Thankful Thursday | for painting space!
This week, I'm thankful:
for space to paint
Last night I was spray painting an old pot and I was thinking how thankful I am to be living in a house, not an apartment building. I have a carport and a whole yard to accomodate all my painting adventures, and I am grateful!
that I got my end-of-year homeschool review stuff done
For some reason, I was really dreading pulling all of this together, but I got it done! So, Sonia's graduation paperwork is all submitted, Zoe's end-of-year records are all done, and I renewed our membership with the umbrella group for next year.
YAY ME.
And guys, this is crazy, but the upcoming year is my last year ever of homeschooling. My baby graduates from high school next year, so next spring, I will graduate from homeschool-mom life.
I've been a homeschooling mom since 2004, so it's sort of strange to think of that era coming to an end.
But it's all good! Time for a new stage of life for me.
that last-month-Kristen wrote down my federal tax login info
Things are all new and different with my tax situation for my blog now that I've switched from a sole proprietorship to an S-corp, so the way I pay my estimated taxes is different.
I had to get a login for a system with a mailed-to-me-pin, and when I set up the login last month, I actually wrote down all the relevant info on a single piece of paper, and I put that paper into an easy to find folder.
So then when I had to pay this month, it was super easy.
I am notorious for losing logins and such, which is why I am super grateful to my past self this week.
(I do have a password manager set up on my computer, but this login involves more than a username and password, so I really did need to write it all down!)
that Zoe's skateboard sold
She no longer used the first one she bought, so I helped her list it on Facebook Marketplace. It sold within just a few days, for about the same price she paid a few years ago (she bought it off Facebook Marketplace originally!).
for freebies with potential
This week I got a huge bin of spray paint, three plant pots, and two bookshelves for free through Facebook Marketplace and my Buy Nothing group.
The bookshelves need some serious help, as do the plant pots, but that's fine. You know I'm always up for taking other people's trash and making it awesome!
that Zoe and I are a third of the way through her driving hours
We have a little over two months until she's eligible for her license, so if we keep this up, we will be sitting pretty.
for the mom/kid time that learner's permits offer
The process of teaching a teenager to drive is perhaps not what most of us parents think of as Very Happy Fun Times. But one thing I have come to appreciate is that it does offer a lot of one-on-one time in the car.
Once my teens get their licenses, they are rarely in the car with me. And when I remember that, it really makes me appreciate our hours of driving together!
for peace about new stages
I was sitting here thinking about how, once Zoe gets her license, none of my kids will need me to drive them anywhere anymore. I suppose I could be wistful about that, but on the other hand, that's going to be kind of a nice new stage in life!
I will only need to drive when *I* need to go somewhere. That hasn't been the case for, like, the last 23 years.
So, I actually feel rather peaceful about this upcoming new phase of life. I know stage changes like this are sometimes super tough for some moms, so I'm thankful for the peace I feel.
for cool showers
We are now in that stage of the year where a cool shower feels so, so good after a morning walk.
Sometimes I think about how in times past, even a cold shower was not available. And then I feel pretty darn lucky to be able to hop into my shower and enjoy a refreshing stream of cool water.
Your rental house is so charming! I love the vintage swing set in your yard tucked under the treeline, and the pretty window in your shower that lets in natural light. What a pleasant place you've found!
This week I am thankful to be almost done with a grueling school year. Just one and a half more days with students and I'm even already packed up so check out day should go smoothly.
I'm so thankful for summer break and time for my garden and the pool! I'm also thankful that I shouldn't need to drive very much at all for the next two months. Ah, summer!
Yes, I love the shower window!
I am thankful for air conditioning. I can't imagine life without it and I'm thankful to not have to spend the summer as a hot and tired grouch.
I'm thankful for the abundance of food. There may be shortages but we have plenty to eat, it is easily accessible and easy to store and prepare.
I'm thankful for good neighbors and a neighborhood that is desirable despite the small houses.
I'm thankful for a yard that gives us some space. I have a bit of claustrophobia and I'm not ready for a condo/apartment/senior living yet.
I'm thankful a friend was able to travel to see his sister in FL. She moved there as the pandemic was starting and he had not seen her since she moved. Text reports are that things are going well. I'll get an in person briefing next week.
It's been a week of end-of-school-year celebrations, including our oldest graduating high school and earning an AA concurrently. It's been fun, but tiring and I feel thankful for some down time in our evenings this coming week.
I am thankful for a little part time gig I recently found that is making it easier to pay off an emergency pet bill. It turns out, I really like this little side job too.
Gardening--I am so thankful for a bountiful garden.
It's been a week of sickness here, but we're weathering it just fine and improving each day. I'm thankful for that.
I'm thankful we got the electric netting fence up around the newly planted beans before the bunnies found them.
I'm thankful so many of our seeds are pushing up out of the dirt/rocks. What a wonder to see that every time!
I'm thankful for a sweet gesture of love my daughter gave me this week.
I'm thankful for a book I started reading this week; I think I'm really going to like it.
That everyone in the family made it back and forth to a wedding in Florida. Some of us drove and some flew, but we all made it back. And it was nice to hang out with in laws for a short time. Thankfully the Air BnB rental was nice.
Unfortunately the mother of the bride (my sis in law) got very sick and dehydrated while in FL and missed the wedding. Thankfully she is on the mend and back home!
That the state FINALLY got all my paperwork and I can legally register my car in my new state. Only took 8 weeks!
Thankful that our A/C units were installed last week. This will be the hottest week so far in our new home. And that we were able to pay cash for that upgrade. Way better than noisy window units. Now to sell the window units.
Thankful for our health. Both husband and I met with a new-to-us doctor in town and we have clean bills of health and have been able to become patients with this doctor. Such a pain to do when you move, but so important. And this MD listens and likes to spend an hour with a new patient. We talked a lot! I am so glad to find an MD that didn't brush us off!!!!!
@Maureen,
I’m glad you found a doctor that listens. This is so important and terribly difficult to find.
@Maureen, Yes indeed , it is so important to find a Doctor with sympathy and compassion, I moved 4 years ago and haven't found a Doctor that I feel at ease , I will be looking for one that is more Human than a superior so he thinks! Blessings to you !
Very, very thankful for portable A/C units. We are having a wicked heat wave, and we set up a portable AC unit, venting it out our chimney, to give some extra cooling to our main living space. Our whole house unit is wonderful, and very new, but even it can't completely keep up with these temps. It's been nearly 100 degrees, unusual for our area.
Kristen, you have a wonderful attitude. There are many bittersweet moments during the journey of parenthood. With each milestone - kindergarten, high school graduation, driving - life changes a little. I have always tried to embrace the change, but there are things I really miss even now. My youngest is 31 this year.
This is the hottest May and June that I can remember in a very long time, so I am truly thankful for AC. As a child central heat and air were not the norm. We were fortunate to have window units, but I remember my mother laying on the terrazzo floor to cool off. So glad I don’t have to do this.
I am thankful for my morning coffee and the fact that my DH made it for me.
I am thankful for birdsong and all the birds that call my backyard home. I often find myself sitting at the kitchen window watching them flutter around in the birdbath.
Wishing blessings to all.
I can't wait to see the afters of all the free or low-cost furniture and pots 🙂
This week I'm thankful that there's some progress on the estates of my parents after months of nothing.
I'm thankful that nearly every room in my home that has something that came from my parents. A plant, a cabinet, a piece of art, my mom's mixing bowls....they all give me a smile.
I'm thankful that my husband is getting some long-awaited medical treatment.
I'm thankful for a week at home to get things done! I've had to drive somewhere maybe once this week, which has been a lovely change. We haven't needed anything, so I've been able to work on projects at home and get some things done for my dad. And I haven't been using gas.
@Brooke, I like your comment that nearly every room has something from your parents. I have several things in sight from my parents' home that are pleasing to me to see. (And I try to make sure to keep things from my husband's parents set out, though he took fewer things from there). They are all unique and time-tested.
@Heidi Louise, Yes, it's lovely, isn't it? My husband's parents are still alive, but we also have things from his side of the family. I love the blending of our families' things with things that we picked out.
I'm thankful that I have found good new renters and the cottage reno is nearly over. The trial for the eviction of previous jerk is next month.
I'm thankful for having pet insurance. One of my dogs woke up screaming in pain last night, and is limping now, and we're going to the vet today and I certainly hope insurance will cover whatever's needed for my precious boy.
I'm thankful for the cool weather we've been having, unlike almost everywhere else in the US! On the other hand, kind of dreary for beach days.
I'm thankful I have a three day weekend coming up, as my office has Juneteenth as a holiday. I can get some much-needed rest and downtime.
@Rose, I have a friend who had a monster renter situation, too. If your situation is anything like hers (I had no idea evictions were so difficult!), I pray this is over for you so very soon. Bless your heart! (and not in the derogatory way). Seriously. What a trial.
@Jody S., I had zero idea evictions could go to trial, for heaven's sake. This guy is a sociopath and a grifter. Unfortunately he uses any of 10 first names and 10 last names so when I googled him I did not find the $200K+ in unpaid judgments against him in NYC. Here in my town, he owes me about $50K, he owes a motel more than $300K, a co-op about 80K, etc. He knows how to use the law to stay even after years of nonpayment. It's truly horrible and by the way, zero people have sympathy for landlords. The judge said I was breaking the law in changing the locks AFTER his tenancy was up and he had a complete stranger staying on my property. This is the same judge who knows he has three separate eviction cases ongoing. Oh and he's whining about the mental anguish *I* caused *him*. The 300K one is for the restaurant space he rents, where he forged a lease and had never paid a dime in rent in two years. It's now waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on it.
Somehow, if this jerk siphoned 50K out of my bank account, that's fraud, but it's not a big deal if he rents places with zero intention of paying rent. I won't see a dime out of him. The motel owner he owes 300K to says, "Back in the day, this guy would be found floating in the harbor" and I said, "And I'd help put him there."
At the very least, I am going to work hard to put this man behind bars. Watch me.
@Rose, what's that they say about a REALLY good friend? "She'll help you bury the body."
@Anne, We ride at dawn.
@Heidi Louise, @ Anne
LOL!!! I love you guys!! I started laughing so abruptly and loud, my cat freaked out and ran away.
Me too! Only it's my dog, of whom the vet can't figure out what's wrong. (His leg's not broken, his vitals are fine, maybe some kind of sprain....) Thanks, guys.
@Rose, one of our rabbits had a groin pull. Very painful. The vet gave her a steroid shot and pain meds. And I had to ice her leg 3x a day. Let me tell you, icing a rabbits leg is an adventure all unto itself.
You not only have a place to paint, but you have swings and a slide in your back yard, Kristen. Your life rocks.
Thankful for:
1. Husband and I have been trapped in our bedroom for three days while new flooring was being put down. The house has been in chaos and I don't do well in chaos. It was over 100 degrees in the back yard so very little refuge there. It's over now and I can spend today restoring order.
I hate living in chaos as well! Living in the midst of a renovation is my personal nightmare.
Have fun putting everything back together!
1) Thankful for the free fitness classes available through my work. Working out has become such a core part of managing my mental well being (and, physical), and this adds a way of getting in a bit of social fun.
2) That next summer, both of my kids will have drivers licenses. Like you, Kristen, it's bittersweet to think about. We do SO MUCH driving, for the kids activities, sports & jobs. I do love the car time, and we have a "no phone in the car" rule, to ensure it's a time of catching up & chatting.
3) For my 16 y.o.'s summer job. He's working at a sports summer camp, with 1st graders. Hearing him talk about it is hilarious, and he's certainly figuring out how much work 1st graders are. But, he's also learning so many things about working with other people, leadership, feeling more confident engaging with others, taking initiative, etc.
4) That the weather has cooled off a bit here. Both the kids are outside all day during the summer (attending or working at a camp) & 90+ is too hot for that.
5) That I'm taking next week off. Is much needed, after some very crazy work times.
Thankful for pet medical insurance so I didn’t have to make different decisions about my dogs vet treatment £2000 so far!
Thankful for my husband’s support while I make choices about my work life balance.
Thankful for my family
Thankful that the hot weather here in Sussex uk (yes we do have hot weather sometimes) is only forecast to last until Sunday
Thankful for coffee whilst I watch over poorly dog
I haven't seen that much of it, but so far, I like what I've seen of your rental house. The yard looks nice, too. I'm grateful you were able to get this place!
1. Like Bee, I'm super grateful for air conditioning! North Florida is unusually hot and of course, humid right now. DH and I are glad that our kids didn't have to know the old tricks for trying to stay cool at night so one can sleep - flip the pillow to get to the cool side, turn head to foot then back again when that gets too hot, point a fan right at the bed, put ice in front of the fan.... DH's grandmother, who lived to be almost 100 and died in the early 1970's, never had A/C or an indoor bathroom at her house. That woman was tough.
2. I'm thankful that the annual termite inspection at my house showed no sign of termites.
3. I'm thankful that a specific blood test and an MRI showed I seem to have some healing from an autoimmune disease. There's no cure, but remission and healing can be possible.
4. I'm thankful that I seem to have finally cleared up DH's health record at his nursing home. His records there kept saying that he is a Type 2 diabetic. I had to provide copies of his records from endocrinologists at Shands Hospital stating he is Type 1 (juvenile) diabetic to prove my case. It can make a difference in treatment and risk awareness.
5. I'm thankful for the legacy of my father as Father's Day approaches. He could do so much (carpentry, mechanic work, plumbing, welding, construction, farming, gardening, roofing, singing in church choir and quartets...) and he modeled a can-do attitude, service to others, faith and a strong work ethic. When people would ask, even right in front of us kids (all girls), if he hadn't wanted to try for a boy, he proudly would say he didn't need to try for boys; he was happy with his girls. I'm so thankful for him and that my kids got to know him well before his passing.
Aww, I love these memories of your dad.
And yes, this rental is such a blessing!
@JD, Very important differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes so I'm glad you got that cleared up in his medical records.
Thankful for all the friends and relatives who have donated COVID test kits to me. I now have an ample supply for visiting DH for the next several months.
Thankful to the neighbors who bought my dead lawn tractor and my dead generator (see my comment in this week's FFT). The sheer relief of having those two white elephants out of here outweighs even the modest financial gain and the considerable gain in storage space.
And thankful that my gardens are almost 100% planted. Of course, there's always weeding and tinkering to do--but I can now take a step back and enjoy harvesting herbs and just watching things grow. (With the usual time outs for mumbling unprintables at the deer and woodchucks, of course...)
@A. Marie,
I felt the same way to see DH's big riding mower, chain saw and gas-powered weed whacker leave when they were bought.
@A. Marie, there is something absolutely magical about getting rid of unwanted stuff, even if it is tiny. If I keep walking past a blouse in my closet or a book on my shelves that I know I really don't want, when I finally get them out of my house, my mood is lifted. I can only imagine how good you feel getting large pieces of machinery to leave home. And the more things I move out, the more other things I find to move out. And I'm not even a collector of things. I'm thinking some of it is aging.
@A. Marie, I just found out that my insurance covers the cost of 3 covid test kits per month. When I recently asked the pharmacy tech for several after I had been exposed, she checked with my insurer. I didn’t have any idea that this was a benefit. Perhaps this bit of news may be beneficial to someone else.
That is such lovely house. You've done a lot to have it reflect your personality and make it cozy, but it really suits you.
Today I am thankful for leftovers, which have made me scrumptious easy work lunches all week; for my sweet husband who brought fruit fly traps to my office because we are fighting an infestation; for our new rescue kitty, who is so smart and funny; for fans, because it's so hot this week that stirring around the cool air inside the house helps a lot; and for being able to sew because it brings me joy along with saving us a lot of money.
This week I’m thankful for
A/C since it’s unusually hot & humid here right now
A chance to visit with my dad while waiting for his outpatient testing
Looking forward to an upcoming visit to the grands!
Modern conveniences of every kind that make my life easier & help me to work smarter
The time to do or DIY what I can & money to pay for others to do what I can’t
Thankful for:
Your inspiring blog!
Wordle
Air conditioning
My cilantro, after a gazillon tries, is actually growing!
@Kathy L, I too had (notice past tense) a really good stand of cilantro this spring. Unfortunately, the woodchucks have decided that they like it. See my comment above re: mumbling unprintables.
@A. Marie, I battle squirrels in my potted (and ground) plants. This year, I sprinkled cheap red pepper flakes and ground black pepper into the top of the oil to mess with their noses. I also have black plastic forks, tines up, stuck in the soil, to poke them without injuring them. These two strange remedies seem to have worked this year.
@Heidi Louise, I use crushed red pepper flakes in my bird feeders to keep the deer out of those, and I sprinkle cayenne around individual plants in the garden. But the erstwhile cilantro patch is about 4' x 6'. Besides, if I put red pepper on the cilantro, the @#$!! chucks would probably just have a Cinco de Mayo party.
But I'll keep the black plastic forks in mind. That's a method I haven't tried yet.
I am really trying to find 5 things to be grateful for this morning, because our hamster escaped last night and I think it is now gone forever (maybe went down a drain to the sewers). I`m so sad, and so are the kids :((((((
* Having had the chance to bond with Biscuit, the hamster, for the past 2 months. She is (was) incredibly gentle and friendly.
* That my daughter, who was hospitalized for the past 3 weeks, is coming back home tommorow. She's not all good but I think she's out of the deep end (depression/self-harm)... I hope. One day at a time.
* That my 7 summer class is finishing today.
* That the kids are finishing school next week and have a bunch of fun activities until then.
* To have friends despite feeling socially ackward
@Isa,
Best wishes for your daughter, Isa. Depression is such an insidious enemy. Here's praying she is victorious.
@Isa, adding my good wishes for your daughter to JD's. DH had clinical depression for many years, so I realize what a beast "Mr. D" (as he called it) can be.
@Isa, Best wishes for continued healing for your daughter and for your family as you love her. One day at a time.
@Isa - Praying for your daughter (and your family)!
@Isa, Have you checked in the closets for the hamster? I was pet sitting a hamster once and he chewed his way out of the cage. I found him in the closet in the next room, happily eating a shoe. They like dark places for hiding.
@Isa, Sending you well wishes for your daughter's continued healing. Our son has been hospitalized with self harm thoughts and it was very difficult for everyone in the family. I agree you have to deal with it one day at a time.
@Isa, oh sweetie, I feel for you. Our 22 year old grandson is also struggling.
@Isa, wishing smoother days ahead for your daughter and your family.
@Isa, best wishes for your daughter and all of you who love her. Depression is a very hard thing.
@Isa,
Wishing you, your daughter and family love, peace and strength during this time. I went down this difficult road with one of my children when they were teenagers. It was a difficult time. I pray that all will heal.
@Isa, Healing thoughtd for your daughter and for you.
@Isa, Sending you and your daughter all my best wishes for her recovery and that your love for her triumphs over what she is dealing with.
@JD, thanks
@A. Marie, thanks
I had started individual « thanks » but there’s a lot of answers , so THANKS to all of you for your thoughts. She’s an amazing 12 years old who has been struggling for a long time. Hopefully with time, the right medication and care she will get better and better.
@Beth B., we looked everywhere. I’m pretty sure he feel down the open drain 🙁
@Isa,
One of our hamsters went down the heating/ cooling vent and was running around in them. Turn off the furnace if using for a/c and the fan. Then wait and listen. You’ll hear if they are there. We had a split level house and the hamster was in the farthest section of piping under our crawl space.
@Isa
All the best wishes for recovery and continued supports for your daughter.May you also be blessed with wisdom in your decision making and peace for the paths you will follow.
@Isa, I feel for you. We are also dealing with a depressed teen. So very sad. Wish so hard that we could makes things all right.
Thank you for the sweet reminders, Kristen!!
This morning I'm grateful:
*For creativity and how so many talented people share their knowledge with others; I'm going to a free art class at our local library this afternoon and can't wait.
* For new life! We have lots of new babies being born in our church and I love how excited everyone is about them. Children are seen as a blessing and I love that attitude. My husband and I get to start caring for the infant class next month so mommas can get a bit of a break for study time, and I'm grateful we both see it as important and he wants us to serve together.
* For stinky, bouncy kid bodies and their endless questions and enthusiasm....most of the time! It's a zoo at my house most of the time but I'm reminded of how grateful I am that their bodies move well and that they can talk too much.
* For starting to see the payoff of so. many. years. of teaching our children skills and showing them how to figure it out when we don't know ourselves. They are really (especially the two oldest sons) becoming handy and independent at many different things, and in high demand by others.
* That the skin treatment the doctor recommended is working. It is bliss to see raw, itchy skin finally heal after nearly a year.
* That the summer fun things like camp, swimming and Vacation Bible School is able to happen safely again. Sure missed them!!!
* A few extra minutes (thank you said VBS!) for hitting the creative "to do" list that's been on my mind for months. Repainting things, fixing clothes that aren't quite right, hanging pictures...etc. It's nice to have a tiny bit of time to do this things.
Thankful that
School has ended!
Summer mornings.
Time to really exercise for enjoyment.
My little herb garden.
For 28 years with my husband on June 18!!
Kristen, I loooove your trash to treasure projects. Have fun!
I am thankful for my home and the fact it is paid off. We bought a very rough fixer upper 6 years ago (we moved in 4th of July!) and it's been a very long process of getting it finished, which we did about 8 months ago. It was a 2nd home of our friends and they wanted to get rid of it and we got it for a steal and was able to pay it off in 5 years. Because our mortgage was so low, we were able to fix it up as we went along. We added a nice front porch, an awesome covered large back porch and a closed in laundry/storage room. It's 100% customed to our taste and in this rough housing market, I literally say daily, how grateful we did what we did 6 years ago.
I live in Florida and had plans to spend every Sat. at the beach. But with gas prices at $4.93 around here, I've decided to spend my Sat. (and every afternoon after work, lol) in our backyard pool instead. So I'm grateful for having the pool in this beastly heat. And that I don't have to drive to it, lol.
I'm thankful that so many rooms in our house have windows on two sides of the room. If the evening is slightly cool, we can open up and get a lovely breeze blowing through.
I am thankful that I love the color we picked for the walls in the living spaces of the house. After I finished the kitchen (late in the night) I had my doubts, but in the daylight I decided it was a nice warm color.
I am thankful that my husband and I had a nice weekend painting together.
I am thankful that my side jobs are not in busy right now. It has been nice to have more free time for home improvement projects.
And two sides of windows probably gives you great natural light!
My mom took me out for driving time once. She screamed at me the whole time that I was going to get someone killed (this was on a country road where I was driving the speed limit My father took me out one time and he had me pull over. He said I was doing a fine job but that he was not equipped to handle this and told me I'd have to get lessons from an instructor. So I did (which I had to pay for, including the extra ones for the hours of experience.)
So I'm glad that your kids got a much better experience than I did.
I'm just thankful that my daughter got through her first year of school without any real issues. There were some tough times but mostly good.
@Battra92, my dad taught my brother to drive, but my parents paid for a driving instructor for me. I know exactly which parent my son inherited his ADD from: me! I found the level of concentration required for driving to be quite difficult for the first several years. Strangely enough, it got easier when I learned to drive a stick shift, possibly because of there's more physical engagement in driving stick.
@Battra92, Oh! My mom did the same thing. We were on a long, straight country road, only two lanes (I grew up where the land was very flat and roads were all straight), and she kept yelling at me to stay away from the right side, where there was a ditch. She had a horror of falling into the ditch. Well, I did such a good job of staying away from that ditch I ended up in the opposite lane, facing oncoming traffic--specifically a semi-truck--and if my mom hadn't grabbed the wheel (I was busy watching the ditch), we'd have gotten hit.
After that my dad did my driving lessons. His only issue was you shouldn't mess with the radio while the car is in motion. Drove him batty.
For the rain that we received yesterday. It completely derailed our mission to finish the grading in the backyard but after several days of heat indexes the garden and flowers were so very happy to have a lovely downpour.
For a more relaxed summer schedule and a break from the routine.
For wonderful neighbors.
For the space to grow flowers and vegetables. Gardening is hard work but gosh I love the results and I feel such peace when I am working in the yard. It really is a blessing for me.
For coffee & Tylenol & cold showers after days spent working in the yard. I need more of it these days than ever.
As empty-nesters, I understand how bittersweet these milestones (driving, graduating, etc.) can be. I did enjoy the freedom of not being the Mom taxi driver once our kids got their license. No more taking off work for routine dental and doctor appointments!
This week I am thankful that
1) I am recovering from Covid and that my husband never got as ill as I did
2) today is the last day I have to wear a mask at the office. I'm glad to be able to come to work and not spread Covid but looking forward to being mask-free
3) we have well functioning central air conditioning during these scorching hot days. I don't know how we managed it growing up with only window units in the main living areas and master bedroom! I remember lots of hot sleepless nights
4) our son is able to get an extension for an online course he is taking. He misunderstood the scope and timeline of the class so I'm happy he can get an extension to finish
5) our daughter's employer let her take off to come give a lunch and learn seminar at my office. She's a physical therapist and taught us about exercises to help ward off effects of sitting at a desk all day
You are making me feel *almost* ashamed at not getting in any driving hours with my daughter. I'll get on it soon!
Thankful for air conditioning, close access to lakes so we can have lots of beach time, ice cream, indoor gym memberships (in the air conditioning!), and the ability to travel to see my in-laws this upcoming weekend.
I’m so glad you are at peace with the changing stages of your kids growing up 🙂
My boys are still little (8 and 6), but also feel like we are entering a new stage these days. They are little, but not really little anymore! My sister decided to have a 3rd child (her other girls are 5 and 2), and honestly, at first, I had some feelings of jealousy and sadness that we are “done”. I suppose never say never (I’m 39), but the pandemic and balancing work/childcare was pretty gut wrenching for me and my kids are very “high energy”, so it’s best for our family if we say our family is complete 🙂 I feel better about our situation now (and I truly love my family!) and am grateful I at more at peace now.
So very thankful for modern medicine! After two plus years of successfully dodging the plague, my family of five all came down with Covid. All vaccinated, all boosted, but no matter: Hold my beer, says omicron. Lost my sense of taste for three days, but otherwise just tired and weak. Cannot imagine how much worse it would’ve been without vaccinations. As a normally exceptionally healthy person, it only takes one scare to remind a person how very, very lucky they usually are!
Wow - you're within sight of the end of two eras within your lifetime as a mother - teacher and driver. Congrats and way to go-that was a ton of work and you did it. I can see how it must be bittersweet. But I have to say it seems pretty great that you're still so young and are looking at so many new new possibilities for your life - and while I know several were unexpected, I'm so impressed with your attitude and get-it-doneness. You're doing it.
I'm thankful for my dear old Dad on this upcoming father's day weekend. He's just the best and that helped me recognize the traits in my husband that make him such a great dad too. It wasn't overt or obvious to my young adult self but I think having a good role male role model helped me recognize a good partner. So I'm thankful for both of them.
Also thankful for:
-the flexibility I have at work
-watermelons
-podcasts to keep me motivated to go for long walks
-that my neck pain seems to be subsiding
-soft t-shirts
-it's summertime!!!!
@CrunchyCake, (well that it's almost summertime!)
My thankfulness this week is all wrapped up one event. My husband took me to a local reindeer ranch where every Wednesday night for an hour there is a trio or quartet playing music. Only fifteen cars are allowed into the parking areas and then you go into a fenced field and sit in your own chairs or on the ground; you are welcome to bring food and beverages. Once people are in, they allow about a dozen reindeer in and for the next hour, they wander around folks. These animals are very accustomed to people, so they come over and lie down next to people on blankets, nudge folks for a scratch, or wander over to places with taller grass and eat. I am thankful that the weather was perfect. I am thankful that this place was wheelchair accessible, with a great path from car park to field. Thankful that the husband felt I was not getting out enough so found something he thought would appeal to me and gently badgered me into giving it a try. And I am thankful that reindeer interactions made me happy. I tend to be jaded about animal contacts, feeling like nothing will amaze me after over 50 years of living in Fairbanks and in remote northern villages. I have had polar bears swarm around my truck, a brown bear sit on my front porch and trap me inside for hours, moose repeatedly sleep on our back porch, I have touched and wandered all around whales after a spring hunt, have flown over caribou herds of over 1000 animals, have interacted with baby musk oxen, and have had wolves steal a lunch I briefly left on the ground. And again I am so very thankful that I have spent most of my life in a place of such beauty and animal abundance, often paid to engage with So when the husband said I could play with reindeer, I thought, “Big deal.” But it turned out to be a charming and calming experience. We plan to go every Wednesday night for the rest of the summer, until the program ends. The worst part was that when we got home the pound hound was fixated on our clothes, sniffing and trying to lick for hours.
@Lindsey, By any chance, is this at Running Reindeer Ranch? We visited there with our kids six years ago - the reindeer are so friendly!
@Lindsey, wow, I don't know whether to be more impressed by the reindeer experience or by the rest of your life with animals. My mouth is still hanging open.
@CrunchyCake, YES!!! Isn't that a wonderful place? I think this is the first year they have done the concerts on Wednesday, but they also do reindeer yoga now. I am not a practitioner but I am not sure how much yoga I would get through if reindeer were sniffing at my neck. They do not climb on the people's backs, though, like goat yoga does.
@Anne, I think this is one of the most wonderful places in the world to live, especially the interior and northern parts of the state. I was lucky to get here when I was young and so was the state. A lot fewer people and that lack meant I got jobs I was not remotely qualified for (like figuring out where to put power poles in one of the villages and being the cook in a gold mining camp set in the Alaska Range and pounding steam pipes into the ground so that a giant dredging machine could eat into the soil for the gold there). In some parts of the state, especially the very remote parts, if you could breathe and were reliable, you were hired. And then when the Alaska oil pipeline construction started, even the major cities lost workers to the remote pipeline camps. The unions had specific times of the day when they would call out what jobs were available so it was not unheard of for local businesses and agencies to lose almost an entire workforce after a call that was especially large. It was just like the gold rush in many respects, except for oil. That includes the fact that a huge number of men came to Alaska for work and that resulted in a sex trade that operated pretty openly downtown. I sometimes lament that I am old but for my restless and adventure loving personality I was born and here at just the right time. Plus when I was ready to go to grad school, there were grant programs that paid my way; unfortunately, as our oil wealth has been in many respects wasted, those programs do not exist for the current generation.
Yes on cool showers. It hit 98 here yesterday and our window units kept our house under 90 but not much under. But my cold pre-bed shower felt so good it was almost worth it. I was thinking in the shower about how many people throughout history and today did not get to experience life’s great pleasure of a hot shower on a cold day or a cold shower on a hot day.
It’s been a sad day here. A dear friend had a stillbirth and is currently in surgery. I’m so thankful for my children, and thankful that, from a prayer another friend who had a stillbirth last year shared, “one day our eternal joys will flow backward in time, even to this broken place. and then those joys will fill every emptiness and every heartbreak the children of God have ever endured.”
@Lori, I am so sorry to hear of your friend and her and her family and friends' grief. Wishing peace to all.
@Lori, Hello,
What a wonderful prayer!
Do you, or your friend, know where it comes from, or who said it? A friend shared it with me, as I am going through dark times just now. I always find that, if I know the source, the quotation means even more,
Thank you for sharing, so my friend could share with me.
Oh, I am so sorry to hear about your friend. Sending love to you and to her.
@Susan Garbett-Snidal,
It’s from the Liturgy for Those Who Have Suffered a Miscarriage or Stillbirth from the book Every Moment Holy.
https://rabbitroom.com/2021/02/a-liturgy-for-those-who-have-suffered-a-miscarriage-or-stillbirth/
We are going on a family vacation to Arkansas and Missouri and are looking forward to time outdoors! I am so glad it is summertime and our schedules are more low key. The kiddos also are learning how to sleep in too 🙂
So thankful for gardening. We have expanded what we are trying to grow this year. I love to look at the progress of the plants growth in the morning and then after our walk in the evening. So much fun to watch plants do their amazing thing. Tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, lettuce, cucumbers, butternut squash, rhubarb, strawberries, peppers, basil and lots of flowers. Crossing my fingers that we have enough produce to share with neighbors.
I would love to know more about your umbrella school. My oldest is starting high school this year and we're looking into different options for diploma, keeping track of credits, etc...
I’m house/pet sitting for friends in So California. I moved from So California in 11/20. I’ve been able to visit with friends and have a mini vacation.
I was able to find a part time job about 20 minutes from our home. I’m enjoying being back in the workforce and the $$ is helping defray all those cost of living increases we’re all experiencing.