Thankful Thursday | for ugly freebies
This week, I'm thankful:
for abundant freebies
I really love that the internet has provided ways for people to give away their old, ugly items so that people like me can have them. Ha.
Take, for instance, this bookshelf.
I am now the proud owner. 😉
for my dad's help with my freebies
I am able to restore some of my freebies by myself. But with others, I need a little help.
That was the case with my table. And I brought that ugly bookshelf over to his house the other night so he could screw down the top more securely.
(I do have a drill, but unfortunately, I don't have a screwdriver bit yet! I need to get one the next time I'm at Home Depot.)
for my minivan's carrying capacity
I have put so much stuff into the back of my van in the last few months; it's such a good thing I own a vehicle with so much room for hauling things.
Long live the minivan!
for the flowers I see on my walks
I have really been enjoying these coneflowers:
And in large part that's because I love watching the bees that are always busy working on the flowers.
for the way my brother shares his boat
Zoe and I rode to dinner with him and his family again the other night, and I once again felt thankful for the way that he generously shares what he has.
I'm not ever going to own a boat, probably, but thanks to my brother's kindness, I get to enjoy one here and there!
that I got a gallon of Benjamin Moore Advance paint!
There have been some serious supply chain issues with this paint of late, but I managed to get a gallon of my preferred white shade (Cloud White) in my preferred sheen (satin), so now I'm equipped for multiple rounds of furniture rehab.
(Cloud White is what I used on my kitchen cabinets, Sonia's Goodwill dresser, and multiple other projects, including my free Buy Nothing group bookshelf.)
I have never been as happy with any other type of furniture paint that I've tried; Advance is the greatest. So I am happy dancing about owning a whole gallon.
for the colorful light that comes through my bathroom window
At certain times of day, the sun shines through and makes some beautiful rainbow colors. I never can quite capture it in a photo, but I keep trying.
I'm thankful for summer break and for our pool membership. We went for the first time in two years yesterday and it was so nice.
This week I'm thankful that my husband is feeling slightly better, and that he has some tests coming up to properly diagnosis his digestive issues. So thankful for modern medicine!
I'm thankful for a friend who gives me feedback on my sewing struggles. I start and stop projects constantly and send her photos of my issues, and she patiently gives me her thoughts and encouragement.
I'm thankful for summer sunrise and sunset times. The long days are glorious.
I'm thankful for this weekly exercise. It does make me think everyday about the many things I have to be thankful for.
I'm thankful the Covid test I took this morning was negative. I have no symptoms but out of an abundance of caution I took one 3-1/2 days after our weekend trip ended. While we may believe in masking not many travelers do.
I'm thankful our days have not been blistering hot. It's been decent outside the past several days. I have done some yard work and walked during the day.
I'm thankful for family and friends. I can't imagine life without them.
I'm thankful for modern transportation and the means to afford to use it.
I'm thankful for the stage of life I'm in. I was in Safeway yesterday and they had menstrual cups on clearance. I'm thankful I'm past that stage of life, and pretty much past the hot flash stage as well. I have always been okay with the stage of life I'm in.
I'm thankful for modern plumbing, HVAC systems, electricity, modern appliances,...
@K D, 100% yes to your #2. I now double-mask on trips, since some others don't, and test when I return.
Have you considered asking your seatmates to mask? I've had some luck doing that - my usual phrasing is something like "Excuse me, I have a favor to ask. It's entirely your decision, but my mother is quite ill and I'd be grateful if you'd consider wearing a mask. I have one here if you need. Thanks either way." (I keep spare masks in my backpack.)
@WilliamB, &KD
That is so thoughtful. Back in January a young family in my area all had covid and one of their 8 month twin girls died. I double mask also. I don't want to be part of covid's supply chain.
@WilliamB, What a great and thoughtful idea!!
I'm thankful for the progress my son has made with his speech with the last year of speech therapy. He's still got a ways to go, but I rarely have to "interpret" for him anymore. I'm also very thankful that it's never been anything he's been embarrassed about. That's been a huge gift.
I'm thankful for the chance to be on the team of ladies making snacks for our church's Kids Camp this week. It was good to practice my frosting piping skills, but I especially loved the last 3 nights of spending time with a great group of women. Tonight I'll be subbing in another spot and leading a group of kids and I feel refreshed and excited for it.
I'm thankful for the health of my garden. I've had a couples of fails, but overall we're on the verge of having some great produce.
I'm thankful for audiobooks to listen to while I water my garden.
I'm thankful for the fun of having little kids.
@Ruth T, my daughter's BFF had a significant speech impediment for the first few years of elementary school. She was diligent with her speech therapy and now, at 16, I can barely tell that she had a problem.
@Ruth T,
Our daughter had a significant speech difficulty and she went through many years of very intense speech therapy. We wondered at the time what she would think of the therapy when she got older. She’s now 27 and in a professional job where she has to be very verbal. Her speech is very good. She came across a colleague who has a speech impediment as an adult. She told us then that she was so thankful for the good result of those years of speech therapy because she saw how difficult it was for this colleague.
Kara and Kris,
Thanks for those encouraging stories!! I'm really thankful that we have been able to get a year of speech therapy in before he starts kindergarten in the fall. (We will continue once he's in school, too.) It has made a world of difference!
@Ruth T, my son had 93 percent of consonants missed at age 4. Looooots of hard work until 8th grade. He is 25 now and does great. Funny fact. People always ask him what country he is from. (Speech a little different but totally understandable )!! He has fun saying different countries! Germany! Italy! Lichtenstein! Albania!
@Stephanie, I had an odd lisp after my braces came off. I had worn them six years: platinum bands on all teeth, plastic spacers upper and lower. When my college classmates insisted I was Swedish, it made me mad, but the lisps come back when I’m very tired. I recommend Sweden and Finland to your son!
Minivans are the best! My first car was a 1989 minivan that looked every bit its $700 price tag, but it was a loyal beast. We had our mechanic permanently take the back seats out so we had more hauling space (and better mileage). It saw us through four moves, countless milestones, and impressive Craig’s List furniture finds (most of which we still have). When my van finally hit one repair too many, I sold it to my mechanic for $1 so he could part it out and help other old cars live that little bit longer; whatever he got from said parts was his to keep for being so trustworthy and amazing. Nine years later, I still have my van’s key on my keychain.
TL;DR, I’m thankful for loyal old cars, of which my minivan was the honored first! 🙂
Thankful that thus far this season, I have not had to do a major watering of my gardens: It's rained every time rain was needed. We had a nice refreshing downpour last night.
Thankful for my coneflowers (and other flowers), too. In addition to attracting bees, they produce seeds that are a favorite food of my birds.
Thankful that an old friend of DH's from his home energy performance days, who now lives in another city, stopped by for a chat yesterday while he's on a visit here.
And thankful above all that DH, once in a *very* great while, can still manage a lucid sentence. We were watching The View during my visit on Tuesday, and that day's guest star was showing videos of her husband painting furniture, hosing things off, etc. DH looked at the screen and said simply, "I did that." I replied, "Yes, you did," and talked to him for a few minutes about all the things like that he'd done. He didn't say anything else for the rest of the visit, but I'll take anything I can get these days.
@A. Marie, That's neat that that your DH both recognized and was able to comment - makes me happy to hear, just a little brightness in that day.
@A. Marie, those lucid moments are like precious gems. What's really remarkable is that your DH used the past tense. It's more common for that fleeting awareness to be based in the present.
In the last few years of her life, the two times my mother recalled my name were the best days ever. My first name was the only word she said out of months of silence, but it was absolutely thrilling to hear.
@A. Marie,
That is really wonderful that he remembered doing that and could speak his memory. I long for the day when they find a cause and a cure for this terrible disease.
@A. Marie, Your comment brought tears to my eyes. You accept your circumstances with such grace.
1. For a bit of a cool breeze on a hot day. When walking that little bit of breeze makes such a difference.
2. For the very rare, very well-timed store coupons on chicken.
3. For a friend's freezer space, to put all that chicken while I'm eating down my freezer.
4. For a well-stocked deep freezer, that helps mitigate high prices.
5. For the new boss, who is also great. Old boss has been planning to leave for a year but TPTB hadn't created a plan for an acting boss. We're already down 33% in staffing and just barely meeting our deadlines. If one of us had to be the acting boss, we'd miss many deadlines. At just about the last minute, TPTB picked literally the best person possible to be the acting boss, who is going to apply for the permanent position as well.
I'm thankful for the rain that fell last night, for being able to take the kids swimming this week (despite it being chilly), for a good chiropractor, for "good mornings" from my cheerful father, and for being able to see once more a dear member of our church family who has been ailing and who is about to be on hospice care.
I am thankful for the break in the extraordinarily hot temperatures that we had last week. The sea breeze has kicked in and cooled things down. The morning and evenings have been lovely.
I am thankful that we had a day at the beach on Father’s Day and a great swim.
I am thankful for sunscreen, floppy hats and sunglasses.
I am thankful that my sister lives nearby, and we can walk our dogs together in the evening while we chat.
I am thankful that my younger son - although he lives 5000 miles away — calls me every Wednesday and Sunday without fail. He also sends me text messages and photos. Being a parent is tough and the love you have for your child is immeasurable. When they grow into good people and love you in return, it is a truly special blessing.
Wishing everyone the blessings of peace, love and good health.
@Bee,
I'm glad to hear there is some cooler air out there, and hope it comes here, too. We are supposed to reach 101F today here.
@JD,
It was lovely for a couple of days. The wind has shifted again and it’s hot, hot, HOT. 100+ here also.
I had a minivan for years and it was the bomb diggity! It got decent gas mileage, got all of us safely shuttled around, and was great at getting my mid century modern furniture to the upholsterer! This week I am thankful for my car that gets good gas mileage, my janky knee that hurts less and less each day, air conditioning! since its 100 degrees plus here each day, and a daughter who will come over and "spot me" as I repair a leaky outside faucet. Life is getting better.
@gina, oh my, I forgot to mention air conditioning! Definitely at the top of my thankful list! ( South Texas girl)
@SandyH,
Hi! I live in the RGV.
@Debbie, you ARE South Texas! I lived in Brownsville for a couple of years in the 80’s!
Thankful for...
Garden produce coming in.
For our cool nights, we set a record low last Sunday of 43 degrees. Great for air conditioning costs.
That our kids brought the most thoughtful and helpful gifts for Father's Day.
That we are all going on vacation soon, we can afford it and it will be nice to see them in person instead of on the phone.
For the diversity training our employer offers. I like to think I'm not really very judgmental but in reality most all of us are in some way. Not necessarily meaning to be.
@Mar, LOL! I first read "and it will be nice to see them in prison"!
I'm thankful for:
1. Recent car issues was resolved with zero out of pocket costs
2. That I found a great ministry to engage in on a regular basis
3. For today's rain-my plants needed it!
4. Dinners with my daughter
This week I am thankful:
I am employed and my husband is happily retired. Still trying to work out the kinks of him being home while I try to work from home. For 20 years that I have been working from home, he was working, so I was able to enjoy being alone. Hard for me, but I am glad that he is happy and healthy and not working major hours that affected his health.
That our car is finally registered, titled correctly and inspected. We started the process right after we moved in April and it took until this week to get everything straightened out.
Went to a lawyer yesterday to set up our will. We know what we want to do with our things, but just needed to make it legal. There are only us 2 and our daughter's family, so it was easy. But its been something I've been wanting to do for years.
Thankful that summer is here and I am no longer in a state where the weather is oppresive. Sorry Florida, but getting hit with the heat and humidity as you walk out the door was a little much for me; even after 8 years, it was hard to walk out the door some days!
Thankful that my office/craft room is almost done. One more thing to do and I can begin working on my projects when not doing my work. My own private space that I don't have to worry about cleaning up when we have guests over. A place that brings me joy.
@Maureen, good for you and your husband on setting up the will. And I hope you are also getting or have gotten durable power of attorney, health care proxies, and living wills. As I've said in previous comments, DH and I got all of that done **just** in time.
My grandfather was a painter as one of many jobs. I went to bed with a Benjamin Moore t-shirt as a nightgown many nights at their house. I won't use any other paint brand
1) Thankful that my teen boys love spending time with my parents. They are spending two weeks with them this summer, and most teenagers are not such a fan of grandparent time. My kids beg to go, for as long as possible.
2) Thankful that my parents (71 & 69, respectively), both are in fabulous health & are so welcoming of the teens. This is also the highlight of their summer.
3) So very much enjoying the quieter time with my husband. We have a good marriage, but that extra time together just brings closeness that is harder to accomplish when you are on the go so much, and focused so much on the kids & their needs.
4) For my 16 y.o.'s first job. He's learning so much, and in his words, maturing a lot.
5) For Buy Nothing. This week, I was able to give away bags & bags of clothes that my husband can no longer wear. He lost weight due to a food allergy. I feel so good knowing that the clothes are going to be useful to others. I also have a giant stack of things to list on eBay, but that will take some time.
Zoe's Metallica t-shirt reminded me that my 14-year-old niece was wearing a Nirvana t-shirt last week. Are kids now listening to those bands again? This must've been how my dad felt when my generation "discovered" Led Zeppelin and Lynard Skynard. 🙂
Thankfuls:
--For a smooth trip to Arizona last week, with lots of family time evenly distributed among all the relatives. There are a lot there, so figuring out when to see them all can be a bit of a scheduling challenge, but I feel like we managed a good allocation of time to everyone.
--For the financial leeway to afford the incredible leap in gas costs. Between this last trip, the one my husband took to Las Vegas for a funeral, and a couple of other things, we spent around $1,000 on gas in the past month. Ouch, but we could absorb it. Not going anywhere for a good long time now, though. 🙂
--For the teenage girl who took care of our animals and watered my garden while we were gone. She did an excellent job and watered more than I had asked her to because of the terrible heat and wind, and my garden looks so good. I worry a lot about my plants while I'm gone (I had put a lot of work into them already, and we do sort of depend on them for actual food), so this was a big relief to me. A lot of it would certainly be dead if she hadn't watered it so much.
--For incredible neighbors. There was a bull snake (non-venemous) in our chicken coop eating the eggs while we were gone. The girl who was feeding for us lifted the waterer to fill it and the snake was under it. It struck at her foot. Miraculously, she was wearing one of those plastic medical boots because she had hurt her ankle, and the snake hit that, so she didn't get a bite. After that, her mom, her dad, and another neighbor all came with her in turns until they found the snake again and killed it, right in the coop with an egg in its mouth.
--Again, for the financial leeway to pay this neighbor girl quite well. That service was worth a lot to me, and I imagine the money will be worth a lot to her.
--For the hollyhocks that were blooming exuberantly in my garden when I got back. I was able to have my first vase of flowers on the table this year, which made me very, very happy. I was tired of nothing but brown everywhere because of the drought. Not even the roadside wild flowers and weeds have been growing.
--Last, and most important, for RAIN. We had the first, honest to goodness rainy day I can remember in about a year the other day. We got over an inch, and there's more in our forecast this coming weekend. I am not exaggerating when I say that this will save the livelihoods of many in our community. Prayers of thanksgiving all over our county this week, for sure.
@kristin @ going country,
No. Back in the day, we only wore T shirts of bands we liked. Nowadays most kids just wear whatever to look cool.
@Rose,
Ha! Yeah, they are all a bunch of posers!
@kristin @ going country, you win my "Ripping Yarn of the Week" award for the story about the neighbors and the bull snake!
@kristin @ going country, okay, the snake story was terrifying. If I had been that teenage girl I would STILL be running and by now I would have crossed three state lines.
@kristin @ going country,
I think I'm most impressed that the girl went back to keep checking on your hens after being struck. I'd have had a hard time going in the coop. Thank heavens she was wearing a boot. Even non-venomous snakes can cause infections and pain.
@Anne, I know. The same thing happened to me a couple of summers ago when a bull snake struck at me from a laying box. It didn't connect, but it scared the tar out of me, and I never went into the coop again without a big stick, a spotlight, and a lot of caution.
@JD, Yes, my biggest thankful was for that miraculously placed boot. Bull snakes in coops are a common problem here, and the worst part is that it's often hard to tell if it's a rattler or a bull snake. Bull snakes can even imitate a rattlesnake's rattle, so unless you can get a good look at its head shape or markings (often not the first thing you think of when retreating from a striking snake in a darkish coop), it's hard to identify which snake it is. And it makes a big difference, obviously, if you get bit.
@kristin @ going country, Oh, how I wish you could've been at our cookout on Friday. We had some tunes going, and you should've seen my 8yo head-banging to Metallica. (Okay, so his sisters were, too, but he had it down perfectly.)
@Jody S., Ha, I love it. I'm all for the "re-discovery" of Metallica, although I would be fine if everyone forgot about Nirvana.
@kristin @ going country, HEY NOW. I love Nirvana.
@Anne, Like Arizona, California, and Hawaii== I'm right behind you. Or ahead of you.
I am so grateful for the sunny spell we're having during my annual leave. It allows us to enjoy our garden at the most. The colours are wonderful and the sounds of buzzing insects and cheerful birds are so relaxing. And the smell of flowers on the breeze is just wonderful.
We're out of doors all day, except fo the hottest hours. It is a treat.
Love the coneflowers, my grandma grew them in her front garden. Every time I see them I think of her. She was a kind, loving and cuddly grandma.
While I am feeling pretty miserable on Day 3 of Covid, I am beyond grateful that 1) vaccines have kept my experience from being life-threatening, 2) I almost made it through to the end of the school year before succumbing and 3) I don't seem to have passed it along to anyone else. I have been vigilant about wearing my N95 but let my guard down a bit during graduation - all on me, have learned my lesson, won't let my guard down again!
I had to think a minute about this one. It’s been a difficult few months for me, health-wise. I was diagnosed with diabetes in April, and this last Tuesday, Psoriatic Arthritis.
But about an hour ago, as I was getting ready for work, a thought popped into my head that there are so many people who can’t even get out of bed in the morning, much less work a job. And I felt thankful that at least that part of my life hasn’t changed.
I work from home. I’m thankful for that. I earn a salary, I’m even more thankful for that, (ha ha.) I have six grandchildren, ages 13-6. They are my world.
I’m thankful for prescription medicines. And while I’m still navigating the waters of diabetes, I’ve made some progress. So that’s something.
@SandyH, you've had a lot of medical issues to process recently. Hugs!
@SandyH, Ooof. That is a lot. I have psoriatic arthritis too. It really stinks. Mostly manifests in my feet.
@Rose, mine is my hands, wrists and feet mainly. Fatigue, though, is quite possibly the worst of it.
The first flower is one of my favorites, Queen Anne's Lace, also known as wild carrot. (It's a weed.) Pull one up and smell the root--yup, carrot.
I am grateful that my pup is better.
I am grateful to be employed.
I am grateful to have electricity. It went out last night and I was extremely cranky about it. (So cranky I ordered a pizza for dinner. Then a mouse jumped out of the box. Not so grateful for that.)
Also grateful for the wild roses that blanket my town this time of year. Pink roses + blue ocean = really nice.
@Rose,
Yikes!!! That is actually much worse than the donuts my husband got in a drive thru recently. One of them had a bite taken out of it! I asked him why he didn't go back to get his money refunded and he insisted that it was probably the work of some kid on TikTok who wanted to film the reaction. Maybe, but if it had happened to me, I would have got at least a free donut out of it! I want to support restaurants right now, but between the COVID risk, the rise in costs and the abundance of issues stemming from understaffing, I just keep on eating at home.
@Becca, We usually get takeout once a week when I'm about to have a meltdown after a long work day. oops. I'm trying to get better so that I do some meal prep earlier in the day. I work at home and theoretically I stop at 4PM, but it often goes to 5 and then I'm really tired (I have chronic fatigue syndrome along with about a dozen other things wrong with me) and I do NOT want to start dinner then. And I'm often hangry, too.
@Rose, I think that pizza place has earned itself a one-star review on all possible platforms. A MOUSE. My goodness.
@Rose, a mouse jumped out? You mean when they inserted the pizza, no one saw the mouse? Unbelievable.
@Anne, Or it slipped in afterward, perhaps during delivery.
@Rose,
I feel ya, and no judgement here. When it's my night to make dinner, we definitely eat things like sandwiches, nachos or cold cereal.
@Anne, at the pizza place where my son worked for several years, they assembled the boxes ahead of time and stacked them out of the way. So it's possible a mouse hiding in the front corner of a ready made box would not have been seen when someone in a big hurry banged the pizza in there and slapped the lid down.
Still, it speaks of really poor hygiene conditions inside the pizza shop. Had it been me that had a mouse jump out, people the next block over would have heard me scream!
Guys, I actually think the mouse came from my house. SIGH. Certain adorable kittens had ONE JOB, heh.
@Rose,
I didn't want to say, but I did wonder since you're undergoing renovations. Maybe Dingus will get better at mouse patrol when he's older?
@Rose, seriously, those adorable fur balls get food, shelter and catnip for LIFE at no charge and all they have to do is keep the vermin down. What are ya gonna do when they lay down on the job? They're too cute to fire.
Thankful to be out of the really hot weather and having an ideal weather day today! (My ideal is mid 70s and low humidity).
For getting to visit my in-laws last weekend. We only see them a couple of times a year. They live 8 hours away and don't drive long distances anymore.
Related to my last one, for safely getting through the very congested Chicago/Indiana traffic. Being surrounded by semis is unnerving.
For strawberries from my in-law's garden. We missed the window of opportunity for going to a U pick and there's nothing like freshly picked berries.
For the ability to afford new shoes for our family. Decent quality shoes are expensive and I appreciate that we can swing the cost. Seems like we all are needing new ones at once. 🙂
@Kris, I’m right with you about the shoes. I stopped wearing crappy shoes when I turned 35, it was about time!
I'm thankful for getting to take vacation. I'm very thankful that this year vacation was not spent with my in-laws.
I'm thankful that while there are still plenty of things I don't have or even have access to, I generally have everything I need.
That June is almost over.
That Father's Day wasn't totally forgotten this year like it was last year (well last year I got kicked so hard by my daughter that I had a bruise for weeks.)
That my relationship with my daughter is better than it was last year. That can largely be attributed to not having a certain MIL of mine working actively to undermine everything I do.
@Battra92,
Glad to hear things are better with your daughter. Undermining by other relatives (both well-intentioned and otherwise) can make relationship-building with children very difficult.
@Battra92,
I never understood why a parent would try to harm a relationship with a nice, normal son-in-law or daughter-in-law. It's counter-productive, as your own example shows.
@JD, I was always super nice to my former MIL and she dropped me like a hot potato for my ex's Schmoopie within days. 26 years of taking her out for Mother's Day, always sending flowers, baking for her, gifts.
@Rose, I'm with you Rose, there are two sides to that issue. My daughter-in-law made it clear early on she had no interest in having in-laws and was always cool to us. Eventually son joined her.
@Anne, I used to apologize to friends with demonic mothers in law because mine was so nice. I adored my MIL and FIL and the feeling was mutual. They died too early, and I miss them still.
@JD, I don't know what was up with it but I think it can be boiled down to wanting to be my daughter's favorite person. I'd say no, she'd say yes.
I think the best example I can give of what she would do is when my daughter was 1-2 I would get her a little rubber ducky whenever I was traveling or going out with my wife without her (a rare occurrence.) My mother in law mailed a box of like 20 rubber ducks making the 3-4 I gave her less special.
But yeah, I was never liked from day one and I've never really understood why. I think it just boils down to different personalities and backgrounds.
@Ruby, I also had wonderful in-laws. It has been 14 and 12 years respectively but I miss them all of the time.
Thankful for my crockpot which has helped put many meals on our table lately. Canning season has begun and I am
Always grateful for conveniences that help me to get dinner on the table with minimal effort. Plus it doesn’t take up a burner on the stove!
Thankful for my Garden and all the plants that are growing well and will hopefully
Provide an abundant harvest.
Thankful for cooler evenings…temps lower than 100 so that I can water my
Garden in not so sweltering heat and the plants have a chance to set fruit.
Thankful for the new pup that we added to our family and the sweet relationship he is building with our current Boxer. So wonderful to watch them together.
Thankful that canning season is here! I love adding to our pantry especially in light of high food prices. It calms me in a weird way and contributes to my Family in a practical way.
Thankful that we've been able to keep our grocery budget stable during this inflationary period. We haven't eaten meat in 40 years so we save a lot right there. We've been eating smaller portions (sometimes), substituting less expensive products, eating from our garden, forgoing beverages, buying from the bulk bins, choosing food with the highest nutritional value, making basic meals, etc.
To balance out (more like negate) all this grocery righteousness, we enjoy going out to eat where we're thankful we can afford the higher prices. We're happy to pay top dollar for good food, and we're thankful we can afford to leave a large tip for the people who make it possible.
I'm thankful for ...
Air conditioning! It has been consistently in the 90s all week and isn't going to get much cooler.
Our stash of beef in our deep freeze. We buy directly from the farmer and as such we pay a bit more but with grocery prices the way they are I think we may be coming out way ahead.
My ability to modify recipes to use up the odds and ends in our fridge. My husband used to tease me for keeping little bits of chopped veggies and such, but it's been a blessing in stretching our weekly food budget.
Not needing to drive much in the past few months, because I am driving quite a bit this summer! My son is signed up for a few camps that are in a different town so I'm on the road a few times a day. Throw in a few soccer tournaments on the weekends and crazy gas prices and I'm spending more on gas than I have in years. Since I spent so little in the past it lessens the blow at the gas pump just a tiny bit.
I wish I had your patience and talent (and interest!) for furniture rehabing, but it’s not for me!
* Grateful I was able to score fruits and veggies from the discount rack this morning. People line up before the grocery store opens and go at it like it’s Black Friday! Clearly, everyone is feeling the rising cost of food (Canada). So I got apples (0.55$/pound- usually 2.49$) , celeri (1$ - usually 3,50$), mushrooms (1.99$/pound - usually 4$), cucumbers (0.50$ each- usually 1,50$) and grapes (0.47$/pound -usually 2,50$ ), yay!
* Both myself and my 2 kids are sick, but we all tested multiple times negative for Covid
* To have a recliner I can sleep on at the moment. Laying down+coughing = bad combination for me. That way I was able to catch a couple of hours of sleep last night
* That our house is paid off. In this economy, it’s one less stressor.
* That my DD, who got out from the hospital last week for self-harm, and depression seems better. No incident this week (that I know of). One day at a time! She even got herself all prettied-up for her last day of school today, did her hair, put on a dress. It’s going in the right direction.
@Isa, Great news on the last point! And self-care is such an important indicator.
@Heidi Louise, yes!!
1. For the joyful little explorer of a cat we adopted recently.
2. That we have been using up all the leftovers lately.
3. Low humidity for our part of the U.S. We can handle very hot weather when the air is not soupy.
4. That nothing broke at my house this week (so far!). 😀
5. For finding the socks I needed on eBay. I am particular about socks and my favorite brand has recently gone to synthetic blends, but an eBay vendor had some older ones (new with tags ) that were still mostly cotton.
Thankful my husband is feeling better and making progress in healing from two infections he's been battling.
Thankful for air conditioning, and an ingenious husband who found a way to vent a portable A/C out a chimney, to supplement the main AC on 95 degree days. We have a good unit, but on very humid days it struggles, so this helped immensely.
Thankful my migraine attack that hit last Thursday night lifted in time for Father's Day. I really hate being out for the count like that. Working on figuring out my triggers, because I am sick of these migraines!
Thankful for sales on flavored sparkling waters, which my kids love in summer. We don't drink soda, so these are a treat. Also thankful I picked an amazing watermelon for dinner last night--my goodness, it was delicious.
1. We just bought our first Roomba. Oh, my love, where have you been all my life? One less chore for our old age. If I could just get an automatic bathroom cleaner I could die a happy woman.
2. Okay, this one sounds like I have been living in a cage, and I actually have known about and sampled Youtube a few times, but I never realized quite how extensive it was. I recently found a channel about mental health that hit the nail squarely on the head for me. And also a fashion channel that I adore. It's like finding new friends with which you have a great deal in common.
3. I have always felt badly that I have such a small family, and no relatives, but the Covid crisis brought my sister and I so much closer than we ever were. She lives in Europe but we have a weekly phone call of an hour where we share our triumphs and failures, and she's the only person in the world that has the exact same sense of humor that I have. She finds me excruciatingly funny.
4. Again, my beloved garden that gets constant revisions as I find certain plants that turn out to be unsatisfactory.
5. And always, always, my husband who is almost 80 and I hope on schedule to stick around for another couple of decades. May God grant that we die on the exact same day.
@Anne, RE: your sister as "the only person in the world that has the exact same sense of humor that I have", I know exactly what you mean! After many decades of little contact, I discovered that about my younger sister. We can now chatter for hours about essentially nothing, and laugh, and laugh.
@Anne, DH and I used to joke that we hoped we'd die in perfect health at the ages of 92 and 86 from the weight of the accumulated Krugerrands falling through the attic floorboards onto us in bed. Obviously this isn't going to happen, for multiple reasons. But I still understand your #5 wish.
@Anne,
Your number 5 made me smile. My parents were extremely close and always said they hoped they would happen to die at the same time. And then they did. It was pretty hard on the rest of us as the survivors to lose them both at once, but even so we saw the blessing in that they were granted their wish. It was comforting to me, actually. So, it could happen.
@Anne, My husband and I have often expressed the exact wish of your #5. Not the live a few more decades, but the dying together.
My coneflowers are going full blast, and the bees and butterflies love them. They are so prickly, I wonder how the insects manage, but they do very well.
1. I already said it last week, I think, but I'm still thankful for air conditioning! It's miserably hot here. I hate it when walking outdoors is like walking into a hot, steamy bathroom. I feel for people who have to work outdoors in Florida summers.
2. I'm thankful that we have several electronic ways to send paperwork. I just had to send more paperwork in for my husband - it just never ends - and I am so grateful that we no longer have to snail mail it and hope for the best or drive it there, the way it used to be.
3. I'm thankful for the new growth I'm seeing on the new boysenberry and mulberry plants. We'll see if they continue to do well, but I know they have at least found a footing.
4. I'm grateful that our widowed brother-in-law in Ohio who was just diagnosed with cancer was at least diagnosed with a very slow growing kind. He is 80 and they are currently monitoring him but are not alarmed. In the meantime, he is still living on his own, caring for his house, cooking for himself, meeting up for fun events with friends and his family, lifting weights at the gym and enjoying the life he has now. He's cheerfully planning a vacation to the Keys next year.
5. I'm grateful that I was able to rescue a dragonfly that was somehow caught in the bird netting over the blackberries. I've never had anything get caught in it before, and I was relieved to be able to free it and see it fly away unharmed. The blackberries aren't doing much now, so I think I'll just take the netting down.
@JD, I hear you on your #2. And I'm sorry about your BIL, although I'm glad that he's in no discomfort and continuing to live his best life for the present.
Thankful for some awesome weather we’ve been having.
Thankful for the nice pond with a beach and a beer garden nearby.
Thankful for two pretty chill days at work. We’ve been struggling with staffing issues lately but this last week everything went pretty smoothly.
Yes, summer rains are the best! I am also thankful for the thunderstorms and the magical aroma left behind in the desert air. And walks on those cool evenings afterward!
My 4-cup coffee machine gurgling in the morning as I get ready for work.
My boys looking out for one another and tidying up while they are home during the summer.
My niece visiting for a few weeks before getting ready to start college.
Today hasn't started off on the right foot so I am thankful to read all the comments of the grateful people who posted today. I'm thankful for our friends who so generously have invited our kids to spend the night tonight and that my husband has poker night with his buddies - I love my family but I need some alone time.
Thankful for the Dr. Pepper that's calling my name from the refrigerator...I try to limit my soda drinking to vacations so I seldom buy soda for our home. For some unknown reason, I felt compelled to pick it up the other day at the market. It's not something I want to make a daily habit of but it sure sounds comforting today.
I am thankful for friends and a niece who've loaned me a vehicle or chauffeured me after my vehicle died. Hoping to find something not overpriced but reliable in this present economy that I can also continue to haul stuff and get to and from work.
Thankful for the ability and desire to work in my yard and see the "in town" wildlife and pollinators that I plant for. Makes for a cottage looking yard that I'm also grateful that my neighbors don't complain about.
Thankful it is fruit and vegetable season. Have had some yummy Athena cantaloupe and Misfit Box nectarines.
It is so nice to have a vehicle that can haul stuff. I have a 2010 Pilot and she has been a workhorse for us. We'll use her this week to haul the catio my husband is building for our son's house.
* I am thankful for air conditioning, even though our upstairs unit is struggling to keep up with the intense heat wave we're having
* I am thankful that our car insurance company is giving us enough money after totaling our son's car to buy a comparable vehicle
* I am thankful to be able to work from home a little, especially since are down one car after my son's accident
* I am thankful to finally starting to feel back to normal after catching Covid
* I am thankful that the giant elephant ear bulb we planted now has so many huge leaves. Elephant ear plants always remind me of my grandmother
- For a book I just happened upon in the library, that is really helpinge homeschool one of my kids.
- For an unexpected gift.
- For the discount bargain store... I don't know what our grocery bill would be without it!
- For a running van (I too am a van fan! So useful).
- For good health.
-For hot sunny weather. I choose heat over cold!
All my thanks this week are wrapped around the fact that my husband, who is older than I am and I am old, caught Covid and for a few days it was pretty frightening. Frightening enough that the doctor we saw in the ER called every day for a few days to see how he was doing. It appears that this happened at an outside funeral service where only six (and we were two of them) of the about 100 people wore masks. He is still so fatigued that walking to the bathroom does him in, but he is getting better.
Well, now that I think about it, there are two other things I am thankful for. First, we are losing daylight now so by August we will have some darkness at night. And the other thing is that for the first time, Alaska is now using a ranked voting system that ends up favoring moderates and eliminating the extremes. Not always but we have a better chance of getting someone who appeals to a wide variety and number of voters rather than the crazies at both ends of the political spectrum. We just had our primary this week and while there were some snags, not unexpected in a new system and one that is being used in a state with villages where many people are more comfortable in their indigenous languags than in English, it seemed to do the job.
@Lindsey, my best wishes to your DH for a speedy recovery, and to you as you help him through it. A frightening time, indeed.
I am thankful that our gas guzzling car died four years ago. My husband misses that BMW, but I am really glad not to be buying premium gas right now. And I'm thankful for a car that gets good gas mileage.
I am thankful for the 12 apricots that ripened.
I am thankful that our first painting project is complete. Fresh paint makes old things seem brand new.
I am thankful for the glorious weather we had last weekend. It was great to have a gentle, slightly warm breeze blowing through the house to help the paint dry. It was nice enough to get a couple of coats of paint on our door.
I'm very thankful for discovering your blog! I have noticed that reading your posts helps put me into a positive frame of mind and helps me to have a good day.
I've cooked some of the recipes that you've posted, and I love that they have simple ingredients and don't make a lot of dishes. You and your commenters have given me motivation to be more mindful of how our family eats. I've made some meals over the last few weeks to use up frozen items, and I've been motivated to cook instead of getting take-out when I'm running out of energy.
I've also taken more time to find second hand items rather than go straight to Amazon. My kids are elementary-age, and we just have So. Much. Stuff. So for instance, they will be trying soccer at a camp this summer, so instead of shopping I asked our neighborhood Facebook group for any old shin guards they might have available to borrow... If they fall in love with soccer, we can get them new ones later.
Thank you for the positive vibes and motivation, Kristen and your community!
Wow! Pretty sure I would have given up on that project - or it would have taken me much longer than it took you.
I am grateful for a job I get to work from home in this crazy heat wave.
thankful for summer break!
thankful for my neighborhood walk with my neighbor, we're growing a new friendship.
thankful for my kid growing to be a great person as she is launching into adulthood.
thankful for insightful colleague who can temper my anxiety and catastrophizing, he can always finds a quote to put things in perspective.
thankful for little projects and the time to putter! I love to putter!
COFFEE, but now in moderation since I'm dealing with insomnia of late.
Karen
I'm thankful for the opportunity to see an old college friend who came to Texas for a conference and that I was able to drive to Ft. Worth to see her for half a day. We haven't seen each other in person in 4 years and it was lovely to catch up.
For my husband who took the day off from work so that I could go see her and that he took care of shuttling the kids to/from their camps that day.
For our new rescue dog, Benji, who brings such joy into our lives, and the circumstances that led him to be adopted by us.
For A/C to keep us cool in the house and the hot sun to dry my laundry outside quickly.
For our upcoming vacation to look forward to in 9 days, and that my son has inherited the researching and planning gene from me!
the rainbow is beautiful. you don't give yourself enough credit. you are a great cook, photographer, mom, blogger and person. and i know you will be a fabulous nurse. have a great weekend.
Aww, thank you Anita!
oops thankful that my son graduated elementary school this past tuesday and my daughter middle school today. they grow much too quickly but i am thankful ofr every moment i have with them
So many things to be thankful for!
My friend who just celebrated her first AA birthday - she has struggled getting sober, we started our journey together and she has had a number of slips, so handing her the First Year chip and telling her home group how proud I am of her, and how glad I am that she is on her journey, made my heart swell with gratitude.
That my son wanted to paint the loft of the barn (where he is moving) rather than have me hire a painter. He has now decided he really doesn't like painting, and it is going to be a chore to get him to finish, however my gratitude is two fold. 1. That I didn't have to pay someone to do it and 2. that I have rediscovered how meditative painting can be for me. He might hate it, I don't mind. Just need to find a bit of time in the next week to get the last little bits upstairs done. The loft got an expensive makeover when we bought this place, and it is a VERY sweet space.
Speaking of, I am thankful that this son will be moving out of his bedroom and my house, and in to the loft. I love him dearly and at 23 he really needs to do some more growing up. Time for a bit of space. He graduated from University in May 2021, with a degree in Chemistry, and moved home. Finding work during COVID has been impossible in his field in our area. He needs to lower his expectations and look a bit harder, IMHO, but I am just his mom so he needs to also find others who encourage him.
Thankful that my 92 year old mom is often too busy to fit me in and doesn't want regular weekly visits. She hates the idea of rigid schedules. (go mom) and so is happier if I just tell her the days I am going to be near her and we work something out. she lives an hour and a half away, so it is a bit of a jaunt and exhausts me to go there. Gratitude that she is so healthy and independent! I saw her today on the trip down for the AA celebration.
Thankful for that son again, who went to pick up the chickens after they went to freezer camp. He had to bob for them out of a big barrel of water, and bring them home in rubbermaid bins, unbagged. Not sure if I am going to use that particular harvester again, but we have few options these days. Anyway, I was able to take the chickens to the location but was away during pickup time, and #2 son went to do the job. He didn't like it, but he did it. bless him for that. We will be eating salmon for a week, though! LOL.
Thankful for my friend who helps me with our big gardens - we have a grand time, and she is covering the watering while I am on my much needed holiday next week.
Thankful that my AA friend has invited me to a beach resort (rustic but they will cook for us) for 3 days next week - and that the weather has finally turned reasonably warm after our very very very wet spring. It isn't going to be Heat Dome hot this weekend, but they are sending out heat warnings - and by the time we are at the beach it will be my kind of perfect.
@Ecoteri, So many wonderful thankfulnesses from you!
The AA friend's accomplishment is a Big Deal, as is your support for her.
We safely made it to and from Orlando for vacation from Maryland!
I’m thankful for this group for always looking for positivity around your life. I’m thankful we are in Colorado and not having the heat. I’m thankful my garden is looking great. I’m thankful that my teenagers are happy and having a great summer despite them loosing a school parent, grandfather, and student within a week. My puppies are happy…
A healthy, mostly happy family; a new water heater (realized we needed to replace it when the old one couldn't produce more than 4 minutes worth of hot water); a paid-off mortgage; many songbirds in our yard; rain! (I'll always prefer to live in a rainy area to living in a firezone.)