Thankful Thursday | for a sunny bedroom
This week, I am thankful:
for how sunny my bedroom is
The shifting of the fall sun has meant my bedroom is getting a lot of bright sunshine, and I like this!
for no exams this week
I think I already said this in last week's post, but MAN I am so happy to have a break from exams.
I've actually gotten ahead on my chemistry homework now. Yay!
And this is in spite of the way my cat is always getting in the way of me doing homework.
It cannot be comfortable to sit this close to the edge.
that I only have a few more weeks of lab left
I have two more weeks of actual lab sessions, I think, and then the last week that's a final exam.
Microbiology lab is a lot of work, and having that off my plate will help a ton.
for fall colors
As I have been driving and walking this week, I have been noticing how colorful the world is right now.
It's a fleeting beauty, so I'm soaking it in before the gray of winter arrives.
for the fun of seeing changes in the woods
Yesterday I went to a trail I haven't been to for about two months and whoa, it was a whole different experience.
Last time, the trees were green and full, and now the leafy foliage is thinner and yellower, there are cool fungi to see, and some of the unpassable trails are now walkable since some of the grasses have thinned/died.
I love to watch how the seasons change a trail!
for my blue Converse
I feel pretty happy when I look down at them. 😉
for encouragement from my professor
My microbiology professor left me a nice note when she graded a writing assignment, and that made my heart happy.
for an upcoming writing assignment
Unfortunately, most of my schooling does not involve essay writing. This is a shame because writing is kinda my thing.
But our next assignment in psychology is an essay and I think that should be pretty easy for me. 😉
for my chest freezer
I am so, so happy to have a chest freezer again! I like the extra space and I love not having to worry about freezer burn.
for Fridays off
When I was in college after high school, the class options were Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday.
But now I have Monday-Wednesday and Tuesday-Thursday (I think this may have switched during the pandemic?)
Regardless, this means that I have zero classes on Fridays, and I give this a 10/10 rating.
Things that make me smile when I think of them:
- My dog, who is getting even cuter. He'll often put his paw on me when I try to move away, and sometimes he'll crawl up to lie next to me along the couch and rest his head on my shoulder instead of curling up at the other end.
- Cooler weather, which makes walking during the work day more practical (no sweating).
- Pulling out of the fog of the last 6 weeks. It was to be expected but I'm happy that I now have the intrinsic motivation to cook, start getting caught up on mail, and other usual life chores.
- Being surrounded by books when I work from home. Even after all this time it makes me smile.
- Not a smile thing exactly but I'm grateful for it: yesterday I had no appointments on the calendar and there were no paper emergencies or papers to assemble/sign for my impending house purchase. It was disconcerting and I kept wondering what I'd forgotten.
@WilliamB, I'm glad you are, as you say, pulling out of the fog. Also, having a quiet day with no outstanding urgent things to attend to is a gift. My mom died in March of 2021 and my son was a high school senior at the time, so life was very busy. When things finally settled down, I had an ongoing sensation that I was forgetting to do something or that I had forgotten an appointment. It took awhile to settle into my new normal. All to say .... the adjustment takes awhile, but it does eventually come.
@WilliamB,
Also glad to see you're pulling out of the fog, and that life is beginning to resume for you. I have had a ton of appointments this week, and I *almost* forgot one scheduled for today after work...the struggle is real. Fortunately, none of my appointments required papers, documents, etc.
@WilliamB, your comment made me smile—first that you’re pulling out of your fog, then because of the image you drew off your dog’s Caringness for you.
I’m thankful for spending yesterday asleep on the couch, beneath our cats. I’ve been feeling run-down/not-quite-sick and have a busy weekend ahead, so I declared a Nap Day. Our feline trio took their role as nap supervisors very seriously and made sure I didn’t move for hours at a time. Given that they were all shelter cats to start with, it’s always gratifying when they plop with purpose on one’s person.
@N, I love this.
"Meow...I think meowbe you are working too hard...meow...I will sacrifice my own comfort to sit here and remind you to pet me...meow..."
Teehee. She's so cute.
This week I am thankful for a boss that I like and the opportunity to have my observation during a week where I have time to feel prepared. I am also thankful for a house full of food and a tank full of heating oil that was delivered this week and cost less than I was expecting. Finally, I'm thankful that the weather is still mild and I haven't needed to use any of that precious oil yet.
I am thankful that my son’s wedding is over and it was lovely. I’m especially thankful that the rehearsal dinner that I hosted didn’t even have a hiccup. It was perfect.
I am thankful for the beautiful Fall weather. People often say there aren’t seasons in Florida, but there are. The weather changes from sweltering to bearable. The light also changes and often I can turn off the AC.
I am thankful that my younger son has been accepted to the graduate program of his choice. He is a late bloomer, but I am happy that he is finally finding his way.
I am grateful for the family and friends who have shared so much with me over the last few months. There has been a lot going on, but their love and support has prevented me from having a total meltdown.
I’m thankful that my dearest and oldest friend had moved back to Florida. It is a friendship that we have kept going for 35 years. It’s so wonderful to have her in my life on a regular basis.
Wishing everyone peace and good health.
@Bee, Haha, I agree 100%, Florida does have seasons. I've been opening my patio doors in the mornings to get some cool air into our home, and it's wonderful.
@Brooke, amen to that! I’ve noticed some beautiful fall colors in the trees lately and it makes me smile! Not having to run the AC is a total blessing!
Bee, Brooke, Haley,
Our dogwood tree is turning red and our pear tree is turning yellow, and I love it. No A/C for me, either!
@Bee, is your son who hiked the trail the one who just got married or the one who was just accepted to the graduate program? I remember enjoying reading about his adventures. What an accomplishment.
Congratulations on both sons' news. And for your sweet new grandbaby!
@BJS, Thank you for your kind words. It’s been quite a year! You have a great memory. My younger son is the long distance hiker and climber. He hiked the Appalachian and the Pacific Trail. He has been accepted into a GIS/ Glacier Research program. Life is funny. 10 years ago I would never have guessed that he would take this path. My oldest was married this past weekend.
In no particular order:
For more time off to look forward to. I had last week off of work and have some time in November.
For a couple birthday notices from people. I didn't really get any presents and I didn't have a party but it was nice to be remembered at least a little bit.
For the FAO Schwarz fox that was given to me for my birthday even though my daughter has mostly taken it away from me.
For my sketchbooks and being able to draw/doodle in them.
That we don't get Trick or Treaters. I k know other people love this and that's fine. For me it's just stressful. So I'm glad we live rural enough to avoid it.
@Battra92, I'm the same way about trick or treaters -- it must be my introverted soul. The dog goes crazy every time the doorbell rings, we have few kids in the neighborhood but we are generous folks so people drive in with van-loads of children, it's expensive, I always run out, blah blah blah. Last year I locked up and took the dog for a good long walk, then spent an hour at the bookstore . . . just call me a Halloween Scrooge!
@Jean, My mom grew up in a family that did not celebrate Halloween. She pushed it HARD on my siblings and myself. They were okay with it but I was pretty hostile against it (I didn't like the scary costumes, dressing up, walking all over the neighborhood, talking to people etc. )
So yeah, I don't blame you for not taking part.
@Battra92,
I am hoping for some trick or treaters because we are new to the neighborhood and I want to meet more of the neighbors. (I'm too shy to just turn up on their doorstep.) Our neighborhood doesn't have streetlights so we are not likely to have many trick or treaters . . . and then I get to eat the rest of the candy. It's only a small bag of mini snickers but I am really excited about the idea of getting to eat a few.
@Battra92, it was my dad's birthday so we were never home to give out candy. I love giving candy to the kids who come to our apt. they are all so appreciative. the little ones have such cute costumes.
@Battra92, I was a very young child in the 1950s in New York city and lived in one of those giant brick apartment buildings. We trick or treated to the other apartments, but I never heard of that term, "trick or treat." We said, "Anything for Halloween?" And I don't remember any costume wearing, either. It was a shock when we moved to California.
I had a Mon/Wednesday class in the 90s. While my PA state university wasn't a school with large numbers who left each weekend, no one really wanted to be in class at 330 on a Friday afternoon. So, M/W from 330-445 it was!
I started a caregiver support/training class this week, and I'm so thankful for it. It's such a boost to me emotionally to have found support in this group and in my small group from church.
I'm thankful for my small group leader. She's such an optimist and a lover of Jesus.
I'm thankful for getting a walking boot for a potential stress fracture in my foot. Although it's cumbersome, it feels about 100x better than walking in my regular shoes.
I'm thankful to have started planning a small celebratory trip for my 50th birthday in a couple months. And I'm thankful for my husband, who wants me to have this trip. ❤️
--Like you, I am always thankful for the four-day week my children have at school. The state is trying hard to compel extra days in the school year, which for our school would almost certainly mean going some Fridays, and that is a depressing prospect. Hard to go back to five days when you're used to four.
--That our bus run is so much shorter this year. I ride the school bus (my husband is the bus driver) to get to and from work at the school, which is great when it comes to saving gas, but I really do not enjoy it. Because then I'm the bus aide, and it's just an extension of my work day. Last year we had some kids that were way out there on the range, and the bus ride was an hour every morning and again in the afternoon. Entirely on bumpy dirt roads. This year it's 30 minutes, and half of that is on a paved road. Yay for getting an hour of my life back.
--For the freeze. I'm always ready to be done with garden work and food preservation by the time we finally get our first freeze. This one wasn't hard enough to kill the lettuce or dill, either, which was a nice benefit. There's no preserving lettuce, so I can just enjoy that fresh until a really hard freeze.
--For our propane furnace. We've been having trouble getting our normal supply of wood so far, so we've been running the furnace in the morning. Wood heats our home better and more efficiently, but I'm very grateful we have an alternative.
--For the good cheddar my sister brought, and the Finncrisp rye crackers I impulsively bought online. It's been years since I've had melted sharp cheddar scooped up with rye crisps, and they are just as delicious as I remember.
@kristin @ going country, I LOVE Finncrisp rye crackers! My budget grocery store that I love carries them, here a box costs $3.77 Canadian. But last time they had an offer for buy 2 and get them for $3.00 per box. I did not know this until it rang up at the cashier.
The light in your bedroom is beautiful, and the light in your second picture, slightly blue outside with colour coordinated PC screen and vase, is very pretty too (blue offset with the warm amber glow of the lamp?light and the flowers).
This week I am very thankful that we will soon have running tap water again. Nothing like a bit of inconvenience to make you appreciate everyday luxuries!
I am so happy to have a very kind brother in law who sends me lovely short letters in Spanish to help me learn the language.
And one of our recurrent joys at the moment is the way the small garden birds peck away at the sunflower seeds, that we dried from our own sunflowers this summer.
I'm extremely thankful that DH's new insulin pump and transmitter arrived yesterday and since we've met our out-of-pocket max, it didn't cost us anything. So much better than paying $650 to replace the transmitter I accidently threw away.
I'm thankful DH is replacing the rotten deck steps himself, saving us $700 to $900. DH has lots of medical issues, so the process is slow but he's getting it done.
I'm thankful our son's prescription for Auvi-Q was filled. There are only two pharmacies in our area that carry it. Hope he doesn't need it anytime soon, but glad he has the Auvi-Q since no pharmacy in our area could fill his EpiPen prescription.
I'm thankful that our son's rescue cat is becoming more comfortable while staying with us temporarily.
I'm thankful for the fall colors. There is a tree outside my office window that is gorgeous shade of yellow right now.
I think I may have mentioned dad was placed in an assisted living facility then caught covid. He passed last week but I am thankful he is pain free in heaven. I will miss him.
His military service was nice, he would have been proud & the weather was beautiful. He was WWII vet.
Thankful that my feral found his heated pad.
@Mar,
I am so sorry for your loss. Wishing you peace and comfort as you miss your dad.
@Mar, My sympathies on your dad's passing
@Mar, sending condolences! I lost my dad to covid early in the pandemic- so hard to say goodbye to those whom we love. Peace to you during this time.
@Mar, I'm so sorry to hear about your father. Mine was also a WWII vet--he served in the cavalry at the latter part of the war. I bet your dad had some interesting stories to tell.
@Mar,
I’m so sorry about your dad. I lost mine at the end of September.
@Mar, my sympathy on your father's passing. I especially salute him as a WWII vet.
@Mar, My sincerest condolences for your loss. Wishing you peace, comfort, and courage during this time of sorrow.
@Mar,
I am so sorry for your loss. I am grateful for his service to our country,
@Mar,
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Oh, I am so sorry to hear of your loss, Mar!
@Mar, I’m sorry you have lost your dad. I lost my dad last year. He was also a WW2 vet and lived to be 102. I’ll be praying for your peace and comfort as you walk through this sadness.
@Mar,
Sending condolences on the loss of your dad and eventual peace to you.
@Mar, I’m so sorry for your loss.
@Mar,
Praying for grace as you grieve and that the tender and sweetest memories will be uppermost. I'm so sorry for your loss.
@Mar, kisses in heaven to your dad, a member of the greatest generation. Wishing peace and good memories for you right now.
@Mar, my sympathy on your father’s passing.
@Martha, Thank you all. My dad was 100 years and 4 months.
I love love your converse and have managed to find a couple of pair at local thrift stores or on my Buy Nothing site but they HURT my feet so bad - there is no cushion. Do you do anything to make them softer or are your feet just more impervious to pain than mine are? 🙂
@Julie H, I can’t wear them either. As a person who has rarely ever worn a pair of comfortable shoes, lol, I’m inclined to blaming it on my own weird feet. But you’re right, they’re not very cushiony at all.
@SandyH, I have a pair that I only wear when I know I will be able to walk from one chair to another. They are narrow through the toe region and there is very little support. I have a theory on cute shoes--90% of the time I wear shoes that are supportive and comfortable and that allows me to occasionally dip into the fashion world of stylish footwear.
So...my feet don't hurt me even when I have no shoes at all. I go barefoot all the time at home and my feet are fine!
I have super super high arches, so arch supports never even reach my feet. That means the lack of arch supports in Converse are irrelevant for me.
@Julie H, I’ve been loving Converse for years but the last couple of years the lack of cushioning have made me use my pairs like Kris, only when I won’t be walking much in them. But now I discovered that there is Converse with good insoles too. Mine is a collaboration with Marimekko, but found regular white ones for my partner.
@Gunn from Northern Norway, I was wondering if all of you guys who love Converse but find they have no cushioning could possibly buy some inserts for them.
@Anne, Perhaps if one need only support for the arches, but for better cushioning for the heels I at least have had little luck finding that fits. They are very low so there are only one (half sole from Scholl that they sadly don’t produce anymore) that I managed to find in my twenty years of wearing Converse. I’ve tried to put the soles from the Marimekko Converse in a regular pair and there are not room for that exchange.
The trail is so pretty; I can see why you love to walk those woods. Your cat is doing all the adorable cat things. Why they sit on edges I will never know, but she is a cutie.
Question that has nothing to do with thankful Thursdays: Kristen, is your new freezer manual defrost? I'm finding only frost-free freezers as I shop for a new freezer, and I worry about freezer burn. Maybe they've found some way to avoid freezer burn in a stand alone freezer?
1. I'm thankful today that family members who went all the way across the country to visit family out there are back safe as of late last night and had a wonderful time.
2. I'm thankful for the good relationships I've forged with local organic farmers. I was unable to meet a routine delivery from one farm, but I pass that farm on my way to and from work, so I arranged to stop in and pick up my pork. While there, the farmer and her husband pulled a number of Satsuma mandarin oranges and Asian persimmons, both of which they sell, from their trees and gave them to me for free. (The wife is the farmer - her husband helps her a ton, but she started it and manages it).
3. I'm also thankful that my SUV made it through the deep, soft sand in the narrow dirt/sand road leading through dense woods to their house. My previous little car would not have made it at all.
4. I'm thankful for a practical son-in-law who came up with a good plan to work out Thanksgiving day logistics, which was no easy feat. We have my two children living in different towns, one grandchild who has to be at her dad's in another town by 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving day, my husband in the nursing home, most of the s-i-l's family lives in another town, and to top it off, a little grandchild's birthday falls on Thanksgiving day this year and she has been eagerly anticipating it for months. His plan is based on no one cooking, ordering our dinner instead. That's unheard of for us, but I think given the circumstances, he made the right call.
5. I'm thankful for the rain we got early yesterday for the first time in a long time. It was so nice not to have to hurry and water things when I got home, before it got too dark to see.
@JD, We're planning to do that too. I might have my mom come out from the nursing home; I'm not sure. It's her birthday too. This is all assuming I don't have to fly to Alabama on my BFF's behalf.
@JD, I strongly agree with your SIL's call on #4. You already know this, of course, but he's a keeper.
@A. Marie,
He is, you are right!
Yep, it's manual defrost! So I never have to worry about freezer burn.
@JD, I have a frost free freezer. I double wrap everything I freeze and have not had any problems. I have found random mea
t 2 to 21/2 years old &it's been fine.
@JD,
One year we did a "Boston Market" Thanksgiving with my family and my sister's (she has a lot of kids and was freshly divorced at the time). It was the most relaxing Thanksgiving ever, which is no small feat considering the kids outnumbered the adults three to one that year!
1. For cooler temperatures this week. Even though we have had highs in the 70's this week, the mornings and evening have been very nice and I have been enjoying sitting out on my patio in the evenings & watching the light fade and the stars come out.
2. For hot tea & coffee, pumpkin candles burning, a warm bowl of soup and slippers - these things usher in Fall to me.
3. For my freezer. We are well stocked and this means far less trips to the grocery store. This week I plan to make chili beans to freeze for the convenience through the winter and I love knowing that I have every things I need on hand for a recipe.
4. For all the free music and podcasts I enjoy on Spotify. I don't subscribe so there are ads but the enjoyment I get in listening outweighs the presence of ads.
5. For 8 happy years of marriage celebrated this week to a husband that loves me in all of my faults. So beyond thankful for him.
I absolutely love the pictures of your cat doing cat-like things. When my husband was working from home, our cat would regularly lay on the laptop keyboard. He somehow managed to change my husband's screen saver by doing that. It was an improvement to what my husband had as a screen saver, BTW. Talented kitty.
Grateful for sunshine on the autumn leaves--it's past peak color now, but still pretty. Thankful that my husband, daughter and I could go to a nearby nature center on Saturday and enjoy outdoor time. Appreciative that my daughter had a half day of school last Friday and we could start the process of visiting college campuses. She's a HS junior so it's time to do that. Also grateful that she has a 3-day weekend coming up and we can take a trip to visit my son, who is in college in Michigan's upper peninsula--a fun trip out of town with the opportunity to see my boy is happy-making. 🙂 On a more serious note, my friend's husband was placed in the ICU on a ventilator on Tuesday but so far he's tolerating the vent well. It's been a hard few days, walking through this painful time with her.
@Kris, any chance your son could be at Michigan Tech in Houghton? DH's younger brother went to that school, and we attended his graduation in the late 1970s--the one and only time I've visited the UP.
@A. Marie, good guess, but no, he's at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste Marie. Thankful for that vs Tech--it's only 5 hours to get to him, rather than the 8 hours of travel it would take for us to get to Tech. Houghton also gets a lot more snow that the Soo does (although I wouldn't call the annual snowfall amount there to be insignificant!), which would make traveling to and from there even more challenging.
So very thankful that
- we have had lots of beautiful fall days with cool mornings, warm afternoons & gorgeous color.
- we got 1/2 inch of rain overnight earlier this week. It’s been one of the driest fall seasons here this year.
- outdoor fall chores are almost done. By next week all should be buttoned up for winter.
- our first frost was this morning! Usually this makes me sad, but I’m actually looking forward to winter & indoor projects.
- we have a great “main” library in our county that is only 5 minutes from me. While we pay for it via taxes, it’s a relatively small amount & YAY! ALL the books, videos, classes, programs, events - even a small cafe & reading area! Can you tell that I absolutely LOVE my library?
My thankful list:
-I was able to get my son in to see a doctor right away after he was up all night with ear pain. He is four years old and has never had an ear infection or been on antibiotics. He now has a double ear infection with one ear being very bad. I made a joke that He’s the type that goes big goes home.
-I have had both kids and the dog come down with sickness this week. I am thankful that my son actually slept through the night last night, my daughter rested and didn’t wake up crying in pain about her throat, and that the dog manage to hold down his food. I admit I woke up in a panic when nobody had come to me and I did not hear a crying dog.
-I live just south enough that we don’t always get colorful fall foliage. But this year it has been absolutely beautiful which makes me so happy when I’m driving or taking a walk on our local Greenway.
@Andra, my daughter had a similar experience with no ear infections until 4…at least to our knowledge. Then she went BIG! Only indication something was wrong was that she vomited once as soon as she woke up and felt much better. On advice of friend I took her in and she had an ear infection. She was treated and declared well. And then the same thing happened and this one took repeated rounds of a cocktail of antibiotics to beat, but even then only one day between being declared well and having a new infection. Turns out she had been having ear infections for a long time, possibly from infancy, (never spiked a fever, never fussed about ear pain, only vomited when her drum burst) and it caused a chlosteatoma. She’s fine now. But oof…ears are tough. I’m glad your son is getting good care and that he indicates ear pain better than my daughter did.
Thankful for an interesting JASNA project: I'm putting together a PowerPoint on Jane Austen's beloved older sister, Cassandra, whose 250th birthday is coming up. This is only my second PowerPoint--you'll recall that I'm an IT dinosaur--but it's going much more smoothly than my first.
Thankful for all the entertainment the bird feeders have given the cat and me thus far--and it's not even November yet.
Thankful for the spell of warm weather and the lovely fall colors we've had recently. This has also given us gardeners a little extra grace period for garden cleanup.
And thankful that yesterday's mammogram came back normal. With a family history of breast cancer like mine, you can bet I don't take this for granted.
Well, I'm 44 and I have made almost no powerpoints. So you are a little ahead of me there!
If you set a shallow cardboard box on the table near where you're working, many cats will then sit in the box instead of on your keyboard/paper. Free to try and if it works with your cat you get all the cuteness of a cat who wants your company without the frustration of having them on top of your work.
Ooh, that is a good idea!
I do not enjoy writing essays but HOORAY FOR YOU! I did enjoy psychology classes. Funny fact: 1989. Pre computers. Pre spell check. Psychology 101. I wrote a 10 page paper on positive effects of amicable divorce AND SPELLED DIVORCE WRONG EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. “Divorice”. How embarrassing.
@Stephanie, Also embarrassing: to submit a grant for the public service department of our agency and typing pubic instead of public in the title.
@Lindsey, ok, I laughed out loud at that. I have a similar story. I work as an occupational therapist in a hospital setting and back before the computer age, we dictated some of our documentation. I had dictated "Issued a long-handled sponge to patient for bathing purposes" but it was transcribed as "Issued a long-handled spouse to patient .... ". You can imagine the fun everyone had with that!
@Stephanie, @Lindsey, and @Kris, it's even more embarrassing to do this type of thing when one is *ahem* a professional copyeditor. The actual mistake I made is lost in the mists of time, but I do recall that one of my coworkers in the NYC office (I was telecommuting when telecommuting wasn't cool) ran up and down the hall proclaiming, "A. Marie's losing it!"
All these stories are making me smile! Thanks for sharing them!
@Kaitlin, here's mine. I worked for a company, back in the 70s, that manufactured automobile wheels and shift kits. I once typed up an entire business letter about a "shift kit" issue only to realize later on I had left the "f" out of "shift".
@Anne,
Hahaha! That sounds like it might have been a "shifty" day, but makes for a great story!
@Anne, maybe a "shift kit" with the "f" missing could be defined as that stuff they give you to take before a colonoscopy!
I'm thankful:
-that my kids get themselves up and ready to go in the morning. Ya, I make their breakfast and pack their lunches but they wake up, brush their teeth and hair, get dressed and pack up their backpacks on their own. To boot, they usually don't forget stuff and make it to school on time.
-for my husband who is a really great dad in so many ways.
-for Southern California weather. There are so many weird things about living here but the weather is just right for me.
-that I was called for a job interview after applying to a bunch of jobs. I'm not 100% excited about the position but I'm happy for the interview practice and you never know. Most of all, I'm thankful for the glimmer of hope and confidence it's giving me.
-For my extended family's generosity. Last weekend we got together with my parents, brother's family, and cousin's family to celebrate a holiday and I came home with food and snacks that they had put together and sent home with me. It has made dinners and lunch packing easier this week. We must have all been on the same wavelength because I had done the same for them.
I am thankful for the range of job options I have on the academic market this year. Typically academics apply for fellowships and other appointments in the fall for the next academic year. The last two academic job markets have been weird because of the pandemic. So I am so glad to have a bunch of exciting options for next year.
I am thankful that I can return to my current post next fall if I want or need to. I am at a point in my career where I am taking postdocs and other fellowships until I get a tenure-track (permanent) job. My current post is a long commute, so I am ready to move on, but boy am I glad to have the option of a salary and health insurance next year if I don't get something I like more.
I am thankful that my family supports my work. I am gone two nights a week during the semester, which puts all of the care and feeding duties for our four children solely on my husband. He takes it in stride with a lot more forbearance than I would if our roles were reversed. Bless that man.
I am thankful that I seem to be through the worst of my usual October cold.
I am thankful that our house repairs are almost complete and are being fully paid by our insurance. We have lived since July with only half of our upstairs ceilings because of water damage, and we have been in an airbnb for three weeks while crews finish up. I can't wait to have our house put back together. We're so close!
I am thankful my husband who is so encouraging to me. (I should remember to tell him that, too.)
I am thankful for the fall weather. I love it when the weather allows open windows and cool breezes wafting through the house.
I am thankful that my neighbors dropped off rabbit manure to enrich the soil around our fruit trees. These poor trees didn't give much fruit this year but I suspect the previous home owners didn't provide the correct nutrients and care. Now I have a chance to improve things.
I am thankful that my husband loves leftovers as much as I do. It is so nice to just cook on the weekends and be happy with leftovers on busy weeknights.
I am thankful for new friends who showed us their garden and taught us about the drought-resistant plants they love to grow.
Thankful:
1. for an attached garage, now that it is close to zero every night. And the colder it gets, the more thankful I become.
2. for a husband who loves to sing. He will be off doing something in another room and pretty soon I'll hear some Broadway tune or another coming out of that room. It always makes me smile.
3. for the woman who comes and spends two hours cleaning every Saturday morning, doing all the heavy work I just cannot do anymore. She has been working for us for four years now and it is such a nice luxury to go do grocery shopping and errands on Saturday morning and come home to a clean house. She arrives about the time we leave and is almost always gone by the time we return, so it is like having a magic fairy come by. She only has two clients because cleaning is a side gig for her and we are lucky to be one of them.
4. for pound hound, who is so affectionate. And this week he has not jumped the fence to take himself for a walk (as far as we know), stuck his nose in the crotch of our visitors, or torn all the filler out of any of his stuffies.
5. for a letter I received from someone I mentored (not formally, I just watched out for him when he was first starting his career) thanking me for all the help I gave him years ago. It was out of the blue, I have not had contact with him for literally decades, but he said he was telling someone about his career and realized what an impact I had on him and wanted to let me know. Made my day.
@Lindsey, Pound Hound is a treasure, but you already know that.
I am thankful for my new book! and for the electrical company trimming the tree branches away from the power lines-- I am grateful for my lavender growing like crazy and for the last few teenie tiny tomatoes on the vine-perhaps I might eke out a few more before the first frost--
oops I meant to add THIS TOO! A friend of mine recently got back into painting (art), and I am grateful for her advice- She is doing a painting with the words, "I am content. I am safe" on it, which helps with her PTSD and anxiety. It works with other words as well, like a quiet affirmation: "I am happy. I am loved." For those who do crafts or make art, give it a try! Add your own affirmation words into the painting, needlepoint or collage.
I'm thankful for fall weather & color....finally....& rain!
-for my grandson & the constant joy he is.
-for my little dog & how much fun he is.
-that we're able to eat well & be comfortable in spite of rising prices.
-
I am thankful for my BFF slapping me out of the Slough of Despond this morning. It was one of those "I hate everything in my entire life" mornings. She gives me a much needed reality check, though what I wouldn't give for some more energy.
I am thankful for the beautiful warm autumn days we've been having.
That's all I got.
I love thankful Thursdays!
I'm thankful we can redo our bathrooms. That we don't have to replace the toilets or tub/shower..
That my husband was able to reduce the costs by $1100. Using lights we had &taking off toilets.
That my kids r willing g to mask when in. Crowded places to help us. We r immune compromised.
For this thread ,it's a wonderful reminder of how blessed we r.
I am thankful that Kristen raised the topic of vaccines yesterday in her post. I appreciate when those of you who disagree provide sources for your claims, so I can weigh that evidence against my own conclusions. I didn't change my mind, (which matches that of Kristen and most of you who posted), yet it is important to me to think through my beliefs.
I am thankful that a milkweed plant established itself in my garden a few years ago and has been joined by several more, (my gardening style is benign and neglectful, except relating to poison ivy). The seed pods are just starting to crack open and are so beautifully made! I offered some to a friend who would like to attract monarch butterflies to her yard.
I am thankful for Facebook, so I can celebrate the successes of my siblings, siblings-in-law, and nieces and nephews and their families. They live far away.
I am thankful for small incidences of politeness and care that my son is showing in new ways. He is a kind person and it is very touching to see him becoming more so.
Isn't a day of margin a gift? So with you on a Friday break! And congrats on nearing the end of your lab, that's a grace.
Today I'm thankful for:
1. An unexpected day off of classes tomorrow. We've had extra commitments outside of the regular every day duties for more than a week, and this breather is a blessing. I'm hoping to tackle a big project instead, we'll see!
2. A windfall of great, free canning jars. I'll have to wash them up, but 6 big boxes full is wonderful.
3. More than we need. Even though the "stuff" gets overwhelming sometimes, God always provides and there's bounty that we can share with others. We had enough extra food today to leave 3 meals with my in-laws today after we Grandma-sat during MIL's surgery, plus some more for a supper for some elderly friends.
4. Good friends. I came home to a surprise package in the mailbox from a sweet sister and it was so nice to be remembered.
5. And encouraging conversation with one of my sons yesterday. It was the first time in probably a year that we ended on a good note and both felt heard. I guess the proof will be whether those attitudes result in changed actions, but it felt like we both "broke through" for the first time in forever. 🙂
*Freebie: I'm thankful for the Peanuts comics as weird as that sounds. There is something so sweetly cheerful and simple about them and just seeing the characters as decorations make me smile. Can't wait to watch the Peanuts Thanksgiving and Christmas specials.
@Amanda P,
Don't forget about The Great Pumpkin! Hearing Charlie Brown say "I got a rock..." just never gets old. 😉
@Amanda P,
I found Charlie Brown Christmas Holiday cards on sale at Walgreens after Christmas last year, and I ordered matching return address labels, and I just bought the "Peanuts" USPS stamps today. Two each of ten characters, Forever stamps for 60 cents each.
My cards will be a little overdone this year. But only a little.
@Heidi Louise, your cards sound absolutely perfect and not in the least overdone! 😉 And @Becca, the Great Pumpkin omission was a sad oversight, thanks for the reminder!
@Amanda P, I just introduced my almost 3 year old to the Great Pumpkin this past weekend. She adorably walks around throwing her hands up in the air saying rocks, just rocks. 🙂
@Jenn W,
Hahahahaha!!!
For the beautiful fall colors in my own backyard, especially when the late afternoon sun hits them.
That I still get to work from home.
That I always have a pile of library books to read.
Thankful for the fall colors and the chill in the air.
Thankful for someone paying me a compliment when I least expected it and most needed it.
Thankful that my car is running again.
Thankful for delightful students, just delightful!
Coffee.
I’m thankful for:
- My sweet new dog who gives me so much love and has learned to give me “hugs.” Makes my heart melt.
- the changing of the seasons
- my local library
Kristen, seeing and hearing about your beautiful cat’s need to be near you makes me reconsider my perception of feline temperament. I’ve always thought cats to be aloof but yours seems to be so affectionate. I love that!
I’m thankful for good health ( except for the vertigo which is lingering).
I’m thankful for extra time with my daughter this week.
I’m thankful for all the ways my husband keeps me laughing.
I’m thankful for our weekly visits with our grandson.
I’m thankful for an older tv series “ Portrait Artist of the Year” which is inspiring me to try drawing /painting people again( I’ve never been too confident in capturing human likenesses).
I’m thankful for continual inspiration this autumn( and Kristen’s photos) has been giving me for my artwork. I hope you don’t get tired of hearing me talk about art. I’m not an expert at anything, including art, but I try to capture bits of beauty… there sure is a lot around us.
I’m thankful for apples, cinnamon and nutmeg and for all the yummy bakes to be made with these ingredients!
She definitely wants to be around us! I know some cats are aloof, but our cat is not one of them.
I tried converse one time. They weren’t comfortable for my feet. I love seeing them on other people’s feet because they look cool.
I’m thankful for my new snow boots that are so comfortable. We’ve only had a few mornings of show so far but I’m sure I’ll be using them lots soon.
Thankful for margin back in my life so I can take naps when I’m sick and still keep my nose above water on house cleaning things.
I’m also thankful for this old house and all the things I’m learning to take care of it. It needs lots of work, but it has oh so much character. And after a lot of repairing and renovating it’s going to be darling. I just hope we’re here long enough to enjoy the fruit of our labor.
Thankful that I was able to fly up to northern NY today to stay with my Mom for almost a week. She's 84 so time together is precious.
That cat - she's so cute that she tempts me to get one...
I am thankful this week that I have friends at work that I can talk to - and in turn, I like to think that they are thankful they have me, too!
For whole weekends where I get to decide how to spend my days - I hadn't had that in years and it feels so good.
For tonight's dinner which was quite delish, and the ability to feed myself good meals.
For my craft room which I have been spending loads of time in lately.
And for great nights of sleep - one of the most important things I can do for myself to get thru this season of life.
1. For the dahlias that are still blooming and the sweet friend who gifted the roots to me.
2. That everyone (of course knock wood) is healthy right now especially my parents.
3. For my daughter who is thriving in her first year of high school.
4. For my dog who never fails to be glad to see me.
Totally NOT related to this post, but where did you get your comforter/bedspread? I'd love to get something like that!
Target! I just have a duvet cover/comforter set, but this online one comes with a bedskirt as well: https://www.target.com/p/8pc-montvale-pinch-pleat-comforter-set-threshold/-/A-78634275?preselect=78306820#lnk=sametab
I got mine in-person.
@Kristen, thank you!! 🙂
I am thankful for all the kinds comments I got this week from strangers. I had three (four?) different people tell me I was beautiful . . . and I thanked them! It makes me feel pretty good, despite the fact I'll be 44 on Monday.
I am VERY thankful I have work to do. I was VERY slow a few weeks back, and I was very worried about the future. However things have picked up and I feel MUCH better. Fingers crossed the holiday season stays busy for me!
I am also very grateful I got chosen for a program online where I get to try free products and leave reviews. I am going to leave this vague, but the prospect of doing this is exciting for me, and I hope to be successful in working on this endeavor!
I am also loving my growing cactus collection, which is something I started this year! Its fun picking out plants, planting them, and watching them grow! They make me happy!
Finally, its good to be in fairly good health (KNOCK ON WOOD). I know a couple people whose bodies have turned on them . . . so I hope to learn from their mistakes in health! I do hope they get better, but some things cannot be fixed 🙁
You are a 1978 baby like me then!
We got our cat fixed this week. I’m sure he’d love to go outside again, but he’s been entertaining and sweet to have inside.
He looks just like your cat, Kristen but with a little white mustache added. 🙂
Ohh, I love when cats have that white mustache! So cute!