Thankful Thursday | A lost and found hamster
This week, I'm thankful:
that we found Zoe's hamster
One morning this week, we realized that he had gotten out (as hamsters will do!)
We went on a hunt for him, dearly hoping he hadn't made it down to the basement.
Mercifully, I spied a little pile of seeds underneath the baseboard heat in my office, and sure enough, I heard some little feet scrabbling around in there.
I figured out how to take the cover off, and Zoe managed to grab him and put him safely back in his cage.
And then I had to vacuum out the massive amount of food he'd brought into the heater overnight. I wondered how many trips he'd taken overnight!
The funny thing is, earlier that morning, I'd noticed that our cat was hanging around by my desk, and I thought, "Hmmm, that's a little weird. She never sits there."
But now it has all become clear. 😉
So, I guess I can also add: I'm thankful our cat didn't get the hamster!
for air-conditioning (every day!)
We are not experiencing 100+ degree heat like a lot of the country is, but oof, it has been awfully hot and humid here and I am so thankful for a cool house to hide in.
for a snuggly cat
I've met some cats who are not interested in snuggling, and I'm glad ours does like to hang out with us!
for time with the little kids in my family
Yesterday afternoon, I spent the afternoon playing at the pool with my nephew and nieces and also my cousin's children.
And last Saturday night, I babysat for a nephew and three nieces.
They are always excited to see me and play with me and show me things, and that warms my heart.
for kid misspellings
My niece made me this drawing of "types of dogs" and I could not love her spelling more. I adore the sensible, phonetic way that young kids spell words! So, so, cute.
Another case: I'm "Ant Kristan" when we play Wii games. 😉
that several of my eBay listings have sold
Remember how I did a pretty big batch of listings after organizing my office here at my rental? Well, a small pile of those have sold, so, yay!
for my dad's help in hanging blinds in Zoe's room
This was kind of a process because these windows are a little unusual. But we got it done, and I made it through the annoying process of shortening the blinds.
(Annoying AND stressful, because I am always terrified that I will cut the wrong string and ruin the blind!)
It's a wonder your hamster survived his escape, with a cat in the house. That is really a thanksgiving!
Every week, all hot weather long, I'm going to be thankful for air conditioning. Just consider that a given in all my thankful comments.
1. I'm thankful that our local teenaged shark survivor has now moved on to rehab and physical therapy and is hard at it, working with crutches and walkers.
2. I'm thankful that the local scallopers who were caught in a sudden storm that quickly tipped and sank their boat were miraculously found clinging together to a type of cooler, miles out to sea and after 18 hours, even though, sadly, one of them has passed on. The other two survived and should recover completely. One of these survivors was also a teen.
3. I'm thankful that this month is a three-paycheck month. We get paid every two weeks for 26 paychecks a year, so twice a year we get three, instead of two, paychecks in a month. It always feels like found money, since I budget for two paychecks a month. A chunk goes into savings.
4. I'm thankful for the birthday of my 91 year old aunt. She is the widow of my dad's brother, and the very last one of my family in my parents' generation. Her memory is a little faulty, but she is still up and going and adores being taken out to eat by her kids and grandkids.
5. I'm thankful for the very sweet gesture by one of our work interns who left to take a full time job back in her hometown now that college is done. She left each of us thank you notes with Chick-Fil-A gift cards!
I love your Dad!
@Joyce, Ditto!
Well, me too. 😉
@Kristen,
Your dad rocks!
@Joyce, I'm so glad we are discussing Kristen's Dad!! Kristen, the first time you posted about him helping you with a piece of furniture I just teared up. I also had that Daddy!! He only had 2 girls and no boys so he let us follow him around and taught us how to fix things. He could do anything and imparted a lot of that knowledge to my sister and me. He has been gone 15 years and every day i am thankful for the legacy of knowledge he gave me!! Enjoy that sweet Dad of yours!!
Um.. I would normally ask you to do a profile of your cat (How old, where'd you get her, what you've learned, etc), BUT... could we have a profile of your dad? Because, well... 1) my dad has never been much in my life, so all those amazing things he's doing to help you haven't been from my bio dad. It's really endearing to hear! 2) He sounds fascinating. Like someone you'd pull up a chair, hot cup of coffee, and just listen to stories. 3) Maybe he could teach something cool. There's a TikTok account out there of a dad teaching people to do simple things. I feel like your dad could do that, but with a, "Hey! That's a waste of money! Do this yourself!" sorta lean to it 😀
Anyway, a huge shoutout to your dad. We all love him on this side, too! 🙂
@Reese!,
A Meet the Reader post that's Meet Kristen's Dad would be fun! If he's up for it and all.:)
Well, this is a fun idea! I will ask him if I can interview him. I should probably come up with some custom questions for him. And I can take requests from you guys. What do you want me to ask my dad?
@Kristen, my question would be where did your dad learn all those awesome carpentry skills?
@Kristen,
Doesn't your dad also restore "vintage" cars and trucks? I'd love to know how he started doing that (if I'm correct in remembering that he does it, lol), and see any photos of completed restored cars/trucks he's done. Or any works in progress. This is a skill I would love to learn how to do.
@Kristen, ask him for parenting advice. I always love asking older generations about how they raised their kids and what values and wisdom they felt were important. I would love to know about his carpentry skills as well!
@Kristen, Well, in addition to his obvious skill of developing DIY skills (in self/kids), another big standout is how your family enjoys and supports each other - if your dad (and mom) have thoughts about cultivating that, I'm sure it would be interesting!
Also I always enjoy hearing about how anyone's frugal habits have changed over time - reflections on that journey are interesting too. Definitely a fun idea Reese!
@Kristen,
Doesn't he garden too? Or is that mostly your mom? If he does garden, it might be nice to hear what he grows and why. Also any frugal gardening tips he might have.
@Ruth T, I LOVE this idea!! Yes, Kristen's dad!
@Kristen,
I'd like to know what skills he would recommend different age groups - teenagers - homeowners - young parents to grow in particular. And also what nifty tricks he has learned that will stand him in good stead once he will be getting older and still wants to spend time and energy on fixing all sorts of things.
Also: his best buy ever and also (if applicable) a tool he's bought that he would buy again - that sort of thing
I know he's passing on his skill on Lisey as well as yourself, that is so wonderful!
@Reese!, Great idea! I'd ask what three skills have been most useful to him in his life and how he developed them.
@Kristen,
Beyond all the great questions suggested by other readers, I’d love for him to tell us how he sees *you*, his frugal daughter, how he thinks your frugality has evolved across the years, and where this frugality comes from, according to him.
Sort of a portrait of his daughter’s frugality?
@Kristen, He and your Mom seem to be growing older very gracefully with good health. I know some of this is good luck and genes but what 3 things has he done to foster this.
@karen, I like this idea. I want to be like them when I grow up 🙂
@Ruth T, that's a great idea!!!
My goodness, her drawings (and labels) are adorable! Made me smile this morning. I miss having tiny people around everyday, despite the crazy they bring.
@CrunchyCake,
Yes! My dog very much resembles a "dalmashon", though he is actually a black Lab/probably English setter mix. 🙂
--For the storm that finally broke last night as I was stir-frying and sweating in the kitchen. The cooler air coming in the window actually cooled it down enough that I wasn't sweating while I was eating. It's been awhile.
--For that same cooler air that allowed me to go to bed and actually sleep at a reasonable time, rather than going to bed and tossing around until it cooled enough to sleep (which is way later than I really want to be going to sleep).
--That the calabaza squash seeds my brother got from us produced a big calabaza for them in his suburban backyard garden. My 9-year-old niece is particularly into the garden, and was so excited to harvest this giant squash, cook it, and eat it. I love to see kids finding the same joy in a garden that I do. Also, my brother has struggled to find activities to do with her that they both enjoy, so the fact that this provided a way to connect for them and spend a happy time together was a big deal.
-- That my husband brought home seltzer for me. I'm always conflicted about buying it and I didn't put it on his list, but he brought it for me anyway. And it made me happy (more happy than guilty, I must admit).
--That I haven't seen a snake in awhile. I hate coming upon even a non-venomous snake unexpectedly, so I'm glad we haven't had one in our chicken coop in a month or so.
I don't, of course, know what the hamster's name is--but you might consider changing it to Lucky after this episode!
Now, TT, Beef Day Edition:
Thankful--as I've been for the last ten years or so--for the husband-and-wife friends who sell us 1/4 of the steer they raise each year. (The husband was a coworker of DH's back in his home energy performance days.) Today was Beef Day here, and I've just finished playing a fast round of Freezer Tetris with them as we loaded the beef into my upright freezer in the basement (as quickly as possible, given the heat!).
And God bless these dear people: Despite their many apologies for the rise in various costs this year (feed, processing, gas, etc.), my final cost STILL works out to $2.30/lb. This is great news both for me and for the Bestest Neighbors and other friends to whom I sell beef at my cost!
@A. Marie,
Our local farmers sell beef by the whole, half or sometimes quarter, and even the whole price is about $8 a pound when you factor in the butcher's fees. You are getting a bargain! They certainly don't need to apologize at that price. That's wonderful!
@JD, the $2.30 figure is what I get when I divide my total cost (including all fees) by the hanging weight, and it's what I charge my friends. (The Bestest Neighbors and I are so deep into doing favors for each other that we quit keeping track decades ago, and some of the other folks are cash-strapped and can use the help.)
I just Googled "hanging weight vs. packaged meat weight," and the rule-of-thumb figure is that the packaged meat weight is about 60% of the hanging weight. So I recalculated, and a more accurate figure for the packaged meat would probably be $3.84/lb. But you're right: That's STILL a bargain!
@A. Marie,
That is a fantastic deal! Bless those dear cattle raising folks - no apologies needed, I would think, especially with costs of everything going up so much.
@Liz B.,
I meant to say, no need to apologize, even if the cost was much higher than that! The price they offered you is amazing!
Ant Kristan gave me the smile I needed today. 🙂
I'm thankful that my husband's health, after two long years of chronic illness, is improving immensely. It's so good to see him feeling better, and not be in danger of hospitalization!
Thankful that my oldest's job is mostly remote; he goes in maybe twice a week to work on some machines that are only on-site (he's a computer engineer), but reports there's never anybody else there. Covid cases are going back up in our area, so I'm thankful he is safer than he would be at other jobs.
Thankful for a pretty safe neighborhood for walking; all of us like to go out on walks and it's nice that we have many streets and sidewalks and not a huge amount of traffic.
Also, like Kristen, thankful for air conditioning; I tend to get migraines when I get overheated, and would frankly be a puddle in the heat and humidity we're having right now, if it weren't for A/C!
I am so very glad that the hamster was found safe and sound!
Thankful this week for the rain, even if it's coming with thunderstorms. Also thankful that my husband persevered and found someone to fix our sofa, which we'll do next month when our son is on vacation and can help with moving it. Really thankful for my hearing aids, which I absolutely have to wear in certain situations, like the high-ceilinged, hard-surfaced building lobby I was working in this morning. Being able to hear is amazing.
1. Thankful that I was able to find the exact chairs I wanted for our dining table in an antique store and I paid $300 for 4 chairs. Everywhere else I located the chairs they were $395 and more each so I was very glad to see this price!
2. Thankful that we were finally able to sell an extra fridge which has provided a lot of extra space in our garage. Hooray!
3. Thankful that my appointment to get my
Root canal is next week. Tooth pain is seriously no joke.
4. Thankful that we are getting some rain on our recently hydro seeded lawn and the Bermuda is germinating like crazy. This is fabulous news for us as we have had a mud yard for the last several months. Mud and two dogs and a six year old boy equals a lot of floor cleaning. Grass seed I love you little guys! Grow, grow, grow!!
5. Thankful for the upcoming weekend with no actual plans save the normal household chores. This is the first in quite some time and I am Looking forward to it.
6. Thankful for my crockpot which makes meals for my family a bit easier these days.
You are very brave to customize window blinds!
I am very grateful for:
1. My husband’s successful hernia surgery yesterday. He was in the process of scheduling it as COVID hit and we all remember that scary unknowns time. So it took a while to get up the nerve to go through with it and I’m so glad he did.
2. A last minute schedule change Monday allowing lunch with my lifelong friend who lives in another state. We have been friends since we were 10 years old. We are now 64 so do the math—that’s lots of years of friendship!
3. Air conditioning. I feel for the British people now. In my area, every house has AC. In Britain only 5% do.
4. Good medical insurance and healthcare options, making #1 possible. I don’t take it for granted.
5. Correctable vision. I got my first eyeglasses at 6 months and first corrective eye surgery at 3 years. I just got new glasses a couple of days ago and the world looks fresh and new to me. Revise that— my gratitude is for my parents being diligent to give their little girl every advantage.
As always I am thankful for this weekly reminder to step back from the everyday tasks and not take the many blessings for granted.
I am...thankful I don't have COVID or Strep and thankful I can just sit here and type and rest while whatever this is that has my throat so sore gets on with going away.
I am thankful for work I can do from the couch.
Thankful for stuff in the freezer so I don't have to go to the store.
Thankful for a spouse who is very capable at entertaining himself and going to the store too!
Thankful for two very sweet sleepy cuddly kitties who are here with me.
Thankful for the tomatoes in my garden are ripe.
For friends throwing produce I didn’t grow this year at me.
I’m going to have to borrow a game cam, someone is eating my raspberries and blueberries but we at least have tons of blackberries.
For the lack of mosquitoes this year. Last year you couldn’t go outside at all. We filmed a mosquito tornado. Never seen anything like it. Swarms.
For Chewy who got my IBD doggo his food the exact day I was out. Mr Tobs will have dinner, there is a Hills shortage on certain products and luckily they had stock and got my script approved quickly. Phew!
@Mar,
Mosquito tornado! Whoa...
@Mar, I don't know if you'll see this as I am only now reading this on Monday 25th.
My vets office mentioned to me that Hills is increasing their prices come August. (in Canada, don't know about the U.S.)
Thank you for the kind comments last week re: my Lyme disease. Update: Last Friday the right side of my face became paralyzed from it. So. It's been a week. A painful week. Yet, thankful!
*I'm thankful that this paralyzation is most likely temporary.
*I'm thankful to be learning new ways to eat with half a face.
*I'm thankful many of my Lyme symptoms are resolved. Thank you, antibiotics!
*I'm thankful my children are really stepping up and helping out.
*I'm thankful I am at least able to read some things at the computer for short spurts.(Smaller print in books-- not so much.)
*I'm thankful my room is a quieter place than the rest of the house (my hearing is sensitive right now).
*I'm thankful for A/C 🙂
*I'm thankful for kind words and prayers and meals delivered.
*I'm thankful my husband has not yet crashed from all the extra work he's had to put into taking care of me, the kids, and my father. Plus his job.
*I'm thankful I was able to vote on Tuesday.
*I'm thankful my son's books for his first semester at college are only costing him about $50! (Does that ever happen?!!)
*I'm thankful for my friend who is helping my children sew their costumes for a Regency Ball (since there is no way I can sew right now).
*I'm thankful our garden is really growing.
*I'm thankful for our food processor that pre-chews my food for me!
@Jody S., wow, it's been a rough road for you, but I'm glad to hear that you are getting some relief from your symptoms. I'm sure the facial paralysis must be a scary thing!
@Jody S., I'm sorry your Lyme effects have been so bad. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, especially from the facial paralysis.
And I'm of course delighted that your children will be attending a Regency Ball! I'm always happy to see the younger generation starting out right.
@Jody S.,
Facial paralysis! So scary!!! I hope you feel better very soon!
@Jody S., happy to hear that you are managing life with Lyme. Great news on the book costs for your son. My kids rented their textbooks in college. My son did it through an online service or Amazon and my daughter rented from the college book store.
@Auntiali, I think the online place is called Chegg...
this week I'm thankful for:
* There is an organization in my city that sell newly expired or almost expired food to prevent food waste. You pay 40$ and you get to shop there like it's a real grocery store (with restrictions by categories). I got for about 225$ worth of food this week. Bummed out that I'm just finding this now, but grateful I found it
* My DD is at a camp for the first time (5 days) and we got a phone call the 1st night, she was unwell (panic attack?). That was monday. I was dreading more calls like this, but so far so good.
* For one on one time with hubby this week. And for him, at large.
* For gym equipment at home. If I don't feel like going to the gym I can still exercice
* For a quiet anonymous life. I was watching an interview of Kim Kardashian this morning (why??? I don't even like her) and she's talking about money and being a public figure, and all that. And I'm sitting there thinking how this (the public figure) would drive me completely nuts!! Can you imagine, never ever being able to get out of your house without beign scrutinized? Barf!
I'm thankful for AC too! We've had 11 triple digit days this month so far.
Thankfulness...Moving Edition
-Thankful my husband's work told us where we are going--it's daily temp has about 30 degrees lower than here for the past 2 weeks since we found out.
-Thankful for the location: lots of outdoorsy things to do. And snow in winter! and water nearby! It's going to be such fun!
-Thankful to be under contract with a house at the new location.
-Thankful that the house can be easily made accessible for my wheelchair using son.
-Thankful details are pulling together so we can finish this move in a personal record (62 days from finding out our new location to relocating cross-country into our new home!)
-Thankful kids will move before the school year starts in the new place
-Thankful for friends who are willing to help get us on our way.
Now I'm going to keep loading these thankfulness muscles as I deal with packing and house showings and more packing and cleaning.
Many years ago we had a hamster that was not so fortunate. He escaped only to be found by our big Tom cat. This was a secret my husband and I successfully kept from our children for 25 years.
@Bee, ours escaped too and ended up in the washing machine drainage sytem. We found that out the hard way : with a basement flood (and the hamster gone forever)
I am thankful for mild summer weather. We have had a couple of days at 100 but far fewer than normal for this time of year. (Am I the only one who feels that mentioning unusually good weather might CAUSE bad weather?)
I am thankful for the many birds that visit our backyard. I really enjoy watching them.
I am thankful that I didn't break any toes when I jammed my foot on the bathroom door in the middle of the night. (I've recently had a couple of friends fracture bones due to tripping in the house at night so I was very aware that something worse than losing a toe nail could have happened.)
I am thankful that our lawn is only mostly dead. (As new home owners we didn't realize how much we were under-watering the lawn until it was too late.)
I am thankful for leftover carnitas and a few days break from menu planning.
"only mostly dead" This made me chuckle!
@Rebekah in SoCal,
Only mostly dead: now I'm envisioning that scene with Billy Crystal and Carol Kane in "The Princess Bride"...
@Rebekah in SoCal, "only mostly dead" made me think of the Munchkin coroner's report on the Wicked Witch of the East in The Wizard of Oz film: "She's really most completely dead!"
@JD, love that movie! We quote it alot.
It's great that you got to spend time with your nieces and nephew. I wish my grand-nieces and nephews lived closer to us. Your Ant Kristan nickname reminds me that one great-niece started called me "Aunt Berry" and it has kind of stuck and I love it.
Every week in the summer, I am thankful for air conditioning!
1. I am thankful that I was able to work from home one day this week. We had a terrible thunderstorm which terrified our dog and I didn't want to leave her alone
2. I am thankful for streaming workouts since it's too hot to walk outside
3. I am thankful for my DH. He has been in the attic twice this week to drain the A/C overflow pan that was full because the line is clogged which shuts off the A/C. He ordered a gadget to blow out the line so fingers crossed he won't have to go back up there again
4. I am thankful that we can use our son's employee discount at the pet store. Every little bit saved right now helps
5. I am thankful that the CPA finally finished Mom's taxes. The previous years were not done correctly and had to be amended. it brings me one step closer to closing out her estate
The youngest niece in this particular family used to call me "Aunt Kitchen" and that has stuck a bit. Kid nicknames are the best; I like your Aunt Berry name!
@Kristen and @Beverly,
When my DS was young, he couldn't pronounce my mom's name (Louise), so she became "Grandma Weeze" (sounds like the word "wheeze"). We still call her that, and she refers to herself that way, now that DS is 12. 🙂
I'm thankful for:
Lower gas prices. $4.17/gallon almost seemed cheap this morning.
Air conditioning, in the house and the car. Also ceiling fans and small Vornado fans, to help move the cooled air around.
Ice cubes. They make summer drinks cool and refreshing, even water.
The library and digital books. I had never read The Boxcar Children but it was mentioned in the post on Monday so I borrowed a digital copy. It was a quick and fun read, just what I needed.
My niece had a baby boy on Tuesday. That's about all I know so far but I'll see her parents this weekend.
The intersection of frugality and environmentalism.
The county held a bulk item pick up day. Our defunct dehumidifier was picked up from the curb.
I am thankful for so much this week. It has been a really crazy week, and I am in need of counting my blessings!
1) I am thankful my son who tested positive for COVID three days ago is faring well and that the rest of the family remains symptom and positive free. I would prefer that we have no COVID in this household at all. But I am infinitely grateful for the vaccines that give us peace of mind that we will likely avoid a really bad case if we do get it and that it was our easiest-to-quarantine kid who got it (how could we possible quarantine a three year old?).
2) I am thankful for our homeowners insurance and the servicers who are making repairs to our home after some significant storm damage. It has been stressful to see damage in the home we love and then be displaced because of it, but it buoys me to be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. A light that I don't have to pay for!
3) For the beauty of our neighborhood. I love our city. But sometimes the expense and traffic and loads of people make me want to cash out and move back home. Last night I walked around the neighborhood and really appreciated the beauty of the place. All these grand old homes. What a blessing to live here.
4) I am thankful for my husband. We run a business that has been struggling since COVID. We have talked about it and talked about until finally this weekend I told him I was sick of talking about it and wanted out of the business. It was our come to Jesus moment. We both honestly shared how deeply emotional the business and its issues were for each of us. Then he ran a bunch of numbers and made a hard decision that will get the business back on track. It is the right decision, and I am glad I'm staying in the business to help him execute it.
Thankful that my son and I tested negative for covid. Also thankful that we will mostly be over our colds before we leave on our vacation Saturday. Thankful for our upcoming trip! Grateful I got to see my sister and BIL on Sunday as they were passing through town on the way home from their summer vacation (I probably won't see them for another year). Thankful for a wonderful neighbor who will take good care of my cat while we are gone--having a trustworthy neighbor is an amazing thing.
I am thankful hubby got a job and will be out of my hair a few hours a week! I work at home and after the move and him retiring, I have my door closed a lot. And I like it open! (Small things, I know).
Thankful that we have made it thru the week with the groceries in the house. Tonight is rice and beans and it will mostly be made before we go ...
Bike riding on a new trail. We will be going back tonight for another ride. Its closer to the house and paved (although very rough), so it should be nice.
Thankful that I have been calling someone about a physician bill my husband received for his routine colonoscopy, and actually talked to an intelligent person! They were extremely helpful and pointed me to someone who will hopefully rectify the oversight. The outpatient center coded it as non-routine, when the doctor has his coded as routine. Two different billing services, of course! Hopefully when they do the code review, the coder will see the issue.
Thankful for my neighbor's garden bounty. So far we've gotten some delicious cucumbers and now some yellow squash. Hubs is not a fan of yellow squash, but I will marinate it in some lemon garlicious and roast it over the grill with some onions and peppers. Any leftovers I can throw into a lunch salad (yes I've learned that from Kristen!)
My daughter has a hamster, and he has gotten out several times. It is always a very stressful situation complete with tears. We've changed his cage situation to one that is quite impossible for him to escape (well, so far it has been quite impossible for him to escape...).
1) Thankful that I broke down and bought a window a/c unit as the fans are just NOT cutting it in this 90+ hear (next week forecast to be 100+). I work 1030 pm to 9 am six days a week (yes, 60 hours a week or very close to that) so sleeping in the heat is an exercise in nasty LOL.
2) Thankful that I decided to have #1 above installed by someone else as I read the instructions FIRST for once and said oh no way in heck.
3) Thankful for the job/paycheck that allows me to do 1 & 2, plus 4 below.
4) Thankful that even though the expensive cat food has not helped with his lack of hair on his ears, the scratching of said ears has decreased a lot AND I haven't seen any cat throw up since he started eating it (duck and red lentils, dry food) whereas on the cheap (er) Purina Indoor so much vomit every day.
I am thankful that my little one is doing better after an ER trip earlier this week for difficulty breathing.
Thankful our vacation is quite soon and we'll be visiting a cooler area of the country.
Thankful for kind neighbors who will be watching over our chickens while we're away.
As many others have said I am also thankful for AC! And shade trees in our yard!
Thankful for bright and colorful blooming flowers.
1. Root canal!! Seriously, when it hurts so badly that I'm eager to get the root canal, I know to be thankful for modern dentistry. (and the temporary filling and temporary crown also eagerly anticipated, and eventually the permanent crown.)
2. Speaking of dentistry--love that insurance when a child needs another round of plastic aligners because wisdom teeth were removed and beautifully straightened teeth require re-straightening.
3. Air conditioning! So thankful to have central air; and so sad for folks who don't have it (read: much of the UK).
4. The goodness of a woman who returned to the scene of my auto accident to speak with the police and support me. (And very thankful for my new car.)
5. And I'm always thankful for my family, and thankful for the house we have so there's room for all of us in this still post-covid and now poor-economy-driven time.
I'm glad the hamster was found safely. That's so cute that you're Ant Kristan. One of the delightful neighbor kids gave me a drawing addressed to "Mrs. Daniel" and I love it.
This week I'm thankful:
To have a functioning refrigerator; our old one died and it took about a week to get it replaced.
For a good chiropractor. It's amazing to get instant headache relief.
For decent vision insurance. My health insurance isn't great, but my vision insurance is really good. I just got new glasses and I'm glad for how much the insurance covered.
That my husband is dealing with our car insurance company this time around. I've had to the last two times (we're not terrible drivers; one was an uninsured driver, one was a hit and run, and the most current is a true accident of two people backing up at exactly the same time), and they're truly obnoxious. Hubby said he'd deal with them this time since I've always done it before. I'm grateful that 1) I don't have to and 2) they may finally annoy him into agreeing with me that we need to change companies.
And I'll jump on the thankful for air conditioning bandwagon. We've had very hot and humid weather and it's so nice to walk into a cool house.
@Kristen
I'm glad Zoe hamster lived. Pet deaths are hard and I'm glad Zoe didn't have to face that.
1) Thankful that I'm now testing negative for COVID, & feeling better, minus some fatigue & lingering cough.
2) For one kiddo learning to drive. Although it's quite a bit of work, it's a preview into the future, where next summer, we will have not one, but two additional drivers! My teens are 15 & 16.
3) I'm also trying to soak up all of this driving this summer, with the kids. I know next summer will be quite different. Enjoying all of the funny moments, hearing about their days, etc.
4) Thankful for our garden bounty. There is nothing quite like homegrown tomatoes.
5) We're having reasonably nice weather, and the bay area tends to cool off in the evenings, even when the it's hot during the day. This allows us to cool off our house in the evenings, and avoid using AC (most of the time.)
1. So thankful that we are having 60 degree temps during the day and high 40s/low 50s at night. I watch the weather that the rest of the country is enduring and think how I would rather live with 40 below zero winters then 100 degree plus summers.
2. Thankful our forest fires have been tamped down by rain for a few days. It was tough breathing for a few weeks. Areas not far from us had to be evacuated, which is frightening.
3. Thankful for my health insurance. I have had periods of having to fight them for some things, but overall I am extremely lucky for the great coverage. It took me a year of fighting but they eventually covered my motorized wheelchair, which cost a breathtaking $28,000. That is more expensive than some cars. I was reminded to be thankful for this after standing in line behind a woman at the pharmacy who started crying when she heard how much the drugs she needed were going to cost.
4. Thankful for my pound hound, who makes me laugh every day and whose idea of running away is to jump the backyard fence and go lie on the front porch until we realize he is gone and open the door to go look for him. We babysat a runner and that dog caused us no end of aggravation; she even jumped out of the window of our vehicle when we were at a stop light.
5. Thankful that we had a second vehicle when our van broke down the other day. These days we use my pickup mostly for hauling garden stuff like soil, but it is wonderful to have a spare when we need it.
@Lindsey, I used to have a runner, digger and hider. NO FENCE CAN HOLD ME, FOLKS! He'd somehow compress himself into two dimensions and escape and run into our duck pond, which of course made him completely filthy, and the ducks would glance at him contemptuously as they flew away. Or sometimes he'd decide to take a nap under our enormous deck so I couldn't find him anywhere, and once I gave up, possibly sniffling, he'd waltz on out. Miss that boy a lot.
@Rose, one of our long-ago dogs, who was a good little girl, decided to start running away when our son started kindergarten. She would climb the compost heap and make a terrifying leap through the air and over the fence. Why the landing did not kill her, we will never know. Then she'd run down the street looking for him. We moved the compost heap far from the fence. She dug under the fence in so many places that my husband had to cement the entire fence to the ground. Finally we just put her in the car with us for the trip to kindergarten so she could tell him goodbye. She hated riding in the car, but hated seeing him leave worse.
Ant Kristin! I'm sure you're the best ant in the world! Too cute!
This week I am thankful for microwaves! It's awesome to be able to have hot food in a cool house. Today I even used it to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and they weren't half bad. I also finally decided to take the advice of a friend and use the microwave to cook a whole pumpkin...what the heck took me so long??? What a brilliant invention!
@Becca,
And those hamsters can be slippery little stinkers! I had one as a child that was named Harry Houdini. I'll give you one guess as to how he got that name...
#1 thankful for AC like everyone else that’s experiencing this heat and is fortunate to have AC.
#2 thankful that I was able to fix my Lazy Boy recliner myself and didn’t have to pay $160.00/hr to the repair tech. Thanks to You Tube and all the kind people who share their knowledge.
#3 thankful that I found 2 very nice parsons chairs for my dining room. They were only $8.00 each! I have sewing skills to make new chair covers using the existing one as a pattern. These chairs finish out my previously thrifted vintage Ethan Allen dining room table and 4 chairs.
#4 thankful that my very patient dentist found the source of my tooth pain and gave me a referral to a specialist. I’m also Very thankful we have good dental insurance.
#5 thankful that I can pick up my grandson from camp every day and hang out until my daughter finishes working. I love spending time with him!
I to, would love to read an interview of your Dad. Handy Dad’s and husbands rock!
@Kathy E, a thrifted Ethan Allen dining room table and chairs? You are sooo lucky and I'm envious. I have an Ethan Allen 3 drawer side table that I use next to my bed. I love it and got it for $50 on Nextdoor Neighbor. My friend has a huge Ethan Allen dining room set with the chairs. I beg her to leave it to me in her will but I have no place to put it.
@Auntiali, good score on your side table. We had a 40 year old table and chair set that was in need of repair. I honestly wasn’t even looking for a set just yet. The posting just popped up on my Facebook feed. It was an impulsive buy. But for only $350.00 it included 4 chairs, 2 leaves, and custom made table protectors; I couldn’t pass it up. The wood is maple and in perfect condition. It has inspired to paint the room and refresh the decor (with mostly thrifted finds of course). We have a more recent Ethan Allen kitchen table and chair set. In my opinion, the older furniture is nicer and wears better. Good luck on your EA pursuit!
I had an escape artist hamster once. For some reason she always wound up in the mop bucket. So weird. I don't know what attracted her to that.
This week I am also very thankful for air conditioning. Its been at or near 100 degrees for weeks now.
For all the brokenness in the world, I am thankful for the acts of love and kindness I see every day. They are there when you look for them.
I am thankful for a freezer full of leftovers so I don't have to cook in this hot weather.
I am thankful that, at least so far, we haven't had terrible smoke from wildfires yet this summer. Last year the smoke started in June and was hazy for weeks at a time well into Fall.
Since Kristen brought up cats, I am thankful for mine -I have one who is the most affectionate, cuddliest cat I have ever had but is terrified of everyone and everything, and one who doesn't like to cuddle but is the friendliest, funniest cat I have ever had. They are the best.
Thankful for medical care
For great colleagues
For lovely fabrics and yarns that are good to feel and see and make you want to create something out of them
For the colours and smells and shapes of vegetables in the market stall
For the wonderful rain today and yesterday after the scorching heat earlier in the week
Another one here with heat in the 90's. I'm thankful for my AC both in my house and car.
My aunt name is Anti Ali. Brother in law came up with the "Anti".
Thankful that my daughter went and got her third vaccine this week. She has Type 1 diabetes and I was scared that if she caught Covid she would get it bad. Her stupid boss took down the pexiglass that was on the counter in the liquor store where she works.
Thankful for my library that saved me $62 on the two books I just took out.
Thankful that I finally made a decision on lamps for the living room and bought them. The ones I have now are just about falling apart; you have to be very gentle in turning them on.
Thankful for the nice clerk at the post office. He's always pleasant. He got my large envelope shipping from $5.xx to $3.xx.
Thankful for my hubby cause he's just so good in so many ways.
Did the hamster get out by opening the door(s)? If so, growing up I used wood clips (like for chip bags or whatever) to clip them tighter shut because I too had hamsters that would do that! Worked like a charm.
Zoe and I had cleaned the cage the day before and apparently not snapped one of the covers down hard enough. We will triple check next time!
I am thankful that the anti-inflammatory I was prescribed has finally, finally given me some pain relief in my hands and wrists ( I was recently diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.)
I’m thankful that my middle daughter, hubby and three kids (10,8,6) had a wonderful trip to Disneyland and came home safely.
Kristen, it sounds like the hamster was busy setting up a new home for itself! Which is probably what saved it from the cat- it was protected down in there.
Thankful the Astros just beat the Yankees ( sorry Yankees fans)
Hooray for the hamster making its reappearance! I remember as a child that ours got out once and ran across my mom's chest while she was sleeping in the middle of the night. I'm not sure either one of them were ever the same!
1. I'm grateful that my husband and I were in agreement that something was really wrong and pushed past the "she's just aging, it's normal" thoughts to got his grandmother in to be evaluated. She was in early kidney failure and sepsis from an infection, but responded quickly to treatment and is coming home with some extra health care provisions in place. It's also encouraging to see how my husband has stepped up to help with her care far beyond what he should have to as a grandson, just because it's the right thing to do to love it her well.
2. Sweet friends that were more than glad to watch our kids on short notice when I needed to be at the hospital with her, and truly kind and attentive hospital staff, even though the hospital was completely full.
3. Hearing my daughter going around the house singing sweet songs she's learning at VBS this week at the top of her lungs, and that reading is starting to click! (As a homeschool mama, this is always so satisfying.)
4. Next week is the last week for a summer job 2 of my sons have. It has been a very, ahem, stretching experience and we're glad to finish that commitment. They've learned a lot about working faithfully and not quitting even under hard conditions, standing up for themselves when needed, and the value of food communication.
5. Watermelon!!!!!
@Amanda P,
Great job being alert to the things you observed with your hubby's grandmother, and getting her the medical care she needed. You may have saved her life, or at least prevented her from getting much, much sicker.
In the first photo you look so much like Lisey. :). When you said “seeds” I thought you meant, well, poop, because I only have Guinea pig and rabbit experience. Funny how that hamster was storing up for his new home!
People have been telling me Lisey looks like me since she was so young. And I can never, ever see it! I think I'm too close; people outside the family can usually see these things better.
And yeah, he had corn and all manner of seeds stored in that heater!
The story about the hamster made me laugh so much! Glad it ended up well.
1. I am grateful that the heatwave broke where I am in Britain! My parents do not have AC and it was a very hot few days!
2. I am grateful that the weather broke and we went for a beautiful walk in the countryside yesterday. I am also grateful to be seeing my family!
3. I am grateful to be seeing my friend later today.
Very glad that you found the hamster before the kitty did.
I am thankful:
1) For having not caught COVID (yet).
2) For having central air. This year hasn't been scorching hot but hot and muggy enough for the AC to be on. Last year we (Western Canada) had weather like what the UK is having right now, and even hotter. Marine animals boiled to death off the coast of British Columbia. 🙁 I'm thankful that this year has not been as hot.
3) For my car insurance company waiving the $500 deductible.
4) That I chose an insurance policy that provides a rental vehicle.
5) That my items on eBay continue to sell.