The Gift of Apples

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Apples

“Every thought is a seed, if you plant crab apples don’t count on harvesting Golden Delicious.”

Bill Meyer

Apples are a fruit that sometimes is overlooked. 

But what a multitude of snacks and dishes this small little fruit can produce. 

Apples can be savory or sweet dishes. 

There is a cornucopia of apple dishes that are quite delicious. 

There are at least 2500 varieties of apples today. 

Some tangy, some a little sweet, some sweet like molasses and honey.

Some apples are a little bitter but that is okay.  

They can be made into a delicious pie for all to appreciate.

You and I are like apples, we come in many varieties.

Each of us has a place and purpose in the grand scheme of humanity.

Find out what kind of apple you are and cultivate a beautiful tree that is full of love, compassion and humility.

Today is Halloween. As a child we never celebrated it. Growing up in the belly of the Bible Belt meant that you were not doing that.  At all. We had Hallelujah Parties at the Baptist Church. I really don’t have any terrible memories of that time. I remember it was Bible themed and a lot of fun. Also, I have never, ever, ever o a scary movie in my life. Some folks love them, good on ya mate. Not me. Life is scary enough in my opinion. I do however relate to the fall season, the harvest moon, the crisp cool air. Yesterday the leaves were raining down in our backyard. It was like a picturesque postcard. After watching the nature show I got to thinking about apples and fall. My favorite variety of apple would probably be a gala apple. It is not too sweet but not too tart. What kind of apple are you? An Apple a day keeps the doctor away! Does anyone remember that saying?  While it is not actually true, one little tidbit came from the study about folks who ate an apple a day.  They were on less medications.  Apples.  There are so many varieties of them.  Twenty five hundred to be exact. Each has a distinct flavor and intended purpose.  There are traditional apples that we have heard of like a honey crisp.  But then there is a lesser known apple called the Esopus Spitzenburg, it was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.  Inside the apple there are five to eight seeds all of which can be planted and made into apple trees.  You need only to plant two trees to yield an abundance of fruit.  Historically speaking apples have a very long history.  One of my favorite stories of lore is that of Johnny Appleseed. I used to love the little tales about him.  He went from place to place planting a variety of apple trees and spreading Christianity to the villages all around him. I often thought that this story was made up but… he was a real man. He wore a pot on his head for a hat and a cooking utensil. He mainly went around barefoot going from village to village planting apple trees and spreading what was close to his heart. I read that he was not a particularly poor man, he just chose to live humbly. Back to apples… What kind of apple are you? The apple does not have to be one exclusive to type. Some days you may need to be like a Granny Smith, you know a little tart to take away the abundance of sweet. You could be a buttery golden delicious apple with just a mild touch of sweet. Pick your apple because those trees can teach us a lesson. A lesson in patience. Why? Because the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Apples take up to four to ten years to produce fruit. You may be praying for answers in your life, you may not see the fruit of the seeds you have planted. With some time, prayer, patience and a lot of good sunlight you will produce a tree of fruit. I leave you with some advice from an apple: Be well rounded. Savor variety. Let your plans ripen. Eat healthy. Take a bit out of life! 

Source: usapple.com

The Gift of Changing Seasons

This is at Berry College in Rome, GA. Each season highlights this beautiful area.

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Changing Seasons

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all.”

Stanley Horowitz

Have you ever heard the phrase, to everything there is a season? 

This phrase is written for a very specific reason.

There are seasons in life that are sometimes like winter.

Or there are times when life is like fall in all its colorful splendor.

The rustle of spring when flowers come to life.

Or the lazy hazy days of summer where lemonade, lightning bugs and long hot days grace our life.  

Life is much like seasons, where we can find some beauty.  

Whether that day may be a day drenched in white snow, a blank canvas for beauty. 

Life may be a bouquet of thrift flowers with their purple and blue hue.

Or the fiery red leaves on a crisp fall day.

To everything there is a season!  Embrace that phrase.

May the beauty of each season grace all of your days. 

I wrote this exactly a year ago. I am still trying to figure out what season our lives are in at the King household. One thing is sure. I will wait and pray until it is apparent what this seasons of our lives holds for us.

It is fall here in the south. There is a freeze warning set for tomorrow.  In the south, where summer sometimes seems like it goes on forever, the first sign of a crispy colorful leaf gets some of us quite excited. The neighbors have pumpkins and fall garland decorating their porch.  This season just sends a great sense of warm and cozy anticipation for things yet to come.  Life is so much like our seasons.  Each season is markedly different yet full of beauty.  In the winter, the first snowfall that blankets the landscape absorbs all the sound and looks like a painting.  Spring, the world comes to life, the greens are varying shades of beauty.  The flowers are peaking through to make their grand finale in the summer.  So much beauty to be had.  In the fall the mountains look like an absolute painter’s canvas of color, adding the crispiness of the cool days and a warm fire.  You are in a space of absolute delight.  In the summer the trees and flowers mature.  The ferns put on a show.  The twinkle lights and fairy lights sway while the wind gently blows.  How can we learn from seasons?  They are very much like life.  If we don’t change, if seasons don’t change we stagnate.  We become inactive and dull.  When we become dull we lack the vividness and brightness life can bring.  While change and growth can most certainly be painful it is quite necessary to grow.  That is what seasons teach us.  Always start each day with a sense of purpose for that season in your life.  To be more honest, to be more empathetic, to take a moment for yourself so that you can recharge to help others.  So much of life in the last few years in the public sphere has been base and argumentative.  Let us, the everyday people embrace what divides us and walk across the aisle and find what unites us.  There is a great fear that humanity is in a season of distress.  I believe most of us would agree.  The way we change those who cleave to dullness, stagnation and never changing seasons is to find what is beneficial in that season and move from there.  Embrace the seasons in your life!  The changes are an opportunity to make you a better person.  Much like the mum in the fall that blooms with great beauty, it has to be deadheaded so that more growth can occur.  Much like flowers in the spring and summer need to be pruned to encourage more growth. As flowers begin to bloom in spring, some parts do not fully germinate because it would be detrimental to the rest of the plant.  This serves for greater growth.  Finally, in winter when things become dormant and rest.  That rest is to serve to bring a productive, beautiful growing season through the rest of the year.  Seasons can teach us a great deal .  Let’s grow through each season.  

The Gift of a Squeal of Joy!

Big churches with tall ceilings make me want to squeal with Joy! 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of a Squeal of Joy!

“Joy does not simply happen to us.  We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”

Henry JM Nouwen

If something gives you joy, take a moment and proclaim it.

In a world where real jubilation is absent. 

Take that moment of joy and grab it!

A little squeal, a little smile of delight.

This small action might just make you feel just right.

Focus on the ebullience, the exhilaration, the glee. 

Be a source of joy so that others can see.

Find joy even when life seems bleak.  

If you try you will be able to glean that small sliver of happiness that will give you an inner twinkle and gleam. 

Make that shout, that scream, the one simple sound.

In a world where folks are shouting madness, make your joy resound!

Joy. What does it mean? It means a feeling of great pleasure or happiness.  Let’s face it, there are so little sources of joy in a time when money is tight, the geopolitical situation is tenuous at best. Top that off with social media and the general division that is fed to us by social media it is no wonder that folks are just not feeling joyful at all.  Recently my husband and I had the pleasure to visit our sweet little one-year-old granddaughter.  Her little squeals of joy were absolutely medicine for the soul and spirit.  She has a little dog named Yoda and they are thick as thieves.  Each time Yoda leaves his crate she starts screaming at the top of her lungs, “Yoda!” Little Yoda comes to her and greets her with just as much excitement as our little grandchild.  This scenario gave way to an interesting thought.  Perhaps we should try a little squeal of delight when a small good thing comes our way?  Another little simply adorable activity that our little grandchild engages in is ducks. She loves them so very much.  So much so that she has them all over her little play area. We played with ducks, she kept saying, “Quack Quack!” in her screaming happy voice.  After putting her to sleep for the night my husband decided to put ducks all over the room in varying places on the top of picture frames.  The next morning our little gal came down and started to notice the ducks that were scattered here and there.  Once again she squealed with joy and started pointing at the ducks that were dispersed all over the room.  So simple an act but so impactful. What can we learn from this?  Find those little sources of joy each day.  Is it coffee?  Give a little soul and tastebud squeal.  Is it just reading a book?  Talking to your significant other?  Your children?  The possibilities are endless.  Stop waiting for that joy to find you.  How many times have you heard the phrase, “One day I will find joy.”  If we operate in the “one day” mindset we will most certainly never get there.  Laugh more, breathe more, surround yourself with positive people.  If you can’t find anything that makes you squeal, start focusing on the little things.  Those little deposits will fill up your well and one day you will find that joy like our little granddaughter.  Children can really teach us a lot if we let them.  I leave you all with this little antidote.  Life is sometimes a bed of thorns, a puddle of mudd, a pothole on the highway and it might deny you joy but life is going to respond to your attitude and happiness is a choice.  Squeal for joy!

Source: Success.com

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk is live!

Coming soon:

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Appalachian Allegory

What is a Mother of a Soldier?

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

I struggled as to whether or not I would share this bit of thoughts. I mean no disrespect to those who have kids who do not serve… at all.  There are days my heart feels like it cannot take it. I do cry. I do pray. I get on my knees and ask God to protect my loves. But… to this comes from my heart sincerely.

To each and every military mom. God has called us to be the strength for our family. We are given much, and much is required. I urge you all particularly at this time in history, to pray, to hold each soldier in your thoughts.  They are going to need it. 

What is it like to be the mother of a soldier you ask?

Try wanting to take their place, even if they do not ask.

Try wanting to run into the frey in their name. 

You would do it in a heartbeat to save their life any day. 

To know that you have your flesh and blood

That could be called to service at a moment’s notice, that concept is very hard. 

There are no words in any language that could describe the size of your heart. 

Also, there are no words to describe the fear that can grip you when you hear the drums of war. 

That is your baby that you held, you loved, and raised. 

Now your baby could be called to the battlefield without delay. 

To be a mother is such a great gift. 

When your child chooses a life of service, that takes a mama with true grit. 

We really cannot tell you just how much we pray. 

How much we hope, how much we want our babies not to be harmed in any way. 

There are those who say, “They took that oath willingly.”

To those we would respond, “Yes, they did.”

They took that oath knowing they were part of something bigger than self. 

They knew that if needed they would give of themselves. 

It doesn’t make it easy for a mama’s heart. 

Our hearts beat, think, and breathe about them each and every day. 

A soldier’s mama is a warrior. 

A soldier’s mama is a friend.

A mama will be there at a moment’s notice, of which our soldiers can depend. 

What is it like to have skin in the game?

It is daunting, terrifying, to name a few words. 

So please, pray for us mamas we need each and every one of those prayers. 

Pray for our babies. 

They defend you and others in freedom’s name.

Never forget those who defend the red, white and blue. 

Their blood, sweat, and tears make your life possible where freedom still blooms. 

There may come a time when freedom depends on our soldiers. 

Please don’t forget them, embrace them. 

Hold them.

Hold them in the light, in prayer in esteem, they chose to defend freedom without any reserve. 

We mamas, we warriors at home. 

We need those prayers like cornerstones. 

We need them for our babies, we have skin in the game. 

So when you take that walk, that drive or that fabulous freedom ride. 

Please, Please remember our babies may one day come in the way of harm. 

We may never see them again because of their oath that they gave to defend. 

So what is it like to be a military mom?

A prayer warrior, a heart that beats hard and wide not just for her own, but those other brave souls who have chosen to walk to freedom’s drums.

The Gift of Making a Note to Yourself

I took this on a snowy walk in Locust Valley, New York. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Making a Note to Yourself

“Note to self: When things feel overwhelming, remember: One thought at a time, one task at a time and one day at a time.”

Unknown

Do you ever write a note to yourself on a particular day?

So that when you look back a little later you can say..

I really did follow through, even though I doubted myself in each and every way.

Leave a note for yourself to remind you of growth. 

Leave a note for yourself to show you your patience has expanded ten fold.

Write down a feeling you were feeling that particular day.

Leave a note of a task you thought you would never finish, give yourself a pat on the back that day.

Write your feelings, your joys, and your aches. 

Write your frustrations, your aspirations, and just shoot the breeze.

Let that note show you that you indeed did take things one day at a time.

When the day is long, tedious, and quite boring. 

Take out that note, read it, receive it and remember. 

That note could be the spark of graciousness that you needed for the day. 

It is easy to find all the bad circumstances in a situation, you don’t have to look that far. 

But that note could be the flicker of light that changes your attitude and heart. 

So write yourself a note. 

It doesn’t have to be long.

But that little note may just be what you needed to stay strong. 

Do you remember the notion of a diary that certain folks kept under lock and key?  Sometimes I believe that Social Media has become a diary of sorts.  If you ever had a diary did you write down how you were feeling that day or some hopes and dreams of what is to come in the future?  As life keeps whirling along, how rewarding would it be to look back in a month or six months at what we were feeling on a particular day.  Or even better, perhaps we could see if we actually accomplished something no matter how big or small. On an even deeper level I would say that writing a note to yourself is an act of learning.  You have heard folks say, “Let me look at my notes.” If you are at a particularly low point you can look at your notes and this can spur you on to more meaningful deeds.  Notes help you focus on the task at hand.  And if we are truly going through life trying to be a better version of ourselves then that note is of great importance.  Think of it as improving your personal and spiritual Grade Point Average.  It is a proven fact that folks who take notes know more. I ran across a meme recently that had, “Notes you can leave yourself” Some of the suggestions were: You are doing the best you can. You are worthy and lovable. It’s okay to ask for help. You are capable of amazing things. Your boundaries are important. Your feelings are valid. It is okay to try again. You are allowed to say no. Those are some completely viable notes or suggestions. When I started writing these Pensées, I prayed at length for a name. I knew I needed to start writing notes to deal with my kids growing up and leaving the nest. I have written about him before, but Blaise Pasacal the author of Pensées was indeed a note taker. That was the gist of his work. Thoughts. He wrote down his thoughts about life, he made notes to himself. Do you write down your thoughts? Do you write down your prayers? Do you write down your dreams? I would encourage you to do so. When I started writing about this particular topic I decided to do a little research. Did you know that those who take notes via longhand (ie, the old paper and pen) absorb more information than those who take digital notes? When the test came, those who took notes by hand performed a lot better than those who took those notes on a computer. There is a paper that is dedicated to this subject, it is called: The Pen is Mightier than the Keyboard. Now, why do I mention this? Did you see? Those who take the time and write it down absorb more into their minds than those that don’t. If that is the case.. then by all means. Leave yourself a note! It will make a difference. When that test comes that tries your patience or will, you have a better chance of passing the test. I leave you with this wonderful quote: “If you can’t fly then run, If you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Martin Luther King Jr. 

My books are on Amazon:

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk is live!

Coming soon:

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Appalachian Allegory

The Gift of You are Worthy

I am not sure who took this photo but it reminds me of a fresh start and love. 
It is a beautiful church in Iceland. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

“You are worthy now. Not when you get that job, not when you lose twenty pounds, not when more people know who you are. Now. Simply because you exist.”

Tiana Barrow

Do you see those words above?

You are worthy simply because you exist. 

You are worthy because you are. 

You are worthy both near and far. 

Your soul matters, your spirit as well. 

You are worthy.  

Keep telling those words to yourself. 

Make this a part of your mantra.

Say it each and every day. 

You are worthy in each and every way. 

Sure we all have our foibles, but thank goodness for grace. 

Practice active forgiveness and accept God’s grace. 

You are worthy of much care. 

You are worthy dear reader. 

Stop beating yourself up. 

Take those small steps to know your self worth. 

Those steps will become wider and longer in duration. 

You will go farther with each day you see your dedication. 

To your worth, your life, and love all around. 

You are worthy dear reader. 

Grasp those words, make them a part of you. 

When you do dear reader, you will blossom as you were meant to do. 

I am not going to really comment a lot on this particular quote today. I did however feel compelled to share it. Do you struggle with low self worth? Low self worth is a belief. Low self confidence is a bit different. It is more circumstantial. Such as a hard work task or any number of daunting tasks that life hands us. Low self worth means that you feel unworthy of love, unworthy of having any sort of grace in your life. If life has taught me anything, and believe me… I am still learning..Is that you are worthy. We all struggle in our own way as humans. I would encourage you to practice an attitude of grace. Be kind to yourself. When we were children we were taught the phrase: “Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I take issue with that phrase. Words can be painful. I read a little passage yesterday that changed the sentiment. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will cripple my pitifully fragile sense of self worth.” How many times have you let something someone has said sit over your head like a storm cloud? I am guilty of this action on many occasions. I am not talking about the selfie Me! Me! Me! Culture that we see. But rather, take that little child that is still in you that is huddled in the corner and let them know that they are worthy. It might make all the difference in both yourself and others. I will leave you with a couple of quotes that spoke to me as I was researching this topic. “It’s not what you are that is holding you back. It’s what you think you are not.” Anonymous. “Low self worth does not keep you humble, it keeps you small. So small that you may even become invisible. It starts with you. Begin to love this human being which is you. Not for what you do but for who you are. Cherish the moments of this life gifted to you. Joy, purpose, and love flourish within fulfilled hearts and lift all those they connect with.”  Doe Zantamata

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

Clean it up! Wash it Up!

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk is live today!

Coming soon:

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Appalachian Allegory

The Gift of Don't Give Up!

Sunrises remind me of not giving up...  a new day, a new start.
Photo Credit: My husband

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift Don’t Give Up

“Don’t be afraid to start over. This time you’re not starting from scratch.  You’re starting from experience.”

Unknown

It’s okay to start over, to make a fresh path.

When you have tried, toiled, and labored and gone through the drudgery.

Wipe the slate clean as best you can, glean the good bits and start the process again.

How many times have great inventors had to erase all of their work?  

Their process was not bearing fruit, they had to restart the process of labor again.

Only this time when they started, they had the gift of understanding within their command.

These great minds took the useful fragments and crafted a masterpiece by never giving up and starting over.  

This is a great lesson for both you and me. 

It’s okay to start over.  

To begin again.

Even if the starting over takes multiple times.  

Each time you are becoming more full of wisdom, and true tenacity, so that you can craft your great life masterpiece.  

Becoming an empty nester has certainly felt like starting over, not giving up, etc.. I never in a million years thought I would write a blog, write 13 children’s books and a novel. I just jotted down some other ideas for stories in the future. There is a thought in our society that once you do certain things such as: raise kids, reach a certain age, finish a certain job, etc.. that there is nothing left to do. What did C.S. Lewis say? “You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.” Wise words. Each New Year we hear the term “New Year Resolution.”  The time when we evaluate ourselves and try to determine what needs to change for the better.  Usually those resolutions don’t last but the intent is to try.  What if we never tried to forge a new path or a better path?  Life would certainly be mediocre. Some folks may prefer mediocre, that is completely fine if that is where they want to live. But what is life without starting something new?  Challenging yourself?  Starting something over again with different methods and more experience?  Recently I read about Harland Sanders, the creator of Kentucky Fried Chicken.  This guy had so many jobs throughout his life.  He was a farmhand, a railroad worker, a lawyer, a hotel owner, and dustpan worker for a railroad. That is a few of the jobs listed in his biography.  There were more.  Sanders did not even begin to think about KFC until about age 50.  For a while he enjoyed success with his chicken business.  Fun fact, he sold his KFC franchise when Interstate 75 started to congest traffic a good deal.  After selling, he was left with only his savings and his $105 a month Social Security check, he was 65 years old.  Even then, this tenacious spirit did not give up.  He opted to start over yet again.  He often slept in his car going from restaurant to restaurant marketing his very special spices and his unique way of frying chicken.  All of this hard work paid off.  He finally had many places to dine both domestically in the US and Internationally.  In 1970 at the age of 73 he sold his business for 2 million dollars (roughly 18 million by today’s standards) and lived the rest of his life very comfortably.  When I read about his life I was in awe of his willingness to not give up.  Did he reach low points?  Absolutely.  Did he struggle?  I am quite sure.  But he never threw in the towel.  To give you all dear reader’s a few more examples.  Henry Ford was 45 when he started to design Ford Motor Vehicles.  Vera Wang was 40 when she designed her first dress.  Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart when he was 45.  The late great Julia Child started her path to success at the age of 50.  What is the moral of the story?  You have a gift inside of you.  Find that gift, share that gift even if that blessing is to a select few.  You can and will make the world, or just one person’s life a better dwelling place.  

Source: businessinsider.com

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

Clean it Up! Wash it Up!

Coming soon:

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

Appalachian Allegory