Thankful Thursday | goodbye, steroids!
This week, I am thankful:
that I am not on prednisone anymore!
I am so, so, so happy to be finished with that. I am grateful for how it helped my poison ivy to stop itching, but ooof, I was struggling with the prednisone insomnia.
And I really disliked the high heart rate I was having too. It felt sort like being anxious all the time, which is no fun.
I hope it's a nice long time before I ever need prednisone again.
that my Altras are working so great for my shifts
For my clinical shifts, I am required to wear leather white shoes, and even though I got a wide width, those shoes start to make my feet hurt after just a few hours.
My foot-shaped Altras, though? They have me feeling fine even after a 12-hour shift. Yay!
for air-conditioning
Last weekend was crazy hot (and this weekend promises similar temps), so I am feeling super thankful for having air-conditioning in my house.
for my Facebook Marketplace fans
The air circulation in my bedroom isn't great which means it gets sort of stuffy in there even with the door open. But running my floor fan helps a lot.
And of course, the moving air feels good as I sleep.
This is the style I have, and I had good luck finding them on Facebook Marketplace. I have three from there, in fact. 🙂
that I'm all done with training/orientation
I got through all my classes, orientations, and training shifts so now I'm gonna be out there on the floor as an actual independent tech. Woohoo!
This is the first time I'm feeling at all official in a medical role because as a nursing student on clinical shifts, I always feel like I am more of a hindrance than a help on the floor.
As a trained tech, though, I can actually make a dent in the workload on the floor, and that makes me happy.
(Will I still be asking lots of questions during my shifts next week? MOST DEFINITELY.)
for how kind all my co-workers have been to me
I'm working on the floor where I did my med surg clinicals last semester, so I felt pretty comfortable right off the bat, but everyone has been super nice about helping me figure out where things are in my new role.
that I had a successful blood draw
I did a blood draw for the first time yesterday, and thankfully, I got it on the first try. Woohoo!
And I've also done a catheter on a real live person now. 😉
that I have some days off now
I have clocked 69.5 hours since last Monday and my body is tired. I'm glad to have a little time to recuperate now!
for my house
I know I have put this on my thankful list over and over, but man, I love my little rental house. It is so perfect for me in every way. I dig the style, the location, the neighbors...and I love that it is my own space. 🙂
It is the single largest line item in my budget, but it is worth every single penny.
One day, I will buy a house again, and that will be happy in its own way, but I know that this little rancher is going to have a piece of my heart forever, largely because of the fresh start I got here.
I feel the same about the first house we rented when we moved countries. Lovely house, but it represented a new start and was so comfortable and nice to live in, in a great neighbourhood, we were sad to leave... but very happy we were fortunate enough to have bought a place round the corner.
While reading this post today, I felt proud of you and all you've accomplished over the past two years! Even though I've never met you! What a testament that is to the vulnerability and authenticity you've shared on this blog. This is the real reason I've been reading for 10+ years.
@Meeghan, agreed! I've had the joy of meeting Kristen once and she's just as sweet and authentic in person!
We're all super proud of you, Kristen!!
Awww. <3
@Meeghan and @PD, agreed, indeed! Three hearty huzzahs for our Kristen and her girls (both human and feline)!
This made me smile; thank you for cheering me on!
@Kristen, I am hoping you will become a traveling nurse and come to Alaska so you can be a nurse at our hospital!
You'll have to be patient! After I finish school next spring, I'll need to do a year in a nurse residency program, and thennnnnn travel agencies may consider me for positions. 🙂
@Kristen,
You are an inspiration! I have read your blog for at least 10 years !
@Lindsey, we'll see what Kristen's tigers have to say about this travelin' stuff.
It is a lovely little house 🙂
I'm thankful that after 9 days I think Covid has finally passed! First time I've had it in years, and it is horrible.
Thankful for the friends and family that took care of me.
Thankful for a job that I can do from home when needed because I couldn't have left the house if I had to this past week.
Thankful for a freezer of meals that DH could pull from so we didn't eat junk all week.
and last, but certainly not least....SOOO Thankful for A/C. It's so flipping hot outside!
@Marlena, sorry about your covid . glad you are finally feeling better.
Your rental reminds me of most of the houses in our neighborhood, though you have a much bigger lot. It is a sought after neighborhood and we are glad we have a home there. I am happy that you secured such a good place to land for this period of your life.
I too am thankful for AC. It was brutal over the weekend and this week has not been particularly cool. I am thankful I have been able to walk early in the morning before the heat of the day.
I am thankful that in this day and age I am allowed to wear shorts and sleeveless shirts. That has not always been the case for women nor is it the case for some today.
I am thankful for friends, old and new.
I am thankful for PT.
I am thankful for plenty of good quality food. I am not a foodie but I appreciate the bounty of foods so readily available to me. I am sorry for those that live in food deserts.
@K D, I second your final thankful. I wish everyone had the first-world problem I have at the moment (too much food in the freezer instead of not enough).
How rewarding that from now on you now get to actively use your theoretical knowledge and your practise - I am very excited for you and also wish you a good recovery from your 69 hours.
This week's thankfuls:
That I am in good hopes of full recovery from pneumonia in a few weeks from now.
That the very short but rather hot spell is slowly moving towards a nice and warm period.
That no one else in the family fell badly ill.
That our cats keep me company wherever I choose to sit or lie down.
That a garden is full of flowers. A few weeks ago, you would find little else besides slugs.
Note to Rose: I read Road to Wigan earlier this summer and decided to keep it for a future reread, since there is so much in it to think about.
@JNL, So happy to hear that! Always trying to spread the Orwell love (and the Betty MacDonald love). He was such a wonderful writer. I am perennially indignant he died too young, as did, in fact, Betty MacDonald.
Speaking of people who died too young, a bit I wrote about BFF is soon to be published. I'll have to think hard about whether I share it here.
@JNL, I wish you as speedy a recovery from your pneumonia as possible. It sounds as if it was a bad case.
I'm having a really tough day but here are a few things:
1. Someone supportive at work.
2. Being able to go home early.
3. One more week until vacation from work.
4. Being able to order takeout.
5. Chocolate.
@Sophie in Denmark, Hoping your day gets better, and yay for going home early!
@Sophie in Denmark, Hoping for sunshine & smiles for you on this difficult day. Chocolate helps & counting down days until vacation gives you something to look forward to. 🙂
@Karen A., thank you!
@Regina, thank you!
Aww, Sophie. I'm so sorry to hear your day has been tough; I hope takeout, chocolate, an early end to your workday, and a vacation help to ease things a bit for you.
@Kristen, thank you!I'm sure tomorrow will be brighter.
To be home. Two weeks in Europe with family was great, including a few days without family, and now I’m glad to be home.
That my dad is hearty and highly competent at his age. It’s not a given and we’re all grateful for it. We’re also all grateful that he’s foresightful and rational about debility and end-of-life planning.
Trip logistics all went smoothly. For example, my father uses a scooter and airlines sometimes, um, make mistakes. Lufthansa last year was terrible from beginning to end, across 4 different flights. Not what I expected given the well-earned German reputation for good planning and yet, at this point I go out of my way to avoid flying Lufthansa.
They say that possessions don’t bring us as much joy as experiences but man, being in my house still makes me happy.
That it doesn’t matter if my ankle never gets feeling back on the outside, it works great and the bruise will be gone in another week.
Right now, for the elevator repair guy who actually gives us updates. Today it was “I can’t come today because the part didn’t arrive.” Followed by “When I’m finished with the rest of my rounds I’ll see if anyone has a spare” and “Sure, if you’re willing to pay I’ll have the part sent quickly because the next truck isn’t for another 10 days.” May a thousand blessings rain on his head.
@WilliamB, Your last thankful made me laugh.
@WilliamB, And as I am experiencing the delivery is expected on _____ but doesn't arrive. You then recieve email afterwards saying delivery expected on original date or its way with next day or days later yet tracking shows different information/date completely. Even fastest shipping is taking longer.
Wow, that's amazing to manage a whole trip with a scooter and not have an issue. Yay!
@WilliamB,
Sometimes I get antsy and can’t wait to leave home. I just need a change of scenery. A week or two later, I realize there is no place I love more than my little house.
There is nothing like finding a dwelling that suits one so well. In all our years of owning homes, we never really did, but now that we're renting I feel this house is the best one for us--even though it's the smallest!
Kristen, it has been a privilege to watch you grow and change throughout the last year or two; I think I can speak for most of the Commentariat when I say we're all so very proud of you for the way you're pursuing your goals. You're an inspiration.
I'm thankful: that DS is down to one dressing, really; he had a wound from a JP drain that was large and in charge for a while, but it finally closed up and now we're just protecting the new skin with a plain bandage. Woo hoo for only one moist dressing on the large wound!
I'm thankful that the heat broke with lovely rainshowers, and we collected a good amount of rainwater.
I'm thankful for my bike, still; my foot is getting better and I can walk more but trying to keep my walking for errands and shopping.
Thankful that Clark seems to be forgiving us for deciding to lock him out of our bedroom until 7 am. He was waking us up at 5 am for goodness knows what, and as DH put it, "he was in the driver's seat and driving us off a cliff."
This seems silly but I'm thankful Criminal Minds is back on Amazon Prime; it's a nice mindless way to wind down at the end of the day (yes, I realize watching a show about catching serial killers is not how most people "wind down" but I watch an episode and then read a nice cozy book by Miss Read to balance it all out!)
@Karen A., I haven't thought about Miss Read in years! I went through a spell of reading her in my teens. I will never, ever watch Criminal Minds though! Haha! I'm watching 24 and that's as high of a stress level I can handle!
@Sophie in Denmark, I'm working my way (again) through the Thrush Green books. When I finish those I'll go back and read through the Village School series. They're just so comforting. I think the appeal for me re: crime procedure shows is they often do catch the bad guys. It's SO satisfying to see the bad guy get caught! Agatha Christie is good for that, as well.
@Karen A., I always feel stressed about 'the bad guy getting caught'! Although I did find it very satisfying when an evil rich guy didn't get away with his plan on 24. On a side note, the post 9/11 politics of 24 also make me stressed/pissed off but that's a whole other discussion!
@Karen A., criminal minds is on/coming to ION also. Have not watched in years, getting to really violent for me where seemed to be normal happening in society. Even watching "happier" afterwards caused anxiety feelings.
@Karen A., GLAD YOUR TEEN RECOVERY IS GOING SO WELL! 🙂
@Regina, Yeah, the new one, Criminal Minds: Evolution is not the same. I watched a few episodes, but it is a little more disturbing. I'm right now in season 2 of the original series. It's kind of nostalgic!
I love true crime and thrillers etc. For me, it's a puzzle and a thrill. I love horror movies too, but only ones that actually intrigue or scare me, which is very rare these days.
Aww, thank you for your sweet words. 🙂
And YAYYYYYY that your son is doing better!!
@Karen A., I actually met Miss Read once!! I was doing book reviews for a small paper and while I was in England, they asked if I could interview her. I love her stuff, so relaxing. She was as delightful as one might think/hope. And with a nice side of snark. I think People who read her stuff think she is a bit fey, but not in the slightest. I was so sorry when her daughter announced that she had developed dementia, for purely selfish reasons because it mean no more books.
@Lindsey, Why, oh why, don't I proof my stuff before hitting the reply button. Meant not mean.
@Lindsey, Oh my gosh, what a thrill that must have been! Her books actually have a good bit of snark in them, small doses here and there. Miss Read, the character in the Village School books, can be quite acerbic in her observations!
@Karen A., Even with Mandy Patinkin I couldn’t watch more than a couple of episodes of Criminal Minds. Not just dark, it also had too much sexualized violence and victimized women. Patinkin left because of that and I find I agree with him.
To my surprise I’m enjoying the heck out of Castle. The criminal cases are less unrealistic than most and while Castle is a flirt who thinks too much of himself, he’s not a charming jerk who can’t take a no.
@WilliamB, I might check Castle out. I found I couldn't watch Law and Order SVU, but regular Law and Order was fine. I'm not sure why Criminal Minds doesn't get me as much. Maybe it's more about the team, I like watching Garcia hunt info down on her many computer screens! I don't think I am desensitized, and I trained (and worked) as a sexual assault crisis counselor, too. Maybe I am cynical and feel more of this goes on than the average person is aware of.
When I want a very "cozy" murder mystery, Midsomer Murders, especially the early seasons, are great.
@Karen A., That’s interesting. For me, it’s because I know more than the average person that Criminal Minds is not for me. Much as I love seeing an actual analyst supporting the agents instead of agents doing analyst work as well.
@Karen A., @Sophie in Denmark — so happy to find fellow Miss Read enthusiasts! Such peaceful, comforting books, and funny too!
I am super thankful for finally getting into a rhythm with my weight loss plan. Slowly I am making progress as noted on the scale. For months now I felt something was medically wrong with me because I couldn't drop a pound. Once I retired ( 20 days ago) I made a sensible plan. I have not been hungry since.
In the same vein, I am so grateful for all the free tools available to me today to help with the weight loss. I have been a food addict nearly my whole life. I went on a liquid diet when I was in 4th grade to lose maybe 10 pounds. I went to Weight Watchers with my mother 50 years ago where they encouraged us to eat liver once a week. Today I realize how destructive food fads can be. But thank goodness for science based tools and information. In no particular order:
My Fitness Pal: so easy to log all my food.
Lark Program: a free app and scale which registers my weight whenever I step on the scale.
Dr. Greger: How not to Diet is a non profit and researched-based bible for me.
Grocery Outlet: carries discount, small batch. healthy prepared frozen meals. Super easy prep when I want to stay out of the kitchen. ( Wholly Veggie! coconut and cauliflower microwave meal 1.99, usually $8.99). It is delish and enough for two meals. I went back and bought out the last 6 in the freezer. I am stocked.
California Fruit and Veggies: My home state may carry an awful price tag to live here but our local produce is incomparable - especially where I live in the central valley.
@mary ann, I could have written this! I’m using Loseit app for calorie tracking, happy scale to track weight and just finished how not to die and found it so informative and helpful, I also found a lot of good things to stock up on at grocery outlet. I started my weight loss by just tracking calories, but since switching more to a Whole Foods plant based diet per Dr Greger books and website info, it’s been so much easier, I’m rarely ever hungry now even with eating at a deficit, amazing! Congrats on your weight loss and creating a good plan!
@LB, oh and I’m also in California, the delicious fruit and veggie access certainly helps too, I get a box of produce delivered each week!
@mary ann, from time to time, my husband and I considered leaving the Central Valley (he worked for Sequoia Nat'l Park and could have moved to another park). One of the things in the Stay Here column was the fresh produce.
About that weight loss project: remember that it is a Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Never quit, never give up. Fall off the wagon, climb back on. (And eating more veggies than fruit isn't very fun, but it is part of that long obedience. . . ugh to squash, sigh)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I am very iffy about squash, so I don't eat it (pumpkin pie excluded). I don't dislike it; I can just think of a zillion things I'd rather have.
That said, I love vegetables so I'm a weirdo. If you put a nice salad and a piece of cake in front of me, I'd choose the salad.
I am sorry to say that if I knew the cake and the vegetables would both make my body feel good, I would choose the cake. Ha.
Ain't nothing's gonna make my body feel good, sadly, so it's not a consideration.
In that case, I'd eat the cake. Ha.
@mary ann, I’m happy that you’re achieving your goals and congrats on retirement!
Does anyone know an app or website that classifies what you’ve eaten by food group? USDA killed the one it had, saying there were a lot of on-line food trackers available. Which is true but not with this one feature I want. Thanks, all.
@WilliamB,
I downloaded this. Is it the one you were talking about? https://www.myplate.gov/resources/tools/startsimple-myplate-app
It seems to work correctly.
MA
--Thankful for my virtual friends here on the commentariat. Love reading about your frugal wins and life experiences, even though some of the latter are rather sad.
--Thankful I get to work this summer but that I have days off where I can relax. Also thankful for the nice people, both customers and colleagues, at my retail job.
--Thankful for air conditioning. Right now my AC is set on 80 degrees F. but I'm very comfortable --we have a heat advisory this week and the outside temp is in the upper 90s and will probably get to the triple digits real soon. The high humidity makes it feel even hotter. I also have electric fans positioned at key points (in front of the floor vents) in the bedroom and den, the rooms I use most. It's amazing how much cooler it is with air circulating like that.
--Thankful for free games and free activities. In Wordle I've played 640 games on my home computer, with a 92% score and as of today, I have a 73-game winning streak. (Sorry, if this sounds like bragging.) I also like the free "Boatload" crossword puzzles, free online jigsaw puzzles (no missing puzzle pieces! don't have to set up the card table!), Word Roundup and more. This summer I'm involved in a Bible study, book club and the once-monthly get-together the ladies at our church have. The latter is at different restaurants, so it's not entirely free, but it's nice to socialize.
--Thankful for my house. I was told years ago "if you want to buy a house, better do it now before the prices go up." Thankfully, I followed that good advice!
@Fru-gal Lisa,
I love Wordle. I do two games every morning, one in English and one in Dutch. To my amazement I find the English ones easier!
It is a nice way to start the day, over breakfast.
Oh, that's so interesting the English one is easier!
I wonder if there is a Spanish wordle; guess I should google that.
I am also very thankful I got into the housing market years ago!
@Fru-gal Lisa, Google "Hurdle." It's a new game, like five Wordles in a row. Really fun!
@Fru-gal Lisa,
That's a very impressive Wordle streak!
@Fru-gal Lisa, the key to A/C is if you live in a humid area, get the humidity OUT of the house - don't wait for the house to become a sauna. Yeah, the A/C might run for a bit but once humidity is gone, I find the A/C runs much less. And sometimes to the point I lower the temp as the A/C hasn't kicked on in almost 10 hours - no lie. Turn it on, leave it on when it is going to be oppressive for more than a day. One day, yeah I suck it up.
Glad you are enjoying your position at the hospital. And that it is going well for you & patients. 🙂
Thankful for a neighbor that was having vehicle issues & I stopped to check to see if needed help. I got introduced to her mechanic (who is retired & does it out of his home garage) & is willing to take on new customers. Took teen vehicle down to local mechanic who said repair would be $200 when looked at before we purchased vehicle, just got estimate of $1000 for (same) repair from same mechanic. I said would have to wait. Glad have second option available & we can purchase own parts to be used if want.
Thankful teen started working helping neighbor with tasks around house & yard.
Thankful was able to get (multiple) oil filters (on sale cheaper than clearance at parts store) & parts for tune up on teen vehicle. I've noticed that many stores are reducing/not able to get oil filters for variety of vehicles & years last few months. Not sure if this is in compliance with only electric vehicles by 2030.
Thankful we were able to get gas closer to home while still cheaper when going from end of one county to end of another while doing errands/appointments as saw that gas went from $3.45 to $3.90.
Thankful I was driving teen vehicle to get gas (instead of teen) because people were driving very crazy (that day everywhere) & was almost hit by another driver who went around vehicles in line waiting for gas & cut me off as they almost backed into teen vehicle (I was driving) to get to gas pump I was pulling through as teen just pulled out of with my vehicle.
Thankful for air conditioning & fans (also) as heat was 90-100 for many days. My family in Florida said was hotter in Michigan than Florida.
Thankful that the overnight & early morning storms (multiple nights in row) did not cause us much damage, though did around us & some storms went through up north also (trees on campers at campgrounds in middle of night).
Thankful that storms in Florida did not cause flooding for my family area.
Thankful for this space Kristen provides for learning & sharing with all of you.
Have a great weekend!
Kristen, I share in the happiness already shared here about your steady increase in happiness as the year has moved onward. To follow along on your journey from where you began until now is equal parts amazing and inspiring. Thank you for being brave enough to share your journey here with your blog readers.
My Thankful Bucket is full to overflowing this week-
1) Our home remodel is almost fully complete. The last project, flooring, began this week, and the upstairs is now done as of last night, and it looks g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s! We are putting in water resistant, wide wood planking throughout, and it looks and feels so wonderful I could cry - we've been living on concrete and plywood for nine months!
2) I've begun planning beach days, buying tickets for whale watching, plus sbuying tickets for some outdoor children's theater, in anticipation of my daughter and granddaughters arriving in a few weeks. My husband and I may be dead of exhaustion before they all depart, but it's going to be fun!
3) For living close enough to the ocean to walk there every day, which we've been doing in spades this week as the chaos of getting the house floored has been happening. Yesterday we walked a total of nine miles, which included a stop for poke bowls, which we enjoyed at a nearby bluff park that overlooked the ocean.
4) That we installed ceiling fans throughout the house back when we first moved in, anticipating that we would be happy to have them come summer, which we are! We haven't turned the A/C on yet as a result, and like Kristen I love the feeling of the moving air!
5) For how cool and breezy our back patio is, which we're just now discovering in that we haven't been here a full year yet. It appears to get a consistently cool coastal breeze, and it's been absolutely heavenly to return from a long walk feeling a bit hot and sweaty, then pour a glass of iced sun tea to enjoy while we sit out on the patio and recover.
@Tamara R, I could not have expressed your comment to Kristen any more eloquently than you did. All of the Commentariat is so happy for Kristen and proud of the life and home she has made for herself.
It's funny; I never think of sharing my journey as being particularly brave. You all are so sweet, this feels like a safe place to share. 🙂
Thankful that my hard work on the cottage is paying off in its being booked solid until Labor Day, and everyone seems happy.
Thankful for local friends and for help.
Thankful that it's still cool and rainy here and not a zillion degrees like everywhere else. Though a nice beach day would be, um, nice.
Some good news on the work and personal fronts this week are cheering me up, yay!
Thankful that things are slowly crumbling into place.
I’m struggling to be thankful for much today. It’s been a really hard few days on top of a really, really hard last few years. The weight of the hard is catching up to me. The only way forward is through, so I’m going to exercise my thankfulness muscles so I see the beauty around me:
—cool nights. My house is 64 degrees right now after opening windows last night. There will be a few weeks of actual heat that will be uncomfortable later on, but this is perfect summer weather.
—kids who travel well enabling us to go on a quick little vacation. We had a fun trip. It wasn’t too much prep. Hardly any recovery.
—I’m doing well with grad school so far. And I have a week of break so I can rest.
—I being able to see wildlife all over, even deer in my yard. Chipmunks and squirrels routinely bring their nuts to the porch to crack and it’s fun to come home to a pile of nuts on the steps.
—this hard will not last. Better days are ahead. I hope.
@Kaitlin, I'm so, so sorry. Some days you just wanna lie in bed with a blanket over your head and hide, but you caaaaaan't.
Been there, have the scars to prove it. The mass of my misery eventually collapsed into a supermassive black hole of loathing for my ex, heh.
@Kaitlin, Hoping for you to find peace and joy during these difficult days.
Awww, friend. I know that exhaustion is so, so hard. I am sending you all the love from my spot further down the road. You are doing great, you are not crazy for being tired, and yes, things will not always be this way.
@Kaitlin, you will get through this. If Kristen could, you can too. Keep on keeping on!
@Kaitlin, You may or may not remember Al Franken's Stuart Smalley character from Saturday Night Live, but his affirmation is always worth repeating: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it people like me!"
@Kaitlin, Hugs to you as you're trudging through the hard days (and: it's impressive to come up with a thankful list in the middle of it - true glimmers of light in the tunnel)
@Kaitlin, I wish you more cool nights, peace, and rest during your hard time. The same goes for Rose, Kristen, and everyone else who has gone or is still going through this particular hard time.
@Kaitlin, I am sorry this is such a hard time for you and that the better times arrive quickly.
@Kaitlin, Your hope will be rewarded. Really. It really is the darkest before the dawn. Please keep on trucking - it’s not fun and it’s not exciting, yet it does work.
15 years ago, when our finances tanked and we had to move from our home into a rental, with 3 teenagers and a kindergartener and my husband had to take a job that paid barely over minimum wage (we were in a recession). We had to start over and learn to live way below our normal means and budget very differently. It wasn't a really pretty home but it was big enough for the 6 of us and I did my best to make it home. We stayed there 5 years before buying our current home and I have so many warm and fuzzy memories of that home and really did feel like it gave us a fresh start. I also think my kids enjoyed living there too. I still drive by that house and hope that the current tenants are making wonderful memories there now.
Today I am thankful that tomorrow is almost here. I have a dr. appt that I have been waiting 7 weeks on tomorrow. I am anxious about the appt. but glad to get the ball rolling.
Also, my BIL had a pacemaker put in Monday and is doing good. I was on standby to see if my sister needed me to travel to their home (about 4 hours from me) & give her a hand this weekend but she just text me and said they were doing fine, so I'll stay home. I am thankful he's doing good and that I get to stay home, lol.
Thankful for:
Some much needed rain.
A good speech therapy visit for the toddler. It's hit or miss whether he'll be cooperative. Also thankful that he is always happy to see her regardless.
The ability to stay home with the kids while they are young.
A healthy arrival for my cousin's baby.
--For a cool, cloudy run this morning. Ninety percent of the time, I run in very intense sun, so not having to wear my sun hat and long sleeves and all to cover up was really nice. Also, not squinting the whole time. 🙂
--That my children have found a positive in the absolutely awful locust swarm that has destroyed our pastures. There are millions of them--I am reminded of "On the Banks of Plum Creek" or the Biblical plague--and my boys think it's fun to run through the pasture and pretend the grasshoppers hitting them are gunfire.
--For my eldest son's summer job. He is not happy sitting at home and this year's ranch job is significantly less wretched than the fencing job he had last summer.
--For all the adults in our community who see the importance of training kids to work and are willing to take them on as unskilled labor. This is how skilled labor is formed, but it takes a lot of patience.
--For a couple of weeks of masonry my husband was doing at that same ranch. He took our other two sons with him, so my daughter and I had some time alone, which was really nice.
@kristin @ going country, Play "Run Through the Jungle" by CCR for them!
@kristin @ going country, that scene from Plum Creek has haunted me for the odd twenty or so years ever since I first read it!
Thanksfuls:
I too am thankful for A/C. It has been brutally hot here for what feels like months. I think we hit 100 at least one day this week. Tough to move in such hot weather.
I'm thankful that today's forecast is only for high 80s.
I'm thankful that we are 90% done packing up the house and moving things to our new home. We still have to deal with the garage and DH's workshop, but we are making progress.
I'm thankful that the painter showed up at 7 AM today at the old house to paint the rooms more neutral colors that will hopefully be more appealing to buyers. Not everyone would love the deep teal color of the dining room. 😉
I'm thankful for the people from the Buy Nothing group that actually show up and pick up the items requested. Fingers crossed the people will show up today to get the sectional and queen-sized bed.
@Beverly, oh wow, your deep teal dining room sounds lovely. Neutral colors are so boring, but I understand why people use them when selling a house.
@Beverly, I love the electric-ish blue that was the existing color in my new dining room. Reader, I kept it - while painting over the awful-to-me beigy white of the rest of the house and even-more-awful-to-me medium mustard of the office.
@WilliamB, Our new house was all boring beige. We worked with an interior designer to pick out paint colors and she kept saying "but that's so dark". She is definitely not use to people that love color! But we love those "dark" colors that we chose (Sherwin Williams Distance if anyone is curious).
I have lots of boring things to be thankful for but would rather ask questions:
1. Do your co-workers know about your life as a frugal blogger? Do any of them read your blog? (So many of my friends have no idea that I have blogged 5 days a week since 2008, so I am curious how that situation is for you, because your presence is WAY WAY bigger than mine!)
2. How will Purex know if your promo post for them is successful?
3. Will you use some of the $$ from your job to hire someone to mow your yard? (I vote YES!)
Adding these to a Q&A!
Tremendously thankful for cooler temperatures and some rain this week. It's been nice to take a few days off from Our Lady of the Perpetual Watering Can duties.
Not thankful that I accidentally hoed up two oregano plants (which I started from seed this year) earlier this week because I couldn't tell them from the surrounding weeds. 🙁 But thankful that the Thursday farmers' market at the Regional Market had replacement plants for $1 each.
And not only thankful, but gobsmacked, at the June National Grid bill: $43.37 for gas and electric ($10 less than last month)! Once more, blessings on those solar panels, and on my visionary DH for insisting we get them. From somewhere in the Great Beyond, he's still looking after me.
Wow, that's such a good electric bill! And I love that it feels like your DH still taking care of you. <3
1. Thankful for my hubby making it through his second toe surgery with no issues. Also hoping that this will be our last one of these. Diabetes = NO FUN.
2. Back to my workouts this week after a minor setback causing dome lower back/hip pain. Very thankful for a genius chiropractor whop helps keep me in best form while I am on my health journey.
3. Thankful for air conditioning this week as the coolest temps we have seen are about 85 in the middle of the night.
4. A comfortable bed. I have had some very sore muscles lately and my bed has been such a blessing.
5. Thankful that my niece's baby shower is done. It was lovely, she loved it and I loved doing it for her but the weeks of prepping and planning etc are done and I can relax again. Yay!
-thankful to be visiting with family
-thankful for gorgeous summer weather
-thankful for a body that works- biking, hiking, walking, lifting weights. Trying not to take it for granted!
-thankful for my faith and my church family
-thankful for audiobooks on the library's app- such an amazing free resource
I have so many things to be thankful for in a month of sadness:
1. A high school friend of my husband's has been communicating with me and helped me choose which small town paper in their area would be most likely to reach all my husband's high school friends* with his obituary. Once the obit posted, he sent me a picture of it as published in the paper and told me the write up was lovely. He and his wife are so nice.
*"All his high school friends" is a relative term. His graduating class was 28-30 kids and the underclasses were similarly sized. DH moved so much because of his dad's work that he was only at this school about the last year and a half of his high school years. The kids there were so friendly that he convinced his parents that he be allowed to stay there to finish and graduate. Over all, he attended about 35 schools while growing up.
p.s., For a bit of fun trivia, this is the school (grades K-12 when DH attended) from which he graduated, in the town where he and his family lived at the time. The school is still in use today as an elementary school.
https://usatodayhss.com/2019/column-one-high-school-gym-two-states-a-midcourt-stripe-with-an-interesting-divide
2. Our dear daughters have actively helped me do the necessary stuff to get ready for the memorial service this weekend and the military service next week.
3. My bosses are being very considerate of me at work and have urged me to take off whenever and as much as I need.
4. Old friends have shared memories of DH with me. DH had a dry and somewhat mischievous sense of humor, so most of the memories they share are funny, which makes me laugh, which feels good.
5. The heat has broken here, at least for a few days. I was not looking forward to standing at the military cemetery in 99 degree F, humid weather under an intense sun. Our highs are supposed to be low 90's with good chances of overcast skies for the next few days, thankfully.
@JD, re: your #4, I got a lot of similar shared memories of my DH. Please encourage your friends to keep 'em coming.
And please imagine a lot of us standing invisibly by you at both of your DH's services. I send you a lovely version of "I Vow to Thee, My Country," a favorite hymn of mine, as sung by a Canadian children's choir (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fv-whmQSn8). I can't help thinking that it's applicable to both military service and long-term caregiving.
@JD, I'm so glad you have your daughters and friends who can lighten your load, even a little. It's neat that your husband had friends from that HS even though he was there for such a short time (I thought my husband moved a lot and attended a lot of schools - but it was nowhere near 35). He definitely sounds special!
I am so glad your community and family have rallied around you during this tough time!
@A. Marie,
That song was beautiful, thank you! I know I will feel my "invisible friends" with me at the services.
@Suz,
My kids have been phenomenal. They have shown to me what they are made of - love and strength.
My husband worked across the state from our home his last 12 years of work, but he refused to move our household there. He'd always said his kids would never move if they didn't want to move, and he took that job on the condition that his new employer would provide an apartment for just him near the work site, while his kids finished school in the same town where they started, per their choice.
@Kristen,
I've felt overwhelmed with kindness.
I have the same fan as you, in black, and also bought secondhand - worth EVERY penny! I am in Florida, where it feels like 100 practically every day from June through November - I can bump my A/C up a degree or 2, and have the fan circulating the air while i watch TV, or in bedroom for sleep. Even with ceiling fans in each room (mandatory down here) - this fan helps a LOT.
I am very thankful for my cozy house is paid off.
That I could take off the entire summer and live off my savings.
That I start my new job August 1st as a school nurse. This will afford me a paycheck 12 months out of the year. It will be so nice having all the time off. Feeling very grateful.
Yay for a good job!
A friend of mine bought the house she had been renting. It was never on the market because the sellers wanted to be sure any buyer would love the house as much as they did. Maybe you can do that too?
I would try that except...the previous renters wanted to buy it too, and the landlords said no. 😉 I think they REALLY want to hang onto it as a rental.
@Kristen, Sounds like they just haven't been offered enough!
Hm. Eventually Zoe will move out and be on her own and then you might want a smaller place. On the other hand, I am fairly certain you won't stay single the rest of your life--amirite, Commentariat?--in which case not owning might be easier.
Planning would sure be easier with a working crystal ball!
Haha, I don't plan on being single for the rest of my life, no. And I'm sure there's no shortage of men who would like to make me not single...but the question is, do I want any of them?? 😉
@Rose,
Even though my crystal ball is a bit dusty and worn, I agree that Kristen will find just the right man when the time is right. 🙂
1. The days are getting shorter, even though only 3 minutes a day. I HATE 24 hours of daylight so by this time next month we will have a few hours of night. At least we don't like in the village we used to, at the top of the state, where the sun has not set since May and will not set until sometimes in August.
2. For my garden, which is starting to give us some fresh vegetables. Not many yet, but enough for a salad every other day with a few cherry tomatoes, scallions, and zucchini slices.
3. For Viagra, even though my insurance is refusing to cover it; if my husband wanted it for enhanced sexual performance, no problem, but when a cardiologist has ordered it for my lungs, no way. It has so helped my breathing, I cannot believe it. I can almost feel the arteries in my lung open up after I take it. And we are having terrible forest fires raging around us so the air is horrid but this helps.
4. For kisses from our Great Dane. After his experiences during his first 11 months of life, he came from the shelter very wary of being touched. It took two months for his tail to give even a little wag when the husband or I approached him, but now he rolls over in front of us to be petted and this week started to give us a kiss after his meals. We thought he would never bond with us. He still is destructo dog, but we don't care.
5. For the husband, always the husband. How I lucked out for the past 41 years, I will never know. It is almost enough to make me believe in God.
Haha, I love that you are getting viagra for something so different than we expect. And yes it is so dumb how insurance works sometimes (ok, most of the time, honestly.)
@Lindsey, I've said that to my husband, that he's evidence of God's grace to me; I'm amazed he's able to be kind even when I'm in mean mode.
And I'm someone who loves the long days and sunlight and get depressed in the short days of winter, but even so - I'm pretty sure 24 hours of sunlight (or even 15) for weeks at a time would drive me insane.
@Lindsey, Awwww.
I am so happy we have Rescue Pup. He is just so cute and lovable. I can't get enough of his alert, interested face. No one at all wanted him until we got him and no one applied for him when I put him up for adoption with our local rescue. TOO LATE, jerks, you can't have this adorable boy now, he's mine mine mine.
@Lindsey, My therapists keep telling me that Botox would be the best option for me to treat my synkinesis. I'll bet insurance wouldn't cover it if I decided I wanted it.
@Lindsey, it’s so nice to hear of patient, loving rescue dog owners. Mine hid for months at first. Now he’s Mr. Underfoot and, in fact, is lying on my feet right now. Sometimes he nudges my legs just a little, which generally means he wants to be my footrest.
@Lindsey, you are the second person (this week) I've heard cardiologists say to take Viagra for their heart. My neighbors dog suddenly has issues & vet did tests & found enlarged heart. Vet prescribed Viagra for (tiny) dog & it really does help! The dogs is acting so much younger than even last year or two.
I'm surprised to hear that insurance will pay for husband use but not for you. Who cares who is prescribed to, if medication is covered by insurance then should not matter.
@Lindsey, so glad you are feeling better. what a blessing to have a good doggo.
I'm glad you are able to work on the same med/surg floor you've been training on, and I'm betting they are happy to see you are the one working with them! They already know what a hard worker you are, and believe me--as much as I loved having students and new CNAs, having one over 30 is a blessing!
The week started off a little edgy, but it's ending well. I am thankful for:
1) The slow, steady rain we got for a few hours last night. It's been weeks since we had any. Even my purple coneflowers were dying, and they are supposed to be drought-resistant.
2) Another benefit of the rain: this morning brought 2 new birds to the yard, poking around the rock borders for emerging bugs and worms. Watching them warily surveying the solar disc in the birdbath before deciding it was okay to drink from it was very entertaining.
3) Starting a new Bible study with the small group of women I met last fall and have been blessed to know. There's something about women sharing together that is so healing sometimes.
4) A new houseplant! One of our small group members is moving, and she left a snake plant for someone. I love plants in a home, but mine always commit voluntary herbicide--EXCEPT snake plants. So now I have 3 live plants in my house!
5.) Getting the AC fixed in the "family car". The AC in my little 1998 pickup is awesome, but the cab is just not big enough (or clean enough!) to comfortably seat 2 people, so anytime we go somewhere together, we use the Durango, and it's been torture.
6) Season 11 of "Alone" is on! I've become less and less interested in watching TV as the years go by, and haven't watched anything regularly since "The Walking Dead" ended except "Alone". This is the only program I make sure I watch or record and by the time June rolls around I am googling to find out when it's going to start.
Haha, that's probably true; those of us who are over 30 are slightly more likely to understand roles and responsibilities.
I'm interested to hear what you do in your job. Are you doing regular nursing, just under supervision, or things that don't require a nursing license? It sounds like a great way to get experience for your future nursing career and opening a door to a job when you graduate. And I'll bet they are thankful to have you!
I saw you mentioned doing a nurse residency. Is that now standard for RN's or optional? Will you be able to do it at the same hospital?
You're rocking it out, Kristen!
Thankful for an absolutely gorgeous day today. For time hiking in the woods with my daughter. For the chance to catch up with friends and family over coffee this week. That the horrible storms in my county the other night didn't cause any casualties, although there was some bad damage done to property. For the emergency responders and power line repair-persons who perform risky jobs to make life better for all of us.
I'm thankful you're in a good place.
Today I'm thankful for a fun zoo day with friends! We've been going to the zoo with these guys for 7 or 8 years now (back when we only had a couple of kids - now we have 6 between the two of us) and it's great. I'm so glad to have them in my life! And I'm thankful that today was a high of 76. It was great to not be covered in sweat!
It has been hectic lately. I hate not doing my thankfuls first thing in the morning! But better late than never, especially when life is hectic and it's easy to lose track of the positives.
This week I'm thankful:
*for our new-ish eye doctor. He (and his wife) are such a good fit for our family. Can you believe they were okay with getting 6 of us in all at once for our yearly exams? (I also learned that it's a small, small world: their son was in Lisey's class, I think, at airplane mechanic school.)
*that my niece loves her job so much. She's a behavioral analyst and gets to play with children all day. (To be balanced, she also gets to potty train children and change diapers a lot.) Anyway, I was able to see her "in action" a little this week, and I am thankful for her skills.
*that my pregnant friend is relatively okay after falling. She broke her arm, but baby is fine. (She will need surgery, and that's scary when you're pregnant----but for now I'm thankful it wasn't worse and that she and her husband have time to choose which hospital/surgeon.)
*that my daughter loves memorizing and reciting poetry. She delights in it and does it for fun. I love how proud she is when she finishes a long one.
*for the one and a half inches of rain that fell last night. We needed it.
*for the giant volunteer sunflower growing next to our front porch. It's taller than our house.
Thankful for-
An uneventful vacation. We all had fun!
For being able to spend a week with the grands.
For being able to spend a week with the kids & spouses.
For being back home, I missed my bed mostly.
For Click and Pull at Sam's. I was way too tired to shop.
For mother nature taking care of my garden, it was super hot in MI and I thought for sure my garden was a goner the week we were away. Quite the opposite my plants were huge.
You remind me of hard and long medical workers have to work.
Also, you have made your home one of the cutest ever!
I have the same fan and I love it. Good to know they're popular on marketplace, I would love to get a second one of this style.
My husband told me a month ago today that he had been having an affair, and has never changed his mind on counseling/staying together. I have been devastated.
Sooo... this week I'm thankful for:
Two cousins who visited me on Wed! I live 3.5 hours away from extended family, so it is a big deal. They spoke words of affirmation all afternoon.
Their brother contacted me yesterday. His wife surprised him with a divorce a few years ago, so he hasn't said, "there's a light at the end of the tunnel" (as this does NOT help me).
I'm thankful that I learned walking down to Lake Michigan shore line helps me mentally more than sitting in the car at the road just looking.
I started a new job, and the team I'm part of is understanding. A song came on the radio while I was working with a customer, and I started crying because of the memories associated with it. My manager came and took over, and I took an early break to compose myself.
A customer, a literal stranger to me, said something last week and I started crying then too. She didn't ask, but started praying for me and talking with me. She came back yesterday, and remembered me. She's now added our 10 yo to her list as he started having nightmares.
I went to a church service for the first time in 8 years Sunday. I told myself the goal was the parking lot, but I made it to the lobby. Thankfully it wasn't busy in the lobby, and I knew the two people out there from years ago at church. I was comfortable to cry silently there.
A woman who I thought was an old work acquaintance has been the one to meet with me in person and help me stop thinking.
I washed some dishes yesterday. It was the first time in a month. I also ate mac n cheese instead of bread and butter, washed/not dried and load of laundry, cut myself some flowers from the flower bed, and stopped begging my husband to choose me.
@Lisa, I'm so sorry you're going through this. I'm impressed with your strength, handling your new job, making a goal to get to church and meeting it, crying when you need to... I hope you pick more flowers for yourself; I would give you some if I could.
Oh, I am so very sorry to hear this. Sending you so so much love.
@Lisa, so sorry for what you are going through. a big virtual hug from me to you and also tons of prayers being sent your way.
@Lisa,
I am so very sorry this is happening to you. It's just so much. I admire the fact that you are finding ways to cope and to find support and comfort; it takes baby steps, and the fact that you made it to the lobby of the church is huge. Sending you hugs across the miles.
@Lisa, Your courage is so impressive. Know that my prayers are going out to you. Please keep posting your progress here because you’re an inspiration many.
so happy for you. i am thankful that my duaghter zoe has an internship at warner brothers for part of the summer. it is located at her high school so she knows how to get there. you could never be a hinderance to anyone.
Kristen, I can’t imagine you being “ more of a hindrance than a help” in any situation!!
I’m thankful for air conditioning, too, especially since I grew up in a home with no air conditioning. The summer heat was only bearable at night because of an oscillating fan at the end of our hallway by all the bedrooms.
I’m thankful for nights that my hip joint isn’t aching. Last night wasn’t one of those nights but I’ve had a few good nights this week.
I’m thankful for the breaks my husband has been able to take in his work days ( at home) so we’ve been getting some short walks in lately. Walking is a different type of exercise than dancing though we enjoy doing both.
I'm thankful for:
-My supervisor's promotion. I'll miss having her as my direct boss, but she is so wonderful, I'm happy for her, and I'm glad her amazingness can now impact more people.
-Rain!!!! It's been dry where I live, and we're getting some substantial rain this weekend.
-No plans today except what I want/need to do at home. And time to take care of myself and do what I need to maintain baseline wellness.
-My front porch. We live on a hill and it kinda feels like a treehouse. I always think that people pay nice money to stay in an Air B&B pretty secluded in the forest with a porch like mine, and here I am with a very reasonable mortgage payment getting to enjoy it anytime I want.
-The ability to cook. I mostly taught myself, because I like to eat good food! And we all know how beneficial cooking at home is both for health and frugality : )
And to echo a comment above, yes, Kristen, we are so proud of you! When I was a new teacher going through my first year, every couple weeks I'd think, "I'm actually doing it! I'm a real teacher!" Lol. So look at you! You're a real....PCT, almost a nurse! I'm sure you're such a joy for your patients. It feels like PCTs have sometimes more time to notice and take care of things that the RNs are a little busy to notice or manage sometimes. Keep up the great work!
So dry here too! I'm hoping we will get at least some thunderstorms soon.
And yes to your last paragraph! I often feel like that...like, whoa, I'm really doing this!