Thankful Thursday | a bug in my coffee
This week, I am thankful:
that I SAW the bug fly into my coffee
One warm morning this week, as I was drinking coffee out on my front steps, a bug flew right into my coffee.
He promptly drowned.
Overall, this was a displeasing experience because my cup was still half full of coffee!
BUT I am very glad I noticed the bug because it would have been ten times worse to drink my coffee and discover a dead bug in my mouth.
for little piano-playing breaks
Since my piano is right here in my office, it's easy to take a quick break from what I'm doing and play a piece or two.
This is a big upside of being a pianist: your instrument is always ready to play! You don't have to take it out of a case or put pieces together or soak reeds or tune anything...you can just sit down and play for a few minutes.
(Now, the accompanying downside is that your instrument is entirely un-portable, but that's not to talk about on Thankful Thursday. 😉 )
for friends who understand what I'm going through
I do not wish this circumstance on anyone, of course, but I am grateful there are people in my life who can commiserate and understand.
And I am also grateful to be able to offer commiseration to these friends!
for a symphony experience I had when I was 18
You know how the girls and I went to the symphony a little while back?
Well, it was at a hall that I hadn't been at for years, but it's the place where I got to play part of a Shostakovich piano concerto with a youth symphony (as a high school senior! It's been a long time.)
Going to the symphony hall reminded me of this, so I rewatched the recording of me playing it (click here to see it on YouTube) and I was freshly reminded what a cool experience that was.
How many pianists ever get to play with an orchestra? It's not something to take for granted.
Also: the middle movement of that Shostakovich concerto is just so beautiful. I love it just as much all these years later.
(The way the strings come in at 2:30 in this video always gives me goosebumps. Also, the low notes on that piano at 5:40!)
for music that expresses the hard feelings
Sometimes I listen to a song on Spotify and I think, "Did this songwriter live my life??" because some lyrics just so accurately describe how I feel or what I've been through, in oddly specific ways.
Sometimes the feeling is angry, sometimes sad, sometimes indignant, sometimes confused, and there is almost always a song that fits.
that I was able to help my cousin
You might remember that I went over every other week during her second pregnancy to help her with dishes/cleaning, etc., because she was very sick during her pregnancy like I was!
(I had hyperemesis. Click here for more on that, plus my tips for how to help people with hyperemesis.)
Well, last week I was able to babysit for her kids for the day, and her little guy is now a person who walks around and talks. 🙂 So cute.
that Lisey passed more of her big tests
I think she only has one more big certification to take, and then she will be officially ready to work on planes.
Yay Lisey!
for so many beautiful sights on my walks
You all know I do my best to appreciate the available beauty in the dead of winter:
But right now, I don't even have to work at appreciating the beauty!
Blooms are all over the place, things are turning green at an incredible rate.
And there's lots of daylight/sunshine.
I feel like I'm coasting downhill when it comes to gratitude for outdoor sights. 😉
I love these baby redbud leaves! Such cute little hearts.
for the fun of seeing new trails change
I moved here in May of last year, so I did get to watch the trails move from summer to fall to winter.
But this is my first time seeing most of these trails make the transition from winter to spring, and that's the most delightful seasonal transformation, I think.
that it's right-now and not a year ago. or multiple years ago.
I don't know if that makes sense!
This last year has been hard, but not as hard as many years that came before it.
And I think next year, that will be even more true; I have high hopes that each coming year will be a steady improvement on the prior one.
I've done a lot of hard healing work in the last year, and while I don't know when I will feel mostly healed, I do know that I am closer to that point than I was a year ago. 🙂
It's slow work, but I have faith that with enough therapy, support, and work, I will be ok.
I am thankful that a difficult situation at work has been resolved and that I get to work with some truly supportive people. It's a joy to go into work again!
Right now I'm thankful:
*that my husband is taking kids to the dentist instead of me. I dislike having too many interruptions to our school week.
*for my daughter's soccer coach. She's been coach to somebody in our family several times, and I think she hits the right balance of chill and competitive. She includes one parent/sibling scrimmage with the team each year as a last practice, and that was fun to watch last evening.
*that my son played in my stead.
*that the younger kids my son (accidentally) knocked down weren't hurt too badly. He's a big guy!
*that my son didn't hurt himself. He really threw himself into playing goalie!
*for the cute amigurumi Mr. Rogers my daughter crocheted. It turned out so well.
*that a missing chicken turned up and was tucked into bed safe and sound.
*for the warmer weather. It's so nice to be outside again.
*for a lovely evening Bible study on Monday. I was able to get to know a couple of new people at our church, and they're a lot of fun.
*for the cup of coffee I'm going to make later and enjoy completely while I do school with my children.
I was sitting on my front steps last night and smelled the most delicate and lovely scent and realized it was blooms from my very own shrubs planted about three years ago. Current me appreciates how lovely they are and how past me did a lot of hard work to get those shrubs planted and kept alive through two BIG ice storms! Spring is such a great season! And as for this year being better than last year, and the years ahead being also better - so much YES. I'm right there with ya.
I'm thankful for the beautiful day we had yesterday. It was chilly but the sun came out for a while and I got to have a wonderful walk with a friend. Also for my beautiful weeping cherry tree that is covered in blooms. My youngest daughter is starting a new job next week and is very excited. My oldest started her new job a couple weeks ago and is also very happy. My middle girl has been very sick but is finally, fingers crossed on the mend. I can't forget my sweet rescue pup who always makes me smile.
Whew, I've had a really tough few weeks. Finding five things that I really FEEL is hard today!
1. I am dealing with some difficult situations at work right now, and I'm so glad that there are procedures and various offices that I can contact for help. The culture of medicine is bizarre and bad, but it's not as bad as it used to be! I know people from a generation above me who were literally hit by their supervisors and no one cared. So it's better now.
2. I'm sick (not covid, just some other virus) and it really sucks, but I'm glad that my daughter didn't get it.
3. The weather last week was so lovely and the sun is rising early and setting late. I was saying to my parents, "All these problems...but at least it's not raining!"
4. I have a lot of extra work to do this week (on top of everything else ARGH) but it's all good stuff--extra opportunities that will help me in the long run.
5. My family is really great. Mr. B is doing a lot of heavy lifting since I've been sick, my parents have us over all the time, I hung out with my aunt and uncle last weekend, I call my older brother for advice pretty frequently, and my toddler lets me give her snuggles 🙂
Phew! I feel better now. Hope you're all having an ok Thursday--hey, it's Thursday! Star Trek: Picard season finale is tonight 🙂 Another thing to be grateful for.
@Meira@meirathebear, that's a lot on your plate. The silver lining of having a lot of hard things is that it's almost certainly guaranteed to get better. Good for you for being able to find things to be thankful for.
Thankful that we have been in WV for a year already. Like you, the beauty of spring is upon us. Last year things were starting to bloom as we got here and it was nice to see as we were trying to move in. Now this year it is really nice to look upon the hills and see spring.
Thankful that I might have the opportunity to move to another team under the same manager. I love my manager, so being able to move to another team under her, would be wonderful. I interviewed yesterday and I think it went OK. I will not like leaving the team I'm on, but eventually we will all be moving to a new team (new systems) so why not move now.
Thankful that a niece is getting a great opportunity to be educated while she works on getting her LPN license. She is currently a CNA in a nursing home and was selected with a few others to be educated while being paid to get her LPN license. Not a bad deal at all. She is very excited. And all within a year!
Thankful that my granddaughter, who is 6, loves to facetime us. She has her own iPad, and my daughter hooked up a new email for her and she can only call her grandparents. It's nice to see her every week.
Thankful that my daughter is almost graduating with another degree. She has her master's in education, but wanted to take on more of an administrative role, so she has been going to night school for the past 2 years to get the administration degree. And she already has a new job that she is excited about.
@Maureen, Congrats to your niece! Nursing home work can be hard and thankless and it's wonderful to hear she is being rewarded for her dedication.
@Bobi, it is very hard and sometimes very thankless. And being that she works in the Buffalo area, she was stuck for 3 days at work over Christmas during the snow storm. The whole family is very proud of her.
@Maureen, amen to what you and Bobi have said about nursing home workers. I'm glad that your niece has such a good opportunity; I'm sure she deserves it.
@Maureen, I grew up in WV and still have some property there even though we live elsewhere now. We usually spend a few weeks over the course of each year there, and I love the quietness and peacefulness of the countryside.
1. I sold my house.
Staging it while living in it was disruptive and exhausting (I had to do almost all the physical labor since my roommate cannot), and you have to remember where you stashed the things you need but are unsightly (no towels? really?), and I wasn't even around for the weekend, leaving my roommate holding the last-minute bag. The payoff was the house sold in 5 days for a good price and great terms.
Dayenu (it being about the right time of year for this concept) but there's more.
2. I was smart enough to recognize a good idea when I heard it. Selling the house after I moved would have been easier but it would have involved making significant improvements, taken longer, cost me more, and probably not yielded as high a price (even if the market remained the same).
3. Good neighbors: who babysat my plants, helped my roommate with watering the new plantings, and have been all-around helpful. Leaving them will be hard but, as Kristen says, that's for another post.
4. Visiting my bereaved friend over the weekend.
Her husband, another classmate & friend, died utterly unexpectedly last month. She and her family were already facing many challenges and now she's utterly overwhelmed. So another friend from the group and I visited her for an extended weekend. It was hard and tiring and vastly helpful for her and reestablished our friendship, which had lapsed because the challenges meant she'd fallen out of touch for years.
- We were able to provide emotional support for the whole family.
- We were able to provide tangible support ranging from cleaning the fridge to helping with taxes.
- I established good rapport with both kids, teenagers though they are.
- The other friend, who had the idea in the first place.
- The circle of Quakers, one of whom offered us a place to stay.
- That I could afford the cost and vacation time, even at the last minute (another good reason to be frugal).
- My supervisor and team and work, who practically pushed me out the door when I asked for 3 days off at the last minute.
- My roommate, who did the same despite the challenges of dealing with the open houses without me.
@WilliamB, Having sold six houses in my life, may I offer congratulations on selling it AND getting a good price! Hoping your new place feels like home before long.
@WilliamB, I'm so glad that is over for you and that it turned out well.
@WilliamB, congratulations on selling the house, and kudos to you for your helpful visit to your bereaved friend. I'm confident it was appreciated.
@WilliamB,
Congrats on your house, and I am so touched at how your newly bereaved friend was helped. That's so very thoughtful.
@WilliamB, You win the internets. I appreciate this list and your actions so much, from afar.
Yay that your house has sold!! Woohoo!!!
I'm so glad you could help your friend in her time of loss.
@WilliamB,
This is how you know that you’ve chosen the right workplace and the right roommate. And, your No. 4 is an example of why your karma is way up there (as No. 1 is an example of its effects.
The house is sold, hurrah! On to the next house adventures.
@WilliamB,
So glad your house sold so quickly and at a good price! And I'm sure your friend is so appreciative of all of your help. Reconnecting is important, too, and it sounds like this last minute trip was good for both of you in that regard.
@WilliamB, you did a remarkable thing for this friend. I, and many of my retired peers wonder how we would handle the loss of our spouse.
Kristen,
Congratulations on taking the helm on your life. I have every confidence that you will continue to build a better life. "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains it's original dimensions." Oliver Wendell Holmes
It has been a good week:
I'm thankful for no new reports of death about friend's parents and siblings this week. I am also thankful that everyone dealing with recent loss seems to be doing okay.
I am thankful for the wonderful spring weather. The green, the light, the warmth.
I am thankful for access to modern medicine and dental care and good insurance. I went for my semi-annual dental checkup and cleaning yesterday and I need a crown replaced but it is all okay. I can access the care and pay for it. All recent changes from a historical perspective. I am also thankful that out dentist has grown on us. He bought the practice from out long time beloved dentist and for a while it was so different that it was a bit difficult. Over time the staff have become more familiar, and friendly, and we are no longer thinking about switching.
I am thankful we were able to celebrate our SIL's birthday as he wished.
I am thankful for texting. How nice it is to quickly touch base with loved ones.
I am thankful for the book Platonic. It is about friendship and it details how important, and close, friendships were in past generations.
I am thankful that my sibling's surgery went well, and that my other sibling and I will be able to visit shortly.
I am thankful that there is more hope of a sustainable solution for my sibling's living arrrangements.
Thankful for our cats and their purring, for my husband's care of me, for my loving aunt, for longstanding colleagues and friends, for the woodpecker at our bird feeder, for the nice cup of tea that I will be preparing in a moment, for the prospect of a short holiday in a few week's time.
Have a good end of the week!
@J NL,
I have woodpeckers who come to my feeders, too! At least one red-bellied WP and two Downy. I find them fascinating, as well as beautiful.
Long time reader and non commentator.
Hearing you play was so beautiful.Here in the UK we have Radio Three ,a classical music programme which used to be known as the Third programme along time ago. I listen to it all day long.
Seeing you play and your comments for me how intrinsic it is to you.
Thank you for this.
@Louise, what you said about the Shostakovich in general and Kristen's playing in particular. I don't have a musical bone in my body, but I appreciate and admire those who do.
Aww, thank you for commenting, and thank you for listening to me play. 🙂
Before I drank coffee--a habit I picked up mostly once I had babies--my husband used to make a big pot of coffee and just leave it right in the pot on the counter to drink over a few days. One day, I was cleaning up the kitchen and saw in the bottom of the coffee pot, along with an inch or so of coffee, a dead mouse. And yes, husband had poured his coffee from that pot that morning. He's not easily grossed out, but that one got a, "Oh man, I suddenly feel ill" from him. (He didn't actually get sick, but that is still the nastiest thing that has ever been in coffee.)
--So! Thankful there was no mouse in my coffee this morning. 🙂
--Also and relatedly, that I have someone in the house who will set and empty mouse traps for me. There was a mouse that was evading our traps for a couple of days, and then last night, my husband set one on the floor of the kitchen where I knew it had been, and literally three minutes after we had turned off the kitchen lights, we heard it snap. So long, overly bold mouse.
--Thankful the wind will abate a bit tomorrow.
--Thankful my eldest son's last track meet was yesterday, and thus he has closed out this year's sports. He hasn't had a break since football started in August, and it was just too wearing on his body.
--Thankful that the young guy who is working at our school this year as a teacher's aide while he gets his degree in education agrees with me that maybe next year, son should sit out on basketball. The young guy is a jock, played all the sports, and the boys definitely look up to him. So when he mentioned to my son that it's important to be careful of your body when you're young so you don't wreck yourself for life at an early age and that having persistent aches and injuries at 13 is not a good thing, my son listened and agreed. When that very boy's MOTHER said that . . . well, anyway. Thanks, Mr. Everly, for being reasonable and also RIGHT, AHEM.
--Thankful today is the beginning of our weekend. And only four more weeks of school. I love May release in the west.
@kristin @ going country, That happened to us when we had a r-t infestation in our last house. (I think I'm still traumatized over it.) The exterminator put out giant snap traps (because glue traps are too cruel according to me) and as he was pulling out of our driveway I heard it snap under our TV armoire. Thinking it was maybe a fluke, I summoned every ounce of courage and yep--caught one. Sigh. After that, the odd mouse we get here doesn't bother me that much. They're practically cute compared to the R animals.
@kristin @ going country, When the hoarder house two doors down was gutted for renovation, its millions of roaches decamped into the neighborhood and we were suddenly fighting an infestation. I wound up throwing out a mini Keurig coffee machine because one crawled out of it and there's no way to take one apart. I drank instant coffee until all the bugs were dead and gone from our house.
@kristin @ going country, girl, you win the story of the day with the coffee mouse.
Oh my word. A mouse!!!! I cannot.
@Rose, We have those, too, on occasion. Once when my husband got up early with our then-toddler daughter, I heard a ruckus in the kitchen (but didn't get up, because this was my chance to stay in bed) and was later informed that a rat had run out from behind the woodstove and my husband was chasing it around the kitchen, trying to kill it with a broom while my daughter stood on a chair and cheered him on.
@Ruby, I moved into an apartment once in Phoenix that had been empty for awhile, and it was totally infested with roaches. Like, they were dropping from the ceiling. I think my breaking point was when I saw albino roaches. My sister remembers me calling her in tears. I seem to have blocked all this out.
I have way too many absolutely revolting animal/insect stories, don't I? Sigh.
@Ruby, When I was 5, we bought a new house that happened to be next to a school that had just torn down their riding stables. All those homeless rats and mice were desperate for a new home. We saw them in many places, including coming up the plumbing pipes. There was even a dead one when we toured the house. Being 5, I thought they were adorable and didn't want them harmed.
@kristin @ going country, That reminds me of the priceless story by Shirley Jackson about when her cat caught a bat and brought it into the house. Shirley, under a blanket in the living room, said "Is it on me? IS IT?" and her husband said, "It's more scared than you are," and Shirley retorted, "It is NOT!"
@kristin @ going country, My husband grew up in the country, in a house built in 1900 and parents who did very little to update the house or make it pest-proof...he has vivid memories of getting up before everybody else to go get some breakfast, and having to kill a rat with a broom before he could get some cereal. He was 12 at the time. Sometimes it doesn't pay to be the one early bird in the house!
@Rose, That is one of the best. It reminds me of the time I was visiting my then-fiance, now husband, in his house that was just opposite a cornfield. Around the time I started visiting, he adopted a stray cat, who looked like the Fancy Feast cat but who was a good mouser. I, being used to non-mouse-hunting cats, had gotten the cat some of the fur mice my own cat liked to play with.
So one evening I encounter Mr. Fluff coming down the hallway with something gray in his mouth. "Oh, did you get one of your fur mice?" I asked, and then I saw the mouse...move. I remember barricading myself in the nearest room (the bathroom) and yelling, "I THINK HE HAS A *REAL* MOUSE!" Then I heard my fiance saying to the cat, "Drop it...drop it..NOT ON THE BED!" All the while I was yelling, "Is it DEAD YET? Is it DEAD?"
The cat, feeling his prey threatened, tried to bury it in his litterbox, but I guess it got away. I could not sleep that night, just sure that the cat would catch the mouse and decide to end its life on the bed where I was sleeping, and I would wake up with mouse guts all around.
We never did see that mouse again. I suspect he realized he had had a lucky escape and vacated the premises.
@Rose, I have bat stories, too! Flying around my bedroom more than once (in both a basement apartment and upstairs in a house), hanging in the curtains in the parlor, a couple clinging to the side of our washing machine in the cellar that I almost grabbed because I thought they were a forgotten washcloth, a dead one in a canning jar in the cellar, one the cat caught and had in the kitchen . . .
I could literally write a book just filled with stories of wildlife encounters. Raccoons, possums, flying squirrels, coyotes, coy wolves, moose, snakes, deer, skunks, woodchucks, gophers, bats, mice, rats, centipedes, roaches (flying and non-), spiders (including black widows and tarantulas) . . . I have encountered them all.
@kristin @ going country, I think you ought to write a book, period! I think we'd all read it.
@A. Marie,
I have been reading kristin's online "book" in the form of going back to the blog archives and slowly going through the archives from day 1. Fascinating, funny, and full of interest!!
For my husband's improving health. He had long COVID and then a fungal infection and then deep tissue cellulitis from a tooth infection, and it's been a long road.
I am thankful that I was able to visit and reconnect with my best friend from high school this weekend; though we live just an hour away from each other, life has been busy/complicated for the past decade and the time just slipped away. Happily, we picked up right where we left off.
I'm thankful for the bunnies I saw frolicking in our yard this morning, and the birds busily building their nests. Also the budding trees and bushes which will hopefully soon hide us from the nosy yappy dogs that live behind us!
I'm thankful that my son who is taking his first college class (as a high school sophomore, through our state's College Credit Plus program) is doing well and enjoying it!
@Karen A., glad to hear your husband's health is improving. It sounds like a long road for both of you.
@Kris, Thank you! It has been hard, but it's a blessing to see him feeling better and having more energy to do the things he wants and needs to do!
How great to have had the opportunity to play and even better, that it is captured on YouTube for your friends and family to see.
The year was tough as you have written but you have always had hope and faith in you and your family's ability to adapt and accept a change that was definitely not the most welcome.
I admire your steadfastness in the face of adversity and your ability to move ahead with your courses and stay on your path. Creating a new life at mid-life is never easy, no matter the circumstances but you are really excelling. Healing is a lifelong process and the key often is how functional one is during the tough times. Again, you have done an incredible job. Give yourself credit and keep practicing self love.
Thanks for sharing the video. Beautiful piece.
Thank you, Irena!
It's been a tough week so this will be a good exercise for me.
- I'm thankful that both kids joined us for dinner on Monday.
- I'm thankful that we will get to celebrate our son's birthday with him tomorrow.
- I'm thankful that I was able to visit with a friend last night that I haven't seen in person for quite a while. It was so nice to sit outside and catch up.
- I'm thankful for the glorious weather we've had this week. Of course, it's going to rain, again, this weekend, but at least I got to enjoy a few sunny warm days.
- I'm thankful that my sister is having a medical procedure today that could greatly improve her quality of life.
This winter I was drinking my iced tea minding my business when I took the last sip of the drink with some ice in it but there was a stink bug that I chomped down on. Thought I was going to die, they are so gross and quiet and I didn't look inside. Every glass I drink now has a cover.
@Cheryl, the various bug stories remind me of this old joke: "What's worse than finding a worm in an apple you've just started eating? Finding half a worm." But I think biting down on a stinkbug may be even worse than that.
OH NO. NOT A STINKBUG. That is so gross.
@Kristen, once upon a time, I finished a fast food soda and found a bug in the bottom of the cup. But that doesn't compare to a mouse in the coffee pot. I think I am damaged just from reading that story.
Cheering you on every day Kristen 🙂
1. Thankful to those around me that provide a listening ear so that I can talk about the hard things. Lots of complicated family stuff going on right now and some days it is a very heavy weight.
2. So so very grateful that there is so much life around me right now. I am planting flowers, seeds and veggies. The birds are singing and the sun is shining. It feeds my soul.
3. The concepts of batch cooking and meal planning. This is a great blessing to me in this season as it allows me to be able to spend time after work in the yard/garden completing projects without having to worry about what's for dinner that night.
4. Upcoming vacation with just my husband and my son. I am counting the days to be away with my sweet family.
5. For the health of my body that allows me to do intense workouts , lift weights, garden, walk, run....the list is endless here. It is not lost on me that some are unable to do these things and I am grateful.
I’m thankful my dog wasn’t really missing Monday night. She was just visiting a neighbor. (“She’s so friendly!” says the neighbor.) I’ve asked her (meaning the dog) to leave me a note the next time she does that. Hopefully never. I’m still extracting my heart from my throat.
I’m thankful that a friend and I are FINALLY meeting for lunch at Laguna Burger the first week of May. We’ve been trying to do this for … forever. And we can go next door to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center right after. It’ll be like a school Field Day. For grownups (no spitballs on the school bus). Right in the middle of a work week.
I’m incredibly thankful that a dear friend who just finished radiation treatment for breast cancer in January, and then got a call back from her gynecologist for yet another mammogram (“out of an abundance of caution”), got the “all clear” this week. She’s also an ovarian cancer survivor and I am in absolute awe of her strength and never-ending good humor. I want to be her (without the cancer) when I grow up.
Ewwww… bugs. I’m glad you saw it too.
It’s been a rough week. My middle child suffers from acute and debilitating anxiety attacks. This week we suffered with one. I’m wondering why he cannot recognize he needs help for them. I can’t give him enough love to relieve it that’s for certain. So it’s important this week for me to find gratitude.
I am thankful that I ran into an old college friend. We haven’t seen each other in over a decade, and we had the most wonderful conversation. She lives near me now. and we will see each other again.
I will be attending a memorial service today. This lovely woman lived to be 96 years old. She was my neighbor at one time and was one of the kindest, most loving individuals that I have ever known. I am grateful that she was part of my life during the time when I needed her.
I am thankful for the company of rescue pup. I’m always thankful for this beautiful dog.
I am thankful that when my 35 minute drive turned into a 2 1/2 hour traffic nightmare, I had downloaded a book on my library app and could listen to it, It helped me make the best of a difficult situation.
I am thankful that I live where there is such a diversity of birds - Eagles, ospreys, ducks, Owls, woodpeckers, Cardinals, Blue Jays, herons, egrets, blue birds, wood storks, Roseate spoonbills and so many more. It makes every walk a joy and the sound of birdsong is beautiful.
Wishing you all peace and good health.
@Bee, this is just my observation from ten years of medical work, but women are much more likely to seek medical help than men, particularly of the psychological kind. I have a middle-aged son who would greatly benefit from anti-depressants, but I know he'll never seek them out.
@Anne,
I will keep encouraging him. I hate seeing him suffer. It hard for me because I feel my children’s pain acutely. I would do anything to be able to take it from them.
@Bee, does your child have a good relationship with their pediatrician? If so, perhaps on the next visit, prepare the pediatrician to ask you to leave so that he/she can talk one on one with your child about their anxiety and suggest a therapist to see.
A mother’s heart does feel their child’s pain❤️
I am thankful for :
* My sister is out of the hospital and home recovering.
* I made it through this year of grief. My mother died nearly a year ago and tomorrow would have been her birthday. Reading Kristen’s approach to her season of grief helped me enormously.
* For my best friend, who called me yesterday to check in and catch up.
* Good health insurance. I received a recent chronic illness diagnosis and am grateful for the access to health care, educational support and prescriptions that come in the mail.
* Travel adventures. We’re taking a quick trip next week and are hoping to book another trip later in the summer.
Oh, birthdays are so hard when you have lost someone. Big hugs to you.
@Kristen, thank you for your kind words!
IDK. For me, I think a year ago was better. Too much has happened in the past six months and it's extremely hard to process. Unfortunately it's resulted in horrendous anxiety ever day about work. I dislike my job and yet I know it's the perfect dream job I have. I just don't want to work at all. Whatever, booty hooty hoo.
Still: grateful that it looks like Mom is gonna beat her colon cancer.
Grateful to have a good job.
Grateful to have a cheap palate. I made egg rolls yesterday to go along with dinner and they tasted so good. Cheap dates R us.
Thankful that my house is ever so slowly turning into what I want it to look like.
Hopeful for upcoming warm days. It's felt so cold and bitter and miserable here. (...yes but what about the weather? ba dum bum.) I need more exercise and sunshine.
Happy that my niece is getting married in a couple months! First in our family to marry. She is 27.
I hope that the next six months bring improvements for you, friend.
@Rose, I'm sorry to hear it's going hard for you. Perhaps it's not the dream job FOR YOU after all.
@WilliamB, Thanks. I figured it out. It's my manager. I like him on a personal level but his constant cutting comments* and perfectionismƗ really stress me out. When he's gone I quite like it all, including my coworkers.
*"Why did you choose this to write about?" What I reply: "I think this subject offers some interest." What I think, "It's the only thing I could find." It's just not that easy to write two fabulous articles every freaking day.
Ɨ(Many years ago in my life in software, a very senior executive told me, "Sometimes, you gotta ship shit." (Shipping meaning when the software is considered ready for release.) I have learned that he is absolutely correct but it's a very bad idea to share this nugget of wisdom with perfectionists.)
@Rose,
I can commiserate re: not liking one's boss. She micro-manages everything, but denies she's a micro-manager. She has never done my job, and so doesn't really understand some of the details that affect how my work is done. I really like the actual work I do.
Thankful beyond words, as always, for my darling husband, whose 74th birthday was yesterday. (Also as always, I wish we could have had at least a few more good years together, but I remain aware that we had a lot more than a lot of other people get.) I visited DH yesterday, of course, and although he slept throughout the visit, I told the staff to spoil him rotten.
Also thankful beyond words for DH's guy friend who routinely assists me with household problems that are beyond my skill set. My water heater is on the way out, and he's going to get the one I need from a contractor-only supply house in town and install it for me. Imagine my relief.
And thankful beyond words for this completely unexpected development: I got a card Monday from a long-since-ex-BIL (DH's late sister's ex-husband), and when I opened it, a check for $500 fell out. The enclosed note said that he'd sent a similar check earlier that was never cashed, and he hoped I wasn't still having hard feelings on DH's sister's behalf; I was urged to "use the enclosed check to help with bills and maybe indulge yourself a little." (Well, it'll certainly help with the cost of the new water heater!)
As soon as I'd recovered somewhat from the shock, I emailed XBIL at the last address I had for him (it hasn't bounced yet, so I hope he's gotten it) to assure him that I'd never received the first check and to thank him for the second, which I accepted in the spirit in which it was sent. (I added, though, that I'm doing OK financially and certainly didn't want him to think of me as a charity case.) I closed with good wishes and the hopes that he is enjoying his sons (DH's and my favorite nephews), his six grandchildren, and life in general.
@A. Marie,
I hope the staff took your suggestion to heart for his birthday. I hope YOU had a good day on his birthday. These occasions can sure be hard for us.
@A. Marie, Isn’t it wonderful to receive an unexpected check in the mail?! Many years ago, during a very tough period in my life (on leave from my job due to illness, the recent death of my mother, raising teenagers) in the darkest days of December, we received two or three letters that had checks enclosed. A few moments of joy.
@A. Marie, you may have to write to him at the address on the check. Sometimes people forget e-mail passwords and can't check accounts, even though they are still legitimate.
That was very sweet of him, and fortutious timing. Water heaters are hideously expensive now.
@Ruby, I'll take your suggestion if XBIL hasn't answered the email in a few more days. Thanks.
Awww, what a wonderful list you have this week. Happy birthday to your guy! and what a wonderful blessing that check is to you.
@A. Marie, love the gesture from your x bil. We have children who don't worry about us that much.
@A. Marie, I'm glad that this week, of all weeks, you had a bit of unexpected joy and that you are able to recognize the happiness of the good years.
@A. Marie, I marvel at your attitude of gratitude for the years you and your dear husband had, instead of focusing only on the loss you have endured. I hope the staff did spoil him and that you spoil yourself at least a little bit with the $500 windfall. Thinking of you...
I’m leaving for a work trip tomorrow where I will see a year’s worth of work come to fruition! I’m very excited to be part of such a fun event and it’s rewarding to see what I’ve been working on come to life!
My son’s team won the Championship of the tournament that we drove 7 hours (one way) to attend! All the boys worked hard and their teamwork was on full display.
Our trip to the tournament turned into a family reunion. My sister and her family live 5 hours away from where the tournament was so we met in the middle. I haven’t seen my sister and her family since before the pandemic – they both work in the medical field.
The snow is gone and spring is finally here!
Ted Lasso Wednesdays!
Oh, have a wonderful work trip!
@Geneva, Ted Lasso Wednesdays are the best!!!
Love your Thankful Thursday posts!
For me the last couple of years were ones of constant growth and healing. I identify completely with your words, "I have high hopes that each coming year will be a steady improvement on the prior one."
Kristen, it is so good to read about this year of healing for you. (((Hugs)))
I am thankful for whoever canceled their appointment with the rheumatologist I was referred to because it meant waiting only six days for an appointment instead of two and a half months. Thankful for good test results there too. Thankful always for my sweet family, our tribe of rescued pets, and the good weather that has our little container garden flourishing.
I am thankful for the beautiful spring green of the trees around our neighborhood. And all the beautiful flowers in bloom. And that the pollen is mostly all gone!
Right now I am thankful for the smell of our freshly mowed lawn. I never get tired of that smell!
I'm thankful that our daughter has finished her radiation and chemo for breast cancer and is currently doing well. And for all the friends who gathered round and took care of us all while she was going through treatment. I never realized just how much a card, word of encouragement, phone call or a meal means to the extended family as well. It has made me more mindful of doing the same for others.
And I'm thankful for our neighbors. Now that the weather is nice, if anyone sits out on their front porch, it's sort of a signal and before long, several neighbors have gathered to visit and enjoy the weather before the heat and humidity hits.
I hope that the coming years improve for all of us! I am always thankful for thankful Thursdays.
1. First, I am thankful that I found a safe, good place for my husband and received the assistance to keep him there. This was really brought home to me when I read the latest local newspaper about an elderly woman who was badly neglected by her so-called caregiver at her home. When she was found, she was rushed to the hospital but died the next day. The description of the neglect, bed sores and filth were horrible. Her caregiver is in jail, and I hope never leaves there.
2. Like many here, I am thankful for the beauty of spring. I had a large amount of mail to drop off for work this morning, so I walked it down to the big USPS collection box at the entrance of our office complex circle. The fountains were splashing, birds were singing, the air was a pleasant 67 degrees and the lush landscaping looked fresh and green; even the noise of six lanes of traffic rushing by our circle didn't bother me.
3. I'm thankful I have screening on my porch. Less bugs in my drinks :). And also, many, many less mosquitoes.
4. I'm thankful that I remembered to set out ground beef to thaw for tonight. I put it in a cooler with an ice pack. Both will be still quite cold but not frozen solid when I get home. It's a disaster for me when I get home at 7:30 and realize I forgot to get something out of the freezer for dinner.
5. I'm thankful my DH quit smoking almost 15 years ago. I wouldn't want to think about what he would be going through now if he hadn't, because there is no smoking (chewing, dipping) in physical rehabs, hospitals, his former assisted living and his current nursing home. My kids and I were talking about that the other day and we all agreed, it would be a nightmare if he was still a smoker when all this health stuff started. Plus - I'm just thankful he quit, period!
I'm so glad your husband is in a place that takes good care of him. That must bring such peace to you!
@JD, I share your gratitude that your DH is in a good place, as mine is. Your #1 story is gruesome.
I am thankful for a lot of things. Right this instant there are too many to even write down. I like those moments best — perhaps that's my main thankful thing? — because there are also moments of the flip side and the contrast is not pretty.
Do you feel like you're becoming Kristen 3.0? It's of course none of my business, but here's hoping for continued upswings for you.
Man, I don't know. I feel like I have become several iterations of myself in this last year. Ha. And there are probably more iterations to come in the next few years too.
I don't know if you are on Instagram, but this reel I made expresses it: https://www.instagram.com/p/CnRreAsq6FF/?hl=en
(And in case you can't see it, it's my jade plant, which struggled to grow at the other house. But once I moved it here, into a sunny window, it's grown like crazy. And I said, "Maybe that's a metaphor.")
It's the old "What's worse than finding a worm in your apple?" joke.
I'm thankful this week for:
* Getting a plumber's bill that was around $200. Why am I thankful for a $200 bill? Because after the job was done he said he was thankful that he was able to do it all without ripping out drywall or pipes. Apparently the assembly he thought he was going to have to replace was around $200 on its own (and Google searches confirm this) and that was before labor. So yeah, $200 is better than $500.
* Having some fun things to look forward to this weekend.
* Some video games to play and a little time to play them.
* Nicer weather and being able to just be outside of the house.
I always get a big smile when Miranda Lambert’s break up song comes on the radio.
Especially this line:
“Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady”
I think that Lisey's goal of working on planes is amazing! It has taken a lot of time and I'm sure she'll be great at it. I'm thankful there are people that want to do that work - and do it enthusiastically (which is an assumption from your descriptions!).
You are an incredibly talented pianist! Thanks for sharing that video!
Thank you for sharing the video with us, Kristen. I confess that I have long been curious about your piano playing ability--wow, if you were playing that well as a teenager, you must be amazing by now! 🙂 Do your kids like to play?
Anyway, thankfulness. Last week we had a very unusually warm and springlike week in Michigan and it was SO nice. I skipped indoor gym workouts and did a lot of hiking and biking, both alone and with others.
My other big thankful item is that my cat, who has been on a steady health decline for a few months now, survived his biopsy (nothing conclusive found) and the vet decided to try him on steroids. Oh my goodness, I have my sweet boy back!!! He's eating, gaining weight, doing some of his frisky behaviors that had gone by the wayside, and ..... drumroll .... my husband thinks he killed a mouse in our basement last night! (this is piggy-backing on kristin @ going country's earlier comments). While I am NOT thankful in the slightest for mice, I am ecstatic that he feels well enough to chase, catch, and kill one (I thanked him for his service, haha).
That piano playing was fantastic. You are very talented. I never took lessons as a child, but always wanted to. At 70, I am now taking lessons from my very talented daughter!
Thank you! And how wonderful you are learning how to play now. It is never too late to start. 🙂
Thank you for posting the youtube symphony, you are very talented. I am always in awe of people with musical talent, as I have none, zero, nada, ziltch. I cannot even carry a tune, I would say that I am tone deaf.
I have a spider in a straw story that was an "eeew" moment. I keep a cup of water on my bedside table, it has a straw that goes in through a hole in the lid. I awoke one night and took a sip of water through the straw, realized there was something in my mouth, but being half asleep I did some chewing motions and then suddenly was like "nope, this is not right", spat out said offender to discover that it was a spider I was munching on; said spider did not survive. Now if I take a sip in the middle of the night, I either turn on the light to look down the straw, or more likely, I just blow really hard through the straw until the water bubbles at the bottom, and then I take a sip.
I am a cooler weather person so I am liking the weather at the moment, 8C and sunny today, thankful that it has stopped raining for now. Also thankful that it is not so hot like last week.
I finally saw a physiotherapist yesterday, after hurting my lower back in July of last year. She was fantastic, and has given me exercises to do at home before my next appointment next Wednesday. I have to do them 3 times a day, so I'm hoping that I will see a strengthening of the muscles around my spine in the near future. The goal is for me to be able to get back to lifting weights again without my back "tightening up".
A black stray cat had 5 kittens, and somehow one of the kittens found it's way into my neighbours garage. As there was no sign of momma cat (who is very skittish around humans anyway so there would be no way to get her to her kitten), my neighbour was able to find a cat rescue, and they came and took the kitten. He is a boy, about 8 weeks old, and was given a clean bill of health; they will adopt him out.
An unfortunate decidely unthankful: there is a very Big Cat in my neighbourhood that is causing me grief. While I was out front talking to the cat rescue lady (2 days later), I heard yowling out back, and ran to find BC pinning down my sweet junior 14 year old cat. I got junior 14 inside and she appears to be okay though a little skittish at the moment. So now if I let junior 14 out into the garden, I have to literally sit there with her and keep watch. She is keeping close to the door for now, and comes inside pretty quickly after she does her sniff around. I do not know if BC is a stray or belongs to someone, it does not run away from me.
@Linda in Canada, Oh noooo! That might be the worst story yet, because you had taken just about every available step to protect your drink... Rethinking my regular old glass for water by my bed
@Linda in Canada, shuddering at the spider in the straw story. Bleah.
I hope BC leaves your junior 14 cat alone!
I'm thankful for continued healing, in both my body and my inner being. I see much more of the light and less of the darkness lately, and it feels good.
I'm thankful for a good night's sleep after my physical therapist worked me fairly hard yesterday. Ha.
I'm thankful for my local library. I was able to borrow a couple of items that I had been wanting to read/watch that were not available for free online.
I'm thankful for the time I have this week to work on some sewing. Man, I am a slow sewist. But I persist, because I want clothes that fit me well and in colors and patterns that make me smile.
Beautiful symphony video!
I am close to 20 years out from what you are going through and it does indeed get much better. I have to remind myself that I have my beautiful children and I make a choice every day to not let what happened change me for the worse or change the kind of person I choose to be. (Of course divorce and the circumstances around it changed me, I just mean that I try not to allow it to negatively impact who I am, if that makes any sense.)
Your photos are beautiful!
This week, I'm grateful for...
* Having had a health scare earlier this week that now seems to be resolved
* Hubby being on strike for undetermined period and us not freaking out about money. He will get paid a minimal amount for every day he goes striking (1/3 of regular salary). Being frugal is for those times. We have no debts and we have savings, so we will be fine.
* My DD being invited to her (only) friend from school this weekend. She has autism (asperger) and Attention deficit disorder, so relationships are very hard for her to manage. I'm happy she at least have made a connection with one kid at school. And also that she has another friend, who happens to be a neighbor, so that makes it easier to spend time with her.
* Knowing how to cook healthy and frugal recipes. And having the means to buy fresh healthy food for my family.
* That both my kids are performing excellently in school and are both super motivated to get the best grades possible. I'm very proud of them. Also, not having to monitor everything for them and push homework on them is priceless for my mental health!
@isa, I feel you on your daughter's friendship. My own daughter still struggles to make friends--she has an incredibly high IQ and practically no one can relate to her. It was wonderful when she managed to do something social now and then back in the day. (Everyone else liked Disney, she liked Monty Python, aged 9. etc. What can you do?)
@Rose, Thanks 🙂
How old is your daughter now?
Thankful...
-it's a sunny morning!
-my oldest friend called to catch up after over a year. The last few times I called her, it seemed like I was an inconvenience so I decided rather than be a nuisance, let her call me. It took a while but I'm happy to reconnect.
-for SO MANY flowers everywhere. All the California rain we've had over the last several months is paying off. Beautiful scenes everywhere.
-for a decent night's sleep after many days.
-that I was able to take a bit of a break and read midday yesterday. It always feels like a luxury when I read anytime but before bedtime.
Lisey is so very close! She's got this!
Today, I'm thankful for....
- being able to sit on my front porch after work and take photos of the birds that come to my bird feeders. It stays light late enough now, and I love watching the bird's quirky behaviors.
- having great co-workers, who all pitch in as needed. We've been short staffed all week, but the extra work has been shared without a problem.
- for my son, who makes me laugh with his silly humor.
- for the perennials in my garden that are starting to come back to life. Present me is thanking past me for all the hard work it took to make it happen.
- for my wonderful Buy Nothing group. I have received so many useful and beautiful things, and have been able to put some of my excess clutter into the hands of others who will use it.
- for the yummy yogurt parfaits they make for sale in the cafeteria at work (but I get them for free, making them taste even better. ;-))
- for coffee.
I am thankful that my husband took care of getting the car to the mechanic.
I am thankful that the mechanic noticed wear on a certain belt and replaced it before we had a big problem. I am additionally thankful that the cost came in about $150 under the estimate.
I am thankful that my taste for morning coffee has returned.
I am thankful that my family is in good health.
I am thankful for friends who are gently offering good advice when I ask questions.
Thankful for a day of temps in the 70s after a week of temperatures in the 40s.
Thankful my kids are feeling better. They have been sick all week and appear to be on the very tail end of not now.
Thankful for the tulips and daffodils blooming in the garden.
Thankful for asparagus growing in the garden. It is super easy to grow and pops up every year.
Thankful for our friendly neighborhood cat coming to visit. It is just the perfect amount of pet ownership for someone with cat allergies.
I have one thing to be thankful for and it is a doozy: A few years ago I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, it appeared from living with a birth defect that causes two different types of arrythmias. My brother died of this same defect so it is not something I ever took lightly, but all you can do is keep living and every time there is a prolonged arrythmia figure this might be the last one. I have had plenty of ER cardioversions with the dreaded shocks that could not always wait until they knocked me out. Well, yesterday I went to see my cardiologist to go over some tests that I get done every year to trace the decline of my heart. The doctor said he does not really know why but I am no longer in congestive heart failure! Weeks ago my husband told me that I seem to be doing much better but I figured it was just wishful thinking. Turns out he was right. It is not clear if this reversal has to do with the kidney surgeries I had last November and then again in February, or a medicine change or what. I no longer have to take diuretics or some of the meds I was taking. I still have arrythmias, so that has not changed, but they are mostly controlled now by some new medications. I wish my brother had lived long enough to experience the miracles I am experiencing. The husband is practically dancing in the street.
@Lindsey,
If I could dance, I would be dancing on MY street for you! YAY!! Stupendous news! You deserve an extra delicious Filet of Fish tomorrow to celebrate!!
@Lindsey, the renewal of your health has been just the most wonderful thing to hear about. So happy for you and your DH!
We learned when our sweet little dog was struggling with congestive heart failure that there is a link to kidney issues, but there was not much that could be done for her.
@Lindsey, OH WHAT GREAT NEWS. SO HAPPY FOR YOU.
@Lindsey, WOO HOO! So happy for you and the husband! Whatever the reason for the miracles may be, your friends here are rejoicing. (And I hope this means you'll be able to go on the upcoming Last Hurrah trip with far less worries about your health.)
@Lindsey,
How WONDERFUL!
This is just the best news! Love to you and congrats to your medical team.
This is also the very best story you’ve told in the years I’ve followed this blog. And, considering your stories are among the first I look for, that’s saying something.
Oh Lindsey, I am so so happy for you!! YAYYYY!
@Lindsey, I'm doing the Snoopy Happy Dance here!
@Lindsey, In 2020, during the pandemic when you did NOT want to be in an emergency room, I made 3 trips to the ER and was finally diagnosed with SVT (supraventricular tachycardia), an occasional hyper fast heartbeat that was finally diagnosed not by a doctor but by the EMT. It apparently results from a birth defect, but I never experienced any problems until my 40s. And it can't be diagnosed unless you're in the middle of an episode so it went untreated for years. After changing cardiologists, I finally got a cardiac ablation in late 2020 that cured it. So happy! And so happy to read your good news. The reduction in stress alone will help immensely!
@JDinNM, They tried cardiac ablation and they did conventional open hart surgery but the results were mixed. Turns out I had five accessory pathways and they could only get to four of them so one is still around to cause trouble. Not as much trouble as five but still SVTs and A fib. But this new med really quells it so all in all I am feeling like I have a new lease on life. Too bad it happened at 71 and not 31! I am glad ablation worked for you. That really has been such a boon to so many people. Not sure who developed it but they deserve a place in heaven.
@Lindsey, heart not hart. Jeepers.
@Lindsey, Wowee! That's wonderful. Conga-rats to you!
@Lindsey, Woo hooo!! That's fantastic news; dancing in the streets with you!
Our daughter payed string bass with a youth orchestra. It was an amazing experience. She's older than you are so it was many years ago. 🙂
Kristen, I deeply resonate with you about music expressing the big feelings and about things being today, not last month, last year or last decade. So thankful for you sharing these things.
I’m thankful
-for my friends. I’ve had more support than I could have dreamed over the past weeks.
-for school teachers/paras/support staff who love kids well, especially those kids who don’t get that kind of love at home.
-for warm socks. It’s cold here.
-for my son singing right now.
You and I might be able to swap Angry Breakup Songs playlists in the future. 😉
I'm so glad that you have support as you walk this tough road.
-thankful for a new job that is interesting and a lot more slow-paced than my regular job. I have time to think.
-thankful for my wonderful church community
-for my teenage son who eats giant portions of whatever dinner I cook, makes me feel like the world's best chef
-for self-tanning lotion for my pale skin (skin type always burns, never tans)
Thankful for - the staff in my office, they bought me cupcakes for my birthday.
That I have tomorrow off - my employer gives us a day off for our birthday.
That we were able to listen to our weekend guest artist rehearsing all day today. Such a wonderful piano player.
I had one day this last week where I felt ok & I was able to get errands done and a couple of things done around the house.
Thankful I found a new groomer for youngest pup, they did an awesome job and he looks so handsome.
Long-time reader, first time commenter. I just had to tell you how lovely your piano playing is! Thank you for sharing the video with us!
Kristen, where was Frugal Kitty in today's post???
•Finding 2 big coupons to the best plant nursery in the county (I'd been saving them, and then couldn't remember where they were for awhile)
•Finding almost everything on my list at the nursery
•Not having any pressing deadlines so I could spend a day planting everything
•Not having any pressing deadlines so Husband and I spent today with friends experiencing spring on top of a landmark hill. It is privately owned, and one of the owner's sisters is an old friend who escorted us to the top AND BROUGHT LUNCH FOR ALL!
•A good laptop and decent skills so I could design three informational pieces needed for our church, saving them (us) fees.
•That I can listen to Kristen's YouTube concert soon!
Kristen, I just listened to and watched your recording. Major wowsa. And questions:
1. DID YOU MEMORIZE THAT?? I saw no music on the piano (blurry video)
2. Were you aware of the conductor? I am so impressed that you just were perfect with the orchestra.
3. Speaking of perfection, how in the world did you manage that with zero mistakes? Don't you get nervous??
I am in awe.
I am so thankful:
- that my daughter finished her BSc degree (at one point we didn't think she would make it through middle school!)
-that my son was accepted to and picked a university close to home
-that I have a new niece on the way (she is slow in picking her time to emerge into the world!)
- for good friends at work who encourage me to try new things (sauna and cold plunge!!)
- for being brave and picking a new career that I love and that will see me through to retirement
- for health and happiness
That’s a lovely thankful list you have today, Kristen.
I’m thankful I was able to take my three little grandchildren on Monday when their mom went into the hospital, and that my daughter was able to spell me off after only a half an hour of teaching with them here.
I’m thankful for the feeling of a team we’re developing with my ex husband and my daughter in law’s parents regarding the trials and tribulations of this same little family. We’re trying to prevent an eviction notice because they’re behind on their $3000 a month rent, and dealing with severe mental health problems. The oldest of the children is only four. The stakes are high and I’m grateful not to feel like I’m alone worrying about it all.
I’m grateful my older son has gotten a hotel stay for me and my wife this weekend as a surprise. He notices the things we do, for his family and also for his struggling brother’s family, and decided to do something special for us. It’s a real treat!
I’m thankful to finally be able to stop masking while I teach. It was a choice I made to avoid being a vector between schools, but now BC has lifted the last of public restrictions (which was masking in doctor’s offices) and covid really seems to be on the wane. I’m happy to be able to smile at my students again.
I’m thankful for the development I’ve gone through over 31 years of teaching, and new ideas and really awesome new methodologies. I’m able to work with different neurotypes now, and teaching just gets more and more interesting.
I'm listening to you play the piano beautifully as I'm writing this...thank you for that.
I'm thankful for the warmer weather here in OK; my veggie gardens are looking wonderful and all my roses are blooming.
I’m thankful for a good oncologist visit this morning and that my side effects from the aromatase inhibitor are becoming less intense.
I’m thankful for such a beautiful memorial service for my mother-in-law this past Saturday. My husband and his brothers presented wonderful tributes and stories about their mom. It was good to catch up with family, friends and neighbors.
I’m thankful for sunshine, nice temps, beautiful flowers blooming, good books, plenty of dance opportunities ( and an excellent dance instructor who is so patient with us), visits with our grandson ( 7 mos old already?!) and sweet times with our adult son and his wife , and with our daughter!
I am thankful that I got to see you play that concert. That was gorgeous. Thank you!!!!
Thank you for watching!
1) That the family (mom, sister, daughter, son-in-law, myself) FINALLY seem to be past the wave of sickness that plagued us the first quarter of the year. (covid, intestinal and various other viruses). First one would get sick and then when it seems they were past it, another would get sick. Illness seemed to domino through us all then start all over again!
2) For books - losing myself in books is my zen. =)
3) That my car seems to be past being "sick" too!
4) That I am blessed to have had the funds to get the necessary repairs done.
5) For the wonderful spring weather. Even if I am not always able to get out and enjoy it, I still appreciate the sun shining!
6) That my daughter and I have the relationship we do. We talk about everything and have such fun together. Even when she pranked me by putting googly eyes ALL. AROUND. MY. HOUSE. On framed portraits, on my willow tree figurines, on the ceramic statue of my Mom's little dog (RIP Heidi!), and several other places. It took me about 3 days to find them all. I good naturedly told her I was going to disown her, and she laughed hysterically. I will repay the favor. LOL
7) That I was able to have a self care day thanks to my daughter (Yes! THAT daughter!) who sat with my mom so I could run some errands and pamper myself a bit.
8) That I am an adult and if I want to eat Fruity Pebbles and a cookie for dinner, I can. 😉
9) That the area I live is (generally) free of extreme weather. While we do get the occasional tornado, we are not prone to that type of weather.
10) That I use a cup with a lid so no bugs can try to share my coffee.
I had a string of illnesses after Covid too...it was terrible!
I'm so glad you guys are feeling better now.
Yay Lisey!
I had a very difficult week but I'm so grateful it's done.
I am grateful for beautiful weather and time to plant all the things I've been waiting to put in my shady backyard
I'm so grateful I did it in time to notice my lilac is starting to flower so I don't miss it! [It's huge but pretty much hidden from view - but I love to cut the flowers and bring them inside]
I'm grateful for the your weekly reminder to be grateful!
That is beautiful music, and I am so impressed that you are a very accomplished pianist, Kirsten. I am listening to you as I write! Gorgeous!
I found out this week that I have macular degeneration. We know so little about conditions before it happens to US! (And I am a nurse!) The good news and that for which I am grateful is that there is treatment. Fifteen years ago, nothing could be done.
My recommendation to everyone is: Eat your carrots! I am now on a vitamin recommendation that includes a maxi dose of beta carotene!
Best wishes everyone! And especially you, Kirsten!
Aww, thank you!
And I'm so glad there are treatments for macular degeneration now. Wonderful.
I am thankful for your emails. I am thankful that I have one on one time with my daughters this weekend. I am thankful my husband is willing and able to be a good provider for our family. I am thankful for physical healing in my baby(adult) sister who lives with epilepsy. She was recently hospitalized in ICU due to aspirating from 13 seizures in 30 minutes. Thankfully she was found. God is watching over us❣️ I am thankful that you shared your music experience. I may have cried. I am thankful for tears- it can be such a sweet release after an arduous week. I am thankful my 11 yr old daughter enjoys sharing what's in her heart with me. I am thankful we were given two goats!
Thankful I was able to be outside this week and watch my kids play their sports and just hang around with them.
Thankful for good neighbors who are our best friends
My son is having some difficulties on his sports team. I am thankful we dealt with similar issues with our daughter a couple years ago. My husband and I know the road ahead better than the first time around. Does not necessarily make it easier but we do have perspective.
Thankful for our new fire table. We bought it last fall and I am loving sitting outside with it this spring and not having everything smell like a bonfire.
Thank you for sharing the video link to your piano and symphony performance. That was just beautiful!
beautiful, ice, the redbud, you playing piano, a healing year, spring & summer to come; wonderful, Thank You!
Your piano playing is phenomenal - Bravo! It was magical and I loved it. You blessed me today with that. Thank you.