Thankful Thursday | a fuzzy tummy
This week, I am thankful:
for Chiquita's fuzzy tummy
Zoe took this picture of her the other night, and I think it is so cute!
Also, her short back legs make me giggle.
for my car
Sorry, not sorry, I am still in car heaven. Hehe.
I still feel almost like I need to pinch myself to believe this is mine! I've never had such a nice car, and I am still amazed that it belongs to me.
No matter how many comments I get on my Instagram post about my car, saying, "It's just a Civic." (they trickle in here and there!), my joy cannot be smushed. 😉
that I only have one more residency class
We have a last class at the beginning of July, and then we all graduate from residency in August.
The residency classes are not hard, but on those weeks, I have to be at the hospital an extra day, and depending on how the work shifts are arranged, it can feel like a lot at once.
Soo, I will be thrilled to be done. We are so close!
for my co-workers
I know I say this a lot, but I love the people I work with: my fellow nurses, the techs, the case managers, the director, the cleaners, the supply stockers...and also the doctors. 😉
Sometimes I know nurse/doctor relations are strained, but I feel like we have a great nurse/doctor rapport on my unit, and I am grateful.
How fortunate I am to have landed in such a great spot for my first nursing job. 🙂
for this rental house
I was remembering how terrible it was to try to apply for rentals four years ago, since I had only my self-employment income (complicated to prove on an application!)
What a mercy it was to find this house, which is rented out by private owners, not a big company.
If I ever need to rent again, it will be simple to apply because I have my W-2 nursing income. But back in 2022, I was riding the struggle bus, trying repeatedly and unsuccessfully to find a rental.
So, I guess this is two thankfuls: for this rental, and now also for my normal job with easy-to-prove income.
for beautiful surroundings
I am grateful to live in a place where green spaces are so easily accessible.
for sparkling water
I try to minimize my sugar intake, and a can of sparkling water is a nice little fix when I get the urge to have a drink that is slightly more interesting than water.
And the Aldi store brand is very affordable, so, a double win. I do think my favorite sparkling water is the Trader Joe's Blackberry Vanilla flavor, but I don't find myself at TJs as often as Aldi.
So the Belle Vie is usually what I have in my pantry. 🙂
for the feeling of being the policyholder
You know how when you call and give a doctor's office your insurance info, they ask who the policyholder is?
For most of my life, it has not been me.
But now, I have real insurance through my nursing job, and I feel so delighted when I answer this insurance question with, "Me. I'm the policyholder."
It's like a happy little reminder that I did this. I changed my life. I went to school, I started a new career, and I take care of me. Independently!
I am happy for all the good things happening in your life. You so deserve them!
One small thing I can thoroughly enjoy is watching the not quite-baby sparrows being fed by their parents. They are out of the nest, sitting on ledges and branches, and are begging for food by fluttering their wings in a particular way. That is the stage where we need our dear old cat indoors, because the little birds are not nimble and quick enough yet to escape a seasoned hunter.
This week I helped prepare our annual company BBQ. I really enjoyed taking active part in this day. I much prefer the bustle of helping out to just eating. I don't eat or drink much, and I normally find a 2,5 hour BBQ a very long stretch, to be honest. If you have something to do, you also circulate more and run into more people to chat with.
Sandra Boynton will never leave me. The first thing I thought when I saw your post title was from the book "Horns to Toes and In Between": "And we have a fuzzy tummy that we all like to pat, and a little belly button in the middle of that." Cue me tickling the belly button of whatever child was sitting on my lap while I read. I can also recite the entirety of "Let's Dance, Little Pookie," which has come in handy when I'm in charge of preschoolers who need to be entertained. Every kid likes the Pookie Dance.
So, thanks for my brain that never lets go of songs and rhymes, I guess.
Oh, Sandra Boynton! A cow says moo, a sheep says baa, three singing pigs say La, la, la! I, too, have many of her rhymes memorized. And then came along her music cds that the kids (even now as older) like to listen to.
This week I will be quick with my thankfuls because I have a houseful of company and an appointment. I am thankful:
*for lots of exercise this week. And the garden is in!
*for Jimmy. He died at 94 this week. I was able to visit him and say my goodbye.
*for my visitors. They are delightful.
*for ice cream at Sweetsies.
*for older kids who can make the meals happen while my husband and I am gone for the first part of todya.
*that my son's girlfriend said yesterday's meatloaf was the best she's ever eaten. That felt good.
I love Sandra Boynton!! 🙂
I love Sandra Boyton books and always gift "Blue Hat, Green Hat (the OOPS book)" with baby shower books. My children and now grandchildren are amused when I read the "OOPS" part of the book with my silly voice.
Thanks for reminding me of the wonderful time reading to them. It made me smile this morning.
with baby shower GIFTS not *books*. An OOPS of my own this morning!
Around here we still quote "It is nighttime in the jungle and the moon is on the rise..." especially when the Commodore gets the evening zoomies!" And "Personal Penguin!"
Oh, and "For the bunny, not for you!"
I love Shel Silverstein's books...must have read them a hundred times to my girls...Sara Cynthia Silvia Stout would not take the garbage out...so hilarious. Book is Where The Sidewalk Ends.
Being influenced by some of yours here:
1) We don't have to worry about health insurance (in the UK, thank you free NHS healthcare)
2) Living so close to the sea, we have been down several times this week dolphin spotting, I could stare out to sea for hours
3) The potatoes and carrots from our back garden, we don't have much growing space but it's more than many and we enjoy it
4) My 'staff' discount at the charity shop I volunteer at, makes replenishing my daughter's wardrobe a lot cheaper
5) A working car, after struggling with maintaining an old car for a long time I've had my new (to me) Ford for a year now and have only had one unexpected expense (a bust tyre)
Longtime reader but first time I've participated in this...
1. So grateful that my son and his boys (7 & 3) are here this week. They've had a tough year, and it's been nice to have them here.
2. For so much family time this week. I've had my son and grandsons visiting, but I have also spent extra time with my other children and grandchildren this week. I love it when we can all be together.
3. A day at the beach! There is no therapy like beach therapy
Glad you shared my thankful list this morning. Spending time with kids and grandkids brings great joy.
CHW, great first list! Hope it's one of many.
What lovely pictures of Chiquita!
I am trying to get into the habit of drinking sparkling water but I read a comment once that it's like drinking static and I always think of that lol. I managed to mostly break my soda habit but every now and then I have one.
Thankfuls:
1. My trip to Switzerland! It was so stunning. The surroundings were glorious and I was lucky with the weather; the forecast said there would be clouds and rain but the sun was out every day. I hiked around the mountains, swam in the lakes and enjoyed exploring Zurich and Lucerne. I went to Heidi Land for my childhood self and hiked up the mountain there. I nearly turned back a few times because it was a long and steep walk but I'm glad I persevered. The hotel I stayed at was lovely and, despite a couple of travel hiccups, I was able to get where I needed to go thanks to other trains. I nearly didn't go on this trip and I'm so thankful that I did!
2. When I got back I was feeling pretty grimy from travel so I went to the beach and had a quick swim. I'm thankful to live near the sea!
3. I have a dentist appointment later - not so happy about that but thankful to have access to dental care. Like Joy, I am also thankful for universal healthcare (this doesn't cover the dentist for me but it does cover doctor's appointments).
4. I'm excited about seeing a friend tomorrow who I haven't seen for a while.
5. I'm thankful for modern appliances. I had a big bag of laundry from my trip and it was a relief just to toss it in the washing machine. Laundry is annoying to do but it's a lot less annoying than it would have been prior to washing machines!
*Jen, not Joy!
I think that is a very apt typo given the topic!
Very true! I had no cavities at the dentist so there's even more joy!
Washing machines and fridges will be my fave household appliances (for a moderate climate, that is).
Your trip sounds amazing!
I had to store food in a coolbag last year when I did a mega fridge clean and it made me very, very thankful for the fridge and freezer when I put everything back. I have to do a big clean again soon and I'm not looking forward to it!
I'm going to add Heidi land to my bucket list. I loved the book so much growing up. I'm going to find a copy to read again this summer!
I read it again last year, as I hadn't read it for years, and reread it after my trip. It was a lot more religious than I remembered! The descriptions of the mountain are lovely though and it was so magical recognising parts from the book! I was originally going to go with my friend or sister but neither of them could make it in the end - possibly for the best as I doubt either of them would have wanted to go to Heidi Land 😉
This was such a happy read. Thank you for the morning smile, Kristen!
Oh your squishy kitty is so cute! I'm grateful for so many things that it's hard to distill, but I'll try:
1. All of my cats through the years have given me back so much more than I've given them. All of them rescues, many scruffy, so many years of tummy rubs!
2. Free shipping.
3. Good neighbors. Although I may not know all of them well, I absolutely believe that any one of them would come to my aid if I needed something, and vice versa.
4. I'm grateful there are so many different flavors of ice cream. Enough to last me forever.
5. Your joy in your car made me think of my own story. My current car is a 2017 Hyundai SUV. In 2020 there was a recall and unbelievably they replaced my entire engine and gave me a new 100,000 mile warranty on the powertrain. In 2024, I had a problem with the transmission. Of course I had the warranty and they replaced my entire transmission and gave me another 100,000 mile warranty. My brother and car expert tells me I'm not allowed to sell my car now because it's so well covered. It's a good thing, I absolutely adore it. It's perfect for me so I'm looking forward to 10 more years of joy in driving it.
Does Chiquita allow you and Zoe to give her belly rubs on that adorably fuzzy tummy, or does she claw and bite when you try? Betty does both, depending on her moods.
I'm thankful this week, as I so often am, for CF (NDN1's other close friend). Now that CF has recovered from a nasty upper respiratory bug (for which I am *very* thankful), she's set up appointments with (1) a realtor friend of hers, to go through NDN1's house with us and let us know how much work we're going to have to put into getting it ready to sell; and (2) her financial advisor, for any help he can give us with consolidating NDN1's numerous savings and investment accounts, etc. (NDN1's late husband took the concept of "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" to extremes, and NDN1 hasn't changed a thing since he died.)
The biting the hand after showing the belly was dubbed "The Venus Hand Trap" by one of my friends. It fits perfectly.
The Venus Fly Trap! Haha I love that!
A genius description! 😀
Thankful to still be in recovery mode after surgery. I was going to drive 5 hrs by myself to watch my granddaughter and my daughter found other care because she wanted me to stay home and recuperate. And my husband agreed, so I am home. And sleeping in my own bed instead of the recliner!
Thankful that I have been doing the prescribed exercises to aid in recovery. They are making me feel better.
Thankful that I finished the tiny bit of work on the backsplash in the kitchen. All I had to do was sand down the nail holes and paint them. I kept procrastinating. It’s finally done tho! Now to tape and paint around the little window.
Thankful for A/C. Gosh I don’t know what I would be doing or how I would be sleeping without it.
Thankful for friends and family. We might not always communicate, but I know they are around.
I hope your recovery and post op therapy go well!
wishing you a speedy and complete recovery.
Wishing both you and MB in MN the best for full recovery. (See my reply to MB below re: physical therapy; are you having PT, or just doing exercises at home?)
Thankful:
- For a good breakfast.
- For mushroom coffee so I can still have that flavor in the morning (it has real coffee in it but not as much as a regular cup).
- For a great trip this week to visit extended family.
- For a few days ahead of me with more white space in the calendar.
- That my painful thumb feels a little better this morning.
Kristen, your thankfuls made me so happy today, especially the ones about your accomplishments and independence.
As always, I have much to be thankful for this week:
-- Our house was unscathed in a short but intense overnight storm, although a neighbor's tree fell on our detached garage so we've got some roof damage to sort out.
-- Started physical therapy. Oh boy, trying to bend a knee even a little bit after fracturing it seven weeks ago is hard work, but I will persevere and eventually succeed in bending my knee the whole way. I'm so eager to have this in the rearview mirror.
-- Friends continue to visit to lift my spirits - actually my spirits are already good, but it's nice to be with people I enjoy.
-- A neighbor girl brought me flowers and the sweetest homemade card. I choked up reading it to my husband. That card is a keeper.
-- Air conditioning and the electricity to power it - it's been hot and humid this week.
-- Our dog's opthalmologist recommended a new treatment plan so we're crossing our fingers and paws that it works.
I'm almost 12 weeks post knee replacement, so I know some of the pain you are going through. While the early weeks were really tough in therapy it has been great to hit new milestones and see how far I've come looking back! You've got this! Remember to rest and ice and do it all again!
Wishing you good progress in PT and a complete recovery, MB. I well remember my 8 weeks of PT after my partial knee replacement in 2012, and it was no fun whatsoever (I recall calling my therapists "Sadists!" several times). But, as you say, you gotta do it if you want anything resembling full functioning back.
Thank you, Susan and A. Marie!
Good luck with the physical therapy!
She's such an adorably fluffy kitty!
This week I am thankful for:
1. Air conditioning. Yep, it's that time of year again, and today will be especially bad with a heat index of 102F.
2. Italian ices. Ice cream is somehow too much when it's this hot. I wish I could find the Marino's Ices in the cola flavor, it's the best!
3. It's been a good strawberry season this year. So good with a little whipped cream on top.
4. Getting a super short haircut right before this heatwave.
5. Sleeveless linen dresses and comfy sandals.
Thankfuls:
1) Very thankful for air conditioning. It would be miserable surviving summer in the deep South without it.
2) There is a lovely lake behind my office building with a sidewalk that goes all the way to around it. I enjoy taking short breaks from my desk and going for a walk. Last month I got to see lots of ducklings and goslings. This week I've seen lots of turtles, including teeny tiny ones.
3) I'm thankful that I can work part time and it is not a burden on our finances. Having every Friday off is such a blessing.
4) Our small garden is doing well. I harvested enough cucumbers yesterday to make a batch of refrigerator pickles.
5) I'm finally feeling better after struggling with respiratory illness for the last 2 weeks.
Re: your #2, Beverly, my Sunday morning walking buddies and I go around a pond that also features lots of birdlife, plus some turtles, bullfrogs, etc. Re: your #4, I too am gearing up for refrigerator pickle season, now that the dill I let re-seed in my gardens every year is coming up abundantly. (I have to buy cukes at my Regional Market, alas, due to the deer, woodchucks, and rabbits around here.) And re: your #5, see my comment above about NDN1's CF. The upper respiratory thing that's been going around this year is a nasty one.
I'm happy you are still loving your car!
I'm thankful that yesterday's storms in Chicagoland left us unscathed. They were wild, and there are more on the way. Knocking on wood for round 2!
I'm thankful for modern conveniences like instacart and mychart that make being my elderly mother's primary caregiver easier.
I'm thankful for the loving family and friends who celebrate with us, support us and commiserate with us.
I'm thankful I thought of Kristen when meal planning and put breakfast for dinner on the meal plan for tonight!
Kristen, your posts often reflect the amazing growth you’ve experienced in the past few years, but this one really shows the rightfully so and deserved pride that comes with it. Congratulations on the challenges you’ve faced and overcome and all the progress you’ve made along the way! We are all so proud of you and it brings us joy to share this piece of your life.
Hear, hear!
What a joyful post! And Chiquita is so cute with her fluffy tummy and munchkin legs.
This week I am thankful for….
• A summer with my son. School ended this week and I’m looking forward to having him around on the days I work from home.
• Rain! Our grass is happy, the temps have cooled, and my outdoor plants are happy.
• My tomato/herb planters are thriving! I’m so happy every time I see them and how bushy the plants are!
• That the Libby app allows you to suspend holds – I had an overabundance of books become available this week and now I can get to them on my time.
thankful for you. that my zozo graduates in two weeks, that she is going on to college, that she is recovering nicely, that m-i-l is still around, thankful for the chiquita photo. that i finally got noah a blue shirt for school. was so tired of his white shirt. turns out flynn o'hara only has white shirts, but ideal has grey, navy and light blue. he only has two regents and he is done.
Hurray for Noah, and especially for Zozo!
thank you so much. wish you were my bestest neighbor.
I am a big picture gal and think in leaps and bounds. Solutions, however, seem to come step by step, hour by hour. So I am thankful for today's lessons that held my panic at bay
The stairlift company coming within 2 hours to fix Mom's lift chair. Without it we would have to move her out of her condo.
My" persistent and pleasant skills" got home health on the ball. Nothing is easy. My AA sponsor told me 20 years ago, they is no excuse for bad manners and I try to practice that daily.
The Manager of the carpet store is willing to go survey the installation today since I have to be with mom to wait for the RN intake.
Loved the nature photos, esp. the turtles! Ditto, the fluffy Chiquita photos. You are so lucky to have that sweet little house next to the woods. God led you to a good place.
My thankfuls:
1. I got through the first dental treatments, a filling and a crown, OK. I'd been really dreading them.
2. For the rain we've had all spring and summer. I haven't had to put on the sprinkler in many weeks.
3. A certain very loving Snuggle-y Wuggle-y dog. He comes up to me for loving and he just smiles at me. His black coat is so shiny it looks like someone polished it. He'll sit quietly nearby, sometimes chomping on a bone, when I read on the patio (see #6) or watch TV in my room.
4. The nice coworkers and customers at my piddly little cashier job.
5. Air conditioning, esp. in this heat and humidity (see #2). It only gets into the 90's but the heat index, with all that moisture in the air, makes it feel like a very steamy triple digit day. But going inside with the AC takes care of that!
6. For the covered patio. If it's fairly cool, I can sit out there in the mornings and read a book. (OK, so I have a box fan out there to manufacture a breeze, when necessary). We also put up some "patio lights" (clear Xmas tree lights) and it looks fantastic in the evenings; not enough to read by, but very nice to sit out there with Snuggles. And also for the citronella candle to ward off any mosquitoes.
Oh, that "policy holder" question! When I was younger, doctor's offices still had a hard time with my hyphenated last name. "Oh, we'll have to put you under your husband's name for insurance reasons." Um, no, I hold the family insurance policy through my job in my name.
I'm grateful that (no matter how long it took!) society finally realizes that a woman's name is not dependent on her husband's name.
Amen!
And too many these days want to strip women of their long slog to be independent of a husband. You should have told them if they put you under your husband's name, they won't get paid. That seems to get their attention.
Right?!?!! I loved my husband, but I wish I would have just kept my own name. I got married in 1990 & it wasn’t even considered. I hyphenated (& it can be a pain), but mostly I just use my own name now
I'm thankful that my wife doesn't have to go away overnight for work like originally believed.
Thankful that we're making progress on decluttering.
Thankful that I've been able to avoid some of the really bad things that I usually have to deal with this time of year (intentionally vague.)
That it's summer. Seriously, summer is the best time of year. Everything about summer is the best. Heaven will be an endless summer.
Battra, sending good thoughts your way, especially this time of year.
A gorgeous sunrise with 4 neighbors and 5 kidlets joining me for sunrise yoga.
Iced coffee.
My favorite cousin saving me $400 on truck tires.
The itty bitty fawn that was nestled in the blueberry patch. Glad I saw it as the patch is on auto water!
Received help from mom's health insurance co. So glad they are only 45 min away vs. Being on hold for 45 min.
Gosh, it makes me happy to feel your joy just jump off the page! I'm so proud when I think of all you have accomplished in the last few years.
This week I am thankful for . . .
-Our neighborhood public pool. We've not always had great experiences there between weird hours that didn't fit our schedule and burdensome rules. But this year, someone is in charge who knows how to run a public pool. I have taken the kids twice this week (and we will go today and tomorrow), and they and I have been delighted. I'm just so grateful for a safe, fun place for my kids to swim during the hot summer.
-AC. Speaking of ways to beat the summer heat. I know our forebearers never had AC and knew no difference, but they also had the ability to get their work done in the cooler morning hours and then knock off in the hot afternoon. I have to work all day, so I am very grateful for AC.
-Job postings. I complain every week about my looming unemployment and the hundreds of jobs to which I have applied. This moment has not been good to me. But I am grateful for jobs to which I can apply, which means that if I keep hammering on this nail it should eventually go in.
Sympathy on the job front. I found it helpful during the search to remember I need only one job, which always turns out to be less work than job hunting.
Hoping the right job comes along for you soon!
good luck. looking for a job is more work than working a job. not an anita original.
Good for you! Part of a good life is enjoying what you have. I had a new car once, a wonderful little Mazda. I wore it out.
Today I am thankful for pretty good health.
For the joy of planning a cross country trip to see old friends and beloved family.
That our new patio is almost finished.
That we found durable, comfy chairs for the patio.
And for my DH’s patience as my bad knee keeps me in the slow lane.
My delicious frugal find for summer is “strawberry water.”
Hull and freeze 12 strawberries. Add to half gallon of water and chill in the fridge. Great any time! It is good for at least 3 days. (I haven’t tried it, but I bet mint would be a variation).
Beware the fluffy tummy! It is often a trap.
Today I'm thankful for:
the line crews who fixed a blown transformer in two hours, on a hot day, so we were only without power for that length of time on a hot, muggy day.
the very nice AES lady who actually talked to me and then found out what was going on so we weren't in the metaphorical dark. (Sometimes you can't get a hold of an actual person!)
DH and his swift work hooking up the generators to keep our fridges running (you never know and it doesn't pay to gamble that it'll be a short outage!)
that DS#3 was feeling more energetic today and up to doing more PT.
for our opthamologist, who got DS#3 in on short notice to make sure nothing physically is wrong with his vision--just a Rx change, and some nutritional depletion, most likely.
We are using her book "Yay, You! Moving Up and Moving On" for our twin sons' memory books ( versus Dr. Seuss "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"). They're rising Seniors (!) and we started collecting teacher signatures when they were in preschool at age 3. They learned to read with her books
Kristen, I smiled all the way through today's post. It was a bubbly brook of optimism. May you never lose your appreciation and gratitude for the simple things in life.
[My meh-water-enhancer - I freeze pure lemon juice as ice-cubes. Add one to a glass of sparkling water with a sprig of mint. Or add a few to plain water in a jug and keep cold in the fridge. Delicious!]
I hear ya about the “fancy new car joy”. My last vehicle was a used former fleet service truck with 200,000+ miles, manual windows, rusty patches, mysterious dents, and springs poking through the seats. When my dad got sick I decided to upgrade to something more reliable to drive him to his medical appointments, and now I have a newer used truck with power windows (!) and a backup camera (!!) and heated seats (!!!) and I just feel like the fanciest person on the road even though I’ve had it for a few years now, heehee.
Oh no! I missed Thankful Thursday! I'll squeeze my late entry in --
I'm thankful that I didn't lose power in the round of storms we've had. So many did.
I'm thankful that the storms brought cooler weather.
I'm thankful that some of my eBay listings are starting to sell.
I'm thankful that Chase removed a duplicate charge on my credit card when I couldn't get through to the hotel that put it there.
I'm thankful that my pantry and freezer are full of food and that I can feed myself without going to the grocery store.
I'm thankful that I love to read, and that I have so much access to free books.
This week, my heart is incredibly full. I’m so thankful for…
* Celebrating my 43rd birthday! Every single day is a blessing, and getting to spend it with the people I love most is the greatest gift.
* A sweet baking adventure. My dear older friend and I made an Asian fruit cake (my absolute favorite!) together for the first time. It was so much fun.
* Giving back. I loved being able to lend a hand to the amazing Food Pantry crew and support my wonderful friend who runs it.
* Family fun at the free annual carnival event. We had the best time together, and it meant the world to me that my husband pushed through his foot pain to show up and celebrate with the kids and me for the first time.
Happy birthday!
Thanks Kristen! ♥️
This week, I am thankful for:
-Electricity, air conditioning, my washer & dryer, dishwasher & fridge, all things that can be taken for granted so easily.
-Birds-hearing them and observing them
-Books, especially library books and $1 & $2 books from my Friends of the Library bookshop
-Unlimited talk and text so I can stay in touch with friends and family
-My eyesight! Even though I am blind as a bat without glasses or contacts, which I am also thankful for, I can SEE.
Always thankful for you, Kristen, and for this community!!