Thankful Thursday | a math week
This week, I am thankful:
that I passed my math test!
This is the one where we have to get 18/20 (with two tries) or we get kicked out of the semester.
I carefully wrote a neat equation for each problem, got to the end of the test, went back and rechecked everything and I am good to go.
that my friend in class passed her test
She's Lisey's age and is terrified of math (her parents used to yell at her about it, as though an increase in volume helps young brains understand math?), so I told her I have a long history of not yelling at people about math and offered to help her.
We got together twice to work through some practice tests ("Thanks, Mom!" she says, and that always makes me laugh.)
Thankfully, she passed her test this week. I was so happy!
And I think it's funny that my homeschooling experience is coming in handy at college.
for the fun I have with my classmates
Of course, most of our time in lectures is spent listening and taking notes. But on breaks and in between lectures, I love hanging out with the people all around me.
We always think our little section of the nursing hall is the best one. 😉
that I'm managing to walk during nursing school
I wasn't sure what was going to happen to my usual walking routine once nursing school started, but I'm happy to say that I am figuring out ways to make it work.
It's been a little challenging with the sun coming up kinda late right now. The other day, there was not enough daylight to allow me to walk before class...so, I walked to and from college twice (I had to go at two separate times for things that day), and that solved the issue for that day.
I walked 111 miles in October (my usual average before school was about 100 miles, give or take a few), so I'm really happy with 111 miles.
And once the time change happens this coming weekend, it will actually be easier to walk in the early mornings before class since the sun will be up an hour earlier.
for fall beauty
I know it's kind of a basic thing to be thankful for, but here we are.
Also: isn't this seed pod interesting? It obviously propagates itself by using the power of the wind!
Something else fascinating: I saw this big goldenrod plant one early morning...
And then when I got closer, I noticed there were a whole bunch of bees (ok and a few wasps) sitting on it, motionless.
Apparently, it's normal; I'd just never seen this type of behavior before!
I suppose for a bee, a flower is just as good as a bed is for a cat.
Your heart for teaching others will come in very handy as a nurse. There is a lot of patient and family education involved in nursing!
I am thankful that a very part-time job presented itself to me, and that by saying no the first time, the pay was increased and will now be worth my time.
Thankfully for the beautiful sparkling frost this morning, and we even had some snowflakes yesterday!
Thankful for some dear friends and that our children are also friends.
Thankful that God's mercies are new every morning.
@JP, Amen to that! Every morning is a fresh start to me.
I am thankful for a warm house and bed and clothes to deal with the chillier weather.
I am thankful for crisp apples. We have been buying local apples and they have been wonderful.
I am thankful I was able to spend the afternoon with a friend yesterday. We have been friends for 20+ years but sometimes life gets in the way of regular get togethers.
I am thankful a couple of friends are reporting good results after recent surgeries.
I am thankful for the good of modern life.
Yesterday I dropped off all of the files I had for mom to her executor, who is her attorney. OUT OF MY HANDS. That feels great and I am thankful for a car that got me there and back safely, as I had to drive to another city to do so. Today I am thankful that I have no big plans to leave my house and I can putsey around, guilt-free. Might do some cleaning, might do some laundry, will change air filters and air up my tires, and definitely will blog. Its gonna be a good day!
@Gina, yikes- I had never seen or heard the word “putsey”, so looked it up. Oh, dear. But at first I figured you meant “putz around”, which is commonly used to mean fool around, or do little tasks, but it actually means something entirely different!
First, two comments on two of your lovely photos. The seed pod is milkweed, so feel free to help the wind scatter it. (In addition to supporting monarch butterflies, milkweed feeds many pollinators with its flowers.) And I often see "sleepy bees" in my garden as the weather turns cooler; I think their little metabolisms are just slowing down.
Now, my thankfuls:
Thankful, as previously noted, for improved vision in my operated eye. I think I should be OK for the second cataract surgery next Wednesday, although my eye doctor will need to confirm this at today's appointment.
Thankful for Project FeederWatch, sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada (https://feederwatch.org/). The rain/snow mix we were (not) enjoying yesterday brought my birdie friends to my feeders in throngs, which greatly improved my first day's count of the season. I hope to see some more today (we do FeederWatch counts over two-day periods).
And thankful for the best lacinato kale (aka Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale) plant I've ever grown; I think the wet summer helped. I made a kale, apple, and carrot salad to take to the Bestest Neighbors' last night for dinner, and the carrot was the only ingredient in the salad proper that wasn't either homegrown or foraged. (Obviously, I did not produce the olive oil, grind the mustard, etc., for the dressing!)
It is so cute to think of bumblebees snuggling up in a flower to snooze. I love it.
And milkweed flowers do not look like their seed pods. They are pinkish and round with lots of little heads.
@A. Marie, I'm glad to hear the good updates on your cataract surgery.
I'm thankful that, after several years of neglecting dental care, I have only minor issues to correct. And my new dentist and his team are amazing, love them!
I'm thankful that I've been able to take care of some tasks that I'd been wanting to do for a couple years. I finally got the jewelry I inherited from my mom repaired and resized, and some artwork from her framed. It's so great to be able to enjoy them now and not worry about fixing them.
I'm thankful for modern technology, at least at times, haha. Before my parents passed away, I texted with them all the time (in addition to talking and visiting with them). Recently, my husband and I have started trying to do the same with his mom. This requires us getting an Apple device to iMessage her, but if it allows us to communicate with her more often, it's so worth it. I'm thankful that we have this method of communicating so quickly and easily with loved ones.
Again, happy for your relief at passing, not at all surprised about the 20/20. 🙂
Thankfuls:
--That I did not end up having to sub at school on Halloween. I thought I would have to, and I had planned ahead of time so my house and dinner would be ready for the other family that was coming after school to have dinner with us before we all went trick-or-treating, but then I ended up not having to work. I do not enjoy days when I run right from work to activities/socializing/leaving my house, so that was a great relief for me.
--For the crazy but fun time we had trick-or-treating this year. Besides the friends who had dinner with us, we also took one son's classmate who lives with just his mom and wouldn't have been able to really go because she was staying home to hand out candy, plus two other younger kids from school we ran into in the village whose parents drove behind us/walked with us. We have a 12-passenger van with the back row already out, so we took out one more row and the kids just piled into the open back area to ride when it was too far between groups of houses to walk. My husband is one of the school bus drivers, and we had literally almost half of our tiny elementary school in the back of our van, plus two teachers from the school, so it was almost like a school field trip. 🙂 There were ten kids back there, four adults in the seats up front, and a whole lot of craziness. SO LOUD. The kids LOVED it, though, and I suspect we might have started a new tradition.
--For our tiny village. It is so much fun to trick-or-treat there. No worries about cars, no worries about the people handing out the candy (because we know them all), and they are all so happy to see the kids. There were 15 stops this year, and every one gives out bags filled with treats, handfuls of candy from their bowls, or full-size chocolate bars. Because of the small number of kids trick-or-treating (20 this year), the adults can afford to get them the candy that we always considered a windfall when I was a kid. 🙂
--That my son's foot is steadily improving and he can get off his crutches next week (fingers crossed). Four weeks is a long time to be crutching around.
--That I do not have to work today. Life has been feeling very accelerated lately, and I appreciate having a day when I have nowhere to go or any particular task that needs doing, so I can just make some green tomato salsa, can some beets, and catch up on laundry.
This week I am thankful
for our family
for longstanding friendships
that daylight savings time has ended
that I have completed the voice test all choir members have to do every other year
that my husband was able to work from home when a storm was forecasted
1. Thankful for the neurologist that is helping an dearly loved elderly family member through a rare and rapid form of dementia. She has been incredibly supportive, helpful with medicines, and most importantly her care and love are evident in all that she does. We will be passed along to a new doctor as she is moving out of state but I am grateful that our paths crossed.
2. Chats with a friend this week who knows me well and encourages me in my faith and in the practical stresses of everyday life. What a blessing to know someone who will laugh, cry and pray for you. Someone who helps you to walk through life's joys and valleys.
3. For the cold fall weather this week. So refreshing to go out in the morning and feel the cool, crisp autumn air and see all the beauty of the leaves. What a relief.
4. For my job and my colleagues. We know each other well and have supported one another through a lot of changes. That isn't always the case in a work environment and I know the value of the team I work with.
5. Faith, prayer and worship. For me life just would not be bearable without these three.
@Angie, So happy to hear about your #1! Too many doctors (including neurologists) are not supportive and even clueless when it comes to dementia care. The medical profession needs many more like the gem you found.
@Angie, please consider sending your first paragraph to the doctor’s office. Medical personnel have had such a hard time that I’m sure she would deeply appreciate your comments.
@DCO, yes! Or to send it to her new practice site out of state, AND to her via a email or written note. I’m sure it would mean very much to her.
Congratulations to you and your friend on passing the math test!
Your photo of Chiquita made me thankful for my own sleeping pets -- they are so cute when they are sleeping (they are cute otherwise, too, but pet people know what I mean.)
Our first snow was this week and though it was cold, it was beautiful.
I'm thankful my mom taught me to sew so many years ago.
I'm thankful for the firewood we cut this summer, which is keeping us warm this winter.
I'm thankful for my job, which I love, even though sometimes it's hard.
It's so wonderful that you are willing and able to tutor other students.
I'm thankful DH is feeling less wretched, and that our family doctor has referred him to a specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center so we can hopefully finally get a diagnosis.
I'm thankful to have a warm home and warm clothing.
I'm thankful that DS dropped by to pick up a few things. It always warms my heart to see him and get a hug.
I'm thankful for my dear friend of over 30 years. She's always there for me, through the good and bad times, and is always up for an adventure and/or a cocktail.
I'm thankful for our dog. Her silliness and boundless energy keep us entertained.
Milkweed is good for pollinators!
Thankfuls:
*Considering I'm cold without a working furnace, it's hard to feel thankful. Buuuut, on the other hand, I can afford to buy a new one. It's hard because I have and need an oil fired steam boiler, which is becoming rare. On the plus side, the new one is supposed to last 40 years.
*I have big dumb warm dogs to snuggle with.
*This week's crippling anxiety has gone down a notch to just plain stressed out. Heh.
*It's supposed to get warmer here which means I won't be so cold. Space heaters aren't enough.
*I can't get the interim cleaners in (my usual one is having surgery) because the house is frigid. Buut I did fire up my hot tub.
I guess that's it for now.
@Rose, when will the new furnace be installed?
@Anne, I have no idea. "Hopefully" they'll have an estimate for me next week, they told me yesterday*. I called some other companies but none of them install steam boilers.
*I hate them so much. I've been a customer for 25 years and I get offhand service while I'm freezing. My son bought three space heaters yesterday. Here in the Hamptons Gouge, they totalled at $443. They're $105 at Amazon. But I had to have some heat right then or I was going to lose my mind.
@Rose, Furnace problems are the worst!! I'm sorry you are freezing and then dealing with people who should be more responsive to a loyal customer.
@Rose, Close to 20 years ago, our heat was out. It was cold. I had one baby, and I was pregnant-- the vomit stage. A very kind member of our congregation immediately brought out a kerosene heater. I could not handle the smell. At all. It was be very cold or vomit even more. I bundled up.
How sweet of you to tutor your classmate! May she pass that goodwill on and enjoy distancing herself, at least a little, from her stressful math past.
I’m grateful for good friends who happily barter professional skills with me. My little sister likes to tease about my “Swiss army knife of people,” but it’s a wonderful resource to have. Tonight, an HVAC friend is giving our furnace its annual inspection (he and his wife will get a homemade dinner, too). Any furnace or water heater calls go to him, as we traded his HVAC know-how for an elaborate formal pet portrait (I’m a traditional artist) of their beloved cat. He and I both think we got screaming deals, which is how barters should go!
@N, What a great phrase, "Swiss Army knife of people."
Congratulations on your test! And, love that your homeschooling experience is now helping another student. How lovely you are able to be a resource for your classmate.
1) My #1 is really the biggest thing for me. All college applications are submitted for DS17!!!!!! This has been a huge, enormous & tremendous time commitment for both of us, and it's done. On the positive side, I've also learned so much, and I have another son who will be a senior next year. I'll be way more prepared! 🙂
2) My husband has cobbled together meals for us all week, as I work with DS17.
3) We offered DS17 a senior trip to a few exotic locales. His preference was to go somewhere local, so we can bring along my parents. This makes me so happy as a mom and daughter.
4) I figured out a way to offset the cost of an upcoming business trip (I have to stay within a very tight hotel cap) in order to stay at my preferred location (walking distance, has a gym, room service, etc). I'm using my own points to offset the stay, and while it's not the most financially advantageous (could have used for a personal trip), the amount of convenience it will offer at a phase in my life where I really need convenience? I'll take it.
5) My parents. They stayed with our teens last week, while we went to Hawaii. My dad helped with college essays, my mom did endless laundry & cleaning, they took the kids to tons of fun stuff...they are incredible!
@Hawaii Planner,
Don't relax too much with the college paperwork yet - FAFSA is looming! 😉
It's great, however, when the back-and --forth of what school to apply to and what are the essay prompts are past. My daughter kept adding schools last year ; it drove me nuts. There was always one more essay or form. I have 3 in college this year, and I am very tired of corralling all the paperwork!
@Hawaii Planner, congratulations on the completion of the college application process. It’s amazing how much things have changed since I was in college. It can be a stressful time for both parent and child.
@mbmom11, I read somewhere online recently that FAFSA may be added to high school graduation requirements--- not sure if in Michigan or nationwide??
@Regina,
It's required now in Illinois. I guess they want to encourage people to think about college options. However it seems like just one more hurdle no every kid needs.
@mbmom11, correct! Every day is a new email from a school that didn't receive the SATs (despite sending them), logging into a new portal, addressing some new issue, and yes..the FAFSA looms.
Oooh, that sounds like a really annoying, exhausting nightmare.
@Bee, it's really pretty nuts. I applied to college...ahem... a long time ago, and it's an absolutely different process.
Thankful for homemade banana bread. I found some bananas in the freezer (when cleaning it out to repair it) so I made some homemade banana bread with them. It's not the healthiest thing out there (what with all the sugar) but a slice at breakfast sure is a good thing.
Thankful that some things are still working. Knock on wood but it dawned on me how a lot of the items in my home are over ten years old. This includes my car. Now while we do have some hiccups along the way (e.g. the aforementioned freezer icing up) most things generally are working every day.
Thankful that the cold snap is going to get a bit milder as it's not yet winter.
@Battra92, we’ve gotten to the point that we automatically cut down sugar in baking recipes to 1/2 or even 1/3. After doing this for a little while, we have found “normal” amounts to be way too sweet!
@DCO, I also cut the sugar by at least a half, sometimes down to a quarter of what they call for. So far none of my kids have complained. They do complain that the sugar hurts their mouths when we have other people’s food and desserts. I like to taste my apples in my apple pie and pumpkin and my pumpkin pie.
Congratulations on passing your test! How do you track steps/miles for your walks? Do you have a fitness watch? A preferred app? Thanks!
I'd forgotten until now that when I was in high school, I had a thriving little business tutoring adults seeking their GEDs in math. I love math. It's so neat and tidy, unlike writing. (Slightly piqued that my writing workshop tutor keeps trying to "improve" my jokes. Uh, no, you're ruining them. She says, "You write an excellent one-liner, even a one-worder, but I wonder if you need...." and I'm thinking, "It's called comic timing." Anyway, I ignore her on that part.)
Also, this morning, I withdrew from the course. I'll start up again in February.
So kind of you to help your friend with her math!
Thankful I was able to sleep in several days due to the dogs getting up to go out in the middle of the night. We now call them the midnight poopers.
That most of our leaves have been picked up.
For nice neighbors.
For some of my new co-workers. They are fun and funny.
For the grandkids. They are such goofballs.
For our security staff, it has been a huge week for them and they never missed a beat.
Great job on your test! And your friend also. 🙂
So what will you do once winter season is officially here & less amount of sunshine? Do you have a light or something you use to see during walking during the less amount of sunlight? Or will you maybe walk in between classes inside or around buildings? I'm sure you put a lot of people to shame with that much walking. But good yor you! I wish I had that kind of motivation, but my sore feet tell me otherwise.
Thankful for the 152 trick or treaters (including 13-15 teenagers who were very polite) & 3 dogs (not including our rescues) that braved the snow & cold to go out on Halloween. There were some interesting & cool costumes, blow ups were popular.
Thankful for having heat! And winter coats & warm blankets! I seriously do not know what I'm going to do once winter is here & stays with the snow. Last night I was coughing up clear crap out of my lungs for about 45 minutes while trying to go to sleep. I just can't seem to kick this phenomena/bronchitis this season. Luckily has been better most time until I get cold or breathe cold air.
Thankful for (cranky) teen who has been helping to fold laundry out of dryer since I start washer (& who ever finds washer done transfers to dryer). Teen has gotten better at folding laundry, though everything gets folded down to size of sheet of paper. Teen has not gotten neat/corner to corner yet, but working progress! And has improved since last year.
Thankful for the few days coming up that will be 50 degrees so that can get more leaves done----seems never ending right now, but doing sidewalks & helping neighbor lady this year compared to last year.
Thankful that I decided not to order friendsheep wool sprites (even though 30% off). I really didn't need them & I am trying very hard to cut exspenses & not buy extra/future gifts for others, especially since my group has drastically changed. My 31 lady just emailed me new holiday catalog & I was glad that there was nothing I wanted to order. I will order some snowman reusable food bags if have available at after holidays sale, but if not that's ok.
Thankful that Sam's club new sale started & able to get new slippers (teen likes one style compared to others) on sale ($1 more this year compared to last year). Have online order ready (other non food items also) with free shipping & Rakuten is up to 8% cash back.
My total combined cash back for October is going to be a lot lower than previous months because not shopping trying to use what already have.
And finally thankful for the extra hour of sleep Saturday night because of daylight saving but not thankful takes few weeks for body to adjust to daylight savings.
I'm not too sure what I'm gonna do! I mean, on my semester break, I will be fine. But then during February and March I might have to be flexible about the time of day that I go for walks.
You are a gift to your fellow student. 🙂
Our area had a significant snowstorm on Halloween. The prediction for our area was around 4 inches. We ended up with 10 inches of heavy, wet snow. The leaves on our trees haven't yet fallen, so the weight of the snow broke many branches resulting in a large area of power outages. We were among those without power. I am sooo thankful for the linemen who go out in the worst weather to restore power to us. I don't know what they get paid, but I hope it's a lot! Thankful for a generator as well as for my husband who does all the work of running the generator (we don't have the easy kind that hooks up outside of your home, so picture long power cords being stretched around the house). For blankets, flannel sheets, thick socks, and warm clothes. For working yesterday in a warm place with coffee and tea while waiting for the power to come back on.
We went to visit my son this past weekend at his college and I'm grateful we had the opportunity to do so! I miss my boy.
Thankful for the goofball kittens who are tearing through my house right now. Never a dull moment. Somehow they broke into a closet last night. My husband says they have opposable thumbs.
@Kris, So sorry about your power outage on Halloween! That definitely changes plans for people! What a relief that it didn't last too crazy long. We were up that way (Pentwater) over the weekend and got to experience the big 30-degree drop in highs. I was thankful that there were still so many leaves on the trees because it sure was beautiful!
I'm thankful Kristen's young classmate found a supportive Substitute Mom (no yelling!) to help her through her math test. Blessings on you both.
I'm thankful for a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant from someone -- not on the same but on the opposite side of a business transaction, as a "thank you" for getting the deal over the finish line. "Thank you for your sense of humor during the insanity...Very grateful that you handled our rogue seller with grace." You're welcome!
Nostalgically grateful for a mild October because November came in with below freezing nighttime temperatures.
Grateful for an ample supply of firewood for the wood burning stove.
I love milk weed pods! I always cut a few in add them to my Christmas wreath.
• Most of thankfulness this week is work related – I was able to see a project I worked on for months come to fruition and it was a smashing success! I’m thankful for my coworkers who make it easy and my family who let me do what I love.
• I’m so happy to be sleeping in my own bed! The hotel beds on my work trip were very comfortable but I couldn’t sleep (time change, not feeling well, early wake ups) so I was happy to get home and crawl into my own bed and SLEEP.
• Even though I was putting in 14 hour days, the days were amazing. I finally met people face to face that I had only communicated with via email. I also got a chance to see other people sharing their passion which was inspiring and only makes me want to work harder for our next event.
• When I got home my husband had placed a bouquet of flowers on the table for me to welcome me home – he’s such a great guy!
• I saved the best for last – my little guy turned 13 this weekend! He’s growing into the coolest young man and I am so thrilled that I get to be his mom and watch him grow!
Her parents used to "yell at her about it"!!!???? I taught middle school math (lots of fractions, decimals, percents...) for 25 years. This is appalling! There is so much math anxiety out there.
For anybody with math anxiety head immediately to your local public library, to the children's section (which is magical) and pick up any or all old grade school math textbooks. Check them out. They are aimed at children and are easy to understand!
Whew!
@Patricia, Thanks for the recommendation. Will do!
I don't know if anyone's brain works better after being yelled at; I would imagine that the stress of that turns off the learning parts of people's brains.
No surprise on your test!
I’m ever thankful for washer/dryer. I notice it lost when we’re sick and disinfecting everything, but even just bedding etc makes me realize how tough it was just a few generations back
Cooler weather is making allergies less. Always a good thing
Grateful for a wonderful neighborhood for Halloween and that my grandkids still want to come here for it
My 3 elderly dogs are all doing well and no major vet bills for awhile
Grateful I was able to convince my father in law, who lives with us, to put a deposit on a very nice assisted living home- just in case. I don’t want him to feel like we’re ever pushing him out, but also wanted to have a plan in place in case he goes downhill quickly ( he’s 89!)
I'm 65 and still have math anxiety from a substitute teacher in 3rd grade yelling at me for adding a 1 to my problem on the blackboard. The 1 was a paint drip the whole class knew about and routinely ignored. Young spirits scar easily.
Today I am thankful that our very old kitty (he is almost 18) is doing much better with a bout of inflammatory digestive tract disease, the cure for which is steroids and a hypo-allergenic diet. Also thankful for the awesome realtor who is handling the sale of my late brother's property, which due to it's location attracted a lot of unwanted (read weirdo) attention she's been dealing with very well. And as always, my sweet family, friends, and the blessing of our peaceful little neighborhood.
@Ruby, what kind of location attracts weirdos? Wondering in general terms as a younger female relative is working in and learning about real estate.
Congratulations on your passing grade! And I think it's awesome how you are helping your friend too. Sometimes it's easy to be turned in on ourselves when we are going through a hard time, and I'm inspired by the way you are helping others.
I am grateful for my niece who has met a wonderful young man and is getting married soon. Also grateful my husband had a good meeting with his cardiologist. And while I'm at it, grateful for the cardiologist, he's so kind and a good listener and seems to really care about his patients.
Kristen, As super impressive as your math score is, the story of you helping a kid whose parents were rough to also pass the test. You are one of those people that a podcast I like calls having a heart full of love. Where others always look to gripe about people in their vicinity, you look to help. What a great quality for a nurse to have.
I am thankful for my DH's recent tests all coming out well. He is our family's lynchpin and definitely has a heart full of love.
It’s actually your blog and this community that helped me to understand what a hero he is. Before this, I sorta kinda thought all husbands were a lot better than I’ve since learned they are.
Congratulations on your test and on being a good math teacher!
1. I'm thankful that I came home last night to a completely new roof on my house. It should last 30 or more years and withstand 130mph winds. Those roofers are FAST. They stripped the old shingles and felt on Tuesday and put on all new double felt and shingles on Wednesday. My roof is also now up to latest code, and my insurance should drop a little. I'm thankful that my bosses let me come into work late so I could go over the process with the roofers yesterday morning.
2. I'm thankful that when my tripod dog went outside but got scared by the noise and people roofing and pushed his way out of the fenced back yard by going under a gate, he didn't run out to the road and get hit. I spotted him wandering the edge of the woods. When I crouched down to call him, he came running right into my arms. I'm thankful I was still there when this happened! I shut both dogs in the house when I went to work, just in case, since the roofers would be there all day.
3. I'm thankful that I had plenty of loose wall blocks to temporarily block the area under the gate to keep that from happening again. I hadn't noticed it before, but the machinery that cleared downed trees out of my back yard left a big depression under the drive-through gate. This dog has never tried to escape until yesterday. I'm working on a permanent fix.
4. I'm thankful that DH's last job was running a recycling yard that the wall- and garden-block plant next door used to offload their seconds and new color trials. With his boss' permission, he loaded us up with quite a few decorative blocks and they've come in quite handy, now including for blocking a gate.
5. I'm thankful that we didn't get frost last night. I have some rather tender plants that aren't ready to be put to bed for winter yet!
After all the years you prioritized your family and your children's needs, it's so lovely to see you being able to get out there in the world and enjoy being around people. Many of us become so entrenched in the goings-on of our little home bubbles that we forget that it's nice to just interact with people of all kinds around us. So glad to hear you're enjoying your nursing school experience on several levels.
I'm thankful for my cozy bed - despite having randomly woken up (again) before 4:00, it was really pleasant to just lie there, warm and comfortable.
For the way my younger daughter has been recognizing and appreciating the people around her. It's so sweet and most important, genuine.
That I found my house slippers. I bought them on a whim last year and they kind of disappeared late spring. Turns out they were hibernating under my nightstand - found them just in time for the chilly mornings to start up.
For the pleasant opportunity to do a trunk-or-treat at my daughter's school. The kids were so precious and sweet and actually very polite - so many instances of 'Happy Halloween!' and 'thank you!!!!' and 'I like your trunk!' No grabbing, demanding or pushing.
That my nephew liked and appreciated the birthday gift we got him. I have no idea what a teenage boy might like so I am always apprehensive about what to get for him. He's 17, athletic, and smart and he always says something nice about the gifts we give him. Last year I got socks for him and he even said "these look so cozy!"
I nodded as I read your first paragraph; I don't know that I'd have thought to put it to words that way, but you are right. I think for most of my life until now, I have been in a bubble of sorts; first the bubble of being homeschooled in an era where homeschooling automatically put you in a bubble (there were almost no other homeschoolers back then), and then the bubble of being a stay-at-home, work-at-home homeschooling mom.
I don't want to say too much about it, but it is very heart-warming and validating to get feedback from people that contradicts one of the loudest voices in my adult life. I realize...I am competent. I am kind. I am thoughtful. I am a good mom. I do care about people. I am relatively unselfish. It is a relief to see what feels like the truth about me.
@Kristen I don't know whether to hug you or slap you silly. Maybe I'll hug you and slap your ex silly instead.
OF COURSE YOU ARE ALL THOSE THINGS! Anyone without an agenda can see that about you FROM THE EXOSPHERE.
There, I yelled some stuff. I guarantee I have a loud voice.
@Kristen, You may (or may not) remember Al Franken's Stuart Smalley character from Saturday Night Live, who would stand in front of a mirror and say this affirmation to himself: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog gone it people like me!"
So from me to you: "YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH, YOU'RE SMART ENOUGH, AND DOG GONE IT PEOPLE LIKE YOU!"
@Kristen, I'm glad you're getting this validation, even if you deserved it so much earlier than it arrived. Being homeschooled and going straight into motherhood at a young age probably didn't allow much of an opportunity to get outside, tangible, objective feedback. I know how much grades and then work feedback/performance reviews and income helped boost my confidence. They weren't everything but it was kind of like - here - look, it's proof that you're ok and that you're doing well. I mean...look at your grades and the way you're able to help your fellow students and the feedback you're getting from the instructors. Fantastic!
@Kristen, ooh, boy, I think my heart just exploded. I am glad, glad, glad for you.
@Kristen, It is so hard to believe that you ever felt less than competent, kind, caring and unselfish! I'm with Rose--I don't know whether to hug or smack you silly for not believing it earlier.
@Kristen, popping out of lurkdom to join everyone saying how you should always know that about yourself!
@Kristen, I am so happy for you that this community can be one of the loudest voices now in your adult life. And what we say is in writing so you can refer back to it anytime.
@MB in MN,
Yup. This. When I went through a difficult situation at work, I cut and pasted every nice thing anyone emailed me into one document and I would reread it whenever I was feeling discouraged. I think you should do something similar. I'll add my encouragement. I have been reading your blog for about 14 years now, and I have always found you to be kind, caring, gracious and very clever. I learn something new from you at least once a week, and I always feel better about the world after reading your thoughts. Thank you for being amazing and I'm not just saying that because I definitely would not have spent 14 years hanging around if you were otherwise.
Thank you, friend. <3
@Kristen, yes, you are all those good qualities and more. I'd add smart, resourceful and brave. My ex put me down a lot too. Keep reminding yourself and noticing everything that validates you. Soak it all in and let the critical voice recede.
@Kristen, I know what you mean, and don’t really have the right words to say how those things seem so clearly true about you and how glad I am that you, I, and others have been able to be validated and appreciated after knowing what it feels like to be told (verbally or non-verbally) the opposite. Over a long period of time I kind of began to believe that I was the negative things I was told I was. It took some extremely painful and scary circumstances for my life to change, and of course that was traumatic, but here on the other side, I thank God and the universe for the wake-up call! Recently I spent some time with a person from my past who tries to treat me like the Jen from the past who allowed herself to be treated poorly (and sometimes didn’t follow the Golden Rule myself) and I tried to kindly and patiently set some boundaries and be the “new me”, which didn’t work too well so far, but I’ll never go back to how it was. For now I’ll limit my time with that person, and I’ll get help to learn to negotiate these challenges. And you are one of the helpers for me and many others, even if we’ve never met!
What a great story about helping your young friend with math! Way to use your skills to bless others.
This week I am thankful . . .
That I am three days away from being done with a fellowship I hate. The fellowship required me to attend a couple of weekend events and some zoom sessions. I have really not enjoyed these meetings for a few reasons. This evening kicks off my last weekend session. I am really not looking forward to it, but I am focusing on how it is almost over. And then I get paid for my efforts and never have to see these folks again!
That I am past the worst of my chemo. I have probably put that in my thankful list for the last two weeks, but it will be a long time before it is not top-of-mind how terrible it was. I'm having some fatigue from my new chemo regime, but nothing a few naps can't get me through. And it is all working to shrink my tumor. All the terribleness has been worth it. But still, man, I am glad I am past it.
That our daughter's birthday party went so well. Our daughter turned 8 this week, and had been dying for a Chuck-e-Cheese birthday party for months. She is autistic and doesn't do well in crowds or being the center of attention. Would kids from her class show up? Would she cling to her dad all night and refuse to play games or talk to her friends? We haven't done a lot of birthday parties where we invited friends for the kids, so we were nervous about how it would go. But it was great! We got a good mix of kids from our daughter's school. She danced with Chuck-e-Cheese and didn't flinch when we all sang Happy Birthday. We were just so pleased and happy for her.
@Amanda in VA, Just possibly as a note for the future? My daughter isn't autistic (although I am) but she didn't have any friends when she was younger. Aged nine, she liked Monty Python, the other girls liked High School Musical. Etc.
But there was one girl she was friends with, a younger sister of one of my son's travel hockey teammates. So what we did for several years was I would get a local hotel room. The girls swam and played in the indoor pool (daughter's birthday is in January), ordered room service, played games, watched TV and had a wonderful time.
@Rose, I did that too one year for my daughter and it was a hit. And so less stress on me (because my daughter is autistic too and struggling with friendships at times)
I am not surprised at all that your homeschooling experience is useful now as well. You're doing great - you have good reason to be proud!
Thank you, friend. <3
You are going to be such a great nurse! I’m glad both you and your young friend did well on your tests. It always upsets me when I hear that young people have had such negative learning experiences.
• I am thankful that we are having a cool spell.
• I am thankful for my loyal and faithful Rescue Pup.
• I am thankful that I love where I live
• I am thankful that my children are weathering life’s ups and downs. Life may not be perfect, but they are happy.
• I am thankful that I don’t have much on my to do list today. I know it’s only temporary, but after an extremely busy October it’s nice to have a moment to catch my breath.
Wishing everyone good health and prosperity.
I know, right? Math is hard enough without adding emotional distress on top of it.
Such beautiful fall pics! I'm thankful for the beautiful colors here too, and the cooler weather! And thankful for a warm house and clothes so that we can enjoy the weather.
Thankful for all things pumpkin! I'm making muffins, mini muffins and a loaf of pumpkin bread for the freezer today.
Thankful for the privilege of voting. We'll be unable to vote on the regular day, so went to vote early. Never take this opportunity lightly.
Thankful for the Frugal Girl community! I love reading all the positive comments.
Congrats on the 20/20 result! And good for you for keeping up with your walking routine. I sure struggle with that on weeks I'm working full time. At the end of my shift (hospital) I don't have much energy left for the gym...
This week, I'm grateful for :
* Finally having my own desk at work (new permanent position) so I can leave some personal belongings and just have a space to call my own.
* Colder days but no snow yet. I like the in-between fall temperatures.
* My 45 pounds weight loss, so far. Only 35 to go to be at my (1st? final?) goal.
* Hubby working from home. He enjoys it and it's of great help to have someone on site for, example, be with the dog, pick-up sick kids from school, start a load of laundry, etc.
* Having the means and support to work part-time. I can pick-up extra shits to work full-time if I want to, but I find that very challenging, so I'm keeping it at 4 days/week usually. That extra day off makes such a difference in my mental health state!
@Rose, stop!! Lolololol
@Rose, I wish we could go to lunch. 😀
@Rose, OMG, you had me laughing out loud there. Yeah, sometimes shifts can feel like ""shits""....!! 😛
I totally understand why it’s important for all nursing students to do well on this test; patient’s lives are at stake if a nurse makes a medication calculation error !
@Kim from Philadelphia, That's exactly what I thought when I saw the math was required for dosage calculations! Personally, I want a nurse who scored 20 out of 20 on that one.
@JDinNM, 100 yrs ago when I finished a 3 yr diploma RN program, we had a pharmacology test our first year that you had to get a 100%. Or you were booted. So stressful!!!!
@Diane, yes, me, too! As I think it should be- with people’s lives depending on us, we certainly can’t give incorrect meds doses to 20% of our patients, can we? Not that Kristen’s classmates who scored less than 20/20 would necessarily seriously harm people, but it’s really, really important! I recently semi-retired after 40+ years, and can say I never made a dosage error due to my stringent 3 year nurses’ training, as it was called. We had to learn grains, drams, minims doses as well as units, grams, milligrams! Today there seem to be a lot of safeguards to prevent errors, but we learned “you, as RNs, are the final link in the patient safety chain!”
Hot coffee, reading by the fireside on a cold evening, the companionship of an elderly dog still with me, the newly planted roses didn't succumb to the temperature extremes, the one-year anniversary of ending the radiation treatments -- and I'm still alive and kicking!
Love the picture of the yellow leafed trees. And good for you for not only passing the test but helping the young woman with her math test.
This week I am thankful for: 1) the next door neighbor who heard about compression fracture. Last night she brought over a dinner of shepherd's pie, a loaf of bread that was so fresh it was still warm, and a dozen eggs.
2. a new PA that I am working with due to my compression fracture has a very calming manner and does not get all prickly and offended when I question a treatment or a medication.
3. that I was able to get another week of pain killers. When I asked for more, the doc started a lecture on the dangers of narcotics but I interrupted him and said, "I am 72 years old and am in severe pain from a broken bone in my spine. I don't need a lecture, I need help to make it through the day without screaming in pain. Would you want your grandmother to be treated like this?" He did give a prescription. I know docs are being hammered for handing out narcotics too easily but with this prescription I will have had 17 days of using narcotics so I don't think my case is going to trigger an investigation.
4. for mushrooms. I signed up for a CSA that provides mushrooms all winter. Once a week we pick up a parcel filled with different kinds. They also enclose a paper that tells you the names of each variety and provides a recipe for each type. An education along with the mushrooms is wonderful. So often the mushrooms are beautiful; I did not realize that there are mushrooms that are pale pink, dark pink, or red, and that there are so many shapes.
5. for snow. I love how it muffles the sounds of cars, how it covers unsightly trash, and how Pound Hound goes out to pee and after he is done he throws himself onto a clean area and sort of drills a little tunnel and comes out covered with snow and what I swear is a smile.
@Lindsey, Good for you for standing up for yourself! And the CSA with mushrooms sounds amazing. I adore mushrooms.
@Lindsey, I hurt just reading about your compression fracture. Kudos on setting that doctor straight. You are one tough broad (in the best possible way). When you said you were thankful for mushrooms, at first I thought you were going to regale us with a great story about the benefits of psychedelics for pain! I hope you get relief soon.
@Lindsey, I’m also glad you stood up for yourself. People with a legitimate need for pain meds suffer needlessly bc docs are so on guard. Hopefully it was a bit of a wake-up call for this doctor to see each patient more clearly. I feel tremendous regret and guilt that I did not advocate for my father more in relation to the kind of pain he was in the last years of his life. He was from a very stoic generation but he needn’t have suffered so much
Kirsten, I'm wondering what rationale your nursing program gives to you and your classmates when they limit attempts on tests, etc. and makes the penalty for failure so serious (getting kicked out for the semester seems really serious to me).
In any case, I'm glad you and your friend did so well!
Mainly that….if you make even two med errors out of 20, you could have killed two patients. Nursing is high stakes.
So, my nursing program makes a lot of things high stakes. We gotta be able to reach a high standard in order to be trusted with the lives of patients.
Oh,Chiquita looks so innocent when she is sleeping….. she is a cutie!!
Kudos for your grades and your team spirit.I love how you are assisting your classmate/friend! It takes a village! That’s how it will work when you are working the units in the hospital,too!!
Also, WOW, 111 miles! I need to up my game!
And, the autumn colors are lovely, I live in Arizona and here in the desert we don’t see that!!
That's a good point; a help-each-other-out attitude will go a long way when we are graduated and out in the field.
I am thankful for friends who visit and hold the baby. This contact with the "outside world" has really helped with baby blues.
I am thankful that our baby is sleeping decently for a newborn and is growing.
I am thankful for Daylight Savings Time. (I love the afternoon sunlight for walks.)
I am thankful for my morning coffee and afternoon decaf tea.
I am thankful for the broken doorbell so people can't accidentally wake a sleeping baby.
@Rebekah in SoCal, I am "visiting" you virtually as you go through the baby blues. Sounds like you're on top of this; if that changes, I hope you'll seek professional counsel. Glad your little one is thriving!
It's been a week of extremes here. My sister-in-law had to experience a pretty horrendous miscarriage situation. So this week, highlighting the good is very good. I am thankful:
*for phones. Talking to distant family was very important to me this week.
*that another brother-in-law and his wife are here for a visit. They are wonderful people, and I always enjoy their company.
*that our visitors taught us to play a new game that is complicated but fun.
*that our visitors brought us yummy coffee and other gifts.
*that our visitors insisted on making supper. Today was the perfect day because both my husband and I had to be out of the house all afternoon.
*for my face therapy. Oh, how I love these specialized therapists. They just get it. And it helps.
*that my sister-in-law's medical condition is okay right now (as far as I know).
*for delightful children. I delighted so much in watching my youngest frolic in the falling leaves this week. I know that these unguarded moments of joy from my children are diminishing quickly as they grow older, so for those moments of golden sunshine and a little girl tossing leaves into the air and giggling as they fell around her---so, so grateful.
*for the opportunity to meet another pastor's wife and for the friend who introduced us.
*for so many things. When I'm faced with the sadness that's so deep, I appreciate the small and good things even more.
Are your walking stats from the Withings watch? I am so tempted to buy one, but my husband has a Fitbit which would make it easier to motivate each other if we had the same brand.
did you ever have a doubt that you wouldn't ace your math test? come on. be real. you taught math for eons. you got this. yay you.
Well, I think the pressure of it just was making me feel nervous. Also, the fact that there are multiple people in my class who are repeating the semester because of having failed the math last semester!
Congratulations! We hit 85 here in SC early this week. I was NOT happy. It's cooler now but looks like we'll be warm again next week before cooling off again, hopefully for a few months!
I'm curious what app you're using to track your walking. I haven't found one I like. (Sorry if you've already answered this. I haven't skimmed all the lovely comments.)
Happy Weekend!
What a blessing you are to SO MANY people! 🙂
I’m so happy that you helped your friend with math. I am terrible at math and failed it multiple times in college. I would have loved a kind tutor such as yourself.
I think kindness matters so much; I know I learn better in a gentle environment!
I enjoy and appreciate hearing how you choose to help others with their challenges whether large or small. I recall a gently applied phrase I used as a parent: “what did you learn?”. So much better teach than terrorize with words. The bonus? Now I get to practice it again with my grandchildren!
The seedpod you showed is a Milkweed which is what monarch caterpillars eat. They are very important to preserve because Monarch butterflies are becoming endangered.
Milkweed! The seed pod sure looks like milkweed.
Wreaking havoc, skedaddling and sleeping is an excellent description of a young cat’s existence!
the milkweed seed pod is great
those seeds scatter beautifully
Thanks for the great photos
So glad you enjoyed them!
Kristen, I don't think you could possibly know how much you're healing that classmate of yours. I also struggled with math, cried at the kitchen table many times, and having someone come alongside as a partner to help is so meaningful. That's a very special gift you've given her!