Thankful Thursday | I have a stethoscope!
This week, I am thankful:
that I have a stethoscope
A dear reader who is a retired nurse sent me a stethoscope and I am pretty excited about that. 🙂
The only payment she requested was a picture, so I'll share it with you guys too.
that almost all my health examinations are approved
For some reason, my Covid vaccination card hasn't been accepted yet (it seems to be a glitch), and I'm also waiting for my second HepB vax to be approved.
But other than that, I'm good to go!
At the nursing orientation meeting, we got what felt like an overwhelming list of things to knock out before class, but I've got nearly all of them done now, and that makes me so happy.
for interesting little bugs to see
I'm not a bug enthusiast per se, but I do like looking at all the little colorful guys out there at this time of year.
I like how full of life the summer months are!
that Lisey is getting started at her job
She's just doing training right now, but look! She's doing stuff on planes! I'm so proud of her.
She said to tell you that Island Air is no longer in business, but her company uses some of their equipment, such as this ladder.
that my lemon tree is finally putting out some new leaves
This little tree had a rough go of it when I brought it inside over the winter. It lost around 80% of its leaves, so it has been looking pretty naked for a while.
But happily, now that it's out in the sunshine again, it's sprouting tons of new leaves.
Here's hoping I can keep it happier indoors this coming winter! I think I figured out a better spot for it, so I have high hopes.
for all the berries on my trails
Right now, there are ripe blackberries, dewberries (which look a lot like blackberries), and wineberries out there for the picking.
for gifts from reader friends
I met up with a local reader and her two sisters-in-law for lunch last week!
And they brought me some lovely berries that they'd picked.
Plus they brought me this cute little fern. Prisca said the eyes made her think immediately of me, since my children have often liked to put eyes on things. 🙂
I texted a photo to Lisey, and she said she thought we should name him Colin.
So, Colin it is. 😉
for the wineberry bushes in my backyard
I don't have any blackberries growing here, but I DO have quite a few wineberry bushes.
My body composition is probably somewhere around 47% berries right now. 😉
If I were in hospital and woke up to see you, I would feel safe and secure!
This week I am thankful
That the large tree near our house weathered storm Poly - it uncannily resembled the Whomping Willow for some time
That we had a lovely take-out and movie-stream night earlier in the week with our kids (Puss in Boots #3?)
That the little birds feel safe feeding at my bird feeder
That I have an ergonomic and pleasantly personalized home office
For my comfy bed
@JNL, I would also feel so safe seeing Kristen in a hospital!
I also love watching the birds eat contentedly at our feeder.
@JNL, I agree! If I have to be in a hospital, I'd want Kristen to take care of me.
I'd also feel safe if I woke up in a hospital bed and saw David Wesley, not that it's likely to happen since he's Canadian. (If you don't know him, you can check out his music at https://www.youtube.com/@DavidWesley).
And, @WilliamB & @K D, he mostly seems to work Endoscopy, so he might contribute to a good colonoscopy experience.
I'm thankful DH fixed my garage door. A tension spring broke so we bought a new one locally. it was three times the price of ordering from Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon but it was a day of fix which was worth a lot (even the rush hour traffic we endured both ways). I'm also thankful that my vehicle was out of the garage when the door stopped going up all the way.
I'm thankful DH is almost done hassling with the not working Ryobi battery powered lawn mower we bought last year. Ryobi is not equipped to deal with the issue. Even if it qualifies for warranty work it would be at least two months before the work could be done. He will try one more fix and if need be we'll buy an Ego mower. Wiggle room in the budget is nice, I am thankful for financial wiggle room.
I'm thankful DH had a great colonoscopy experience the other day. He tried a new to him diagnostic center and he was impressed with all the personnel and received a ten year pass.
I am thankful for early morning walks since it is warm and humid every day.
I'm thankful for the rain that now falls daily. It was so dry for many weeks.
I'm thankful for a couple of gathering with friends today.
@K D, "great colonoscopy experience" Now there's some words one doesn't usually hear used in the same sentence.
I'm glad it went well for him.
@WilliamB, good one.
@K D, It may have been more expensive, but look at it this way: you supported the local economy. That is really important!
Thanks for the heads up about the Ryobi mowers/batteries. Good to know.
Thankfuls . . .
--For the old stone school gymnasium a couple hundred yards up the road. It's owned by a community organization, but they gave us keys to it so we can keep an eye on it. We used it last night as a tornado shelter when we got an evacuation alert. At least part of our house is a mobile home (it's been built on to), which is not a good place to be in such a situation. The old gym, however, is probably the safest building in the county, given its size and the thickness of the stone walls. Also, lots of room for nervous children to run around.
--That the tornado didn't materialize. Instead we got half an inch of rain, which we needed. And the hail was minimal, so no damage there.
--That the literal ton of metal pipe that rolled out of a work trailer at my son's work site yesterday missed him. By about five yards. Yikes.
--For our always generous neighbors. One of them took care of our animals for four days while we were in Arizona. The other let my son set up a barrel course in his pasture--directly across from our house--so we can ride in there.
--For the volunteer lettuce that carpeted my tomato bed this year. I have two giant bags stuffed full of lettuce in the refrigerator at the moment, and that makes me happy.
@kristin @ going country,
Wow....so glad the tornado didn't materialize, and that you and your family have such a safe place to shelter in! And that was a close call for your son!
My mind is so full of nerve-racking move details - so many moving parts! - that it's hard for me to find things that make me happy/grin when I think of them. So. If nothing is making me grin right now, at least nothing awful has happened (yet?).
OK. I'll start there.
1. I'm grateful that, even though my contractor has let a couple of balls drop, so far none of them are going to be terrible. For example, he didn't order the replacement carpet in time to replace that room's carpet before I move (dammit, he had a month), but at least it's not in a very inconvenient room.
2. That I don't need a front hall after all means that, via the critical path, I can put boxes in the dining room, keeping them out of the way till I need them. (No hall rug --> can repurpose the rug pad --> rug pad will fit new-to-me dining room rug --> can lay out the DR rug --> can put things in the dining room.)
3. I may be able to use the other half of the hall rug pad for a different rug = a bit of savings. Good rug pads are $2.50/square foot.
4. Picked almost a quart of wild raspberries. It was hot and humid but I was prepared with long sleeves, water, and a container. Or maybe, looking at FG's pix, they're wineberries. I've never heard of them before; I shall have to research.
5. That I can afford to do the move in a couple of steps, hiring someone to do the heavy lifting. It's such a help to get the stuff out of my way and to be able to put stuff away a bit at a time.
@WilliamB, Glad you can hire someone to do the heavy lifting. Definitely worth the money, in my opinion!
@WilliamB, Going along on this move is being intriguing and informative. It would be fun to have an updated Meet the Reader when it’s all said and done.
I'm thankful that my almost 90-year-old MIL is being discharged from the rehab hospital today. She is doing so well considering that she broke her leg after a fall and had a partial knee replacement.
I'm thankful for a sunny day. After a week of daily thunderstorms, our dog and I are ready for some sunshine.
I'm thankful for the medication the vet prescribed to calm our dog during all the fireworks over the holiday weekend. Poor girl looked like she was drunk after taking it but at least she wasn't cowering and shivering all night.
I'm thankful that my plants are producing a lot of peppers. Going to try to make pepper jam with all the habaneros.
I'm thankful that we will pick up our 1/4 side of beef on Saturday.
This week I am grateful:
*Things feel like they're going well.
*The recent flareup of agonizing fibromyalgia which nothing can ease has finally simmered down
*I get invited to swanky society parties and I skip them! Win-win!
*I solved a longstanding house problem
*My toe pain (stupid psoriatic arthritis) is easing up too
*I got a cheap ice cream maker and my daughter is going to make me Earl Grey ice cream (we used to have the huge kind with a compressor but that was sold in our tag sale and wasn't used enough to justify the room it takes up)
*Tomatoes are bearing
@Rose,
Earl Grey ice cream sounds delightful!
@Rose,
Yay for things going well! and homemade ice cream. Yum. I love Earl Grey tea, so I think I would like it in ice cream form. (You might know this already, but a friend of mine mixes up the ice cream mix, and refrigerates it over night - then puts it in her ice cream maker, and it's done in 20 minutes).
@Rose, Please tell me where I can find your Earl Grey ice cream recipe. I think I need to have Earl Grey ice cream now that I know such a thing exists.
@Jody S., heh. I don't make it, my daughter does. I am trying to enjoy how I look in a bikini. Buuuuuuut I am pretty sure she does something very close to this. It is SO good.
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/earl-grey-ice-cream/
@Rose, Thank you!
I'm thankful that hubby secured the shelving we have in our new closet and laundry area. It's a small apartment, and every storage space is going to be well used, so I'm glad I don't have to worry about things falling now. Also, I'm thankful for an idea from my favorite sewing YouTuber about where I can store fabric: the extra kitchen cabinet!
I'm thankful that I'm not doing the bulk of the planning for a family vacation. My sisters-in-law are making the major decisions, and it feels really nice for me to not have to do that this time.
I'm thankful that I found some vacation essentials at thrift stores, and another is borrowed from a friend. This will make it so much cheaper than renting these items on vacation. (Hmmm, this smells like a frugal thing.) I'm glad to have multiple thrift stores in town, and that the turnover of inventory is pretty high. Of course I don't always find what I need, but a lot of times I do.
I'm so thankful for air conditioning. Oh my, it's been so hot. So very, very hot. Likewise, I'm thankful for cold showers. Ha.
@Brooke,
Thrift stores are the best!
It is amazing what perfectly good items are donated.
My philosophy is that if someone is crazy enough to get rid of a perfectly good ____________(whatever, fill in the blank), I'm just crazy enough to buy it (used and cheap!).
Thankful for the good rain we had last week. Most of our state has been in serious drought situation and we are a land of farmers and gardeners. A couple of the storms came with straight winds that took down some old hollow trees and limbs. I am going to be able to mow today. My neighbors nor the city complain but I am conscious of the need and still try to enable the pollinators and little varmints to have a happy, healthy home. It has been a joy to see the many bee varieties and bugs, and a few (sadly only about five) butterflies. I am thankful my tomatoes look lush and should be bountiful. I did not get them in until June but we were cool for a long time. I find that by planting late, the plants do better longer. I rely on the Farmer's Market for my tomato fix with hoophouse tomatoes.
Thankful for being able to pick a gallon of blueberries Monday morning at a u-pick farm and share about half with some dear friends.
Thankful for the good rest yesterday afternoon thru this morning. I work only three nights a week but it plays havoc with my circadian rhythm and didn't sleep well during the days of fireworks popping.
Thankful for my dog, I could not do without her companionship.
Thankful for chai latte, such a pleasant way to start the morning.
Re: the stethoscope: I have a good stethoscope in my locker at work. Our facility just purchased a very good one to use and we are all guarding it with our lives as these types of things tend to "walk off." My new hearing aids kinda get in the way of use, but it is good to be able to auscultate heart and lung sounds accurately.
I'm thankful that the long, long 4th of July weekend is finally over. I'm sorry to say that the 4th has replaced Halloween as my least favorite holiday, because of the out-of-control fireworks situation in the 'hood surrounding our street. (Fireworks are technically illegal in this state, but that doesn't seem to stop anybody.) Every cat and dog here has been terrified for the last five nights, not to mention those of us humans who don't enjoy the sound of heavy shelling.
I'm **very** thankful, in fact, that I don't live in a real war zone. The sound effects are more than enough for me without the actual destruction.
But now that the 4th is finally past, I'm thankful that I'm staying right here for the summer. The urge to travel left me during the pandemic, and traveling with DH wasn't feasible in any case. But even now that I'm freer to travel, I feel no need to do so. I'd rather stay put and tend my garden.
@A. Marie, I’m also very glad the 4th of July has passed. I dread it every year.
@A. Marie, me too. New Year's Eve is awful here too because it's not cold enough discourage spending hours outside annoying the neighborhood. Our younger rescue dog, who was abused as a puppy before the rescue saved her, developed a gastric upset from the stress of the noise and is still barely eating. Poor little girl.
@A. Marie,
I agree about the fireworks. I'm always patriotic in the morning and afternoon and then at 11 pm, midnight, 1 pm, 2 pm . . . when the fireworks go off I'm the biggest 4th of July Scrooge.
Plus our entire zipcode is listed as a fire zone and many national home insurance companies will not write new policies in our area.
Everyone, I'm with you all about the idiocy of fireworks! Our local animal shelter says July 5 is their busiest day because many, many dogs run away in fear from the fireworks. Which are illegal inside the city limits. But that doesn't stop people, including my neighbors. (I turn on the outside lights around my house and leave them on all night so that they can't see the fireworks very well.) I'm now inside city limits but I once lived outside the city. Our house was on a country road and at the corner of our road and the highway access were firework stands. People knew better than to go into town to light the rockets, so they'd just drive a short way down our road to do it. (Many of them were drinking lots of beer and none of them had any good sense.) Never mind the fact we had summer droughts and by July, the cornfields were nothing but dry stubble which would catch fire very easily; they would shoot bottle rockets until it sounded like Vietnam. I would soak the ground near my house until it was squishy, but still live in fear that a spark would get on the roof or something. IMO personal fireworks should be completely banned -- leave the fireworks to the professionals putting on the public shows!!!
@Fru-gal Lisa, When my sister was alive, she convinced her daughter that buying fireworks was "literally" burning money. I like only the professional ones as well. Thankfully, my dog doesn't even notice.
There is so much happy in this post - that gives me hope that my thankful list will be as happy some day! Right now I am thankful for:
*a sound mind that helps me make intelligent and well-thought out decisions, and lately, that has been a blessing to me. Grief can make you all kinds of scatter-brained and I am holding my own!
*almost done with this sub-standard coffee and will refill my cannister with some fresh new coffee this week (OK, but coffee is VITAL)
*My mother sailed through her mastectomy and is home now
*I get to see my youngest tomorrow and have lunch with him and give him mom hugs, which he desperately needs.
*My property sold and the new buyer is interested in the canoe and trailer that are pared there, PRAISE.
*My cholesterol is improved - no small thing.
That's it for now - I definitely think listing these things is a mental boost!
@gina, prayers & thoughts for your mom as she recuperates. I am just finishing up from reconstruction & have a heart for those just starting the process.
Your vaccine picture reminded me I’ve never had the chicken pox vaccine, because it didn’t exist when I was a child. I and all my siblings had the chicken pox one right after another. I’m thankful for modern medicine and our kids don’t have to experience what we did.
I am thankful to have some time off to spend with my family and not have a schedule to follow ! Summer Reading at the public library is no joke and as a children's librarian I was heading towards burnout ! I have enjoyed slow mornings on my patio with my coffee and my basset hound, Otis, read several books, enjoyed my pool & gardened. I'm hoping to get my kayak on the lake soon !
@Kathleen, Thank you for the summer reading programs. I've taught English and reading, and anything people can do to encourage kids to read is incredibly important. You are making a difference!
I am always thankful for my dear family, husband and two sons and their families. This week I’m specifically thankful that the cab driver in Paris was able to eventually connect with my son, who had lost his phone in the cab. He had just landed, was traveling from the airport to meet up with his family, so it was the very start of the trip.
Woohoo for making progress on your nursing tasks. Home stretch!
This week I'm thankful for:
-A relaxing 4 day weekend. It was a wonderful blend of productive & relaxing, and I'm so happy that we had the extra time.
-That my 16 year old is having a fabulous time at his residential tennis camp
-A wonderful husband, who has dutifully used the massage gun on my sore muscles at night. My piriformis has been bothering me after running, and it's an area I can't get to myself. We have a "massage time", where he patiently listens to all of my sore areas, and uses the massage gun on me. It's painful & bliss, at the same time.
-That the weather has cooled off. I don't enjoy the 90s, and my 16 y.o is staying in a dorm without AC, and playing 10 hours a day of tennis, so I'm confident he is also enjoying the break from the heat
-We've lived in California for 10 years, but we just now have a bit of time to do more exploring. Our kids are older & more self sufficient, and we have two days off in the summer that we've been using to do mini day trips. It's been fun to get that time with my husband, and to explore part of our lovely area.
@Hawaii Planner, We have one of those massage guns, too. I can't stand it on my back and shoulders--it feels like all my vital organs are getting shaken to oblivion--but it works so well on leg muscles when I have problems. And it actually cleared up my husband's issues with his shoulder and elbow, which were bad enough that he couldn't life his arm over his head for awhile.
@kristin @ going country, How did you decide which massage gun to buy? I've been considering one for my very tight Achilles tendons.
@Darlene,
Our physical therapist has one and he used on plantar fascitiis. It was so sore, and it did help a lot! Still grateful that I am now in the stage of mandatory work out to prevent the problem from arising again...
@Darlene, My husband did the research on it. He chose this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CXPGVJC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's a professional one, and it's gone up in price quite a bit since I bought it over a year ago. It was I think more like $150 when I bought it in February of 2022. However, since it saved my husband having to travel (a loooong way 🙂 to visit a professional masseuse, and since we have continued to use it on him, me, and our sports-playing son, it was worth it for us.
@Darlene, we have this one and love it! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08YN6PVMP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's on a fantastic sale today ($21.98 + 5% coupon)
Our berries here are pretty much over now, but yours look delicious. In my life I have yet to feel I've ever had too many berries.
My thanksgivings:
1. I'm thankful that DH was so happy to see his dogs on the 4th, along with our youngest daughter, who came to help me wrangle two over-excited dogs. Her work travel keeps her from seeing him as often as we would like. I'm not sure if he was happier about her or the dogs :).
2. I'm thankful for air conditioning! Temperatures have been running between 95 and 99 for daytime highs, with muggy, overly warm nights and all around high humidity for a while now, and the only word to describe being outside is awful. I'm also thankful I don't have to work outside, and remember the 20 years that DH worked outdoors in bug, snake and alligator infested swampy woods. I'm grateful for his sacrifices for his family.
3. I'm thankful for whichever commenter mentioned using the Flylady housekeeping system some years back, not just because I've been using it since then, but also because my sister, whose DH is declining mentally and physically, has started using it successfully to maintain her house and her sanity, after seeing how much it helped me.
4. I'm grateful that my bosses decided to just close the office on Monday the 3rd, which allowed employees to have that day off also without using our PTO.
5. I'm thankful for the 93rd birthday of my aunt this Friday. She is the last survivor of my parents' generation on both sides of my family.
1. I am thankful that I am making some headway on several house projects right now. When you have a home the list of projects and improvements that you want to make always seems endless but I am seeing a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.
2. Thankful for provision to be able to complete said house projects. Moving into a new to us home carries with it lots of expenses and I am thankful we have been able to complete quite a few things with little to no debt.
3. I am thankful for coffee, Celsius, and workouts. These things are lifelines for me right now. I get energy from them, they help me to stay awake and they move me along in my health journey and are life giving because I enjoy them.
4. For the bountiful harvest from our garden. Folks we are drowning in veggies over here and I can't say enough good things about that. Gardening is such a lovely and practical hobby. I know that some don't enjoy it, but the peace I encounter when weeding, harvesting and planting is just so enriching. It is my time to be in nature, talk to God and just enjoy quiet. Gosh I love it.
5. I am glad that school starts back in just a few weeks. 3 to be exact. Have I enjoyed time with my son all summer? Yes. Will I miss him when he goes? Yes. Am I exhausted by the 'I am bored' struggle and the lack of uninterrupted time to work and accomplish tasks? Also yes. This summer has reminded me of COvid times and I am ready for a small break.
-I’m very grateful our air quality is back to normal (no more orangey-brown haze) and that we have recently had a few inches of rain.
- I’m always thankful for electricity, but after recent storms I’m extra appreciative we had our power restored before the heat and humidity returned.
- The rain led to a growth spurt in my garden. It’s nice to skip manual watering once in awhile and, in addition to the never-ending kale harvest, I now have tomatoes, edamame, snap beans, summer squash, and okra ready to eat. More good stuff is not too far behind 🙂
You look like a nurse already!
This week I'm thankful for:
1. The great variety of good food available to me -- so much fresh fruit and vegetables. Yum.
2. For all the free summer activities in our area. This week we're attending two free outdoor concerts, and we have a hiking day planned.
3. The library. I stopped by our local library yesterday. I live in a small town, so the librarian greeted me by name and we always talk about books. It was a pleasant interlude in my day.
4. For the church choir I sing with. We have a wonderful director and singing with a group is such an uplifting experience.
5. For local wildlife. We have several mama deer with fawns who pass through the yard regularly. The elk have a nursery a couple miles from my house where the mamas and babies hang out -- it never fails to stop traffic when the herd is visible. I see rabbits, chipmunks and ground squirrels every day. I still have my eye out for the year's first bear -- I'm sure I'll spot one soon. A neighbor posted a picture of a bobcat kitten on her front porch. We also have a fox who passes through regularly.
1. Last weekend I had two nights out with friends so my son and husband could have “Dude Night.” My husband instituted “Dude Night” once a month so he can teach my son how to cook a meal and then they watch a movie together. The first night they made breakfast for dinner and watched Gladiator, the second night they made burgers and watched Terminator. One of the requirements of “Dude Night” is that I have to go out to dinner with my friends which works for me! My son is asking when the next “Dude Night” is so he can learn how to cook. My husband is crushing his Bonus Dad role!
2. We got a good soaking rain on the 4th of July – this brought the temperature down and gave us hope that we could bring our brown lawn back to life. The rain was also early enough in the day that it didn’t spoil any cookouts or fireworks.
3. I’ve been on a good book streak and I have reached my reading goal for the year. I’m excited to see if I can double what my goal for the year was.
4. Last week was the first week of our summer CSA program. I’m looking forward to a summer of flexing my veggie creativity muscles.
@Geneva, Tell your DH that Dude Night is a brilliant idea! Tell your son that nothing impresses a single woman quite as much as having her date cook a full meal for her at his apartment/house. Esp. if it is neat and tidy; that tells her that he's a guy who doesn't mind doing his half of the housework and cooking. VERY impressive!
I love your stethoscope! I was gifted one so I could learn my son better, and it didn’t take very long to figure out the different sounds. I have no idea what they mean to doctors, but I know how to describe them and what ones indicate a decline in health with my kid. I’m sure you’ll master the stethoscope quickly!
I’m thankful for so much this morning:
-perfect weather. Seriously Minnesota is the best after living in Oklahoma for 7 years. Open windows every night, gentle rain (without tornadoes!), green grass…it’s perfect.
-people who have helped me and the kids. My community is strong.
-getting paid to be my kid’s mom 40 hours a week. It’s pretty slick, even if the pay is still not quite representative of the extent of my work.
-sleep. It’s been probably 9 years since I’ve routinely slept through the night, but this week I’ve had two consecutive nights of blocks of sleep longer than 6 hours. I am still tired (probably until death), but I feel energized.
@Kaitlin, Ooh... A solid chunk of sleep is definitely a gift. Glad you got two of them!
Thanks Lisey for make me laught, hope you meet Colin soon!
@KT, * laugh
I'm thankful for the ability+motivation to get things done. Some days when you just have one not the other are pretty challenging, so I thank God for this blessing. I think about Caroline from Little House on the Prairie on especially hard-working days- I don't know how she did it how but she made it work.
I have never heard of wine berries or dew berries. Apparently there is a world of berries out there I'm unfaniliar with.
@Anne, I'm plagued by porcelain berries, which are very very pretty--blue with speckles, but horribly, horribly invasive. They are edible for humans but taste lousy. The birds like them, which is why it's so invasive.
When I was a kid there was a plethora of wild berries for me to pick but the deer overpopulation has killed it all. Thanks for nothing, stupid deer.
@Rose, Don't know if it works, but according to "White Trash Gardening" by "Rufus T. Firefly" as told to Mike Benton (a fantastically funny gardening book that's now out of print but its tips and tricks are for real), you can hang Irish Spring soap around your good plants and its scent repels deer. When the scent fades, y9u have to replace it. His other hint is to hang a battery-operated radio near your garden, turn it on at full volume and tune it to a talk show. If the human voices don't scare off the deer, he writes, the "sheer idiocy" of what they're saying surely will!
@Fru-gal Lisa, Such things may work on some deer, but not the ones around us.
Yay for the stethoscope! And I loved the pic of Lisey! With an aircraft mechanic in our family, I’m always interested in what she’s up to.
Thankful for:
The smoke from the Canadian fires is finally gone! Now we just have the usual summer haze and the air quality is back in the “good” zone.
We had a good rain last evening. With temps in the 90’s, things dry out fast.
Our daughter had her one-year follow up from cancer surgery and got a good report.
Today I am thankful that my Hawthorne tree is perking up. It had a big rotten chunk cut out of it in December and then lost many limbs over New Years weekend when we had an insane storm followed by the second worst winter on record here. This was after many years of drought so it was already weak and stressed. Every time the wind blew, it lost more branches. It looked so bedraggled and the limbs were all hanging down. I really thought it might not survive. But it is perking up now and most of the branches are reaching back up skyward. I am so relieved and happy. It is so beautiful in the spring when it is covered in bright pink blossoms.
I am grateful that today is my last day in the office before vacation. Woo hoo!
Tomorrow a crew is coming to clear out all the weeds in my yard. I will be so happy to have that done! All the wet weather this year made the all the flowers bloom and all the weeds grow twice as fast and large.
I am thankful that although plans for a potluck fell through, I have a pan of enchiladas now I can freeze for easy dinners.
berries and Colin make for a good life. Also daughters working on airplanes
Thankful for all the free covid tests I still have,since my husband and I came home from vacay with covid, and tests are no longer free.
Thankful for no appetite, as I am too tired to cook.Canned soup to stay hydrated is working fine.
Thankful for a comfy bed and soft sheets.
Thankful for basic good health.I feel like I am getting better,little by little.
Thankful for finding a NEW TV SERIES I had missed. ”CASTLE!!” HOW DID I MISS THIS ONE? So excited, there are EIGHT SEASONS to enjoy! (I don’t binge.I watch a max of 2 episodes at a time!)
I like Colin!
I am thankful for:
My daughter found her 1st adult apartment at a rent she can afford in a safe area of her small city.
My husband’s post chemo monitoring was clear.
For living near an IKEA! It will make helping launch my kids into adult apartments so much nicer!
For rain this week.
For generous holidays offered by my employer. Cheers to my 4 day weekend!
@Susan, So happy to hear your husband got a good report! That's wonderful!
I hate to rain on your buggy parade, but I'm pretty sure your first insect is a Japanese beetle, and they are problematic and I would have squished it. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/japanese-beetle/japanese-beetle
Back to the business at hand. Thankful for the opportunity to work with nice patients and coworkers this week. One patient and family were especially pleasant and very appreciative of every little thing and were a joy to work with. Thankful for a fun Fouth--husband, daughter and I went canoeing, which I haven't done in eons, and it was peaceful with many sightings of neat birds. Thankful to be traveling to see my son and in-laws this weekend. For the rain which we FINALLY got last night. Could use a week of steady rain but I'm grateful for every little drop.
@Kris! I was in your neck of the woods last week! We camped at Hoffmaster State Park, visited the World's Largest Weathervane, and toured the LST ship in Muskegon. It was a great trip and I thought of you many times while I was there!
@Ruth T, Hoffmaster is about 15 minutes from my house. We've been gone a lot this summer, so I haven't checked recently, but for awhile it was closed for infrastructure repair. I've been missing my favorite hiking spots and I hope it has reopened. Isn't the LST fun? If you ever get out this way again, I highly recommend a visit to the Silversides submarine and museum--it's pricey, but you get a lot for your money, including a tour of both the submarine as well as a retired coast guard ship. Sometimes they run two for one deals there.
Hoping you got some days without the wildfire haze. Yuck. My brother used to live near the weathervane, so I have a mental picture of everywhere you went. I'm glad you had a great vacation. 🙂
@Kris, When we were at Hoffmaster, the day use area was closed but the campground was open. That switches tomorrow - the day use area will open and the campground will close. I think that's the only reason we were able to get 2 sites at the last minute. They were even 2 sites next to each other!
We did Silversides a couple of years ago and most of us loved it. I would enjoy taking the kids there again in about 6 years.
The haze wasn't bad at the campground or on the Lake Michigan coast. We only noticed it when we went inland. I hope it has cleared out now for y'all!
@Ruth T, I can hike there again! Yay! I'm surprised you got a last minute spot there--Ludington State Park is also having upgrades and some of their sites are closed, so I would think that campsites would be a hot commodity.
The Hackley/Hume homes in downtown Muskegon are also well worth touring.
The haze is gone, at least for now!
Oh man! So beautiful, but so problematic.
Oh, you look so professional with that stethoscope! And Lisey looks like she's having the time of her life! She is literally on the ladder to success, IMO. 😉 So happy to see her in a non-traditional career -- we need more women in aviation! (Not only mechanics, but pilots....both men and women....in case anyone is considering a career for themselves or a future career for their teenagers.)
My thankful list includes:
1. Getting to work a long shift on July 4. I am a cashier at a drugstore that was open until 6 p.m. Tuesday so people could run in and get their Blue Bell Ice Cream and sunburn remedy cream -- or whatever else they needed. Some customers were saying they felt sorry for me, but I told them I wanted to work. It's inside in the air conditioning, I am not sitting at home alone (and probably feeling sorry for myself since my family members have all died), I get to see all the nice people who are my coworkers and customers, and I'm also getting paid. (And I got off in time to see the fireworks.)What could be better?
2. Air conditioning. The Texas power grid hasn't failed us. The weather is hotter than you-know-where. It was "only" in the upper 90s on the Fourth (an absolute cold front!) but we've had many heat advisories for triple-digit weather and high humidity making it feel like 108 degrees F. or hotter. The guy who invented air conditioning was Willard Carrier; he gets my nomination for sainthood, LOL!
3. Old friends who phone you out of the blue. It's so nice to reconnect with folks you haven't seen in a while, and take up where you left off. Instead of a gap of months or years, it's like you just talked to them an hour ago! Having a good long talk punctuated with lots of laughter is the best therapy of all.
4. Cool shady areas beneath great big trees. Esp. the oaks in my front yard.
5. The Fourth on the Brazos Fireworks Show broadcast on local television. Didn't have to brave the heat or fight the traffic, but got a (virtual) front-row seat anyway. (Thanks KWTX TV and H-E-B.) You've all heard of sunshine patriots; consider me an air-conditioned patriot! Eating Blue Bell Ice Cream in front of the TV and under the ceiling fan is good enough for me.
I am a Very Fake Professional right now. I have all the gear and almost none of the knowledge. lol
But that's gonna change soon!
Dumb question. How do you know it's safe to eat berries you find?
@Margot, I think it's a smart question. Who wants to get sick from eating foraged food? This may help: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/edible-wild-berries
I grew up in an area with wild raspberries and strawberries, so I can identify those by sight. If the berries look bumpy like raspberries, they most likely are safe to eat.
Wild strawberries look like store-bought ones, but tiny. If you see something that looks like a wild blueberry, look on the bottom of the berry (away from where it is connected to the plant). There should be a star pattern on the bottom if it's safe to eat. I find that poison ivy tends to grow in areas where wild berries are, so exercise caution around anything with 3 leaves on it.
We have nature centers in our area which occasionally have classes in edible foraged food. If you're really interested, it might be worth researching those. Stay safe!
Some of them (like mulberries) I know from childhood. But other ones I always check by doing lots of googling. I know that in my state, there are no poisonous lookalikes for raspberries/blackberries; all of the compound berries (the ones that look like clusters of small balls, like raspberries and blackberries do) are safe to eat here.
I'm also part of a foraging community for my state on Facebook, and the people there are very helpful.
And...I always err on the side of caution! I don't eat something unless I'm super-duper sure I know what it is.
thankful for: my bruised arm is only bruised and not broken. Still hurts like heck but i'll take bruising over a broken arm any day. Also thankful for very good health insurance so I don't have to stress when I need to go to the ER or urgent care.
really really thankful for running into my old boss from Walmart, he now works at the local hospital and looks 10 years younger.
I am especially thankful for this blog and for Kristen's consistent reminders to look for the good and keep going in spite of the less than good.
Today I am also thankful for the US highway system that simplifies travel (even on a bad day, it's better than most places on earth), for visits with family (and family that wants to be visited), the public library (there's no way I could afford all the books I get to read because the of the local library) and air conditioning.
I am thankful to see Lisey and Zoe on the blog this week. I know as children become teens and young adults it's harder to get pictures of them and sharing those pictures becomes more of a chore because you want to have their permission and consent.
But... I'm a longtime reader and infrequent commenter, and I know you don't think of yourself as a parenting blog, but my daughter was just around Zoe and Sonia's age when I started reading, and as someone who had ny kiddo young (22), I wasn't in a financial position to give her everything I wished I could.
Your approach to frugality and encouraging your children while modeling gratitude and practicality really resonated with me as a parenting stragety. I remember when Sonia and Zoe made a list to see if they could afford to care for a hamster with their allowance and thinking how marvelous that was. My parents just bought us a hamster and bedding and food magically appeared after every month's grocery run.
My daughter is almost 15 and spends a lot of time in her room and on her phone and it's harder to reach her these days. The outside world, friend drama, school triumphs and struggles, drastically affect her mood and things can seem so out of my control. Paticularly when I ask if she wants to talk about it and recieve attitude in return. I'd love to hear more from you about parenting teens, but I do understand the lack of content is likely you just respecting the privacy of your children and being a good parent.
If nothing else, seeing your girls make guest appearances, and seeing your relationship with them thrive, makes me hopeful there's a light at the end of the parenting-a-teen tunnel.
Parenting teens is so hard; you are not alone. And yes, I'd share more but I do want to respect my kids' privacy.
Hang in there! I try to be a solid, faithful presence in their lives, and I trust that that will bear fruit over time. And on the hard days, remember that loving a child is never a waste of time.
I am thankful that:
My local architectural salvage shop had the windows to replace the replacements currently on my house! Most of the 1940ish windows are still on the house, but in the 1990s, four were replaced with vinyl windows. Many of the original windows need restoration, but the vinyl windows are toast. Luckily when the vinyls were installed, they just yanked out the wooden sashes and installed the vinyl windows in the old frames. Imagine my delight when the salvage shop had eight matching sashes (with hardware) the exact size I needed. And they were only $15 each.
I got to go skating with a friend on Tuesday. I do not skate, but when I found a pair of skates in the old house we are restoring that fit me perfectly, I couldn't resist. Happily I didn't hurt myself too badly. And I had a really nice time hanging out with a friend.
I don't have to leave the house today. I love to travel, but if I can't be in some new-to-me place, I might as well be at home. It is nice to be home today and enjoy not having to get in a hot car and fight traffic.
I got to connect with a more senior colleague on Monday. We met a couple of months ago at a seminar, and finally got a chance to sit down and talk this week. She was able to give me lots of career and scholarly advice. I admire her work, so it was a real treat.
Thankful for:
1. Only heard one fireworks rocket go off. Since we have 24 hours of daylight, setting off fireworks seems a waste but some people still do it; much less this year, though. Our fireworks are on New Year's Eve, when you can see them but by then it is usually so cold people are content to watch the fireworks that are set off at the university and can be seen all over town, rather than setting off their own.
2. Pound hound reacted badly to the one brief fireworks noise, jumping up on top of the husband, but by bedtime he was fine. In the past he has slept with us most of the night on the 4th but last night he slept in his own bed. I don't love him in the bed but given his past, I feel like when he is that needy, I can put up with the discomfort.
3. visitors who know when to leave. I have no problem telling guests I am peopled out and it is time to leave, but yesterday we had a couple over and after three hours she stood up and said, "I know from past experience your limit for guests is about 3 hours, so we will be leaving now." The husband thinks it is rude to tell people it is time to leave, but I would much rather someone told me that, than to think they were sitting there wishing I had left long ago. It is nicer, though, when folks can see themselves out.
4. the luxury of not working, except for a contract I want to take on here or there. I am an in-person introvert (I am much more extroverted when writing, but not face to face) who spent my career in positions where I had to interact with people, often really upset people, all day. Plus I was on call every fourth week and I grew to hate phones because it was often not good news. To know that I can wake up and not have to see anyone unless I want to is heavenly, and I frequently do not carry my cell phone, never mind answer it.
5. Nectarines. A neighbor returned from a trip Outside with a box of them and shared some. So much better than the ones at the grocery store that have a long delay between picking and arriving here. Better yet, the husband does not like them at all so I had them all to myself!
I'm thankful for...
-my new instant pot
-my chest freezer for storing food
-my thoughtful husband who brought my chocolate and who deep cleaned his car after last week's horse incident. I had driven his bigger car and then he was volunteering at the local rodeo so clean up happened late.
-my parents sharing their cabin with us
-my kids and their awesome imaginations. They are currently teaching each other how to be cool animals and making certificates for passing. I currently have lions, tigers, and unicorns instead of regular kids.
-my neighbors who are awesome and share their pets
-the neighbors' dog that decided my kids were his favorite people for the day and gave them a thrill
-Target drive up
Wineberries!! I have fond (and itchy!) memories as a girl, picking wine berries along the edge of our farm for my Mom to make jelly! We don't have any on the farm where we live now, but a neighbor has been kind enough to let me pick some of hers!
This entire post made me smile! Kristen, I love seeing you with a stethoscope and enjoying lunch with new friends. I'm so happy to see you moving forward and continuing to find joy. And how cool to see your daughter working on actual planes, amazing! I actually have some anxiety around flying (and my first international flights coming up this month too) but seeing happy, intelligent Lisey working on a plane makes me feel really good that there are people out there like her keeping our planes safe.
I am thankful for:
*an abundance of opportunities to continue studying the Russian language. I took every available class available at my nearby colleges and worried that I was out of options, but I have discovered plenty, one of which is:
*my upcoming trip to Latvia for a Russian immersion program
*continued healing as I work with my therapist and on my own
*a husband that supports all my dreams, of which there are many
I saw the berries photos and I have a question for the readers: I buy a lot of berries including raspberries. I wash all the berries in a solution of water and vinegar. I'm not sure if the Ralphs (Kroger owned) berries are over ripe or if there is a problem with the vinegar water (3-4 cups water and one cup of vinegar). Many of the berries just turn to mush. I want them to look as fresh and beautiful as the raspberries in your picture Thanks for your help!
@Susan, I am not an expert on berries, but I do have raspberry bushes in my yard. They are just very delicate berries, easily bruised, squished, etc. I tend not to wash them until just before I eat them, because there is just really no way in my experience for them not to go to mush otherwise. Even picking too large bucket of berries renders those in the bottom of the bucket to mush.
I love ‘Colin’. For Māori, gifts that are ‘live’ ( plants /wood products etc) signify a living relationship so I often give plants to friends. I’m Pakeha ( non Māori / European ancestry) and am grateful for the traditions of our land.
This week I’m thankful for -
1. An abundant crop of lemons on my tree which I share with family and coworkers.
2. Family get-togethers, all the cousins get along and have a great time. We are having a lot of farewells as the nieces and nephews travel for holidays and work.
3. That my daughter is off on a 2 month European holiday - she has studied and worked so hard to make this happen.
4. For a great week at work.
5. That I’m in the mood to cook - sometimes meal planning seems onerous but this week I’ve enjoyed making dinners.
So fun to meet you over lunch!! 🙂
@PD, Agreed! I'm also thankful for my SIL who's a master at coordinating wonderful experiences. 😉
There is always so much to be thankful for....
* That my allergies are being helped by new meds.
* That this is a very short work week.
* My husband is very handy, and able to replace our leaking shower.
* We get to see our daughter who lives 4 hours away from us next weekend!
* That I am getting what I consider bonus time with our very elderly pup. Each extra day is a blessing. (She is not in pain, but losing mobility, so this is her last summer with us.)
* For a mild summer with warm, but not hot days.
* For good health
* for friends who are family
Colin is adorable!!
This week I'm thankful:
* for the way our camping trip worked out last week. We last-minute changed locations from Pennsylvania to Muskegon, MI because of the weather and it was a great trip! I also thought of readers Kris and Jean often because they're there and it made me smile. 🙂
* that we pulled off my daughter's birthday party the day after we got back from our trip and that the Lord let the rain hold off until the very end. I really wasn't prepared to do an indoor party and it turned out that we only had to do the last 15 minutes inside. Such a gift!
* that my two friends who were due this week both had their babies and for the gift of these new lives.
* that I got to try a new exercise class with my exercise buddy this morning. I would not have tried it on my own and it was not easy (it was more like something 27yo me would do than 37yo me) but I'm glad I went and finished it and I am looking forward to next week.
* for awesome neighbors.
Colin is a good name for the fern. He looks a bit like Colin Meloy (singer for the Decemberists)--was that who Lisey was thinking of when she came up with that name?
I think she just pulled it out of her head! All of my kids are good at coming up with names for things so I always ask for their input. lol
Digging a little deeper for gratitude this week!
1. Afternoon showers. They do send the humidity into the 90% range for a while, but the residual clouds make for lovely sunsets, and reduce my watering.
2. Summer harvests. Love getting fresh veggies from the CSA, watermelons, and a couple of thriving mint and strawberry mint plants to provide flavoring for water and tea.
3. My mower guys. (Yes, again.) It has been so muggy and hot, that if it were up to me, the grass would be knee high, with maybe a hacked out trail with a week-eater for the dog to potty.
4. A decent night's sleep. Post-op dog took a sudden aversion to the crate for sleeping, and developed severe separation anxiety, all in one night. I don't know if it was spawned by unexpected fireworks on 7/3, but we could not find a place she would sleep without whining, whimpering, hyperventilating, yelping and scratching, for 2 nights. Washed the bedding in the crate and her harness 3 times, in case it was still scented from her puking, tried the crate in different places, tried the bathroom, tried aromatherapy,but nothing worked and we were ALL getting really cranky here. As she's still to be leashed in the house, options were limited for keeping her secured.
Finally, last night, I put one of her dog beds in the corner of our bedroom by the dresser, blocked it off with the hamper and a laundry basket full of pillows, tossed her the T-shirt I had just taken off, and only heard a couple soft whimpers before she finally quieted down. This morning, I had to wake HER up. It was great!
5. Outshine's Mango and Pineapple flavors of popsicles.
1) I'm thankful that we found and destroyed a black widow's egg sack in our garage. Last year the spiders were out of control, but this year we are staying more on top of things.
2) I am thankful for a new reflux medication that seems to be working and for some improvement in my back pain. I'm not sure if all the stretching work or if the baby shifted a bit.
3) I am thankful that the Fresno heatwave (105 degrees plus) is breaking just in time for our visit with my family this weekend.
4) I am thankful for the local Pit Master (they always barbecue on Saturdays at the Foreign Legion outpost) who put an extra piece of chicken in my order, "For the baby."
5) For friends who joined us at the last minute for a 4th of July BBQ.
It has been a hectic week here, but I have many thankfuls.
*I'm thankful that my husband and I were able to travel to the Eastern Shore (Maryland) for him to do a graveside service for a friend's mother. Phew! That bridge traffic! And I was seeing all sorts of stores Kristen mentions in posts, so I figuratively waved at her (because literally waving at somebody who may or may not live in the vicinity is kinda weird).
*I'm thankful for air conditioning because it turned hot! And for the almost daily rain we've been getting.
*I'm thankful that the smoke has cleared.
*I'm thankful for the berries. I don't get enough to put up, but they are yummy in salads, smoothies, etc.
*I'm glad one teenage son cracked the whip for us to get out and begin weeding the garden when it wasn't raining.
*I'm thankful I've thought of a few meals to add to my plan that are not in the normal rotation. I've made them before, but, for whatever reason, I'd forgotten them.
*I'm thankful that I like my new eyeglasses. They are drastically different than the ones I've worn for the past 30 years, so my kids keep doing double takes and have been pretending that they don't recognize me. I'm glad they're about done with that game because they were making me feel self-conscious.
*I'm thankful I had the will power not to buy a cream-filled waffle cookie at the local bulk food store/bakery/deli. They are yummy, and I was hungry---- but I'm so close to a big weight loss goal.
*I'm thankful for my husband. The glasses thing had me examining my face more. And I took a bunch of selfies on the 4th of July with my kids. I am not loving not being able to smile well. I was/am down, and he's trying so hard to keep me positive as I approach that year mark for paralysis.
@Jody S., How could I forget?! I'm so very, very, very thankful that the septic pump guy could come on Monday. Our tank was completely full and backing up into our basement. I absolutely love functioning septic tanks!
Oh my goodness! Yes, a functional septic tank is so much better than a non-functional one. lol
Oh, goodness, did you have to navigate the Bay Bridge around July 4th weekend? Bridge traffic is terrible around weekends.
@Jody S., Just a note that I specifically came to Kristen's blog today in hopes that you had commented because the Lord put you on my heart the last day or two and I've been praying for you - for your medical condition and your faithfulness in loving on your family and following hard after the Lord. May He encourage you this week and remind that He sees you. ♡
@Kristen, Yes, it was on Saturday. It wasn't as bad going in the morning (we went the "wrong" way) as it was in the afternoon. I think it was a good thing that I didn't keep track of how long we sat; it would only have made it more unenjoyable.
@Dorinda, Thank you so much for your kind words to me and your prayers. I have tried very hard to keep positive, but sometimes, sometimes it all hits me. That was this week. But the Lord is good, and I am blessed by my family. It's especially nice on my big boys' days off because I actually get to see them 🙂
This week I am thankful that:
--out-of-town family was here for a few days
--that we could celebrate my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary, even if it was a little late
--that the weather co-operated to do an outdoor Open House for my parents' celebration
--that my brother was able to come as a surprise for my parents
--that I have had out-of-town company several times in the last few weeks (I live in an off-the-beaten-path location so this is a rarity)
--visits to reconnect with lots of people in the last few weeks
--summer vacation
--great books from the public library and time to read
--our local farmer's market where I can get yummy food, enjoy local music, and just generally enjoy being part of a small town
The stethoscope is a really nice gift! They cost $250 to $300. I'm grateful that my daughter's aunts kindly gifted her with one when she got accepted to Medical School.
I'm grateful that it's July and my daughter is now in her last year of her pediatric residency. It's been a long and difficult road but she's in the home stretch. She plans to return home and practice here, which I'm also grateful for, so we don't have to contemplate moving in our old age to be near her.
I'm grateful for our unusually cool weather so far this summer. We don't have air conditioning, and I'm not very gracious on hot days.
I'm grateful that my husband is recovering very well from Carpal Tunnel surgery and taking over his chores again. And he is already in less pain than he was before surgery.
I'm grateful that even though the first cold I've had in 3 years turned into the usual asthmatic bronchitis, it was a very mild bronchitis. Our family avoided COVID, AND colds and flu by masking up and vaccines.
love love love the photos. lisey is right where she belongs. you are well on your way to where you belong. would love to meet you irl some day.
I'm thankful for a wonderful trip to PA & MD to visit family & friends, which featured...
1. delightful rainy weather in the 70s while TX was experiencing 100+ scorching heat
2. no rain on the days we went to DC or the pool
3. the fact that our combined 8 kids are all out of diapers, beyond naps, and old enough for experiences like touring the Capitol building and White House
4. that I didn't have to manage logistics for our group of 14 -- just show up and have fun
5. getting to meet Kristen (!) in person and hang out with my awesome sisters-in-law
6. the fact that after 8 days with family, we were still enjoying each other's company
7. uneventful plane travel going and coming
And since coming home...
8. a weekend to settle back in before returning to work
9. a Peach Truck delivery (not frugal, but the only way I've found to get good peaches in TX)
9. eating peaches every day (including in homemade ice cream)
10. did I mention, peaches?!
11. being able to easily view our city's fireworks display within 10 minutes of our house
12. humorous writers like P.G. Wodehouse and Van Reid
13. colleagues who are a pleasure to work with
14. and having logistics almost finalized for my long-anticipated Moosepath League trip to Maine later this month
@Elizabeth, that's a lot of wonderful thankfuls 🙂 so good to see you all!
So lovely to have gotten to meet you!
@Elizabeth, I need to check on peaches in the area now 🙂
Nice!
Lisey looks so rad at her job!
47% berries sounds yummy!
Today, I'm thankful for all the cornucopia of fruits that's been on sale locally!
I am thankful for:
My dad's house is now officially empty. 6 long months, so much stuff. We collectively have around 500 hours worked. Thank you to JunkLuggers, they worked hard and I was very thankful for their help.
I’m amazed you have so many ripe berries! Strawberries and raspberries here too, but blackberries seem to need another month or so…?
I'm late, but I promised myself I was going to participate, so here I am!
Job thankfulness
1. I am thankful that I like my coworkers. We all try to do the right thing and the best we can in helping students. I like that we go above and beyond when we are able to.
2. I am thankful that I am paid decently. When I divorced a few years ago, one of my biggest fears was not being able to support myself. I have been with the same university since then and I really appreciate that I don't make minimum wage.
3. I love, love, love walking around my campus. I like to walk and it's therapy for me, so I am so glad I have so much area to walk around in. Even a 15 minute break is amazing when you can take a quick stroll in greenery.
4. I mostly like what I do. No job is really 100% enjoyable, but I like a lot of the projects and data entry that I get to do. I have been in my new position for about 6 months and I'm getting the hang of it, which makes me enjoy it more.
5. I am so very thankful that I have an office. With a window. I was in cubeland (which was fine) for the first 13 years being here. I could not even see a window. Now I have a wall of windows and am able to decorate my office as I wish. And I can close the door and lower the blinds and do yoga!
And a bonus 6. I was able to take a tour of our engineering and health campuses recently and I am amazed and proud of the ways our university allows students to get hands-on training in their fields. I had no idea of the projects the engineering students get to work on and the realistic medical "dummies" (they are not dumb!!) that the nurses and other health professionals get to practice on....WOW.
Speaking of freezer foods, those berries will all freeze great for smoothies, pies, baked French toast and a million other things!