Ariel is in her Santa's helper outfit, and

Coco is in her purple sweater .

I went out to walk the pups today and saw these wonderful bird tracks. As soon as we finished our walk, I took the pups in and dried their little paws with a warm towel that I keep on the heater vent while I walk them. And they promptly went and layed on the back of the couch in their little coats to warm up.

We received about 6 inches of snow last night. It was so delightful to see the snow falling down like glitter on the frozen prairie.

I felt like I was in one of those gorgeous snow globes and it had just been shook up. That is how hard the snow was falling last night. The only bad thing is that is hazardous to travel in these conditions. It had rained and sleeted for hours before the snow came.

I would like to leave you with a quote this evening:

The holiest of all holidays are those

kept by ourselves in silence and apart,

The secret anniversaries of the heart...

_ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hope...

I know these are the holidays, and Christmas is near. This is supposed to be a festive time, but did you know that there are more suicides during the Christmas holiday than any other? There are a lot of people who struggle with loneliness during this time of year. It is a holiday that is focused on being with family.
And if you don't have a family it can be pretty depressing. My thought for today is this, if you know someone who has no family why not invite them over for Christmas dinner.
And if you are alone, and have no where to go, why not volunteer to help feed the homeless at one of the shelters. You might make friends doing that.
I want to encourage anyone who is depressed right now. This time of year is a hard time for many people, for many reasons, it could be financial reasons or health issues, but don't give up. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
You may have lost family members around this time of year and your down over that, it will be OK, this will pass.
I have a number for the Suicide hot line that I got from my friend Bill's blog , Dying Man's Daily Journal at http://hudds53.wordpress.com/ that I would like to share with anyone who needs it.
Suicide Hot line 1-877-435-7170 or http://www.suicideline.ca/
It has been on my heart to write this post for awhile. So be encouraged and know that someone cares. ~Nita~

The song for the day, Praise You in This Storm by Casting Crowns. If you have time to listen to this please do. It will encourage you. first clip

A Story....

This is a favorite story of mine, and has been since I was a child. I wanted to put this on today to encourage you. Hope you enjoy it. ~Nita~ (click on story to read and pictures for better view)

My friend Dena from http://swaddlecottage.blogspot.com/ recently gave me the award Blog With a Heart. Dena is a wonderful person who is so giving. I would like to award:

Suzi Blu from http://suziblu.blogspot.com/

Suzi is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. I just love her. She is creative and funny and full of love for people.

Pixie from http://storiesicantell.blogspot.com/ I feel like Pixie and I are connected on so many levels. She is a great person who shares her life. And that is not easy to do. <3

Shelley from http://shelleysvintagevariety.blogspot.com/ Shelley has embraced me like she always known me. You don't find many people like that. She has sent me books to read to help me through the rough times and also just been so encouraging. Thank you friend.

Last but not least the beautiful Maija at http://www.maigirlz.typepad.com/

Maija is a wonderfully creative beautiful soul who has overcame so much this year. I love her spirit.

xo Nita xo

Create...

Being creative is not a single act, but the act of living itself.

The creative woman is on fire with imagination, ignited by the certainty of her relationship with a living God and her surety of purpose.

She lives in freedom, not measuring herself by the lives around her. She takes calculated risks, understanding the value of going beyond the horizon of the known and coming back to report what she has discovered. She tackles life's challenges with heart, hands and faith.

I found this written in one of my notebooks this evening as I was cleaning off the counter. I did not write the author's name down, though I wish I had. It encouraged me greatly and I hope it encourages you.

~Nita~