Writing Thank You Notes

write you a song
Originally uploaded by Allie Holzman
Tis the time to think about the holidays approaching and giving and receiving gifts.

I am a big fan of teaching children to write thank you notes on real cards that they put in the mail. Paper thank you notes, phone calls, and emails are all appreciated, especially from one adult to another.

Yes, email thank yous have their place but there is a lot to be said for paper cards. It is very charming to receive a thank you note in the mail from a child.

We keep them for a while, put them where they can be seen as reminders of a child's thoughtfulness, and it takes a bit more time and has a cost, as opposed to email.

When my kiddoos were little I kept a stack of thank you cards at hand, and I still do, for me to use.

They can sign their name to a store bought card or draw a picture on a plain piece of paper.

Here is the quote I read that got me started on this line of thought today.

"An email thank you note says that you care enough to do the very least." -- Jodi Smith of Mannersmith Etiquette.

I think that is humorous.

Don't get me wrong, I love receiving any thank you, whether a phone call, email or a snail mail card.

Still, I advocate teaching little 'uns to send cards in the mail.

My two cents worth, or three cents worth, adjusted for inflation.

November vacation

Here are some photos and tidbits from our recent vacation to Point Reyes National Seashore, which is north of San Francisco.

Here is where we stayed. We enjoyed a private patio behind the bench and bushes which overlooks a pretty five acres and a creek, complete with wild deer and birds. Here I am standing on our deck.

Above are chairs lined up waiting for guests. I like the shadows on the path. We preferred sitting on this swing.

A November vacation can be a great and relaxing time, and this one lived up to its potential for us.

Here is a mural at a cute garden and lumber store in Point Reyes Station.

We visited a ranger station / natural history museum where we learned that Point Reyes Peninsula is NOT on the North American tectonic plate, but is on the adjacent plate and it is MOVING north heading to Alaska!

Above and below are photos of my husband and I "talking" to an elephant seal sculpture. Years ago we saw elephant seals in the wild, close up, and if they aren't moving they look like boulders. We walked past some, thinking they were boulders, and then one moved and we saw it was a gigantic elephant seal.

Terra counts her blessings from Buttercup

Thank you dear Buttercup Blog Friend Buttercup Counts Her Blessings for creating a Christmas / Chanukah gift list and including me in your list of 3. She bought gifts from we three (artist, candle maker and book author) to give to friends and family and I am honored and thrilled to be on her list.

Besides my books "Scrapbook of Motherhood Firsts: Stories to Celebrate and Wisdom to Bless Moms" and "Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts: Stories to Warm Your Heart and Tips to Simplify Your Holiday" Buttercup suggests the artist Marie at The Artful Heart and Rebecca and her candles at Hospitality Lane
I do like to support my fellow bloggers, and recently told you about blogger Wanda and her pretty notecards. I bought a dozen cards and they are being sent out to my friends and family.
Thanksgiving, then Chanukah and Christmas are on their way!

Good things in November

November has some fun aspects for me, and I hope, for you too, especially everyone in the wake of storm Sandy.

My husband and I went on an impromptu vacation in early November to Point Reyes National Seashore, and more about that in my next post.
Nove. 9 lunch to celebrate birthday of a friend. Three of us will treat her.
Nove. 19 lunch with 5 friends, three of us are retired and three of us are working.
Nove. 26 lunch with my Christian writers' group.
Thanksgiving with hubby and our sons.
Church every Sunday which is very joyful, especially the music.
Voting on Nove. 6 in the USA. I love the privilege of voting and very much hope my favored candidate wins.
Hey, all of these except church and voting involve food.
I exercise twice a week on a bike and in a pool and am increasing my workout levels, plus I walk for 30 minutes 4 days a week.

My husband took these photos in Connecticut.
What do you like about your November?

Lamb Shanks inspired by Jamie Oliver

Who else admires Jamie Oliver, the fabulous British chef?
We love to watch any of his cooking and travel shows, and one recipe of his intrigued me, Lamb Shanks with Vegetables.
Here is a photo of the shanks and veg in their foil wrap, just after being baked in the oven.

I bought two lamb shanks from the local butcher ($7.00 each, one pound each), one leek, one red onion, 8 cloves of garlic, one large carrot. Next time I will use two carrots, they turned out delicious.
Each shank and veg will be cooked in its own foil wrap.
Rub each shank with olive oil and salt and pepper.
Cut the veg in to large pieces, take half of them and put them in the center of a large piece of aluminum foil, make a bowl shape of the foil, add the unpeeled garlic, add a shank and a half cup of white wine and seal it up very tight. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary with the veg. Cook for 2 1/2 hours on a baking sheet at 350 degrees.

Serve with a baked potato and yum is the word.
Jamie's recipe says finely slice the veg; I used big chunks. He uses a herb butter to stuff in the shanks, and I skipped that part. I also bought light sour cream and a fresh horseradish root, and my husband grated the horseradish, added lemon juice and salt and pepper for a nice side sauce for the lamb. That was the first time I bought horseradish root, and the first time we tried lamb shanks.
Here is a photo of Jamie Oliver and his website is Jamie Oliver

Autumn colors in violas

I know that you, my blog friends, live all around the world, with different seasons and climates, so some of you may wonder why I am planting flowers now. Well, my family lives in a temperate area of California, and some planting can be done in fall.
Fruit trees, trees of all kinds, and roses do well here when planted now.
This six pack of violas spoke to me in the garden store. Well, not in so many words, but they did beckon. They look very autumnal to me, with solid colors of white, orange and yellow.
Above is a photo of them still in their container straight from the store and I think they look like a fall bouquet already.

Then I planted a white viola in my frog planter and an orange one in my quail pot.
Still four more to find homes in our garden.
Are you planting? Or is your garden resting?

Friends

sun in his fur
Originally uploaded by ilexxx

"My friend is not perfect - nor am I - and so we suit each other admirably." -- Alexander Pope

Friends are treasures, aren't they, both the fuzzy kind with 4 feet and our human pals too.

"Friendship cheers like a sunbeam; charms like a good story; inspires like a brave leader; binds like a golden chain; guides like a heavenly vision." -- Newell D. Hillis