Take Time.....To Be.......Thankful.

Reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books again has inspired me to do what I don't always enjoy doing.

In her pioneer real life stories Laura shares the struggles of her family in day to day living. The enjoyment they got out of simple experiences such as watching their crops grow and knowing there would be a variety of food to enjoy. 
Looking forward to Christmas and thinking it couldn't be better because of an orange and piece of candy found in their stocking. 
Life that we all take for granted these days were a blessing to them then. They survived a seven months winter (1880-1881) when the winds howled without ceasing for days and snow covered everything taking the temperature to 40 below.  No Airconditioners or insulated homes. They ran out of coal and kerosene, using twisted hay in the cooker to keep them warm, which it hardly did. That long hard winter, they almost starved....... How grateful they were when it was over and they had survived. ....
Life was never taken for granted. 

So now I have a Mango Tree laden with fruit. I love mango's and there is an abundance. The flying fox's (fruit bats) feast off them at night when all the lights are out and we have finally given up shooing them off and gone to bed. Fruit fly are descending and taking their pleasure also, ruining the luscious fruit.
So we pick as much as possible, even some green....and allow them to ripen wrapped in newspaper. Checking daily I peel slice and bag the ready, then place them in the freezer for later. Fresh are also consumed of course.
Coming from New South Wales (Australia) where mango's don't grow....they were a rare and expensive treat when I was a child. My first taste was at age ten one Christmas when my elder brother Denny who was a chef, brought three home to share. We all ate half each and I thought nothing had ever tasted that good. 
We have so much to give THANKS for. 
                                          Our Mango's

Dreaded Fruit Fly                                    Flying Fox