Daily Gratitude 6-13-26

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June 13th, 2026

  • “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” – G.K. Chesterton
  • “Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of self-preoccupation.” – John Ortberg
  • “The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in everything; the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing.” – Hannah Whitall Smith
  • “O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.” – William Shakespeare
  • “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette

My Musical Life 6-13-26

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June 13th, 2026

#61 Gitarzan (Ray Stevens) 👍🏼

Lyrics:
He’s free as the breeze,
He’s always at ease.
He lives in the jungle
And hangs by his knees,
As he swings through trees
Without a trapeeze,
In his BVD’s.
A-hoo hoo!🪄
He’s got a union card
And he’s practicin’ hard
To play the gitar.
Gon’ be a big star,
Yeah he’s gonna go far.
An’ carry moonbeams home in a jar!🪄
He ordered Chet’s guitar course COD,
Makes A&E an’ he’s workin’ on B.
Digs C&W&R&B an’ an’ me an’ a chimpanzee
Agree that one day soon he’ll be,
A celebrity.
Get it!
Get it!
Get it!
Get it!
OWWWWWWWWW!🪄
Gitarzan!
He’s a gitar man!
He’s all you can stand,
Give him a hand,
Gitarzan!🪄
(Tarzan yell)
[Coughing]🪄
He’s gotta girl named Jane,
With no last name.
Kinda homely and plain,
But he loves her just the same.
‘Cause she kindles a flame,
And it drives him insane,
When he hears her sing.
She really does her thing.
It’s here claim to fame,
Come on, sing one Jane:🪄
Baby, baby, Whaooooo Baby!
[Scatting]
Whaooooo Baby!🪄
How ’bout that,
Lets here it for Jane!🪄
Thank ya’ folks.🪄
Well, they gotta pet monkey,
He likes to get drunky,
And sing boogie woogie,
And it sounds real funky,
Come on, yo’ time, boy,
Sing one monkey,
Here we go,🪄
[Monkey grunts]🪄
Lets here it for the monkey!
Whooooo!
(He He He He)🪄
On Saturday night they need some excitement,
Jane gets right and the monkey gets tight,
And their voices unite, in the pale moon light,
And it sounds alright, yeah, it’s dynamite,
It’s outta sight.
Let’s hear it, right nnnnnnnnow!🪄
[Gitarzan, Jane, and monkery all together]🪄
[Jane:]
Shut up baby, I’m tryin’ to sing!🪄
Get it!
Get it!
Get it!
Get it!
Owwwwwww!🪄
Gitarzan!
And his jungle band!
They’re all you can stand,
Give ’em a hand, Gitarzan!
[repeats once while fading]

My Abundant Life 6-13-26

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June 13th, 2026

Secret Passions: The Fancy Pantry

“The Array of pots rather amazed her at first, but John was so fond of jelly, and the nice little jars would look so well on the top shelf.”

Louisa May Alcott (American Novelist & Short Story Writer; November 29th, 1832 to March 6th, 1888)

“Creating a yummy larder to raid on weekends is the goal!”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 207 to 208 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

Daily Gratitude 6-12-26

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June 12th, 2026

  • “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” – John F. Kennedy
  • “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
  • “Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead.” – C.S. Lewis
  • “The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” – Henry Ward Beecher
  • “What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.” – Brené Brown

My Musical Life 6-12-26

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June 12th, 2026

#60 I’m Gonna Make You Mine (Lou Christie) 👍🏼

Lyrics:
I’ll try every trick in the book
With every step that you take, everywhere that you look
Just look and you’ll find
I’ll try to get to your soul, I’ll try to get to your mind🪄
I’m gonna make you mine
I know I’ll never give up, I’m at the end of my rope
From the morning till suppertime, you’ll find
I’ll be waiting in line, I’ll be waiting in line🪄
I’m gonna make you mine (baby, I’m gonna make you mine)
Make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine
Baby, I’m gonna make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine🪄
I’ll try every trick in the book
With every step that you take, everywhere that you look
Just look and you’ll find
I’ll be waiting in line, I’ll be waiting in line🪄
I’m gonna make you mine (baby, I’m gonna make you mine)
Make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine
Baby, I’m gonna make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine🪄
I’ll be a hard-lovin’, pushin’ kind of individual
Knockin’ night and day at your door
You’ll have to turn me away like an indestructible force🪄
Baby, I’m gonna make you mine
Make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine
Baby, I’m gonna make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine🪄
I’ll try every trick in the book
With every step that you take, everywhere that you look
Just look and you’ll find
I’ll try to get to your soul, I’ll try to get to your mind
I’m gonna make you mine🪄
Baby, I’m gonna make you mine
Make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine
Baby, I’m gonna make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine🪄
Baby, I’m gonna make you mine
Make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine
Baby, I’m gonna make you mine, I’m gonna make you mine

My Abundant Life 6-12-26

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June 12th, 2026

Secret Passions: Scented Linen Closets

“And still she slept an azure-lidded sleep/In blanched linen, smooth, and lavender’d.”

John Keats (English Poet; October 31st, 1775 to February 23rd, 1821)

“I long for a walk in linen closet to organize all the linens for our house. I love the idea of fresh linens neatly organized and at the ready for any occasion.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 205 to 207 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

Daily Gratitude 6-11-26

On By Heather HoustonIn 5 Daily GratitudesLeave a comment

June 11th, 2026

  • “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” – Epicurus
  • “True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for the experience.'” – Oprah
  • “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” – Maya Angelou
  • “If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” – Meister Eckhart

My Musical Life 6-11-26

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June 11th, 2026

#59 Galveston (Glen Campbell) 👍🏼

Lyrics:
Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea winds blowin’
I still see her dark eyes glowin’
She was 21 when I left Galveston🪄
Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea waves crashing
While I watch the cannons flashing
I clean my gun and dream of Galveston🪄
I still see her standing by the water
Standing there lookin’ out to sea
And is she waiting there for me?
On the beach where we used to run🪄
Galveston, oh Galveston, I am so afraid of dying
Before I dry the tears she’s crying
Before I watch your sea birds flying in the sun
At Galveston, at Galveston

My Abundant Life 6-11-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

June 11th, 2026

Creating a Plan for Personal Papers

“Tidied all my papers. Tore up and ruthlessly destroyed much. This is always a great satisfaction.”

Katherine Mansfield (New Zealand Writer; October 14th, 1888 to January 9th, 1923)

“I am a stickler for order as when you know where things are you remain in action on any project or task vs. stopping and having to pivot looking for a supplemental item.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 204 to 205 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

Daily Gratitude 6-10-26

On By Heather HoustonIn 5 Daily GratitudesLeave a comment

June 10th, 2026

  • “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” – A.A. Milne
  • “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  • “Have gratitude for all that you have, and you can be happy exactly as you are.” – Mandy Ingber
  • “Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life.” – Rumi
  • “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust