Thankful Thursday | Almost there!
Hey everyone! I didn't post yesterday because I spent the day studying for and taking my last regular exam (#8!). I got both the lecture and the lab portion done, so now all that's left is my cumulative final on Monday. Sweet.
I'm going to dive back into studying today, but first, a blog post. 😉
This week, I'm thankful:
that I got to hang with my sister-in-law this week
I'll probably tell you more about this in a future post, but my brother bought an abandoned house that is chock full of old, dirty stuff. He's going to clear it out and renovate it, but my sister-in-law invited me to come treasure-hunting with her first.
That is totally up my alley, so we donned masks (the air quality in there is not top-notch!) and we sorted through some of the mess. I found quite a few things that were salvageable (and of course, some things that Sonia was delighted to have.)
We'll probably have some more treasure-hunting missions in the future; there's just so much stuff, we could not possibly get through it in a single night.
I love that my new family member is interested in rescuing old stuff; a kindred spirit!
that A&P builds on itself
A cumulative exam is still a lot of information to review, but I don't think it will be too bad because it's all related information.
Like, we learned about feedback loops in one of the first units, and then we've kept on seeing them in different body systems over the semester.
We learned about bone anatomy, which then fed into muscle anatomy and nerve anatomy.
We learned about events at the neuromuscular junction, but then the events at neuron synapses were pretty similar.
Anyway, I feel like I've been getting review on common concepts in many different modules, and I think that will help.
for a good professor
On yesterday's exam, there were some technical errors (like, part of a question was missing, and one question had duplicated answers), so I texted her through our group app and she got back to me the same day and gave me credit for the questions that had issues.
I love that she has made herself available via text because it makes it so easy to ask a question, like when I've been stumped about a homework question.
I left a rave review for her on the student opinion form. 🙂
I would totally try to take from her next semester, but sadly, she does not teach A&P 2. Boo.
that I do not have to get a very good grade on my final
I played around with the "what-if" feature, just to see, and apparently, I can pretty much bomb my final exam without changing my letter grade.
So, that takes some pressure off of me; no need to sweat over Monday's exam.
that Lisey's electrical classes have been going better
She was having a rough time at first, but something seems to have clicked and she is routinely getting A's on her exams now. Yay Lisey!
The good news is that the next three semesters are lots of practical rather than all the bookwork she's had this semester. And the hands-on stuff comes easier for her, so it should be smooth sailing from here on out.
for lots of sunny days
Sometimes, we get an awful lot of cloudy days over the fall/winter, but we've had quite a few sunny ones of late.
The days are short, yes, but it helps if there's cheerful sunshine in the daylight hours.
that there are only 12 more days until the shortest day of the year
We're almost there, guys! The days will start to lengthen super soon.
(Sorry, Lindsey in Alaska; I know you dread the winter solstice!)
I'm probably not the only one who figured you were studying. Best of luck to you.
I'm thankful that getting my booster was quick and easy, an efficient process compared to earlier this year.
I'm thankful that, when Plan A and Plan B for holiday vacation both went down in flames last night (there was Family Drama), I and a friend were able to create Plan C in a few hours. I'm not going to enjoy all the driving it will involve and many of the people I'll be seeing aren't vaccinated (sigh) but so much better than yet another staycation.
For Pentatonix holiday music because I do love me some close acapella harmony, and to the friend who shared this with me, because I do a lot of editing in my current position:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxfxy-3dGz0
@WilliamB, we looove Pentatonix too. We loved them from the beginning. Such talent.
@WilliamB, that is wonderful!
@WilliamB, That video! What a fun lunch break watch. Thanks for sharing!
And Pentatonix does have a masterful way of using close acapella harmony with Christmas Carols.
@WilliamB,
As a fan of grammar (I own more books on grammar than should be legal), a fan of harmony, and of Christmas kookiness, this video is such fun! Thanks for sharing.
@WilliamB, Thanks SOOO much for sharing this! Here is another accapella group I like for their Christmas music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO6OZIY-lYw
@WilliamB, Isn’t the song so clever and funny?! I saw it recently and shared it with several friends. I’m glad you posted it here so many can see! (I’ve done some proofreading and a little bit of editing and I’m always up for some good editing humor!)
Merry Christmas!
@Lindsey, wow, that was stunning.
@Lindsey, Lovely! The bass is so comfortable in his range - too many strain, which I find less pleasant to listen to. (But really, a hat in church?)
@WilliamB, yesterday I learned another thing to be grateful for. As part of Plan C, my favorite relative is driving on the 24th (a terrible day to drive) instead of the 26th, in order to have a free day to spend with me.
I needed to read this post today. <3
I'm thankful...
-That my husband is so incredibly talented in ways that I am not. I know I posted about how we're renovating and had built a 2-car garage in the backyard. And how we were looking to renovate the interior of the house. Our contractor bottomed out (long story), but I took on the role as general contractor to source materials, apply for permits, and reach out to schedule specialists to come in (HVAC). My husband and our families have helped us to the point where now all we have left is a) laying the hardwood floor, staining, and sealing, and b) putting the trim back up.
-That we finally have light in our living room and a new fan that doesn't hang 2 feet down from our 8-foot ceilings (a $180 pricey oops that I made. I neglected to look at that... which meant if you were over 6 feet tall, you had to pray you weren't injured by my ceiling fan).
-That telehealth appointments are becoming more 'normal.' I was so sick for the past two weeks that I was going to have to cancel some routine doc appointments. But I was able to still attend them via Zoom! It was lovely.
-For friends who are willing to pass on hand-me-downs so my kiddo can benefit. We are blessed beyond measure to have the next size of clothes completely taken care of now. I'm very grateful.
-For a husband who works so hard for us. I am in constant awe of him and am so grateful our paths crossed nearly a decade ago.
Woohoo for all that progress on your house. That's so exciting!!
We all had faith that you would excel on your last regular exam! Congrats! So wonderful when you realize that the final exam grade won't really impact your final grade. So much less stress.
The house you are cleaning out with your SIL looks a lot like Mom's house we're cleaning out now that she has passed away. Mom was a massive hoarder and I'm shocked at what all I have found so far. Some things we could rescue but lots that had to be trashed.
This week I'm thankful that
1. I found a few items while cleaning at Mom's that could be salvaged that my kids would like. I'm going to wrap up for Christmas to them from Mom.
2. My Covid booster shot is scheduled for this afternoon.
3. My group of girlfriends are getting together Saturday night for fellowship and fun. Prior to Covid, we got together for dinner once a month. I really miss seeing these wonderful ladies.
4. My company supports our local community. We had a toy drive for foster children and decorated trees that we'll deliver today to the local Veteran's home.
5. The sunrise this morning was stunning. It was worth coming into work early just to see it.
This week has been a disaster. My BFF with stage IV colon cancer had to get a pacemaker because the chemo had damaged her heart so badly. But she made it through, after much crying and praying on my part. So thankful for that.
Also we discovered my underground heating oil tank had a leak yesterday. I paid for 400 gallons in October and there was about an inch left of oil. So goodbye to that $1400 plus who knows how much a new tank is going to cost. Plus more oil. I'd be thankful I had the money to pay it but I don't really, because my tenant hasn't paid his November and December rent. Which is also costing me a fortune. I can't think of anything to be thankful for in this.
My daughter had a terrible morning yesterday, and then a bird pooped on her FACE in Manhattan. OK, so let's chalk that up to comic relief.
I'm still alive and still breathing, and so are my children and pets. I guess that's gotta be enough for now.
oh and my friends and I are having our annual Cookie Day on Sunday. So thankful for good friends and fun with them.
@Rose,
It has been a WEEK for you! I'm so sorry for all you've had to deal with. I'll be praying for you and your BFF! And for no more pooping birds for your daughter! We had a cookie baking day yesterday and I hope yours puts a smile on your face like ours did.
Oooof, what a week. Big hugs to you, and I hope that things make a turnaround for you next week.
@Rose,
So sorry for this week and impressed with your fortitude!
A bird did that onto my hair once in Graz, Austria so I know how easily that can happen.
@Rose, so sorry about your friend's ongoing medical problems.
I had a seagull poop on my head once when swimming in Lake Huron. I looked up to see what had hit my head ... let's just say that some got on my lips and it tastes as awful as you think it might and leave it at hat. My parents saw the whole thing from the shore and as you say, it was comic relief.
@Kris, my computer is being weird. Meant to say "leave it at THAT".
@Rose, Keeping you and your poor friend in my thoughts today. Some days all you can do is put one foot in front of the other and you seem to be managing to do that, so kudos to you.
Thanks, folks. I'm unlucky in BFFs, or I'm the kiss of death or something. I had two who I felt super lucky for being close to almost all my life. One of them died suddenly four years ago--and the other one was informed she was terminal a year ago, just palliative care from here on in. If I think about it too much I get bitter and angry about how hard their lives have been (seriously--the one who died already had one of her two children die when he was three--the other one was basically destroyed by her toxic child-psychologist mother and has never had much of a career and no family). I try not to think about it too much because it just seems so hard and unfair.
I've had hard times too--still have long Covid--but basically, I just do not want to lose my friend. It's not up to me.
She did laugh when I said, "200 bpm? Did you turn into a hummingbird when I wasn't looking?" Her heart was veering between 35-200 bpm. Now with the pacemaker it's a normal 75.
@Rose, I am joining the chorus of well-wishers. Glad your sense of humor is still intact through all the trials and tribulations.
@Rose, I hope you and your BFF can keep hanging in there. Sometimes that's all we can do. Sympathy and best wishes.
@Rose, what a horrible week. For a silver lining, next week is almost certain to be better.
I am thankful for Xmas lights. I just love them. Have always loved them. I walk the dog ( it’s now dark after supper) and the lights in our neighborhood bring me joy!
I am thankful for an extended family that does NO GIFT EXCHANGES. Time together is the gift. Not stuff.
I am thankful that I will see extended family during the holidays this year. That has not been the case the last two years.
I am thankful for cozy winter nights with fuzzy socks, minky blankets and hot tea! Delightful.
GOODLUCK to all studying for exams!
It sounds like we've all had quite the week! Glad your studying is going well, Kristen!
I am...thankful for the cookie baking day yesterday that took my mind off of Grandma being in the hospital, my sister's emails, etc. I'm thankful that even though my sister and I had a huge fight while I was driving home from said party, we're good now. I'm thankful for hands-free phone calls in the car!
I'm also very thankful for the rain/snow that is supposed to hit today! YAY! We're desperate for it.
Electrical theory can be hard to grasp. It took me a long time before it all just clicked. I go back to it now and it's a lot easier (though still a lot of math.) For me the worst part was having a bad teacher. There are a lot of great resources online for electrical theory and electronics.
I had a rough week. I'm not going to lie about it.
I guess I'm thankful that I found out the doctor I was going to see on Tuesday really didn't care before she cancelled my scheduled evaluation. She called me up about 10 minutes before the virtual appointment and said, "Yeah, your insurance won't pay for this so I'm cancelling. Bye!" Like, no concern about my well being or anything. Just looked at me as a paycheck.
So I guess I dodged a bullet, there.
I'm thankful my daughter has been receiving a few Christmas cards and some have come in from my wife's side of the family. I don't really have any family any more so I've not received any but it's nice that they are.
I'm thankful that my Christmas shopping is long over with. I do still have to stop at the store from time to time for groceries and basics but the less time I spend shopping, the better!
I'm also thankful that I have a good stack on my "to read" pile. That makes me happy.
@Battra92, I hear you about the TBR pile. My problem is that it's so much faster to get a good book than it is to read one. If I could have a minor superpower, it would be to be able to absorb a book - not just the info but also the pleasure of the reading itself - just by laying my hands upon it.
My TBR pile is freaking enormous right now. I have such a stack of medical memoirs to read!
And I plan to do that after my final.
@WilliamB, Most of it is manga so I admit that it's not exactly heavy reading. But I got a lot of deals of it on eBay so I'm enjoying the stories and art.
@Battra92, Manga is good! It's whatever works for us, you know? The number of non-fiction books (other than popsci) I've read since March 2020 could be counted with the fingers of one hand. This is a huge change and I'm still getting used to it.
@WilliamB, I just watched this awesome video about the "anti-library" that has COMPLETELY changed my attitude toward all the unread books on my tables. https://youtu.be/ILlEuyVL47M. I hope it makes you laugh as it did me!
1. I am thankful that my Aunt's house sold in 24 hours and we can begin the process of getting her completely moved.
2. I am even more thankful of the utter joy that she had over the sale of her home and how delighted she is to be able to finally be with us full time. This is a big change for her and I am so happy to see that she is embracing it well.
3. Thankful for my sister who had the wonderful foresight to give me a gift card to a spa for my birthday. This is definitely not something that I would buy myself and as I am caring for so many around me, self care is more important than ever. I have a massage and facial scheduled for Dec 20th and I can.not.wait.
4. Thankful for flexible work hours and the upcoming holidays since we now have 3.5 weeks to organize, purge and pack my Aunt's home before the sale closes on Jan 10th. We are definitely living by the wisdom that you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time.
5. For the grace that my husband and son are extending me daily. I have so much on my shoulders right now it is literally overwhelming every single day. There are pages of lists and everything demands my attention right now. I am trying to handle it all with grace but sometimes the stress and pull on me is overwhelming and my temper is short. My hubby and son have been very graceful with their care of and love for me, soup for dinner a lot of nights, even more left overs, too many errands to count, laundry piling up more than usual and overall scatterbrained Mom & Wife. This is a season I know but ooph it is a tough one.
Happy Thursday to all! @Kristen I know you are going to ROCK that last final!
@Angie, wishing you the best in all your current struggles. And I hope you don't mind if I steal the line "you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time."
@A. Marie, Use it in good health 🙂
@Angie, deep breaths. I'm sure you're doing great!
It has now been 8 months since my life took an unexpected detour with the dog attack that left my leg horribly broken. In the ensuing months my perspective on many things in life has changed. As stupid as it may sound, I’m thankful that my inability to walk normally and my continued struggles to function as I used to have given me such an appreciation for people who deal with a handicap for their entire lives. I see how hard it can be, and I will never forget that. I’m thankful that after a lot of physical therapy and strength training my leg is finally feeling a little stronger. I still have to use my cane to get around, but I’ll take any progress at this point. I’m also thankful that my doctors prescribed the use of a bone stimulator and that my insurance paid for most of it. I get a new X-ray next week, so fingers crossed that the bones are growing back together. Finally, I don’t have the stamina to shop around stores so I’m so thankful for online shopping. My favorite is Target where they bring your order out to your car!
Wow, 8 months. You are a trooper! I hope that the bone stimulator makes a big difference for you.
@Heather in Upstate NY, I had a foot surgery with somplications, which will need to be corrected in a few months after the bones fully fuse. I can relate to your struggle and also the little moments of thankfulness as small signs of progress are made. Best wishes.
@Linda H., *complications*
@Heather in Upstate NY, I wonder what took us so long to firgue out such a thing as curbside pickup! It has been a lifesaver for me on days I am not well and especially when that is combined with 30 to 40 below zero weather.
@Heather in Upstate NY, oh man what a long ordeal this has been for you. Fingers and toes crossed over here!
Way to go, Kristen! Good luck on the final, although it's wonderful that you already have a good grade tucked away.
I am thankful always for my husband for dealing with the annoying stuff in life. This week I'm also thankful for the two plumbers who worked late and fixed a series of issues in our bathroom so that we now have a working toilet again. Always thankful for our wonderful vet, who did not charge for the last visit trying to diagnose our cat's allergy that's making him pull his fur out (poor old boy looks like someone drunk tried to give him a poodle cut). Double thankful for my wonderful boss and our student workers, who are just great kids.
That my daughter's Bat Mitzvah is over. She was great. She did a fantastic job. She studied for a whole year. I didn't lose weight, but I looked pretty good. I don't hate the way I looked in the photos. It took place on Sunday because Zoe is very introverted and did not want the whole congregation there. Her brother looked great in his three piece suit.
Oh, I forgot that you have a Zoe too. I'm so glad the Bat Mitzvah went well for you guys!
@Anita Isaac, So happy that you "don't hate" they way you look in the photos from the Bat Mitzvah. So many times women don't want to be in photos because of how they perceive their appearance but I think it's important to be included and have those memories preserved.
Thanks. Most of the time I hate how I look in photos.@Beverly,
@Anita Isaac,
Big props to parents who understand the needs of an introverted child. I bet your photos are lovely!
@Anita Isaac, My mother hated the way she looked so would stay out of photos. She was gone by the time I was 12 and I have only two, yes 2, pictures of her. No one who loved her cared about her weight or her hair, I only wish she could have realized that.
@Lindsey, Good point! I also don't like pictures, but I force myself to be in them for this exact reason : I want my kids to have this to remember me by, one day
The end is in sight! You can do it!!
This week I'm thankful:
* for the funny podcast I listen to each week
* for the chance to get an extra workout in this week
* that some of my friends may come watch my daughter and I perform in a live walk-through nativity this weekend!
* that I feel pretty good right now. One child woke me up out of a really good sleep at 3:45 this morning and I've been awake ever since (he came up again 35 minutes later and I'm toast after getting out of bed twice). But I got to write some Christmas cards early this morning and took a Tylenol to get rid of the headache. We have a late rehearsal tonight and performances Friday and Saturday nights, so I'm also thankful that I should be able to get a nap in tomorrow if needed.
* for all of our family and far-away friends. My Christmas card list feels long, but I'm so thankful for each family on it and how they've been part of our lives. I love how writing out the cards gives me a chance to slow down and think about each one individually.
* that my life group is willingly chipping in with some items for the gift bags we're putting together for residents at an assisted living home. I didn't ask for help with buying the things because I know it's financially hard for many at this time of year and I'm happy that it's a service project we can do together and involve the little kids, but they jumped right in and are taking care of the remaining few needs on the list. It was a big encouragement to me!
Thanks for the reminder Kristen that we are closing in on the shortest day of the year.
Thankful that I tested negative for covid, anxious about that as I have a few more concerts to give this month. (I'm vaxed and boosted but you never know!)
Thankful for remembering to take a breath, take a beat, take a break, as the stress seems to be building all around me at work, I do have the power to not let it derail my work.
Thankful that the stress and anxiety is only at work and not affecting home life.
Thankful for a wonderful visit with adult daughter, just so lovely to see her.
Thankful for coffee!
I needed that reminder that the days will start getting longer soon. It seems like only yesterday that we had the longest day of the year, so this snuck up on me...but so happy about that!
I am thankful that a family member who has been ill is getting a little bit better this week.A blessing.
LOVE your Anatomy class posts.Reminds me of my nursing school days.I also did not go to nursing school till way after high school—I was 27 when I started, had a 7 year old and married, a busy household to run. It was great—I’ll never forget those years.
Something I did to myself that i would highly caution against: I was always an A student in my youth and felt I had to keep up that pressure on mysel fin nursing school. I would have been MUCH less stressed if I had let myself just slide a little bit here and there and take a B if necessary!! I mostly enjoyed the process,though, and so will you!!
Nursing is a great profession! In my nursing school class, we started with about 30 students.Only 8 of us “survived” the cuts, the curriculum, some didn’t like nursing after all.. so the 8 of us who did graduate were ALL “late” students who were married with children, including one guy. .I think we “older” students know how to buckle down and get things done!!
1. Pentatonix (inspired by @WilliamB)
2. PT that's making me feel better and stronger. I've been to a few PTs over the years, and my current one is my favorite so far, which could be in part because I know how to provide pertinent information better than I used to.
3. Blended schooling: My kids go to school two days a week and I teach them 3 days a week. I've really enjoyed having a few hours each week to take care of appointments and other things that are easier to do when kids aren't around (cleaning out toy room or precious artwork, especially)
4. My son is one step closer to getting a Talker board that has access to the whole English language rather than just 32 words.
5. The cookies (my Great Grandmother's Jumbles) that I'm about to make after I finish up some work. They're the best, and fun to decorate for Christmas.
I came up with one more that is the most important one from this week:
We brough dinner to some refugees that live in our area, and my son (5) asked why were doing it. After a conversation about needing money to buy food, language barriers and a few other things, he said we could make our Christmas smaller to take care of our new friends because "People are more important than presents."
@Kaitlin, your son is a treasure.
@Kaitlin,
Your son's words brought tears to my eyes. You certainly are teaching him well.
@Kaitlin,
Ah! What a sweetheart! Thank you so much for sharing that!
@Kaitlin, you raised him right. And I'm guessing that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Kristen,
Good luck on your final! I have this feeling that you will do really well on it. I am following Lisey's story and am so glad that she is understanding everything better. It must be really difficult to be in a class with almost all men.
My husband is a professor at UCLA. He doesn't give out his cell phone number to any students because he would easily get a 100 text messages every day. He does respond quickly to emails. Seems that most students don't email often (or check their emails often) so he gets less messages that way. Current post graduates seem to need a lot of had holding (my husband is a professor in the Dental School).
Good luck with your last final!
Here's my list:
For the lovely dry, cut, and split old cedar posts that we buy and have delivered for firewood. After many years of doing all the work to get and prepare the wood (mostly on my husband's end), this feels like a great luxury.
For the return to in-person schooling this week. Fingers crossed we make it through last week and the class Christmas parties without another unexpected shut-down.
For the years of experience in the kitchen that make it easy and relatively stress-free for me to make the many gifts I give out this time of year. Everyone loves the bread I make in my sleep now, and those that can't eat bread got homemade Nutella this year. Also popular. 🙂 I love sharing food with people.
For the free hazelnuts I got from a neighbor, which is what inspired me to make Nutella to start with.
For our old horse we got for free because of his advanced age. He is an exceptionally well-trained and calm horse, which makes him perfect for my four-year-old daughter to ride. She LOVES to ride, and this is one of the few horses I've ever known that I trust enough to let a child so small ride so regularly.
Thankful...
...for my NYC BFF, who sent a big box of delightful small presents plus a card that almost made me cry (the good kind of crying). Of all the stars in my sky, she's one of the brightest.
...that one of my older neighbors, who has a hoarding problem, trusts me enough to have let me help her put four bags of newspapers on the curb this week. (I don't use the word "hoarding," of course; I just say, "Gee, can I help you haul some of those newspapers?" Small steps...)
...that my Xmas shopping, as usual, was done long ago. So I can stay home and wrap presents in peace.
...that my yard man/snowblowing wizard is willing and able to repair my back fence, a 10-foot section of which blew down in Monday's strong winds (see my "Fail" from this Tuesday). We seem to have a freak warm spell coming up, so he may even be able to get it done before serious winter sets in.
Good luck on your exam! More pictures please of the abandoned house and the story of your brothers buying it, pretty cool! My town has a lot of old neglected homes, and I would love to do that!
Super happy have found some holiday music on YouTube for solstice. We like a few traditional Christmas songs but they don't fit our religion and between me and hubby we have almost 40yrs in retail so we tend to get tired of a lot of old standbys very quickly.
Thankful that my old chorus teacher will be playing piano for our 5th graders first chorus concert. It's going to seem very normal/ familiar to have him on stage playing.
I'm so happy that you are enjoying your classes!
I'm thankful that:
*my in-laws can come for my son's confirmation this weekend.
*my soon-to-be 10-year-old is so excited about her birthday; I don't get very excited anymore about mine.
*my husband and I were able to go on a date today 🙂
*I've really enjoyed making Christmas presents for family.
*when we went "shopping" in our closet for Christmas presents for our children this week, we only needed to buy 2 more gifts.
*we FINALLY finished the 3000 sq. ft. plastic wrap we bought at Sam's Club more than a decade ago. That monster was taking up so much room. . . and the box was really beat-up. My son had even put a replacement cutter on it from his restaurant job! It might have been the least expensive option per square foot, but I've been waiting for years for it to run out.
*my husband led a good Bible study on Monday AND I was able to attend. It's been so many years that I have had to stay home with little ones.
My mother in law has that same Sam's Club plastic wrap. Ha!
Kristen,
Your blog posts are always filled with delightful photos but this first picture is wild! Followed by your masked image, which is another one for the ages. I can’t wait for the story behind the abandoned house and am so glad for your brother and SIL to have scored a good deal—and also for your ongoing treasure hunt.
Good luck on the final and Yay for Lisey's progress!
Thankful for coffee, a delicious treat every morning that is also nutritious and helps with the energy needed at this busy time of year.
When I walked through this house, I just kept saying, "Oh my word!" because I felt like I was walking through something from those hoarding TV shows. So wild to see it in real life!
Oh, please! I'm dying to know what good stuff you rescue from the house! Please take before and after photos...I love a good trash to treasure post!
Ha! Ha! Kristen, I thought of you when our local weather guy mentioned the coming solstice! I think you are in the majority...
Thankful for:
1. All the brightly decorated houses on our street, a festival of lights. So gorgeous, so cheerful.
2. For my new cardiologist. I was crabby about having to switch providers but she turns out to be terrific.
3. The pound hound. When I am not feeling well and lie down for a nap, he fits himself behind me and stays there until I am ready to get up. The warm body feels good and I can complain to him without worrying that I am boring him.
4. Our local newspaper. So many communities have lost their papers but we continue to have one that keeps the feet of local politicians to the fire on issues big and small.
5. Persimmons, my favorite fruit only available for such a short time and that time is now.
Kristen, kudos to you for being willing to clean out that house. Definitely not my cup of tea but I'm glad some people don't mind doing it.
Thankful my son is home from college! Woohoo!
Thankful for our school administrators/local and state law enforcement for dealing with multiple threats of violence this past week. Our school system was closed for 2 days due to ongoing threats. I can't imagine trying to sort through both people's emotions as well as do the necessary fact-finding to determine where the threats are and how best to handle them and keep everyone safe. (I live on the west side of Michigan and many "copycat" threats have occurred since last week's school shooting on the other side of the state). And this on top of dealing with covid concerns!
Thankful for my husband who was willing to drive a total of 10 hours today go pick up our son from the snowy north.
Thankful for my daughter's ongoing willingness to work hard at everything she does. I think her middle name is perseverance. 🙂
@Kris, I actually worked with someone whose first name was Perseverance. It fit her perfectly but I was glad my parents didn't name me by a quality because I would not have fulfilled any of the nice ones. On the other hand, a college friend was named Chastity and she regularly used to introduce herself to people by saying, "Chastity by name, not by behavior."
I was out of the office most of the day and have been catching up, but I'll just say I'm thankful that it appears I am going down to one vehicle (by choice) so my insurance and other associated costs should drop.
And I'm thankful my bosses don't fuss when I'm out unexpectedly long.
The savings of going down to one car are awesome because the savings are ongoing. Like, every month you are paying less for insurance, registration, etc. So great!
(we are very much not at a one-car stage of life right now! I think we are pretty much at the peak-number-of-cars-on-insurance-policy stage.)
I'm very thankful that my daughter is driving 6 hours tomorrow to come see me walk and get my music degree and, because he's a professor at the same school, my husband gets to hand me my "diploma." (I actually finished in the spring so I already have it.)
Thankful I finally felt better today after days of sinus headaches.
Thankful I easily found a cute Christmas little tree today and for past Kate's splurge on a fancy-pants tree stand that makes putting up and adjusting the tree so incredibly easy. Also thankful that my daughter loves decorating the tree and will happily do that this weekend.
Thankful my husband gave his last final today and now will hopefully be a bit less stressed out.
Thankful for the lovely lady at our county courthouse who let me postpone jury duty that I was called to serve that would have overlapped with the first little bit of a vacation my husband and I have tried to have in about 10 years. We're just driving a couple hours to a tiny house next to some woods, but honestly that sounds idyllic to me right now. We'd already paid for half of it, so all I had to do was email her the receipt and I was cleared.
Awww, yay for a big day tomorrow. Congrats!!!
@Kristen, thank you!
I love that Lindsey got a special shout-out in this post!
Thankful for having a basal cell carcinoma removed without needing stitches this time. Already have my annual skin scan appointment scheduled for next year. That way I don't need to remind myself - or forget - to do it later.
Also thankful for this community of strangers where we can support one another in joy and sorrow and everything in between.
Please show us your finds for Sonia! I love vintage stuff too!
I do hope you'll show the treasure you find.
I'm thankful there are a lot of recipes that use very ripe bananas. We had a few and my daughter had a bunch (literally and figuratively) so I made muffins yesterday and will make bread and/or cookies today.
I'm thankful for Covid boosters and the ready availability of good masks. It may be two steps forward and one step back but things are better than they were one year ago. I'm also thankful that masking is common place, if not required, the places I go. Yesterday I was able to tell a friend about a local walk-in vaccine providing pharmacy after her daughter's appointment was cancelled by a large chain pharmacy. She has a very busy life and had arranged everything so that it was a good time for her to be getting her booster.
Like Kristen, I'm thankful that the winter solstice is almost here. I love more daylight and I'm thankful it begins right before the holidays.
I'm thankful we have not had snow or ice yet this year. I like being able to get out of the house every day.
I am thankful for modern HVAC, a home that keeps out cold, bugs and the like. Also a big shout out to electricity, modern plumbing, refrigeration, and other household appliances.
I'm so glad that you are going back to school. I am also going back to school as a 40 year old mom. It's a much different experience for me than the first time I went to college twenty years ago. My goal is to learn as much as possible, instead of just eeking out a passing grade. I'm really enjoying it. It's nice to have something that is not just taking care of kids and home.
Good luck on the exam!
And I second the requests for pictures (old house)!!
My 5 :
* A great family doctor. They are hard to get where I love (fam. doc), so to have one and that she's great? Double lucky!
* For personnal space at work, and to have good working conditions
* For my 2 amazing daughters. Even tho they might both be on the autism spectrum (we will find out on tuesday for sure for one of them. The other one we are pretty much convinced, but it's harder to have her tested) are both doing well and have a sure potential for a happy productive life
* For being married to a great guy
* For being able to go back to school in january to switch career (eventually).
@Isa,
* where I LIVE, not where I LOVE. But now that I think of it... it is also where I love, aha
I heard Amazon was having some cloud problems and it messed up robot vacuums and some kind of computerized cat litter boxes.
I SO wish I could post pictures here, but link below in case anyone wants to see our kitchen before and after... I think that format will work here. 3 years ago my husband and I bought a house in shambles. We were wearing masks WAAAY before it was cool (to feel safe walking into our new home haha). Luckily most rooms didn't need much more a clean out, heavy scrubdown, and some killz primer before their fresh coat of paint. But the kitchen was a disaster so we demoed it down to the studs before fully rebuilding into our own little dream kitchen. The experience isn't for everyone but if your brother and SIL are willing to put into the work, the ability to see the "bones" of something and turn it into an opportunity to create just what they want is awesome!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/VrbCp12DpU7fAsRP7