Thankful Thursday | and one un-thankful
This week, I am thankful:
that our power went out overnight, not during the day
We had a big storm roll through, and the power went out just as I was going to bed. That's much more convenient than losing power during the day.
And fortunately, the storm brought some cooler air, which meant the house did not get miserably hot overnight. Whew.
I also am grateful nothing fell on our house; many branches and trees in the area came down during this storm!
for the flowers that other people grow
I can appreciate them, and they are zero work for me. 😉
for beautiful skies
I looked up and noticed this one on my way out of the gym!
that this class is over halfway done
Every week is one week closer to graduating! So I celebrate.
This is week ⅝, and I'm mostly done with this week's assignments. Sooooo, there are really only three weeks of work left, and then this class can be tied up with a bow and deposited neatly in my little Classes I Have Completed box.
(This is an imaginary box.)
that next summer, I won't have classes
If all goes according to plan, I will be entirely done with my BSN degree by next summer, which means I will have the summer off, plus the fall and the next spring, and so on. 😉
It's hard to even imagine a life with no schoolwork! It will feel too good to be true.
for air conditioning
I am especially grateful for A/C at night! I hate sleeping in the heat, so I actually turn mine down two degrees at night. 🙂
for budgetary wiggle room
I am very thankful to not be just scraping by anymore. If I want to turn my A/C down a little at night, I can!
for my healthy body
Every day at work, I take care of people whose bodies are struggling in one way or another, and I am reminded to appreciate my health.
I'm glad my body is healthy enough for me to take care of others.
My unthankful: group projects
I am currently in a group project, which is frustrating on several levels.
For one, the instructions are supremely unclear, and the rubrics are unhelpful as well (for instance, the rubric for an outline assignment will say that to get an A grade, you need to "include cutting edge technology", and that makes absolutely no sense for an outline! What even does that mean?? Outlines do not have cutting-edge technology.)
I also am unappreciative of this: I have never been in a group where someone other than me takes the initiative. I would be thrilled to pieces to let someone else lead and move things forward. I would love for a group member to completely outshine me. I would love to merely be a supporting player. JUST ONCE. Sigh.
Thank you for listening to my complaining.
First, Kristen, I dislike group projects for the same reasons you do. Even now, everyone on my street thinks that reviving the street's block party would be a good idea, but (except for the Bestest Neighbors) no one's offering to help--and I no longer have the get-up-and-go or the stalwart DH I used to have. Argh. I'm going to have to get out there and twist some arms.
But here's what I'm thankful for: NDN1's CF and I had a most productive meeting Wednesday morning with a realtor friend of CF's, who took a good look around the house and grounds, and gave us his honest opinion of how much he thinks we should list it for "as is" (which is what CF, I, and NDN1's nephew all want to do). He also texted CF the contact info for his preferred estate sale folks, junk removal service, etc., which she will forward to me.
And it turned out that the realtor had various dealings with my DH over the years in DH's various avatars as remodeling contractor, home inspector, home energy consultant, and university-area landlord, and spoke of him warmly and respectfully. So he really made my day.
That is lovely A.Marie, that you could relive dear memories through such a chance connection.
Agree. Having someone remember our loved ones always feel warm and comforting to me.
That is great news. If I lived closer to you and I drove, I would help you with the block party.
That is all good news. Yay. If I lived closer to you and I drove, I would help u with the block party.
All great news! So happy to hear all of this.
I hear you on the group projects - same boat over here. Each class in my grad program has a significant group project, and so far I have been providing much oomph and communication to make the projects successful. I've tried sitting back and hoping others will step up, but the metaphorical game of academic chicken is stressful when deadlines loom.
Could the cutting edge technology be something AI related for the outline? Like maybe ask AI to take your existing outline and generate an additional relevant topic of interest or find a current event to include, or something similar? Just brainstorming...
Or maybe the outline is meant to discuss/include relevant cutting edge medical technology? I also commiserate with vague instructions for assignments, lol.
Good brainstorming, and the "cutting edge" gives me AI vibes too (but they should just say it if that's what they mean).
Haha as an instructions-giver in school, mine are usually for daily assignments. Sometimes, when I'm really tired, I feel myself being unclear and then freak out internally, like oh no! Must. Be. Clear! All that to say that I agree. It's really important as the educator to give clear instructions and check that students understand those instructions. I am always sad when someone puts in a good faith effort but missed out on the purpose of the assignment bc they didn't do what was intended.
I really hate group work. I understand why it's used but I generally find it frustrating and, at least when I was in high school, one person would take over (in a bossy way, not simply in taking the initiative) and at least one person wouldn't do anything. I probably was that second person a couple of times but at university I was often the person who took the initiative and wound up doing everything (perhaps that was karma lol). So yeah, I hate group work.
Regarding your imaginary box, maybe you could make a real box and fill it with treats to enjoy once the class is over!
Thankfuls:
1. I went to the dentist last week and had no cavities!
2. I'm thankful that I mostly had a relaxing week after getting back from my trip.
3. I finally got round to cleaning out my fridge and I'm really thankful it's done. I took out all the shelves, washed them and scrubbed out the inside. I'm also thankful that I was able to store the food which hadn't gone bad in a coolbag. I did a deep clean of the bathroom after that.
4. I'm looking forward to going to the cinema with a friend later (we're going to see Project Hail Mary).
4. I enjoyed going for a run the other evening; the sky was very dramatic as it was warming up for a thunderstorm and I could see areas where it was starting to rain but the sunset was still coming through the clouds. I had a refreshing swim afterwards.
Unthankful: Hayfever! I hate that whenever I go out I start sneezing. I woke up at 4 AM with a sneezing fit this morning. I didn't even have hayfever as a kid! I am very thankful for antihistamines but hayfever really, really sucks.
Not sure why 4 was put twice! The last one should be number 5 haha.
I guess you should have used some "cutting edge technology" for your outline! 😉
Well done on all those things you accomplished, Sophie. So sorry about the hay fever. Take care-Amy
Thank you! 🙂
This week I am thankful:
* for summer. We are having a very low-key week this week and I'm so thankful to have the extra time at home! But I also loved camping last week and hosting out-of-state family the week before, so I'm really just loving all of June.
* for all the ways my husband made our camping trip great. While I took care of all of the food and packing the younger kids and all of those details, there were a TON of things that he just quietly took care of while we were there in addition to packing up the car and fitting everything in. Plus, he had a great attitude the entire time and that helped set a great tone.
* that it really is turning out that I don't have to take care of our chickens. When we talked about chickens in the spring, I didn't feel like I had the bandwidth to add chicken to my list of responsibilities, but everyone else in the family wanted chickens. I was afraid it would turn into one more thing that I would have to keep fed and alive. But my husband and kids are doing a great job taking care of the chickens and I love the ownership that I'm seeing.
* for time to read. Since I drop my part-time work in the summer to stay home with the kids and most of my volunteer roles (or at least the heaviest one that takes up half of my week) are off for the summer, I get to enjoy some more time to read in the evening. It's delightful.
Maybe slap some hyperlinks into that outline? I dunno…I hear you on the hatred of group projects. They are the worst!
I am sorry about the group project stuff. And the unclear directions. The son who's taking an online summer course right now emailed the professor on Monday about the cumulative project which is explained nowhere. He still hasn't heard back from her.
This week I am thankful:
*for the rain that's falling as I type. I hate dry summers. They make me anxious for water. I like water.
*for the volunteer sunflowers by our front walk. They decided to be taller than I am. My youngest son is also deciding to be taller. He has about 1/8" to go to be taller than his older sister. I guess there's a good chance he'll be like the sunflower (taller than me) by the end of the summer since he's almost 13.
*for my son's girlfriend. I like her. I really want my children to settle down with people I like.
*that the kids' piano recital went well. It was first time around for my youngest, and she did just fine.
*for a good walk with friends last evening.
*that the powers that be finally decided the big bridge in town is nearing the end of its life. Everybody around here knew that already, even without the chunks of concrete falling. Of course, (and here's my not thankful) the initial study to figure out what to do about it is supposed to last until 2029 when they'll decide what to do and when to start fixing the problem. That bridge is on a major traffic route and connects two close communities; if it is not passable, folks have to go very far out of their way to get to work, family, etc. This really should have been thought about earlier.
*I must end on a thankful. I had a little chance to breathe yesterday after all the busyness. That felt good.
Whenever my company wants to be up to date, they throw in something ChatGpt related.
My thankfuls are very much for the abundance of green around our house. And for the family gatherings planned and hosted by our kids. And also for good health and good cheer.
Finally, for the raspberry icecreams that taste just like I remember them from when I was a little kid. So many memories are triggered by smell and taste. The memories triggered by these icecream popsicles are all happy ones.
Unthankfuls will have to wait for some other time!
Group projects always stink for us Type As of the world. I like to get things DONE so they're off my mind and out of my life, but that doesn't mean I want to carry the rest of the group! I really, deeply appreciate that our little library board is not like that--something I was worried about when invited to join. Everyone volunteers ideas, time, and skills (grant writing, labor for events, helping in the library garden, etc.) equally.
My thanks for the forseeable future:
I continue to be deeply thankful that my husband works five blocks away vs. 50 miles. He/we have 10 hours a week back vs. him commuting, to say nothing of gas monies and car maintenance. He's dropped 30+ lbs since starting in March, probably gained an easy 10-15 in muscle, and it's not like his previous job as a cemetery grounds keeper was sedentary! Neither of his doctors want him to ever leave the lumber yard, his numbers and overall health are so improved on top of what we'd already been consciously working on (diet, excercise, necessary meds) for years. For his part, my husband enjoys work life much as he did at the cemetery: Give him a task, Audible or YouTube lectures on ancient history, and away he goes!
Thankfuls:
1) We enjoyed a few days away in the mountains for my birthday. The weather was much cooler than we’ve been having, our AirBnB was perfect, and we met some lovely people along the way.
2) While we were gone on said trip, we had some much needed major electrical work done at our house.
3) I love cardinals and we have two “couples” who live in the trees around our yard. As I write this, I am looking out at one pair flitting about in our crepe myrtle.
4) A/C! I am so thankful for a/c in the hot weather we’ve been having. We also lower the temp a couple degrees at night as neither of us can sleep well when it’s warm in the house.
5) Our county’s Active Living Centers. We recently became “members” (just signed up and went through orientation) so that we can use the free gym facilities, along with attending various health/wellness related classes.
The hedge across the street between the Bestest Neighbors and their next-door neighbors to the north has hosted so many cardinal pairs over the years that I call it the College of Cardinals. And I envy you your county's Active Living Centers. Nothing like those here. I know I should join a gym soon to get me through next winter and the rest of my active life, but everything around here is "pay to play."
A. Marie,
Does your health insurance offer coverage for Silver Sneakers? My Medicare advantage plan does and it covers the cost of membership at the YMCA where I attend the Silver Sneaker classes.
I think it might; I'll look into that. Thanks, LDA.
I have the United Health Care Medicare Advantage Plan, and its Renew Active program pays for my membership and classes. One of the few great things about being older!
My area has a nice senior center that is part of a municipality but open to anyone in the area for a reasonable annual fee (which my Medicare Advantage plan pays for. They offer many different exercise classes that are extra, but very reasonably priced.
When I was in another city for an extended period of time I found a terrific yoga studio which offered a variety of classes. They had a special where you could try an unlimited number of classes within a 10 day period for a flat fee. I wish we had something like that in my hometown- it was so well done, clean and enjoyable to be part of their community while I was there. I recently was back in that area and did 3 drop in classes.
I love summer rain/storms. I’m glad it didn’t interfere too much with your life.
Thankfuls
-living near so many trails. I’ve been soaking up all the outdoor time I can get It’s life giving.
-strength-I rearranged my living room by myself yesterday and I was happy to be able to do it by myself. That hasn't always been the case.
-the water. I live near a lake and it really is the prettiest thing in summer. And all the seasons. I find myself making my way to the water’s edge pretty often to dip my toes in or stare at the beauty. It’s one of my happy places.
-feeling refreshed enough I don’t need coffee to get through the day. Summer is the only time of year my life is very sustainable and it’s nice to have that break.
-my kids. It is really fun to watch them grow and start seeing the world through new lens while still playing hard and being energetic. They’re incredible people.
On group projects:
In order to find the other leaders in your group, you have to be willing to fail the project.
This was the lesson I’ve learned in nursing school! We had a group project that just wasn’t worth that many points, so I was willing to do the absolute minimum. I didn’t step up when the groups were assigned. I waited to see what my other classmates would do. One of them really knocked it out of the park! But she’s quite shy, so she doesn’t put herself forward initially. Because I backed completely off, and she wanted the points, she (very hesitantly at first!) started the initial meeting off with some gentle suggestions that eventually morphed into assigning us roles, following up on whether we were getting work done in the shared document, scheduling time to practice our presentation, etc.
I’ve started trying to really pay attention to the less outgoing folks around me - there are some gems out there, if I just hold back a bit at the beginning!
Ohhhh, this is so interesting. So you have to sorta wait it out and see if someone "calls your bluff", in a sense?
So true. I am not a go getter but when something important needs to be done, I am on it.
Thankful for rain--we needed it! For a safe and enjoyable trip to the other side of the state to attend a family member's graduation party. These events always turn into a mini family reunion, and it's nice to gather for something fun, not for a funeral. For my new DIL finding a job in the town that she and my son have recently moved to. For the opportunity to host her overnight and to spend some one-on-one time together. For a fun and productive praise team rehearsal last night--I'm dipping my toes into getting more involved, and last night's group gelled well, and we even sounded ok! 😉
Thankfuls:
** My "mini" spatula. I picked one up at the thrift store a long while ago, thanks to Kristen's recommendation, and I seriously do not know how I lived without one before! It is fantastic, I use it all the time.
** Big thanks to whomever recommended in a prior post to wash my (sports) bra in the shower, what a brilliant suggestion. This is my "walking" sports bra and I only have 2 of them, they have straps placed in such a way that they do not slip off my shoulders while walking.
** Our healthcare system, it was a week of appointments. I had my two-yearly mammogram, all is good. The healthcare team were absolutely fantastic, and I also have to give a shoutout to the volunteers, someone always helps me with the self registration process which I find somewhat confusing. Also my HB saw his haematologist for a checkup of his CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia which is a blood cancer), he is stable, still considred a Stage 0 (zero), for which I am hugely grateful.
** For my financial advisor, he is a rock star! At some point in my working life I had a Government job (4 years) and signed up for the pension plan. It is minimal at best, but I have opted for a payout (age 65), and my F.A. helped me with the roll-over of the money into my RRSP (registered retirement savings plan); he even came over to my house last evening to pick up the papers and for signings (granted, I am on his way home, but it is very helpful when he can stop by).
** For the C.P. charity (Cerebral Palsy); they called me and are doing a pickup of electronics and batteries; HB fixes electronics and has a lot of electronic parts no longer needed, so this is a service that is very useful to me. Plus it saves me a trip of taking my used batteries in to Staples.
** and lastly, as someone mentioned above, I have a pair of Cardinals who live nearby, and seeing their bright red/orange colour is just beautiful. Also, the dove couple are back, this makes my heart sing.
I am incredibly grateful the tornadoes missed us again yesterday. Many people have not been so lucky. We have already had over 140 tornadoes in 2026 here in Illinois! I grew up in the Midwest US, but this been a lot on the nerves!
Today I am especially thankful for the twin nieces we connected with two years ago through a DNA search. They are the grown daughters of my husband's estranged brother. They never had a relationship with their father or anyone on our side of the family, which is very sad, but we have really connected with them.
We have two nephews who never contact us. And we have two other nieces who are very sweet and we always hear from on holidays -- but they are very busy women with jobs and children and a big, close family all around them. We aren't a part of their day-to-day lives. But these nieces were eager to connect with family and it has been a delight to visit occasionally and to text back and forth multiple times a week. We just returned from a visit with them and their spouses and children, and it's become a really easy, warm relationship between all of us, for which I'm very thankful.
That is really lovely to read about. Estrangements are common and painful for families--but reconnections of this sort aren't always talked about. Thanks for doing it.
I think group projects were created to train us not to kill other people when they say, "Oh is that due next hour, day, week? I was once edged out of a group because we had been doing 4 people groups and for this last project she wanted us to be in 3 people groups. At first it was like getting picked last in gym class. Then all I could think about was how I didn't get stuck with the other group who made me do 50% of the work on the other 3 projects. It helped that my new group got an A+ and my table group got a B+. And yes I had to continue to sit in my assigned spot. I had a conflict with the other "adult" in this table group. I don't remember any of their names 10 years later, but I am still friends with the other 2 outcasts from that class project.
Outcasts unite! 😉 That's a great story about how you ended up doing less work and got a better grade and came out of it with 2 lasting friendships.
THIS exactly! I wondered if my professor did it on purpose. A lot of group got lower grades on this assignment and the fun of it was she graded us and then the rest of the class graded us.
This week I am thankful for….
• My mammogram result can back and everything is as it should be.
• The rain! It helped cool things off after a hot week.
• Balance. My son is on his way out of town with his dad for a weekend tournament. While I am a little sad I won’t be there this time, I am happy he will be spending this time with his dad (over Father’s Day weekend!) and that not everything is on me in terms of parenting.
• I was able to see some out of state family last weekend at a graduation party.
• As always, thankful for good books and puppy snuggles.
Woohoo! I have a routine one scheduled for Monday and hopefully it'll be as smooth as yours. 🙂
I’m with you on group projects!! I took some education classes after college, and we had so many group projects!! In all fairness, my classmates all pulled their weight.
But I spent so much time driving all over the county to meet at people’s houses to work on the project. I would have much rather used it on writing research papers or practice lesson plans or pretty much anything, especially since my classes were geared to teaching high school.
Looking at the one assignment I wonder if 150 to 250 words would be enough. Sounds like a challenge.
Group projects… yeah. When returned to school as an adult for my OT degree I often found myself in the lead role. Frankly we had a third of the class in a similar age group and we all seemed destined to be the lead.
Thankfuls:
-Slowly recovering from a fall in Ireland while on vacation. My shoulders and neck have not been happy.
-For the staff at my neurosurgeon’s office. I went to ER when we returned home. They did a really cursory evaluation of the scans that I had done. I have a very complicated back history and multiple surgeries. My surgeon’s office ordered more testing to get a better idea of any sustained damage.
-For my husband arranging the trip. We have had a very stressful year. One adult child is having interpersonal problems and also distancing himself. This trip helped to have our focus concentrated and diverted which is helping to lift the depression for us. Situation still exists but husband and I feel a bit better.
-For our three year old granddaughter, a bundle of energy
-For the ability and energy this week to get back to making and packing meals for those who can’t. I have fatigue issues related to a connective tissue condition so having the energy to spend a few hours doing this was an accomplishment.
That was my first thought too, and then I realized that was the word requirement for the abstract. The rest of the assignment is multiple pages of requirements for a powerpoint presentation. It's not due for two more weeks, but it's such a huge project, I have been working on it for a while. I have all my material pulled together in a Word document and now I just have to make it all into a Powerpoint (with cutting edge visuals, of course. Ha.)
If it wasn't a school project for a grade, I would just put a picture of a pair of scissors cutting the edge of a piece of paper or something, LOL. Hey, that's what they asked for!
You are a genuine born leader. It is in your DNA. I am a follower. INHO too many people want to be leaders and they are not good at it. You are naturally GREAT. Look what you created out of NOTHING.
I am grateful for you, for my m-i-l who probably celebrated her last birthday yesterday. 93, she has horrible pain, survived leukemia for 4 years. 4 boys were there. One lives in Arizona and had to rush home to his fifth grandchild being born soon. One lives in Israel, One in NYC and one lives with her. She was home finally after 3 months of shuttling from hospital to rehab and then back to hospital and then rehab.
So I have a complaint too. My husband's twin has been taking care of his mom for a good long time. But his family (mother included) don't think he can care for himself when G-d forbid she goes. What is their solution? Hubby and I and our two kids give up our lives to move to Westchester to take care of twin. We lived there during COVID and I was miserable. My kids don't want to leave their friends or their schools. It is a DISASTER.
Oof, that sounds like a very hard situation with your extended family! I hope there is a solution that doesn't involved you moving where you don't want to go.
Thanks.
Oof, I’m sorry that is the conversation. Our family just went through Alzheimer’s with my dad and managing care when others can’t care for themselves is a heavy lift.
Would it be out of the question for the twin to move to you? Your entire family dynamic will be impacted plenty already caring for another adult. Perhaps that could be the “line in the sand”? We will take on the care, but he needs to move to us….
Apologies if it is too presumptuous to recommend something. Hoping for a peaceful solution for your family.
That is the problem he won't even visit NYC.
I appreciate all the advice I have ever received here in this bright spot on the internet.
Anita,
I’m sorry that options seem so scarce. 🙁
Count me in on loathing every single group project ever. I would capitalize that sentence, but that annoys me.
Thankful that the adorable itty bitty skunk that I found in the back yard last night did not know how to stink yet. Grateful that it was alone, the dog or cats didn't engaged it...it was adorable.
We do not have cardinals in the PNW, but I do have Western Tanagers, Grosbeaks and my favorite Western Bluebirds.
The summer concert series begins today in a town nearby. Our ranch is 25 miles from towns in three directions, so we take advantage of all their activities.
The hot air balloon that silently flew over the house this morning. So colorful.
Group projects were not for me. Stay strong!
Ugh, so sorry your prof is so unclear. Sounds like they are using some kind of boilerplate rubric annd directions and not even seeing if they align with the goals of the project. As a college professor who works really hard on this sort of thing, it is hard to see when students don't get the support they deserve. And yes. I often do group work in my classes but I usually make it an option for bigger projects rather than a requirement. Some students love to work with others and really thrive when they do, while others just want to put their heads down and do it their own way. Since I know I have gotten them all to work productively with others in smaller ways throughout the term, I am ok letting them choose what's best for them for the projects...
I'm sorry about the group project...they were the anathema of all my education.
Thankful for:
1. My sweet little Sally sparrow who visits my feeder daily.
2. My elephant ear bulb has finally emerged about 2 inches.
3. A visit from my niece and great niece yesterday.
4. DH refreshed my supply of my favorite snacks (cheesy popcorn puffs.)
5. Daughter sent me latest Ruth Ware novel.
Have a great day to all!
Today I am thankful:
1. That it's so cool and there are no storms. We have sunshine, even!
2. That I'm going to cut cable today, switch my Internet provider, and save a lot of money!
3. That I am having a lazy morning, not having to go anywhere. And I have a plan for getting errands done tomorrow!
4. That I have leftovers to eat, so there's no cooking today!
5. That I'm feeling better after a couple of days of digestive upsets and poor sleep.
My kids have lots of group projects at school, and also there it ends up with 90% of group members slacking and 10% working like mad. I find this should - at least in the school/college setting - be heavily moderated where everyone needs to demonstrate what they contributed to the project and be quizzed on its contents. (rant over)
I am thankful for my kids being so confident in spreading their wings in a crazy world. Your empty nester post @Kristen resonated with me on several levels.
I am thankful for summer solsitice here in the UK we only have about 5 hours of darkness. I love the late late nights and the super early mornings. The light is so beautiful at 4am.
I am thankful for my little garden that is producing lots of vegetables already. Chard and salads a-plenty.
I am thankful that I managed to reconnect with an old friend I had lost contact with and we were able to pick up where we left off.
I am thankful for my job security as I just have received the news that my funding has been approved until after 2030! Yay!
I hear you on those group projects! Someone once said the best committees consist of 3 members, 2 of which are absent. I believe it!
In my teacher training, I once got stuck on a group project where we had a Little Miss Know It All who insisted on taking charge. Wouldn't let the rest of us fully participate. And guess what? The day of the presentation, she skipped class. Grrrr....(I later heard she'd gotten fired from her first teaching job. In the first semester!)
My thankfuls:
--For Mrs. Garcia in West Virgina, a very sweet and efficient IRS agent who helped me with my problem.
--For the Wells Fargo customer service phone operator who took every precaution so that I wouldn't be charged for Amazon Prime, which I wanted to cancel after a bookseller tried to slap a $73 shipping charge onto my $27 used book.
--That my new WF credit card with a new number was Fedexed to me so that I have it when I go to the oral surgeon today. (So glad they didn't try to send it via their Wells Fargo stagecoach, LOL!) [For those of you in other countries, the Wells Fargo bank was begun during the days of the Old West, so they often shipped money and such to California or wherever by stagecoach; they still have the stagecoach with a team of horses as their trademark.]
--For the Commentariat, and esp. Central Ca. Artist Jana, for suggesting I order my book from eBay. I did, and I got a better deal.
--For the person, unknown to me, who left Barak Obama's book, "A Promised Land," in the Little Free Library this week. I got a brand-new hardback book for free. The former President is a terrific writer, and I highly recommend it!
--For getting to read my book out on the patio; the weather isn't so bad that I can't go out there and turn on the fan and enjoy being outdoors. Yesterday I stayed out there until past 2 p.m., almost unheard of in a Texas summer. I went out there again this morning.
For those who celebrate it, here's wishing you a good Juneteenth!
Happy Juneteenth! And what a find in the LFL! I watched the opening celebration for the Presidential Center today-I thought it was great.
Cutting edge technology for an outline? Try a web. I used to teach my students to use Inspiration to make outlines/webs to organize information. Then again, I'm retired. Does Inspiration even exist nowadays? 🙂
Group projects were always the WORST. I will be elated for you when you are finished with your degree!
I am incredibly thankful l was able to have back surgery yesterday after 4 long months of being almost housebound with an injury.
My mom has been ill the last 6 months and l caught her when she was about to fall but in the process, l bulged discs in my back and pinched the nerve at the my L4/L5 vertebrae. I partially lost the use of my leg and was in constant pain, going from dancing, hiking and walking 7 days a week to not being able to walk more than a few yards or even drive.
I went through all the conservative treatment options required by my insurance before being able to choose the most wonderful, compassionate and gifted surgeon after getting several opinions, so l could choose the treatment option and surgeon with which l felt comfortable. I am so thankful l did that, because the last surgeon l met was the one for me. And he is also a concert violinist, which sealed the deal. A musical mind and heart are a wonderful thing indeed.
I am in pain today in my back, but l still can scarcely believe that the constant sciatic pain shooting through my butt, down my leg, through the ankle and foot is GONE! Magically gone! I want to pinch myself.
I will never again take for granted being able to take a walk or get dressed on my own, or to dance.
And l am thankful for a great husband and daughter who are taking great care of me.
So glad things worked out well for you. May you have a full and speedy recovery.
Many thanks to you for the well wishes. I appreciate them!
Tomorrow is my colonoscopy, which means today is clear liquids and later, prep. I’m grateful for the flexibility to be able to get my colonoscopy, and that it’s a preventative screening and not because there’s an issue. I’m grateful to have insurance that will cover 100% of it and am grateful that the items for prep were not very expensive and were covered under my FSA funds. I’m also very grateful for my daughter who is taking off a day of work to take me to get it.
I’m thankful for the extra walks my husband and I are able to fit into our schedules daily. We’re also doing tai chi workouts each day as well as our twice-a-week social dancing. So thankful. ( I’m not losing any weight as a result of all this so I’m lamenting that but at least my husband is steadily losing so for that, we’re both grateful).
Thankful for a special lunch with my daughter.
Thankful for a time scheduled this Saturday to gather with our son, his wife and their son.
Thankful my husband is closer to retirement now by going to a 3-day work week easing into full retirement. We’ll see how we do financially now before choosing the date for full retirement.
I always LOATHED group projects. I won't elaborate - too many things I dislike about them to number!
I am thankful for the absolutely PERFECT weather today! Emery summer day should be like this one - low humidity, high of 75⁰F, much of sin and clouds and a light breeze. Just a glorious day!
I'm also thankful for my electric bike (pedal assist only - no throttle). Hills? What hills? LOL!
And that I'm going on a group bike ride on Saturday, followed by my church's annual picnic - IF the weather cooperates!
And for my new stove - it's really nice!
EVERY, not emery - good grief.
Love that 'sin' is a part of your perfect day 😉
Group work is always awful. Nobody cares about your grade as much as you do, and there's always at least one person who does NOT pull their weight. So annoying! Any professor who think it "builds teamwork skills" is delusional. It teaches the slackers they can get away with stuff and the responsible group members that they have to work extra hard to make up for them.
I had to study group dynamics when I was in my undergrad program, and the bottom line is that people tend to be who they are going to be--they don't really change. The claim was that all of the members of the group and their roles contributed to an effectively functioning group. I don't think so!
Loving this weekly check-in! This week, I’m so thankful for:
• Relaxing summer days spent with my husband and girls.
• The absolutely perfect weather—cool breezes, sunshine, and clear blue skies!
• Our public library for keeping the girls entertained with awesome activities like the fossil dig, scavenger hunt, and nature in a jar.
• My amazing husband, who loves me unconditionally, faults and all.
Group projects are the worst (coming from someone who also always ends up as the organizer). I don't need the skill of working with difficult or lazy people, thank you very much.
My thankfuls:
• Cold showers! Ha! A friend of mine moved into a house with a rain catchment only system and her water is always hot in the summer. She said she misses cold showers after a workout. And while my showers end hot, I do agree on the option to cool down.
• That my nearby stores sell half melons. Much more manageable for small households! I have cut up and shared with neighbors in the past, but my current neighbors work at the hospital at weird hours and I never know when to catch them awake.
• Friends. It's been a rough week and I have leaned heavily on my friends.
• Butterflies.
• Cool mornings and evenings. They're rare right now and I am always delighted when they happen.
I am sorry about the group projects, Kristen. I always hated those and didn't ever understand the point of them. I wanted to be graded on MY work and let everyone else be graded on theirs. Anyway...
Thankful that my little 86 year old mom has (finally) decided to get hearing aids! Also thankful that her vision & hearing rider on her dental insurance will reimburse her $1,000 towards the cost, AND thankful that she can get a decent price at Costco with a 180 day return policy.
Thankful for A/C, and for free nights from 8pm-8am. It is VERY hot right now where I live.
Thankful for a weekly lunch out with my mom. She always pays and lets me do the tip, which allows me to tip generously, which I always do in cash.
Thankful that I have a salt water pool in the community where I live. Since our community is mostly seasonal folks here for the winter, I can often get the pool to myself on summer evenings, which is a real treat.
Thankfuls:
This week I hot to attend my oldest grandson's graduation from both high school and with an AA from the local community college.
That we got to drive down to Eugene, Oregon the next day for my oldest granddaughters graduation (a Master's in Speech and Language Disorders - she will be a Speech language pathologist at just barely 23!)
That we got to have dinner with a classmate from high school and his wife the night before graduation in Oregon.
That despite it being 96 degrees and an outdoor graduation, the audience had shade and none of the grads passed out.
That we were able to fit everything into the moving truck today and my oldest daughter and her family got on the road to move to their new town/state.
That my crazy schedule is slowing down soon...after tiling bathrooms in a house we are selling, putting moldings in and painting at my daughter's, graduations, taking my uncle to his cardiac ablation and all of the ensuing appointments, getting hundreds of dahlia tubers in the ground, plus working three 12 hour night shifts each week, I have a trip to meet my daughter and family Saturday to help them unpack and a trip to NH to visit my mom and brother...life should be relatively calm for the last 6 weeks of summer. Fingers crossed.
Unthankfuls: the school knew temps were slated to be 98 degrees and did nothing to mitigate the exposure to staff and students who sat in full sun for the 2 hr ceremony at 1 PM, and the pre-grad practice. I've never seen a graduation where so many student got up willy nilly during the ceremony to get water, ice, shade etc. They ended up postponing and moving the remaining ceremonies.
That all of my grandkids (6) are moving away in one fell swoop! I'm happy for their new adventure, but devastated at the changes that will come from it (holiday and biryhday celebrations, our traditional girl's lunches for our birthdays and Mother's day, not being able to attend their sports events etc.
Oh group work, the most distinctly unhappy part of completing studies. I'm so sorry. May you get that "just once" experience more than once. (It happened once to me in college, one of my very last classes too & I was SO shocked. Delighted. And unsure of my new role to play ha!) Props for carrying all the teams!
When being assigned group projects in school or even now in the adult world working on projects or having meetings, so many times the thought strikes me - is this how people actually function???? Sorry you have to pull more than your weight to get anything on track.
Especially love that sky pic, wow!!
Thankful:
- That yesterday's meeting for work went well and got all parties on the same page.
- For a week that wasn't very stressful.
- For lower humidity days earlier in the week.
- For all that we have access to (products, information).
- For an awesome meal at a local burger place.
Although this is not terribly helpful, I feel inclined to share my petty group project story from when I was a "freshman" in one of my pre-req classes (it was English 102). At the time, I was a 'mature'/returning student (I was 39, if I remember correctly), and was paired with two others who were either the same age as my oldest or maybe a year or two older. Because I was the "mom" of the group, they essentially left it to me to carry the entire group, which was beyond frustrating. Despite talking to my professor about it (that's another story), the message conveyed to me (by said professor) was that I was essentially"out of luck." So, in response, I elected *not* to participate in/complete the final group project/assignment. Mostly because the greatest percentage of our grade was based on our end-of-semester paper, the last group assignment wasn't significantly weighted, and I was willing to take the hit. (But also, I wasn't their mom. ) And take a hit, I did, since neither of the others managed to do anything about the assignment (like absolutely nothing-they'd expected me to carry us, again). Yes, it was petty, but it was also my first semester back after being gone for more than 20 years, and I was juggling being a full-time mom to my teenagers and being newly divorced, so it was "a lot." To be honest, though, I could chalk it up to all those things, except it's been almost 10 years, and I still don't regret it. >.<
Argghhhh, the group projects! I am sometimes tempted to go back to school, then I think of group projects and I'm suddenly much more appreciative of my current job!