A Gift that Time Travels and Cat Cartoons Too!

Christmas season means lots of different things to lots of different cultures, but one thing seems to be fairly consistent.  It is a time to give gifts.

When we think about that from a Christian perspective, the greatest gift ever given was the baby Jesus — God coming to earth to rescue man from the bondage of sin with the ultimate consequence of death.  It is a priceless gift beyond anything we can comprehend and explain to others.  To fully enjoy a gift one must unwrap it and embrace it and share it with others!  One would most naturally be thankful to the giver for the precious gift and say so in many ways.  We tell others about the rescue and that they can be rescued to, but some don’t even know they need to be rescued yet.  To those friends we stand ready to share in more appropriate times as the door opens for us to share.  This is an example of a gift that gives beyond life on this planet and steps into eternity.

I am going to tell you about a gift in my life that has given beyond the lifetime of the giver.  You have them too, but maybe this will help you put them in perspective and treasure them all the more.  Maybe this will help you package your gifts to others in such a way that they give beyond a lifetime.  Give them the story that goes with the gift.  Give them good memories.  Give them a treasure of wisdom, a sparkle of imagination, a blessing that multiplies.  Gifts of time and treasure accompanied with love and prayers are the best!

Back in the early 2000’s a good friend of mine who knew of my love for cats (he was a dog person), began sending me cat cartoons and cards rather routinely.  They were often accompanied with the political wisdom of the day also, but that is another story.  I always enjoyed the cards and cartoons and shared some further by email with personal notes back then.  I saved them and realized at some point that I had quite a collection.  It wasn’t until I started clipping and organizing them (with the help of another friend) that I realized how much time and treasure was in the gift of finding them and sending them to me originally.  They turned into a cat cartoon album that sits on my living room coffee table and has brought many a smile to many a guest and of course to me.

In 2006 I had a foreign exchange student named Hanna, who did the cover artwork for me as a gift.  She wonderfully captured the personality of my three cats Ivory, Ebony, and Peaches (L-R).  Ivory was primping, Ebony had on a top hat, and Peaches while she has a halo on her head was sharpening her claws.

This year I scanned the pages and put the cartoon album online for my family for Christmas. Hanna’s artwork will be the cover online competing with the New Yorker cat cover on the album on my coffee table.   I hope the smiles will multiply from generation to generation.  There is nothing like the sparkle of light and laughter originally captured and put on paper by someone you love.  The light bulb moment shared.  The blessing multiplied.

Here is the album on scribd (and it is a work in progress).  It is dedicated to our family pets through the years.  There was Count, the pedigreed boxer and then Shadow, the miniature blue poodle and delight of my early years.  Then there was Pierre, the gray tom cat; then Tina the long haired white and gray talker (with a special bird trill alert alarm).  At the Caswell household, we have Calvin and Hobbes, the bengals  — smart, playful, and cuddly too.  Then there were the Garland ferrell cats —  Auria, Melody, Jazz and more!  And last but certainly not least the three pictured above, Ivory (blue eyed female with Siamese markings and playfulness too),  Ebony (golden eyed black male love bug),  and Peaches (green eyed Calico female with a  love of running water).

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Some of the cartoonists collected over the years and included are listed below:

Crankshaft

Family Circus

Far Side

one of my all time favorites…

Frank and Ernest

Garfield

Get Fuzzy

Hazel

Heathcliff

Mother Goose & Grimm

Mutt

Pickles

Rhymes with Orange

Rose is Rose

Speed Bump

That’s Life

The Bucket

Ziggy

Communing with Cats — selected pages from Cat Fancy 2002

Super Bowl Commercial about Cat Herding – article from 2001

Cat and Fish Bowl ad from Washington Post

Share the laughter and enjoy!

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Thanksgiving Blessings from My House to Yours — Thanks be to the Lord for His Provision!

 

Dear Friends & Family,

 

The last annual letter that I did was in 2005 so I think today would be a good day to write one and update everyone on recent years also.  I do hope this letter finds you doing well and serving the Lord and walking in your calling.  I would love to hear from you whenever that is possible~

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In 2013 some very sad news with the loss of Peaches, my female green eyed calico rescue cat.  I miss her terribly as she was my main talker and surveillance/security monitor.  She loved running water to drink.  A real delight!  Ivory, my female Siamesish blue eyed cat, is hanging in there with me and is a lot of entertainment too.

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Paula, my sister, and Tim, her husband, came to visit recently and I loved every minute of having them here including some redecorating ideas and some very clever suggestions to make my life a little easier!

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I have been publishing some books for lifetime friend and mentor, Jesse Jones and also sharing some of my own documents online via Scribd.  You can find them here: http://scribd.com/scrosnoe

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The latest book released there is about how my folks and Jesse met Jesus and the special bible teacher sent their way many years ago.  Some of you will remember Brother Earle Frid.  The story is here:  A Man of God by Jesse C. Jones

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In April of 2012, Paula gave me an awesome 60th birthday party at Sterlings in Bartlesville.  For that event I prepared an online presentation of life events for those able to be there in person.  It is available here:  Celebration Birthday for Sandra Crosnoe — April 2012

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Another highlight of the year (and a lowlight all in one) was being an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention in Tampa Florida.  It was the partial fulfillment of a lifetime dream to get to attend with delegate status, but the shattering of the dream of a party operating in any sense according to the rules.  My observation is that the grassroots are not really wanted until time to go vote for the media manufactured darling.  The Ron Paul party & events for his delegates were a lot of fun and some great networking opportunities as well.  The pool/beach time on the way with Ryan and Julia made it all worthwhile.  We stayed beachfront at the Margueritaville Hotel and had a marvelous time and some great food too.

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In 2011 the most wonderful memorable event of the year was a trip to Las Vegas with my sister Paula and my good friend Donna.  Paula arranged a birthday trip for us where we stayed at the Bellagio with the dancing fountains, went to not one not two, but THREE shows, had fabulous meals and a spa day and a helicopter ride over Hoover Dam!  Great pics from the trip here (probably more than you want to see but suffice it to say we had a great time.  I have a video of the helicopter ride somewhere if you ever want to see it!):  sandiec99’s photosets on Flickr

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Saddest event of the year was the loss of my good friend David Hall.  Shelli Dawdy wrote an article for me while I made the trip to Texas with Donna Gustafson, to be with family and friends there. Here is her tribute online to David Hall our belladier http://grassrootsne.com/on-loss-of-belladier-david-hall-bells-must-be-ringing-in-heaven/  I also lost Ebony my golden eyed black male cat this year.  He was a love bug for sure.  It was a sad sudden event and I miss him dearly!

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In 2010  I helped a bit with Nathan Dahm’s race for Congress and although he did not win, he laid the groundwork then for his election to the Oklahoma Senate subsequently where he is now serving.  I believe that he busted up the turf for Jim Bridenstine’s subsequent election to Congress in District 1.  A real win/win and progress!  Senator Dahm and Congressman Bridenstine are both bright spots on our Oklahoma political landscape in my opinion.  I created a book for my family of recipe treasures and ultimately shared it online here:  Recipe Treasures – Crosnoe to Caswell

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2009 – Somewhere in this time I started blogging and social networking and did some radio broadcasts with Shelli called the Constitutional Liberty Coalition Gets Grizzly.   We also worked with a team of people on the original Tea Party efforts.  It is worth more than a paragraph, but suffice it to say it was grassroots and co-opted almost all in the same breath.  My blogging began as https://scrosnoe.wordpress.com Finding Gems & Sharing Them (but it began on blogger if you ever want to explore the old archives (for a good laugh I am sure).  Out of these early efforts some networks grew and prospered (online websites and on facebook and twitter):

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R3publicans — Republicans Restoring the Republic http://r3publican.wordpress.com

OKGrassroots – Oklahoma Grassroots Network (syndicated) http://okgrassroots.com

CLibertyC – Constitutional Liberty Coalition (syndicated multi-state) http://clibertyc.com

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In November, my nephew, Byron married his sweetheart Tracy.  They had a marvelous wedding and I was glad to be able to attend and be a part of the festivities.  They are now all settled in their own home in DC.

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In 2008 I made the trip to Minneapolis with Deborah and some of my Okie buddies for the RNC and the parallel Ron Paul Convention which was way ‘funner’ than the other one and well attended too!  That was the first time I ever heard the ‘END the FED’ cheer by thousands of people.  It was inspiring to say the least!  Special thanks to Matt for getting me a guest pass for the other convention.  It was the first time to hear Sarah Palin in person and observe the police state at conventions too (again experienced in 2012 – ask me about it sometime for details!).

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In 2007 I began working with a few others to create the Ron Paul network and convince him to run for President.  He did and although he lost, I believe we made a difference and opened many eyes in the process.  We tried!  This work was the foundation for many things that transpired later in teaparty efforts and communications networks and campaigns on issues and on leadership too.  Shared a wonderful New Year’s Eve Cruise with my good friend Jim Boulet and awfully glad for the good memories as he went to be with the Lord just a few years after that.

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In 2006 for part of the year, Hannah Dudkiewicz, a foreign exchange student from Germany, lived with me.  We traveled a great deal and I had a wonderful time showing her a little bit of our way of life.  Last I heard she was in college in Berlin.  She certainly was artistically gifted and she remains in my prayers.

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That should bring you up to date with the highlights, but YOU are in the details or you would not be reading this.  I thank you for your part in making my life rich and full.  Thank you for your prayers and your presence online and in person making a difference wherever and whenever possible.  I look forward to seeing you in person as the Lord leads our paths to cross again.  Let us keep blessing as many as we can as we learn to walk in His ways as we go.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

 

Some scriptures about Thanksgiving to share and proclaim:

 

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

—Psalm 9:1

The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!”

—Psalm 50:23

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

—Psalm 92:1

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!

—Psalm 97:12

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

—Psalm 100:4

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!

—Psalm 105:1-2

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Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

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—Philippians 4:6

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More scriptures and references here:

Thanksgiving Bible Verses: 15 Great Scripture Quotes

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Blessings to you and yours,

Sandie

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Posted by Sandra Crosnoe for

Finding Gems and Sharing Them

original post here >>>

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Photo credit:  Century Greetings card available here for purchase — Autumn Bridge Card

Celebrating with Family and Friends — Good Times, Good Food, Great Memories!

Special thanks to Paula and Tim Caswell for a memorable evening to delight a princess!

And now for a walk down memory lane with me.  These pics capture some highlights through the years. I want to thank my friends and family for sharing the evening and for helping me get to this point in life. I would also be remiss to not thank those who have gone before me, especially my parents. I humbly bow before my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who died that all those who would come to Him in repentance and faith might live eternally with Him. May you know Him and walk in His way all the days of your life.

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More pics coming here soon…