Thankful Thursday
This week, I am thankful:
that my dad added leaf latches to my table
You all have seen my abandoned-house table, which my dad helped me rehab.
Oddly, it didn't have any latches to keep the pieces together, and this was starting to get a little bit annoying...the tabletop pieces would slowly slide apart a bit, and then we had gaps where food could get stuck.
So, my dad bought me a little set of latches and his gift came with his installation services included. 😉
for the cute little bottle Lisey brought me
I like that it is cute, that it has a cat, and that it has an encouraging message on it.
for some warm days
After a string of unusual cold, we are now in a period of unusual warmth. In fact, I wore flip-flops to the grocery store last night.
for the bottle-opener on my can opener
Last night I was wanting to open a bottle of clam juice for the clam chowder I was making, but I saw it had one of those lids that does not unscrew.
And then I was like, "Crap! My bottle opener is at my old house."
But then I realized that my can opener (which was a hand-me-down from a neighbor when I moved here) has a bottle opener on it. Yay!
that it is so easy to get a Christmas tree out of this house
My other house is a split foyer and MAN it is hard to get a dry Christmas tree out of that style of house. There's no good way to avoid squishing it through a narrow space, and then all the needles go flying.
At my current house, I just had to scoot the tree over by the front door and then scoot it right out.
No narrow stairways to deal with!
that Lisey and I managed to navigate our way to our concert
We went to one of those candlelight concerts (I saw them advertised all over Facebook in December), and it was in a big nearby city. We took the train in and walked to the venue, and it was actually pretty easy overall.
I generally avoid big cities like the plague, so I am always relieved when I manage to get to and from a city event successfully!
that Zoe's back from her puppy-sitting job
We're glad to have her back, and our cat is ESPECIALLY glad to have her back! The cat was getting very lonely without Zoe here.
for all of you that shared in yesterday's comments
In part of yesterday's post, I mentioned that we tend not to talk about grief and the really hard things in our lives...but so many of you did in the comments, and I am so glad you felt comfortable enough to do that.
I have been reflecting on the Christmas season and the time spent with my immediate family. Had much fun making wonderful memories which I will cherish. It so bittersweet when adult children need to return to their own lives. Of course I want independence for my grown children but I sure miss when they were all little ones. I am thankful that I have a teenager at home for a bit longer. Each time we are all together is a gift and I don't take that for granted.
I too am thankful for the warmer weather we've had this past week, especially after the Christmastime freeze.
I am thankful that now that the holidays are over friends are more available this week and I'm catching up with a bunch of them.
I am thankful a friend's mom is now living in a much better facility than her previous facility and it is closer for both my friend, and me, to visit her.
I am thankful for my siblings and that we'll be together at the end of the month. We keep in touch via a group text and phone calls but it's nice to see people in person.
I am thankful we spent several afternoons with our daughter during the holiday break.
It's easy to be thankful this week, as we are still on our Christmas break from school. 🙂
--For not having to set an alarm. I rarely sleep until it goes off at 6 a.m., but just knowing it's set affects me psychologically.
--That I haven't had to wake anyone up this week. I really, really hate being the one who wakes up four very unwilling children. None of them get up voluntarily, and the combination of forced cheer and bribery/threats required to get them all going is not my idea of a good time. My husband is not a morning person, so I have to wake him up, too, and it's just . . . not fun.
--For a 1600-mile roadtrip with no car issues, accidents, or other major negative events.
--That my son caught a stingray at the ocean. Fishing was not great, and he really wanted to catch something exciting. A stingray definitely qualifies.
--For the one son who just goes with every flow there is. You want to fish? Sure, he'll go. You want to play in the sand? He's there. Whatever his siblings want to watch, he'll watch. I mean, he's not a perfect angel all the time, but I do appreciate his easy going nature.
--For a big pot of black-eyed peas I made before we left on our trip, and then froze for New Year's Day dinner. I've been eating them all week (with rooster stock and rice as a soup, mostly), and I really just love black-eyed peas.
--That my husband has to go get hay today, so he can go to a store to get cream. I have the very last of it in my coffee right now.
@kristin @ going country, Easy-going children are special gifts.
@kristin @ going country,
I’m sure your son enjoyed fishing. A stingray can be difficult to land. How big was the ray?
@Bee, I didn't actually see it, just a photo. My husband was so rattled at having a stingray on the line (his saltwater fishing experience is very limited), that he just removed it and threw it back. I'm told it was relatively small, but still very difficult to reel in, due to the drag from its large surface area.
@kristin @ going country, I hear you about being the person who has to wake everyone up - my husband was very hard to wake as a child, so his mom created some sort of thing where she pushed a button in the kitchen and it rang an alarm right by his head (he said it was like a fire alarm) - anyway, even now there's some baggage to overcome with that kind of waking-up trauma : )
Thankful for:
My son is in his 4th week of not smoking. Almost a month, I am SO happy for him. He quit cold turkey.
My insurance will cover counseling in full, after 2 months of thinking this will get better it hasn't. This is in part to my dad's death.
I also rejoined my insurance plans weekly Health Webinars which are free.
For our funny pup who kept bringing hubs socks back into the living room after he put them in the bedroom.
For my awesome grands. Love them to pieces and can't imagine life without them. Lat
Congrats to your son! That's so wonderful.
And I'm so glad you can get counseling covered; that's a tricky thing to get insurance for sometimes.
This week I'm thankful that:
*my family encourages me when I'm discouraged (I've been discouraged a lot the last week.).
*my acupuncture doctor is smart.
*Regency ball gown #2 is almost finished. (The girl grew 3 inches since summer.) AND I've really enjoyed sewing with my daughter; we've been able to tag-team, and she doesn't need much help at all.
*I had a lovely hour or two with two of my friends yesterday afternoon.
*we have 2 vehicles with heated seats. It's not actually cold out right now, but I do love heated seats.
*my mother-in-law is out of the hospital.
*my brother-in-law is doing well after his wisdom teeth extraction.
*my daughter is so stinking excited about going to the dentist today. One son was only slightly opposed to going to the dentist, and I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to have to really fight to get a child to the dentist.
*stretching before I get out of bed helps my feet not hurt. How wonderful is it that the biggest "fix" for my feet both feels good and is free!
*I don't actually feel guilty about not getting Christmas cards done this year. (I ran out of time.)
*my husband ordered a big bag of coffee and that it's now safely in my pantry.
*I still have 2 days with college boy before he flies away again.
@Jody S., I love heated seats in the car! It's one of those life's small luxuries I never though I would possess, let alone enjoy so much. My sore lower back is often grateful, even when it's not that cold. Another thing I enjoy is the warmer on the wheel. Completely a luxury, but when my fingers have Raynaud's with poor circulation, very helpful.
I think I have sent out Christmas mail maybe once in my adult life. So...that should make you feel much better! 😉
@Jody S.,
Have you tried to use a tennis ball on sore feet to massage them. Here are some of the exercises. https://www.planetfitness.com/community/articles/interested-trying-tennis-ball-massage-start-these-4-areas.
My son who has hiked the AT and PCT used these exercise to keep his feet from getting to sore over the miles. I also have used them and it works well.
@Kristina M., I cannot sing the praises of heated seats and steering wheel heat enough. A miracle. Sometimes when my back hurt, I do errands just to feel the heat. My friend has a car that does heat OR cold for the summer. Amazing.
@Bee, Thank you. I'll check it out.
A city trip sounds like fun!
Thankful:
-kids are well enough to return to school after several weeks of illness
-fresh snow blanketing everything. I love seeing snow piled on roofs first thing in the morning, and am thankful that our roofs are step enough we don’t have to scrape them off.
-my dining room is back! We’ve played musical rooms as we work on the house, and now we have another room back to its designated purpose.
-my son is practicing driving a power chair, and he’s really good at it. This will give him (is already giving him) so much more freedom to get where he wants. In therapy yesterday he kept trying to go into the room with swings (against PT’s instruction) because that’s what he wanted to do, and it made me so happy to see him move about with motivation. He did what the PT asked and then got to work on the swings, and there was no fussing or screaming. This kid is a miracle and I’m so glad we’re in a place that gets him what he needs to thrive.
Aww, yay for the new chair!!
Warning: This is a long one.
I'm thankful this week for the life and work of perhaps the most amazing woman I'll ever meet: Edith Lank. I'm giving her real name here, because it's going to be hard to tell the story without it, and I don't think she'd mind. (She was running her home address at the end of her real estate column [see below] until she finally signed off in 2019.) She died this New Year's Day, two months short of her 97th birthday.
Edith was a child of the Depression and often described her family's hardships as they moved from city to city in search of work, from Edith's birth to her high school years, when they finally settled in Penn Yan, NY. Edith graduated from Penn Yan Academy and then won a scholarship to Syracuse University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in journalism.
After marrying Norman Lank (who founded a well-known real estate agency in Rochester) and raising three children, Edith channeled part of her considerable energies into writing "House Calls," a column about real estate that was eventually syndicated in over 100 newspapers. Not to be missed, if you can find them online, are the two books she wrote about goofy questions readers sent to her: "Dear Edith" and "I've Heard It All and So Should You." (She wasn't known as "the Dear Abby of real estate" for nothing.) She also wrote textbooks on NY and NJ real estate, taught college courses on these subjects, and appeared on TV and radio.
But that wasn't all by any means: Edith knew and knew and KNEW about things. She was a certified scuba diver, an avid bird watcher, a competent guitar picker, and--which is how I got to know her--a Jane Austen devotee. As she told the story, she first started reading JA during her first job after graduating from SU, when she was teaching at a small college in Maine, gor bored stiff in the winter, and started pulling books off the library shelves, starting with the A's. Edith ended up starting a Rochester JA group even before JASNA got off the ground in 1979, and was a guiding light to JA fans both locally and across North America for decades. My only regret is that I didn't meet her earlier.
Our first meaningful encounter was in 2007, not long after I'd started going to Rochester meetings. The November 2007 meeting was a week after I'd come home from my mother's funeral, and it took both DH and Grad School BFF (who was visiting) to haul me out of my recliner and get me to that meeting. But this happened to be the meeting at which Edith was sharing one of the treasures from her extensive collection of JA-related books and memorabilia: an early edition of JA's letters, published by a great-nephew from one branch of her family, with cranky notes scrawled in the margins by a great-niece from another branch. I already knew something about all this, managed to say a few intelligent things during the Q&A, and exclaimed, "This ought to be in a university library!" Edith beamed. I admitted afterward that I almost hadn't come to the meeting because of Mom's death. Edith asked a few sympathetic questions, and offered some sympathetic advice that made a lot more sense than things I'd been hearing from other people who knew me a lot better (or thought they did, anyway). From then on, I was her devoted admirer--one of a great many.
Until the pandemic, my JASNA BFF, my other good JASNA friend, and I always wound up our Triple Birthday Celebration (we all have birthdays in the second half of August) with a call on Edith. We'd sit around, drink tea or lemonade, admire items from the JA collection, watch birds, and gossip for several hours each time. And Edith had the concept of "Swedish death cleaning" down pat, years before the actual Swedish lady wrote the book about the subject: Nobody was allowed to leave the house without taking an armful of books off the shelf in the front hallway dedicated to this purpose!
Well, I've gone on too long already. But, believe me, a great lady has left us--and I'm a bigger and better person for having known her. Rest in peace, Edith, and I hope you're enjoying a special meeting with JA in Literary Valhalla.
@A. Marie, What a beautiful tribute to Edith. She was an amazing woman
@A. Marie, How wonderful to have been able to have such a special person in your life. People like this are inspiring. Also, how funny that both you and I have JA wrapped up in grieving over our mothers. . .
@A. Marie, thanks for sharing about this marvelous woman.
@A. Marie,
What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful woman! I'm going to look her (and her books) up now. No wonder you are thankful for knowing her.
She sounds just fantastic.
@A. Marie, what a lovely tribute to your friend. I suspect the feeling was mutual.
I am going to try to hunt down these books, especially since in 2023 I have vowed to read more non fiction. Sounds like fun reads.
@A. Marie, what an extraordinary person! Hugs to you in your grief of your friend’s passing, and what a lovely tribute you’ve written about her. I’m sure she will be sorely missed by many.
@A. Marie,
I read your comment the other day about the passing of a JASNA friend, and that evening I saw Edith Lank's obit in the Democrat & Chronicle, and put 2 and 2 together. I started reading her column in junior high, and enjoyed her responses to people who seemingly had no common sense. What an accomplished person she was!
@A. Marie, This is a lovely tribute. Was it you who mentioned JASNA the other day? I looked up the letters and found it was Jane Austen. With that I found, there is a scholarship offering, which I added to my FB page. I have been throwing up any available scholarship opportunities. Hopefully, I will be help to someone.
@A. Marie, thank you for sharing
@JEG, yes, JASNA offers modest scholarships among the prizes in its essay contest for students at three levels (high school, undergraduate, and graduate). Here's the link if anyone else is interested (https://jasna.org/programs/essay-contest/). Coincidentally, my JASNA BFF is the chair of the essay contest; it's a small world among us Janeites!
And in what I think is a beautiful tribute to Edith, her children have just endowed an Edith Lank Fund for JASNA. I made one of my two memorial contributions to this fund, and will be making the other to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, in honor of her love of birds.
This is lovely, and I am so happy for you that you had such a wonderful friend to enjoy.
@A. Marie, What a lovely account of your friend's life! You were lucky to be included in her cricle of friends.
@Lindsey, I was indeed lucky!
@A. Marie,
Thinking of you A. Marie. Wishing you peace.
@A. Marie,
I live one street over from where the Lanks had a home office for their real estate business. We used them when we bought our first house back in 1978!
@A. Marie, I am sorry for your loss but thankful you knew &enjoyed her
Thankful for your insightful post yesterday. I did not comment, but found it very powerful and helpful for all aspects of life.
Thankful that we got our flu shots because my husband has been sick this week and I am starting with some symptoms. UGH!
Thankful for a no spend challenge because I have really wanted to go shopping with my boredom. But I keep reminding myself that we need to save money so we can purchase bigger things during the spring and pay our taxes. Big changes with employment and moving will create a tax bill this year.
Thankful that my ankle is getting better, but I'm trying to get in for some PT. I just don't have the knowledge, and my ankle the strength, to help me go downstairs and walk on uneven ground (like the yard when retrieving the dog). So I'm hoping some PT will help me with that.
Thankful I'm getting some time to organize my house. I should have done more last weekend, but my husband was home sick watching TV, so I could not do as much as I wanted in the living areas. This weekend, I hope to tackle my office/craft space and organize it so I can work on some scrapbooking. I haven't opened the book to work on since before we moved last Jan 2022. So I have to get it done because I have quite a few more books to work on!
Been a rough morning so this exercise in thankfulness is just what I need to adjust my poor attitude
I'm thankful that my new dishwasher will be installed today. It was such a hassle to be without one for the month of December
I'm thankful that we have a savings account specifically to cover household expenses so buying the new dishwasher was not a financial struggle
I'm thankful for the beautiful sunny weather we're having this week after the extreme cold a few weeks ago
I'm thankful that I got DH to go for a walk with me yesterday. He has many health issues, but I'm convinced that getting out for a little exercise and fresh air will do him good
I'm thankful that we are financially stable and even with all the added costs of the holidays I was able to put a large amount into savings last month
@Beverly, I'm happy for you that your DH is agreeable to walk. I hope he continues to be agreeable.
I too think that a walk is a beneficial exercise but my DH pushes back and it is costing him and us. I even suggest just to start with a 5-min. walk on the patio. Then rest. Maybe he would work up to 10 min. but as I say he pushes back.
@JEG, Same here. My husband needs to lose a few pounds, and is feeling crummy and creaky. He's only 46 so if we don't start making a change soon, it will be really tough on his body and mind as he ages. I haven't been able to find the right type of encouragement...I know ultimately he needs to be the one to get it done but I will do whatever he needs to help! I've been subtle ("I'm so glad I went on that walk just now! It was quick and easy and I feel so much better!") and not so subtle ("Do you want to go to the gym and do a little treadmill?") and obnoxious ("How many steps did you take yesterday? Ooo, that's not good.") and encouraging ("don't worry about a long, steep walk - just get out there for 10 minutes"), and completely leaving him alone about it to give him the chance to do it on his own but no dice yet. My husband has nothing physically blocking him but I think he's just in a rut and it's hard to get out of it. Good luck to you and your spouse-I'm not giving up on mine yet!
@CrunchyCake, Does he respond well to those? Because if my ex said to me, Do you want to go to the gym and do a little treadmill?, I'd say nope I'm good, also I'm an adult who decide this for myself, thanks mucho.
@JEG, we only walked about 3/4 of a mile at a very slow pace before DH got tired but that is better than nothing, right? Fingers crossed he will continue to go with me. After work, I usually do some type of workout and he usually lays down. Trying to break that cycle has been difficult
@Rose, Depends on the day. I try not to nag so I approach it carefully 🙂
@CrunchyCake, nagged for years. Then I decided that my husband of 36 years was an adult, and deserved to have the life, and health, he chose. It did him in, but my conscience is clear because the encouragement from me was always here. Good Luck!
I sometimes feel the same way about big cities even though I live smack-dab in the middle of one. Most the time I love it, but occasionally I need a break and go out to rural areas to escape the hustle-bustle and noise for a bit.
This week I am thankful for:
1. The chocolate covered caramels my brother got us for Christmas. They are from a small place that makes them in-house and they are so good!
2. That we don't put up a lot of holiday decorations so we were able to put them away in less than an hour, even with my bad back and his sciatica acting up.
3. We got a huge coupon for the grocery delivery service we use, so we splurged on a roast that is normally out of our grocery budget. Sliced it super thin to stretch it for a lot of meals this week.
4. The slightly warmer temps for the past few days. I run cold but hubby runs hot so we often have windows open and I get chilled despite layering up. It was nice to have a break from bundling.
5. The mini pumpkins we bought to decorate for Autumn. They are still in great shape and make me smile everyday when I see them.
I hate navigating in bigger cities, too, Kristen, so yay for no trouble there for you and Lisey!
1. I'm thankful that my upstairs tub's broken drain is replaced, a cracked overflow pipe is replaced, and the fountain outside is splish-splashing again. I'm thankful for workmen who made time for these small jobs in the midst of a lot of burst pipes around town due to the four nights of unusually cold weather.
2. I'm thankful that although the second order of gift socks arrived later than scheduled, they arrived in time to spend New Year's Eve with me before being handed off to their recipients on New Year's day. They spent Christmas and several days after it in New Hampshire, and I was starting to think these would be no-show's like the first ones I ordered. No-show socks, get it? Ha.
3. I'm thankful that my latest averaged electric bill was actually lower than last month's average, and that after a very chilly Christmas, I've been able to keep the heat off for several days.
4. I'm thankful for the generosity of my family during Christmas. I was given some wonderful gifts which I really wanted. Nothing terribly expensive, but things I wouldn't buy for myself even though I wanted it or had put off buying it. Now, I have those things.
5. I'm thankful that the tornado watches and severe storms didn't affect me where I work or live yesterday. We had storms for sure, but the worst of it passed me by.
Yes. Big cities are just stressful to me!
Ok, I'm a little sad this morning because my husband just left to start a visiting professorship six hours away and I won't see him for two weeks, but I can do this:
1. So grateful that my husband has this opportunity. He's taught for over 20 years at a small state university that is poorly run and has become rather soul sucking over the last few years. He deserves a break from that. He'll also be doing research with some awesome people while he's there and teaching a class he loves.
2. Thankful that we don't have to completely close up our house while we're gone. We'll be coming back at least once a month and a friend's adult son will be stopping in each week to check on the house. Closing up the house completely would be a million more things on an already too long to-do list.
3. The tea mug my sister gave me for Christmas. It's just right and I'd broken one of my two favorites a few weeks ago.
4. Thankful for a few more eBay sales to pack up today.
5. I was having a rough day yesterday and receiving one frustrating email after another when a someone sent an email offering a bit of help with something. The small kindness struck me so hard I started to sob, rather confusing my husband when he walked in the room. "What happened?!" "Someone was nice to me." Like I said, it was a rough day.
@Kate, So wonderful for your husband! Having some variety or something to look forward to is so important to energize a teacher!
And may you have many offers of small and large kindness in this somewhat uprooting time for you.
I always think this type of sadness is a sweet variety; you are sad, but it's a good kind of sad because you have a deep love with someone.
I hope the two weeks fly by for you!
@Kristen, and @Heidi Louise - thank you both!
Hi Kristen, I read your post on grief/ coping yesterday and thought about my own grief issues.
I wonder if any of the readers here have any advice on coping who are in an abusive relationship with their parents (yes, both parents in different ways).
You can run to your parents when you have an abusive husband. Where do you go when you don't have that safe space?
@Anon for a reason, I don't have great advice for you but I'm so sorry you've been going through this with your parents. You don't get to pick them and yet you're tied to them for life. It might just be that you have to create your own safe space from them, unfortunately. Are you able to financially support yourself? If so, step one is to make physical space from them. If you're not there now, make a plan and focus on it. You might need to keep the plan to yourself so that they're not interfering with it. Then the next step is to create some emotional space - figure out what you need (write it down) and find the words to communicate it to them. They won't like it. The next part is even harder - get ready to reinforce your boundaries. You are communicating the rules and if they choose not to follow them, they can't play. Wishing you easier days ahead.
@Anon for a reason, You can always go to a shelter. Or a friend's place. Simply don't engage with your parents if they're abusive.
I am so very sorry that you are in this space. You are right; I have a safe refuge in my parents, and man, it sucks that you don't.
It's hard to give advice without knowing details, but I agree with CrunchyCake in that if it is at all possible, you have to create distance between yourself and abusive people. Most abusive people will not ever change, so the only solution is to distance yourself and create healthy boundaries.
@Kristen, and @CrunchyCake,
I agree with you both. I follow a few Facebook pages related to family relationship issues (my mom is a narcissist, and my relationship with her has become strained since I became a mom), and I can say that some people go "no contact" or "low contact" with a parent or parents if they will not comply with boundaries set by the child. I can also recommend the book Toxic Parents.
Thank you all for your kind replies. It's been a hard, hard journey. I married to escape my abusive parents and then got into this difficult relationship with my husband. I'm finally able to stand up for myself but the abuse took on its toll on my physical and mental health. I ended up with all kinds of health issues that I didn't have before.
Kristen, you're such an inspiration to me! I remind myself if Kristen can do it, so can I :).
Thank you everyone for responding, it made my day!
Oh man, that is a very, very tough situation. I know these types of situations do definitely affect people's physical health, not just their mental health. So hard.
Sending you love!
Thank you, Kristen, for your brave post yesterday, and for the many many insightful comments people wrote. By their nature, American television and movies do not deal well with grief and loss over time, because they are only up to a few hours long, and have a goal of resolution, not endurance. Grief takes longer, so maybe music and literature which can be repeated in their statements do better. (As a child, I wondered why the Psalms of David were in the Christian Bible. Now I understand better how such statements of woe and comfort need to be repeated).
I am thankful that the U.S. Drought monitor weekly map reports some small improvements in areas of the U.S. Of course, we would prefer rain and snow in amounts we can handle! but the long term effects are good.
I am thankful that I could visit an old friend yesterday.
This week I’m thankful for:
How beautiful it is outside. We had blizzard conditions on Tuesday and snow all day Wednesday. There are still a few flurries this morning. Since I can work from home, I have been happily enjoying all this snow from inside a warm house.
Snow plows! I live in a second ring suburb of a major metro area and our streets get taken care of quickly. I can work from home, but my husband goes into his office each day and the school buses are running today.
How flexible school can be! Even with blizzard conditions on Tuesday, my son’s school district didn’t close schools for the day (somehow the worst of the snow was only during the school day). But the snowfall on Tuesday night meant an e-learning day. I know my son really wanted a traditional snow day, but after winter break I was happy to see him back to school.
My friend gave me a set of curtains I have been in love with for years. She had them in her old house and they didn’t fit after she moved. I have them hanging in my office and I am just thrilled!
I was able to give that same friend a set of flannel sheets that my mom gave to me. I love the pattern but my husband doesn’t enjoy sleeping on flannel sheets. Sheets for curtains, a perfect swap!
@Geneva, hooray for friends you can swap things out with!
I am thankful for all the various periods of therapy I have had in my life that have taught me so many coping skills and healthier ways to process grief and trauma. I was reminded of many old wounds over the holiday season and it is such a mercy to have a healthy way to acknowledge and process feelings rather than stuffing them down as I have in the past.
I am thankful for a kind husband who gives me space to do what is required to care for myself during times mentioned above.
I am thankful for my faith & deep relationship with the Lord. Talks with Him renew me in the most profound way and help me to see when I need to speak in situations and when it is best to keep silent. I find deep comfort in knowing that He sees all things and I can trust Him.
I am thankful for an end to the rainy days we had earlier this week. We saw some huge storms come through and although I love the rain, I don't enjoy nighttime tornado warnings.
I am thankful for the masses of bulbs that I purchased earlier this year and the lovely spring flowers they will being to my yard. There is truly nothing like the first flowers of Spring to bring us out of the Winter.
This week's thankful list!
- for my husband, who had a soft heart and heard the correction of the Holy Spirit regarding forgiveness and who shared what he had learned with me.
- for my husband's goofy personality. It helps to lighten the mood.
- for my parents-in-law and sisters-in-law, who kindly remembered and celebrated my big birthday a couple days ago. They shower me with love!
- for allergy medications. Wow, I've been suffering this past week in Florida, and thankfully there is medicine that helps.
- for sunny days that make my heart happy and give me hope.
Was that a real tree?
Yep, it sure was! A white pine.
I am thankful that I have a job today.
I am thankful for all the rain at my house. Plus there is snow falling on the nearby mountains.
I am thankful for the joy of a good book.
I am thankful that my Dad gave me plant cuttings from his garden.
I am thankful for my morning cup of coffee.
I am thankful for a reliable vehicle to get us to important appointments.
I am thankful for my boys growing into such wonderful men.
I am thankful for my morning coffee.
I am thankful that a new year is upon us. I always feel that I’m starting with a clean slate and that anything is possible. I hope 2023 will be an improvement upon 2022.
I am grateful for my good health. I had my annual check up yesterday and all appears to be well. I also did not Come down with Covid, the flu, or RSV over the Christmas holidays.
I am thankful that I only have my sweet dog in my household the moment. I took care of my son’s dogs over Christmas - a 15-year old, incontinent Chihuahua with an attitude and a very exuberant two-year old golden retriever. It is difficult to take care of someone else’s dogs for a long time. They aren’t used to your schedule or your boundaries. It was frugal for him to have any care for them, but exhausting for me.
I am grateful that my husband clean the oven for me after we experienced “The Great Baked Alaska Disaster of New Years Day 2023.” We laughed until we cried over this incident, but I was not looking forward to cleaning up the mess. This was a wonderful gift to me.
Happy New Year!!!!
I can imagine the hilarity over the baked Alaska incident...those times when you dissolve into fits of laughter with your family are the best!
@Bee, no need for further words for the baked Alaska incident; the name of it says it all! And I'm so glad that your husband cleaned up the oven for you.
@A. Marie,
Baked Alaska looked easy! But it wasn’t .
This morning I was so SO thankful for my warm, cozy bed. Such a blessing, even when I wish I was able to sleep longer.
Thankful for the rain and snow we've had here in California. I read that the snowpack is in great shape and it will be so great in the spring and summer when we're usually in drought conditions. And our spring trip to Yosemite will be even prettier since the waterfalls will likely be full!
That I can work from home - no having to commute in the nasty weather.
That my kids are mostly chipper in the morning. We're adjusting to life after a three week break. We're not perfect but we're in decent shape.
For warmy slippers. I gave myself a new pair for the new year and I love wearing them around the house (we have all hard wood and tile in this house so no carpet).
I drive from my smallish city to a medium sized city for work. I don't care for city traffic, but as I get older, I feel like it's good for me to do this regularly as otherwise I'd totally avoid it and then panic if I ever had to do any sort of city driving at all. So I guess I'm thankful for the opportunity to do something I dislike.
In a similar vein, I was trying to help my kids set up their new phones today when I realized that I didn't have SIM cards for them. Went to Best Buy, which didn't carry ones for Ting, so I had to order them from Ting. I'm frustrated at my oversight and now my daughter will be back in school before we get her phone set up, which was not my original plan. I'm choosing to see this as a blessing--another thing I dislike is when I have to deal with any sort of tech issue, but if I never did it, then I would feel completely incapable of doing it and I think it's healthier for me to realize that I can do hard things, even if I don't like doing them. It's way better than feeling helpless.
Easier things to feel thankful for .... a nice visit with my in-laws last week, the multitude of fun games available for us to play while we are together, and for tea. 🙂
@Kris, You couldn't reuse their old SIM cards?
@Rose, I called Ting (great customer service) to ask that question, and their cards are old and apparently their new phones won't work well with their current cards, so we are (impatiently) waiting for the new ones to be delivered. It's not really a big deal--I was irritated in the moment, mostly with myself, but it will all work out, just not in the arbitrary time frame that I had set.
Thankful for the county road crew who helped clean up a tree that fell on my fence and onto the road. Nice guys!
- My greenhouse, providing me fresh lettuce in winter.
- Good bargain on my gas fill up this month.
- mild weather
- my crazy, loveable aussie dog
wrap your dry Christmas tree in a bed sheet to minimize the trail o’ needles
I am thankful for chai latte. It is so refreshing in the morning.
I am thankful I was able to buy a four drawer metal filing cabinet at work and that today I will empty out the two drawer one into it. Will also gather the other smaller file of appliance booklets that had to be put in a portable file d/t lack of room. the two drawer one will go under my printer with it's supplies which will clear out a number of wicker storage baskets, Will also be able to put my old calendars in the four drawer one. I have compartmentalized memory and my calendars have dates of personal events and health procedures that don't seem to be in my brain.
Thankful for the pork butt roast that I will make into carnitas in the slow cooker. I did not bake cookies or make candy this past Christmas, but my neighbors will like the carnitas I share with them.
I am thankful almost always for my dog. She is less able to jump so I find myself lifting her onto the couch or bed, taking the opportunity to love on her and hug her when I do. When I first started, I could barely lift her (she is 38lbs) but over time it has gotten much easier. The only time I am less thankful for her is when I get home from anywhere but especially work. I have started wearing hearing aides and she has a piercing bark and howl that she uses when I come in the door.
I am thankful that after a year of searching, we were able to put a down payment on a used vehicle today and should be able to pick it up next week. We do not enjoy car shopping, and it is such a relief that the search is over and the car will be paid for.
I am grateful to have a new job with a great deal of flexibility. I started as a per diem nurse at a small local hospital before Christmas, and even though it's been 10 years since I worked the floor (I was a school nurse) it feels familiar and I think I'll get the hang of it soon.
We were able to spend a week with our 4 adult kids and their families. I cherish these times and am grateful that they all get along and want to be together. The 18 hour or so drive was uneventful and it feels good to have Covid largely behind us.
I was able to do a big grocery stock up using a $20 off coupon, and even though prices are still high, I got some great deals.
Oh yes, car shopping is terrible. I hate the process from beginning to end!
Thankful that:
1. We have chickens. Every single store in Fairbanks was out of eggs today and when I got home a single egg was waiting for me, so I could finish a recipe I wanted to make today. (Hens don't lay much in our cold and winter darkness. I usually get three a day but now I get one about every other day.)
2. You Tube exists because yesterday it helped the husband fix our washer.
3. Pound hound knows that sometimes we forget to feed him (Our Irish wolfhounds were free fed so we never had to think about feeding times) and he just brings his bowl to wherever we are sitting, to remind us. Even when we have guests, he will interrupt us to let us know guests are no excuse for a late meal.
4. cottage cheese exists. I love that stuff.
5. a friend whose husband has developed Alzheimers called me and said she needed help and was very specific aobut what would help the most. I have no experience with dementia so don't know how to help the best and although I told her to call when she needed help, I was afraid she would not. We were roomates in college and have remained connected for all the decades since then, so I am very happy to be able to provide tangible help. I am physically limited so can't always help people as much as I would like.
@Lindsey, re: your #5, I'm glad that your friend was able to ask for help. (As I noted on Wednesday, this is something I still struggle with.) And the more specific the help requests can be, the better it is for all concerned. Kudos to you both.
1. For the economic security life insurance provides me after my husband’s passing in 2020. This was an expense that was sometimes ‘extra’ when we had little kids in school, but I am forever grateful we stuck with the payments. I thoroughly recommend it to everyone in a partnership/or with dependents.
2. That I seem to be moving out of my grief fog that rendered me confused and disoriented, to the extent that I have lived off takeout, sandwiches, and meals with family since April 2020.
3. That the recent windstorms in my town have not taken my roof/fences etc..
4. For family who have invited me on 2 ‘away’ vacations with them in 2023 , and the mental energy to organize myself enough to book flights.
5. For my daughter who keeps a non intrusive eye on me, and respects my need for space in this healing journey while navigating her own grief for her father.
Grief is a process, it changes from day to day and season to season, and I am so thankful to be functioning better at the start of 2023. This doesn’t mean I don’t miss my dear husband but I can see a way to live my life.
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your husband, and I am also glad to hear that you are making your way through the grief process.
@Mindo, ditto what Kristen said. Hugs.
@Kris,
Thank you!
what a cute bottle!
At the moment I'm thankful for:
* It's my birthday today and I was feeling bummed out this morning. Hubby took the time to ask me what I wanted for diner and cook it for me, and decorate . It's also my daughter's birthday today, so we spent a nice quiet diner the 4 of us. There will be more celebrations later on with friends and family, for which I'm also thankful
* Dresses. I love dresses and if my job allowed I would only wear them, all the time. But I can't. I found cheap Plus Size winter dresses online, so happy about this!
* My quiet and safe neighborhood
* My amazing daughters
* Books, always and forever!
@Isa, where did you find cheap dresses online?
Right now? I'm very thankful the holidays are over and we are in a quiet time of pre-winter here in Austin...
Thankful for my job which distracts me
Thankful for a work bestie who "gets" me
Thankful for the oven on, cooking me a nice fat baked potato after a long day
Thankful my daughter lent me books to read (currently working on three by Jeannette Walls.
I need to make out a new list for my own blog...
@gina, I loved The Glass Castle, both in book form and especially audio. Really liked Half Broke Horses, and enjoyed Silver Star. Is there more by her? What a fantastic storyteller, and such a good person too. I looked her up on the internet and found several interview articles about her life.
I'm thankful that all the little problems I need to solve at my new job fall into the annoying but not actually a big deal category, which was not always the case at previous places of employment.
I'm also thankful that my current cold symptoms are very mild and my COVID tests have all been negative despite others being out with COVID at work right now. And, I'm thankful no one else in my household seems to have caught my cold...knock on wood...
I am delighted for you that this new job is working out so well!
I'm thankful for the opportunity for a possible new job, even though I am not completely qualified at this time. I have not worked outside home for business in over 12 years since taking care of my family & not as young as others.
I have been given chance to go in new direction & learn some new skills.
I'm grateful that I have been able to spend down time with my teen son over winter/holiday break. Though nothing exciting, it has been good just relaxing, being together.
We have been able to find farm fresh eggs locally but disappointed that priced increased $1-$2/dozen since Jan 1st now all varieties same increased price. Grateful that my teen son will adleast be eating fresh healthy food (six times today).
And especially grateful for my attorney, who has been understanding & getting me through this most difficult past year. Only few more possible obstacles left that my Ex can try to continue to try & not do what legally responsible for.
New year goal of seeing & expressing more gratitude in our life while counting our blessings as small or big as they are.
So much to be thankful for:
1. Yesterday's blog post, which I sent to a friend in a very similar situation; she appreciated the wisdom so much—thank you, Kristen! I just haven't known how to encourage her, so your post was very timely.
2. Two places that sell my art said they will be able to sell the cards that I mistakenly ordered (flat instead of folded). I was stunned when they said people buy these types of cards for $2 each! (obviously those customers aren't followers of this blog. . .)
3. So much needed rain, just storm after storm, making it so green here.
4. A farmer friend brought me 6 bags of oranges today. SIX! I have so much to share with other friends, which is great fun.
5. The world's best Honda/Toyota mechanic, who has kept our vehicles going for many miles (350,000 Husband's 1986 Toyota, 240,000 my 1996 Accord) There is so much confidence knowing a great mechanic who has become a very dear friend through all those miles. (I probably hand out more of his business cards than my own.)
P.S. Cities are SO STRESSFUL. And flipflops in January. . . I particularly enjoyed seeing unpainted toenails, because I thought I was the last one left who just doesn't/won't. Is that a frugal thing??
I do actually have a few remnants of last September's nail polish on there. I'm a lazy toenail painter, though. I typically only do it a few times in the summer, and then I just let it slowly wear off as the cold months go by.
This week's thankfuls
That my cataract procedure went well and that I can take it easy at my job for a few days to let my eyes adjust.
That I was able to help someone by lending them some gear that was out of stock.
That our cats, though getting on, are still with us in good feline health.
So thankful that there are many medical interventions and procedures available to us that we give little thought. Once upon a time they were only a groundbreaking idea in someone's head and over time the idea was explored and perfected.
I hope your eyes are all recovered soon! My dad had this surgery and his eyesight was way better afterward.