One Thousand Gifts (731-743)

Ann Voskamp introduced us to    the daily habit of    finding the joy  all around us   in her book, 1000 Gifts. On her website she encourages   taking part in the Joy Dare    and your  can find everything you need to know here!
  Last Sunday   in my quiet time I decided to  create  my on  Joy Dare folder to keep my calendar prompts  in  and  place by my desk as a small reminder to  be joyful!  You can see  it as  my   top   icon I will use  in  my  1000 Gift post as  I am counting down my  blessings   ...  I  am in the 700's, but  unfortunately  I get  forgetful and  it has taken me a  couple of years to get to this place....  I am trying to keep up with it more  now! 
Here is my Joy Dare for  the third  week of August with Ann Voskamp! 
731.  I am thankful   for  the  greening grass  that  had gotten so dry  in mid July  when the rains refused to come...  it is   cloudy with   a great chance of rain today... for that I am also  so thankful!

732.  I am so thankful  for the   greenish  hue  of our new  kitchen cabinet paint...unfortunately, the   camera  doesn't  adequately  detect  the  lovely  mossy undertone of the color,  but the natural  light does, and it   is so pleasing to me....  Still much painting to do  in  the kitchen.. the whole  other side of the  room,  and then  the   gorgeous crown molding which my daughter   helped me decide to paint white.
 

733.  The verdant  meadows  along the route we drove yesterday  to  a neighboring  county  when we took our daughter's violin to  have it inspected.

734.  When it comes to rings, I am  exceptional thankful for  my very own  claddagh ring  

735.  My sweetheart purchased for me  last spring on oour   dream of a lifetime   trip to Ireland...  I'll never forget  getting it in Dublin.

736. Summer rides along curvy, winding roads of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We are so fortunate to live right off the Parkway !

737.   Magnificent  August 

orbs  crawling under the covers   in evening.

 

738.

Even though  true critics would  call this photo "Ugly"   taken from   a  travelling bus window.. many of my  photos of Ireland   look like this,  or worse,   but I am so thankful that  at least  they  are proof  to my   conscience that  I was there and  in my heart I remember the    reality  of the  very spot!

739. And sometimes   God  was gracious and  my shots    were   as beautiful as  early April  morning  could  offer  in its totality...even from a moving bus.. through  the  woods!

740. These are three throw back  photos I   took  digital photos of     about our  small family wich got smaller   when we lost Mom and Dad in the past two years.

Below is  a photo of   them  with  our  adopted Amanda  on  our first Easter morning together!

The  here is Amanda  with  Mom~  one day I took mom and we went to  Amanda's  college for lunch so Mom could see   her in that environment! 

And  a favorite photo of  Dad and me  on Christmas   a few years ago! 

741.  I know that I have posted this before  several times, but  I am hugely blessed  that my Sweetie  does this for me  each morning to start my day!!!

You may think  my room is odd,  but  I took over Amanda's room  for my office   after  she  married...  it looks  quite different now! 

742. 
Morning breakfasts on the porch,  especially    when school across the street is out of session...    

 743. Early morning coffee    get togethers with my prayer sista's