducking on dark roads with daughter

Octoberfest

The ability to give a ride to a co-worker

Beach Bon fires

Receiving a "thank you" candy bar from a co-worker

Being Regular

Weekend visit with oldest son

New car dependability

Breakfast with a nephew

Lunch with a niece

Breakfast with 8th grade friends

September Blessings Sample

For September 
My Blessings Basket 

Follow Rules

New Car Smell

Breakfast with friends at the farm

Internationals leaving- Blessed to be a part of their
 "Wildwood Summer"

Meditation friends  old/new

Time with mom and aunt

Dollar Store Finds

Sunset flag ceromony

Customers

Break time

The ability to pray for someone

Waiting on baby : the plan

I got the text on Sunday around noon.  My niece's water broke.
I have been saving sick time at the library for when this precious baby boy arrives.  I have a new car to ride up to Philly.  My plans are in place.  

After a few texts to co-workers to make sure they will be in for our Monday night crew because work frowns upon you not finding coverage on your Saturday (every 3rd week) or your night, my plans are in motion.

Pack a bag✓
Call daughter ✓✓
Do some last minute stuff at home ✓

Monday morning arrives and I have a text that she is around 3 Cm dilated.  I have some coffee and hop in the car.  I take the longer scenic way up to Philly.  I know my daughter won't be ready for to go there until around noon.  This will give my niece time to give birth, we can visit mom and baby and I can head back around dinner time.   This is a great plan. 

Get to Philly to pick up my daughter.  Receive a text that she is 7cm dilated.  I jokingly tell her that she is proceeding slower than I drive.  A standard family joke because I always take the long scenic ways.  A bit of deviation to my plan but this is exciting, a baby is coming.

Find hospital, find parking lot, trek through about 3 building because we found the wrong parking lot, get off elevator at wrong floor. This should give baby plenty of time to get born.  Ah yes, my plans are unraveling just a bit.

Wait, color, text, tv, gab with other families, clock ticks, father updates us, go grab something to eat...........the lullaby song plays.......oh shoot did we miss it!   What about my plan?

Text my mom, will have to stay, don't want to drive back to South Jersey in the dark, possible C-section soon.  My poor niece this was not her plan.

Other patient's visitors burst into waiting room, burst into waiting area, the baby they waited for didn't make it.  Stunned waiting room faces. Time froze for a few seconds.  This was not their plan.

Got word that C-section started, Go down to eat, make texts and calls.  Baby arrives. Big boy at 9.5 oz, mom, dad and baby doing well.  It's late. The day may not have went according to my plan but baby's plan and God's plan worked out well!

August Blessings

For the month of August 
A Sampling of the my entries in my blessings basket

Listening to inspiring poetry

Watching Parents with children with disabilities.  Taking note of the loving interactions.

The birthday card about counting blessings

New work opportunities

Dinner Theater fun  

Waterpark Lazy River- seeing a mother twirling ballerina style for her little child

Sleepover in sister-in-laws camper

Birthday wishes x's and o's

Being on a carousel with a newphew

Unexpected Weekend of company- Jersey shore life

Early Bd celebration at work

200,000  on  a truck

Watching father and son putting shed together

Health insurance- Getting the mammogram and blood work done

A call from a friend.  Loved her "report" from the hometown

Summer Garden Veggie gifts from other

Time with family at winery

July Blessings

For the month of July
A Sampling of the my entries in my blessings basket

Honoring life 
3oth Birthday of a Nephew and the death of his grandfather
The Circle Life and connections

Shiva Prayers

Last min decision to stop at a bbq

Working in a/c on a humid day

Scrabbled egg sandwich on toast dinner (yummy)

Mint Tea

Watching sappy movies

Coffee

Co-worker friends

Cousin time with adult cousins

Historical tours

Holding a four-week old baby

Stopping at a farm stand

Burgers & Facebook snooping with a friend

Reading poetry with a nephew in the audience

Visiting a library

Helping to decorate for a baby shower for a niece

Daughter craft time  in the late evening

Seeing adult children interact :)

Pool time at  campground

Pinochle games

June Blessings

June's Blessings

Clip on sunglasses

Midnight smore's with the family

Jumping ocean waves

Meditation cancelled= Dinner with friend

Hearing a grandma read in a sing song voice in the library

After midnight chat with daughter

Photo of fixer guys

Truck fixed

In-service season

Son excited about new business

Funnel cake

Spontaneous after work pizza with Rose, Becky, and Marissa all talking "girl talk" = Happy 2nd day of summer

A card from a friend in mail saying 

"Enjoy What the day brings"

Celebrating a retirement 

May Blessings

Quiet moments of insight

Opportunity to work at jobs that I like

Helpful co-workers offer to follow me home when car acts up

Chairs that come in pairs  (Mother's day gift-sort of)

Daughter catching brake problems before they fail

Son finds a baby bird

Listening to someone share memories of their deceases spouse and seeing them smile with the memories

Off on a rainy day

Bumping into a Stockton Alum on the boardwalk

Breakfast with my Susquehanna peeps

Dryer warranty

Catching a new DVD at the library

Sending cards

Unexpected schedule change- morning off for errands on a sunshiny day



Buying my mother the same book she bought for her mother (many years ago) on Mother's Day

My niece is having a baby boy- Loved the excitement of seeing her find out at the barbecue - surrounded by family  

Home Where He Belongs

Home Where He Belongs by Kathleen Moore

Grand pop sits on his leather easy chair bouncing bald headed three-month-old Adam over his knee.  The little boy clad in blue brings unspeakable joy into the hearts of the family. As they sit rocking and bouncing, I snap a photo.  The photo hangs on the wall long after Grand pop leaves this world. 

 This baby boy came into this world against all odds. Born at Episcopal Hospital in Philadelphia, he weighed in around four pounds.  Arriving in February, long before his due date in April, he fought against odds for survival.

 In May, the little darling needed to be hospitalized for a hernia.  From what I heard the procedure would be a same day surgery event. It wasn't, it turned into an overnight hospital stay.   My worriment about bringing home a little infant who may require medical help on the weekend overwhelmed me.  Unable to get answers on the phone, I prayed and persisted.   Finally, Dr. S, a kindly pediatrician, who never met either the baby or me, made a call to the hospital on my behalf; he told me that all infants required an overnight stay after procedures.  He ensured me that medically, the baby was fine and that his office was open on the weekend morning for emergency appointments.

 The next day, I awoke full of anticipation.  My world would change.  The baby would be released and I could take him home and smother him with all the motherly love that I held inside of me.  We drove down around 10am but as hospital releases go, there were delays and we became nervous with anticipation.   Taking a drive and walking around a little park located on Allegheny Avenue, we awaited word that this little boy was ready to come join his family.    Sometime around the early afternoon, Aunt Tootsie and Nancy, his Guardian angels, came out with the baby wrapped in a blue blanket.

 The Sun shone brightly, or at least in my memory, it must have.   I experienced an overwhelming feeling of serenity that rushed into my heart while holding my son for the first time He was safe from hunger, safe from being left with a six-year-old to care for him, safe from the cries that gave him a hernia.  He laid safe and sound in his mother's arms -a child born of my heart, not of my womb.

 My years of crying, sitting infertility doctors' offices, avoiding baby showers, ended with the touch of his skin. Adam was brought home and welcomed as our child, the 2nd grandchild to my parents, oldest male grandchild, first nephew to my brothers and cousin to my niece.   On my husband's side, he eclipsed a long gap between grandchildren and came at a time when great-grandchildren were starting to arrive.

 As Grand pop hands me back my son, his eyes welled.  "Kassy" he said, "Never tell him, he is adopted."  I just smile and hug Grandpop.    Kathleen Moore

April Blessing Sampler

For the month of April
A Sampling of the my entries in my blessings basket


Allergy pills
Motrin
Cups of tea offered 
Co-workers swapping class times
Paid sick time

Taking time to realize that I need to heal

1 person class.  Lots of paperwork caught up on

Random Pizza messages and surprises from a friend

Sun shines after a rainy, windy afternoon

Eva and the Thursday meditation group

Being able to Print up Carol Brill's last blog for someone.  The ability to connect at the right time.

Calls from my mom

Easter bunny crocheted items brought in by a co-worker

Insurance bill miracles

Learning to be grateful for the quiet moments and finding peace in the noisy moments.  Finding Value in all moments

Meeting other people with adopted children.  Sharing the experience.

Belated birthday celebrations.  The opportunity to see a daughter's smile.

March Blessings

For the month of March
A Sampling of the my entries in my blessings basket

Pulling out random stray shoes from under the bed to find a match
A sneaker, an old comfy one, a dress shoe 
Getting upset but then realize that this is a 1st world problem
Thankful for my many choices, even if it takes awhile to find them

Joining online groups focused on Gratitude

A photo sent to me via text
Father making pancakes for his grown son

Hearing the word "mom" from a daughter in law

Having a daughter that gave away her newly crocheted blanket to her brother's birth sister.  She has never met the birth sister but the fact that they share a brother.  Made me think of this blanket as threads between sisters.

Dinner with co-workers at the start of the season

Good book (Perk for working at the library)

Truck may be older but I had the ability to give rides to some who needed one.

Freezing cold in the training room. Free  coffee warmed me up a bit 

Celebrating birthdays early

Kmart closing = Picking up gifts for my nephew

Making it out of work in time to go to a library event and hearing a woman from one of the writing classes I went to speak about her memoir

Talking to an old friend and hearing the excitement about her daughter's upcoming wedding

Hard working family-Proud of that


A co-worker sharing a pear


Quiche made by a co-worker

Welcome interruption to my morning routine- a photo of my niece's ultrasound via a text

Homemade soup and food dropped off by a sister in law

Seasonal job that starts in March

Finding my ATM card

Unexpected trip to Wawa and my favorite soup was available that day

Not able to spend my daughter's big birthday with her but looking forward to celebrating at a later time

February Continuation (The theme of Water)

It seemed that many of my distractions that I had to look at through a better lens revolved around the conversion from well water to public water.  I felt this deserved its own post.  Here is something I wrote poetically.  I shared it with the writing group I belong to.

House Water

 Ebb and Flow

Kathleen Moore

Blessing Basket 

2017  (February)

With preparations underway for the conversion from well water to township water, I dreamed of the next storm causing an electrical outage and smiled with the knowledge that I no longer would need to store jugs of water in the garage for task such as toilet flushing.

• Estimates for work ✓
• Permits obtained ✓
• Money saved   ✓

One evening, I heard a holler from the bathroom

Mom, did you just run the dishwasher?

No

There’s no hot water

• Plumber Called  ✓
• Part replaced  ✓
• Put away the pots for heating water  ✓

A few days later, digging, drilling, banging and clanging,  I dreamed of the water flowing through my pipes and smile with the knowledge that  I would no longer have to schedule my household tasks around  the water pressure

One evening, I received a text at work

Mom, did you hear leaking under the hall closet?

No

I had to use the shut off valve and turn off the water

• Call into the plumber  ✓
• Text the boss to say I'll be in late  ✓
• Get the water buckets back out of the garage  ✓

The next morning, digging drilling banging and clanging, I dreamed of a warm shower and smiled with the knowledge that I was not one of the ladies I saw during a Super Bowl Commercial walking miles with buckets for clean water.

The following morning, I heard singing coming from the shower

Mom, Isn’t this great to have hot water?

Yes

I’ll get rid of the buckets in the garage today

• Take my shower ✓
• Be Grateful for my blessings✓
• Say a prayer for those less fortunate✓
  

February Blessings Sampling

Twenty- Eight Days of Counting Blessings
Some beautiful moments that would have normally went by unnoticed were:

Call from niece at 6am

Ride home from work from Wendy

Ron's trip to the ER for his eye turned out fine and we enjoyed a late dinner that night (Thanks Marissa for taking him)

Unexpected after Church breakfast with Grade School classmates

Silent Witness to Pastor tending to  flock

The choices we have as consumers

Book recommendation from Marya at Meditation

Finding my glasses (right where I left them on my shirt) 

Warm, fuzzy socks

Chasing  doggie and reminding her she is loved at home

Dedicated worker (who happen to be old neighbor) who takes the time to ensure the job gets done right which made for a nice happy birthday for my mother

Wawa coffee lids that fell on the floor.  I was aggravated watching everyone walk by kicking them to the side.  I mumbled and cussed while throwing them out but then took the time to Thank God that I have the ability to move, bend and stretch to pick them up and throw them out.

Video chats with daughter

Birthday celebrations for Mother (80) and son (31)

Mid Feb Blessing

One of the best decisions that I have made was signing up a few years ago for a creative writing class at the library.  When I did this, I never would have imagined the world that it opened up for me.  Our wonderful instructor, Eva Feeley, was not only informative but genuinely interested in people's stories inside and outside of class.

Eva opens up her home for the past year on Thursday evenings for a group to share the peaceful experience of group mediation.  Each week we talk about ways to make room in our lives for peace and we pray for others, as well.

Eva was kind enough to share her poem for my blessings basket blog:

WANT NOT    By EVA FEELEY

If wanting was a concept

I could unlearn 

the cataracts of greed

would fall from my eyes

to reveal the diamonds that float in

on the tide of each moment

and surround me like

the foam of a breaking wave,

there to capture in the cup of my hand

before they recede into the deeps

of unrecognized blessings.

Eva Feeley    

https://www.facebook.com/Eva-Feeley-Creative-Writing-Services-242384769131799/

I am blessed to have a friend in Eva.  Someone who has so much wisdom to share in her words and deeds. 

January Blessing (sampling)

Thirty- One  Days of Counting Blessings


Some beautiful moments that would have normally went by unnoticed were:

On the day that I spoke about my blessings basket at meditation, a woman thanked me and told me that was Just what her daughter needed.

I had a conversation with somewhere and they said something  that confirmed a hurt that I sort of knew about.  I have been working on forgiveness issues revolving around this person that I see intermittently at my seasonal job.   Obviously, from the feelings I had after this conversation, I see that more work is to be done and I haven't really achieved forgiveness.......just sort of an acceptance. I will take this as a challenge to continue to work in this area......a blessing

Yummy hamburgers on Monday night with Co-workers

The ability to come home during lunch times

Memories of being there during my father's final hours and thankful that I had the opportunity three years ago to be there.  

Snowy day that I can be home on
 (glad it wasn't my Saturday to work)

Making Clam Chowder

Substituting   for 1st grade cherubs

Tom  taking assignment in Virginia to provide continued healthcare coverage

Watching my nephew make the time to  bring his elderly grandfather (his mother's father) to visit his grandmother (his father's mother)

Coming home to supper made by Sheri when I got in from work

Something fell into washer, made a big mess while I was rushing to do laundry.  Ron finished cleaning it out for me.

Buck a bag sale at the Acme

Baby therapy instead of bunny therapy at work this week 
 (Someone usually brings in their bunny for us to pet, this week they brought in the grandbaby)

Mid-January

Although the past few days I certainly wasn't feeling too blessed having to get washed with cold water in mid-January, since the hot water heater got fixed today I have a different outlook

I feel blessed because:

I had off today (MLK Day/ Paid day off)
Received a call from the plumber that he could come today
Cleaned out my hall closet since that is where the water heater is
( Filled  two bags of clothing for the donation bin)
At least I had water the last few days even though it was pretty cold
Didn't need a new hot water heater
They were able to put a new thermostat in it

Oh and the best part, Ron learned to use only two big pots of boiling water to add into his water for bathing instead of the 32 pots of water he tried to walk by his grandparents with when he was a teenager
 ( disclosure: according to grandparents, I was at work that day)

Ushering in a New Year 12-31

I saw this idea of starting a blessing jar and I think I will be starting one for this year as a reminder as to how many nice things happen during the year.

On December 31, when I sat in front of the Post Office for two hours when my car wouldn't start,

I started grumbling to myself because I had good intentions to start my errands early and be productive.

Later that day when I had time to digest what happened, I started to count my blessings:

 I was blessed to be able to use their phone (I forgot mine)

I was blessed someone picked up my home phone and didn't think I was a telemarketer calling

I was blessed that it wasn't too cold out

I was blessed that I didn't need a new battery, it just wasn't making the connection

I was blessed that I could continue on my journey and didn't miss the last day of the ShopRite sales

I think it will be fun at the end of the year to look back at my blessing basket  and maybe discover that even in some of our sour moments, life is providing us many blessings

My Blessings Basket

After seeing all the posts online about starting anew, I saw a post with a "blessing jar"
The post was about a couple who wrote down their blessings during the year to review at the end of the year.
They wrote things as simple as
receiving a handwritten note
a call from a friend
a short line at the supermarket

It is amazing
day after day
 we choose to focus on 
What went wrong
Things that could have been better
Things that other people have

This year, my focus will be on my blessings

For this I will be using my blessing basket

Here is the reason I choose the blessing basket

I was babysitting my 10 year old nephew so that my brother and his wife could celebrate his 50th birthday weekend in Atlantic City.  
I invited my mother to spend the weekend with us.  I thought this would be a great opportunity for us to do something together during the Christmas season. (Great Idea)
On Saturday there was an event in West Cape May.  The event was a fund-raiser for a children's charity and they had some activities geared toward children.  
Did my nephew want to make a decoration ?
Did my nephew want to eat the popcorn or pretzels?
Did my nephew want to get his face painted?
No- He wanted to go out to my truck and get his electronic device
Did he want to put the tickets into the baskets for the prizes? 
No!
He wanted to go out to the truck to get his electronic device
He headed out the door. I followed him and ordered him back in.


Since now, we would be forgoing the trip to McDonald's,
I had time to put my tickets in the basket while my mother ate her hot dog and my nephew sulked. I put my tickets in baskets that probably wouldn't have been his choices.
Not how I anticipated our fun filled day 
But, out of this I did glean a few blessings.

I won a nice basket with a sweat shirt and baseball cap
Since I followed through with my threat and we didn't go to McDonald's 
My nephew had a change of heart,especially since the electronics stayed off when we got back to the house.
We rode around and saw festive holiday lights and stopped at Congress Hall to admire the decorations with a parking spot right there as we pulled up.  He enjoyed the activities with his aunt and grandmother which earned him his electronics back later that night.

My prize basket

Becomes my blessings basket

Kicking the Year to the Curb

At the end of 2016, I noticed many folks were ready to get rid of the old year and start anew.
This encouraged me to write this poem to share with my Jersey Cape Writers and  the  group that goes to Eva's on Thursday evening for meditation.

Kicking the year to the Curb

By Kathy Moore

When the old year comes to an end Why are we so ready  to Crush it Stomp it Kick it Like  the can to the curb What if we used the lessons learned Re-cycle our pain Revitalize our spirit Rekindle our energy The can, if recycled becomes a new and useful version of its former self  and maybe someday be part of an airplane or building We too, could stand tall and soar reclaiming ourselves Ushering in a many new years to come