Thankful Thursday | hot, hot, hot
This week, I am thankful:
for air conditioning
The whole east coast has been having obnoxiously hot weather this week, and I am just so thankful to have air conditioning in my house and in my van.
I also am thankful my job is air-conditioned!
for nice shady living room curtains
These curtains do a great job of blocking the hot morning sunshine that comes through my front bow window.
that summer is a limited-time occurrence in my area
Summer weather is most certainly not my favorite, so this is a time of year when I am reminded how grateful I am that we have four seasons.
It is not possible to get too sick of any particular season because right about every three months, a new one rolls in.
that we got Zoe's blower fixed before the heat wave
The blower motor for her A/C had been petering out and working only intermittently. Thankfully, we happened to get it fixed right before the heat wave hit. Whew!
Otherwise, my poor girl would be sweating to death.
that I have a mechanic shop I trust
Multiple times, this shop has advised against fixing something when they could have easily sold me on it. Which means I trust them when they tell me something does need a fix.
This is a priceless feeling, and I am thankful. I never have to worry that they are making up problems.
(Years ago, I took my van to the Toyota dealership for a free recall fix, and they tried to tell me I also needed new tires. Except...I had just gotten new tires six months ago. SERIOUS EYEROLL from me.)
for Chiquita's cuteness
You never know where she will be next.
that I am getting better and better scores on my NCLEX prep
I'm sure I'll have some nerves going into my test (on July 8th), but all of my prep test scores are really good, so I am feeling more and more confident.
11 more days until the real test day.
for people who fix downed power lines
My power was out overnight after a storm rolled through, and whenever it comes back on again, I always wish I could go say thank you to the people who fixed it.
Linemen/women often have to work in miserable conditions, and I'm grateful they are willing.
for some mushrooms to notice
I have honestly not walked in the woods much the last few days (too hot, even early in the morning) but before the heat wave, I did spy some mushrooms.
Moss + mushrooms = such a pleasing combo.
Don't worry; I consumed zero woodland mushrooms. 🙂 I only took photos.
Also, look, the wild blueberries are starting to turn blue.
that my coworker Brittany is coming to donate blood with me this morning
She's one of my study buddies you guys have seen pictures of before. 🙂 And she works on my hospital floor.
Our hospital is very short on all types of A blood right now, and Brittany and I both have A blood. Sooo, we are gonna go together this morning to try to donate.
I say "try" because we both tend to run slightly anemic, so it's possible we will get rejected. In which case I will go home, eat beef + iron supplements, and try again in a bit.
Here's hoping I have good hemoglobin levels today!
I am also thankful for AC. Summer is usually my jam, but the humidity is downright atrocious. I don't need to have the thermostat real low to be comfortable.
For a season, I seemed to be at my mechanic's shop pretty frequently. I like my people, too. But I've been absent long enough that the "receptionist guy" has gone and am sorry I missed his going. I'm thankful for the shop's reputation for honesty and their good work and that they get me in quickly.
I'm thankful for Molly and the companionship she provides.
College has been out for the summer and no offense, I like our town's quietness and lack of traffic when the most part of the student's are gone. This past spring there were also two big job sites ((solar panels being put up, (sadly 1000 acres of farmland worth), and internet cables being buried)) that contributed to the community business. Glad for the revenue, but better still, the quiet. I live in a quiet neighborhood, but it is still only two blocks from the main drag.
Thankful for summer fruits and vegetables as well as herbs. I always feel better when they are my main diet.
@Chrissy,
I understand how you feel about the farm land being used for solar panels....a similar situation is happening in my small town. A beautiful, large family owned farm was sold to developers about 3 years ago - the plan is to build homes on a big chunk of the land, as well as solar panels on one parcel of land. :-/ The land is being cleared and readied for building. I do understand that many folks no longer want to farm (due to age, farming not always being profitable, family not wanting to take over the farm, etc., etc.), as well as the utility of solar panels to generate power, but wow....it's so ugly. Maybe they will plant something to "obscure" the view as you drive by.
@Chrissy, I can’t understand them using farmland. I see so many photos of them being used over sidewalks for shade and over parking areas, which seems like a much better place to put them.
That's so fun that you still get to see one of your study buddies regularly! What a gift.
This week I'm thankful:
* for air conditioning as well.
* that my neighbors have a pool and let us use it whenever we want. We have a smaller pool, but their bigger one is nice. My husband has a commercial pool operator certification thing and it's been a nice give and take. He's been able to help them and teach them how to have a pool, my kids get to swim without us having to drive.
* that I should be able to finish my audiobook before it returns. I have 40 minutes left and it returns in 7 hours. I can't renew it because someone is waiting for it, but I think I'll be able to get it done!
* that I've been able to walk my dog in the early mornings instead of late evenings this week.
* that we are able to move to the new house slowly. We're planning to put our house on the market sometime in July - which is approaching quickly - but I'm thankful we've been able to spread out the process and still enjoy summer break.
* that actual work is happening at the new house today! Not just professionals coming over to look at things and talk, but we've jumped through all of the hoops and they will begin working today. Hooray!
* that my friend is coming over today to help me pack and let our kids play. Summer is the time that we get together the most and I'm thankful for it.
@Ruth T, what is commercial pool operator certification?
@Ruth T, I love when my audio books work out like that! just under the wire 🙂
@Regina, He got certified to operate a commercial pool. Chemicals, filtration, fixing problems, and all that jazz. He used it a lot at his last job, which was at a facility with both an indoor and outdoor pool.
Reliable maintenance people/shops/services cannot be valued too highly. It is so worth having people think WITH you on what is best, instead of just meeting their sales targets (Thinking of you, bicyle repair/shop that I left because you claimed not to be able to fix my gear problem! Someone else could. Ha.)
Thankfuls:
For a soft and steady fall of rain today - It has been very hot and will be very hot again early next week, I am glad our garden has a bit of respite from the draught;
For the playfulness of our senior kitty - She actively invites us to play by bringing small toys and dropping them before our feet, or she looks at us questioningly and then walks towards the place where we keep her all favourite toys (an old wooden spoon with a shoelace, and a little house we made from a box, with some "windows";
For garbage collection - I will never take it for granted;
For work - which is what I will be resuming now
@JNL, Your kitty is so polite! Clark's way of telling me he wants to play is to get up on my desk and bap pens and other items to the floor, or zoom around while I'm trying to walk through a room!
@Karen A., But it works, right?
@JDinNM, It does indeed!
@JNL, senior cats wanting to play is so nice. Mine will be 11 this summer and every week when I change sheets she still thinks it's great fun to jump up under each one as I put it on the bed. She will run around under it trying to grab my fingers as I'm tucking in the corners.
I saw this quote the other day" “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
— Cicero
I too am extremely thankful for AC in the house and car. Our AC needed to be repaired last week and the repair was finally accomplished on Saturday before the heat wave hit. I am thankful we have a couple of old portable ACs we were able to use while we waited.
I am thankful I have been able to walk at 5:00 am on these hot mornings. I continue to help thankful for good health.
I am thankful I have breakfast in front of me.
@K D, oooo I like that quote!! Thanks for sharing
You absolutely can tell your electricity service people thank you! Just call the company's office to extend your thanks, and it will be passed on to the workers. We've had full day outages thanks to blizzards and thunderstorms, and afterwards I call to say how appreciated their efforts are when the power comes back on. Our power company's secretary has told me that they're always glad to hear it, as usually all they get is "What's taking so long?!" or "When is MY power coming back on?!" never mind the snow, hail, etc. You can thank anonymously (my choice), just giving your neighborhood or village, or give them a specific address.
@N,
This is a great idea. After hurricanes, the trucks start rolling into Florida by the hundreds. It always amazes me how quickly the power companies have things up and running again. Many work long hours in the most difficult of conditions until the job is done.
@Bee,
My town's mostly unused rural airstrip is a frequent staging area for linemen working the Gulf side. The community often tries to do things to show appreciation to the workers, such as a cookout, snacks, etc. It's the very least we can do. Lineman are great!
@Bee,
When I lived in Florida, we'd always wave and say thank you to the operators of the power trucks. Post-hurricane, some of them came from far-distant states such as Kansas, Texas and Ohio, etc. There was a guy in our church who worked for the electric utility and after the storms, we didn't see him for many weeks. When he returned to church, we all clapped, said thank you, and gave him a standing ovation as he walked down the aisle. Those guys are heroes, for sure!
@Fru-gal Lisa, we have electrical lineman company in our area (from Michigan) that is always first to go mobile ahead of predicted storms in other states. During 2024 hurricane season they were already in Georgia & Florida before Hurricanes hit back to back. My dad took pictures of them when they were in Tampa & thanked them as he recognized them from my area. They laughed at how small the world can feel sometimes.
We are one of the few parts of the US not in a heat wave and I am so thankful for that. I don’t have AC.
Thankfuls:
-for friends that host game nights, go hiking, and share life together.
-for the freedom summer allows for naps.
-for my faithful car that will roll 100000 this weekend.
-for my kids. They’ve done some hard stuff and I’m so proud of them.
-for the birds I hear outside my house. Yesterday I was convinced one was in the house somewhere and I got up to deal with it, but acoustics played tricks on me.
@Kaitlin,not having ac was not so bad until now. luckily, we have a ton of fans. this year is the first time i am using the fan on my desk.
This week I am thankful for:
- also A/C! I'm in SC, and I'm not sure I can remember a time it has been hotter
- summer camp for my kids
- my parents' beach house we're getting ready to spend a week at
- day dates at the climbing gym because it's summer and my husband and I are both teachers
- summer flowers and our vegetable garden
I'm thankful that I could give blood this week (also type A). Several of my friends can no longer give blood, so I try to as often as I'm allowed.
I join in the thankful for air conditioning group - near 100 here for a few days.
I'm thankful for my daughters. My youngest just moved back home for a variety of reasons and I'm enjoying spending time with her.
I'm thankful for the company of this blog. I read it as part of my morning routine. I don't comment often, but love hearing from everyone.
June in SE New Mexico is usually well into triple digits. However, it has poured rain for 3 days and the highs are not even in the 90s. Weather is strange! We are soggy, but thankful for the moisture here in the desert. We had an awesome storm that left our rural neighborhood without power for about 20 hours (downed cinder lock walls and steel fences too), so many thanks were given to and for the workers who restored it!
@Karen, To the NW of you but we too got some much appreciated rain though not for 3 days (so jealous!) -- closer to 3 hours! I'm thankful for every. single. drop.
I am thankful for our weekend trip to Long Island. It took longer than usual to get there because of all the constructions and trucks in PA. We took a different way home (the toll roads) and 1. the roads were better and 2. there was less traffic. Looks like we will be going that way from now on.
Thankful that I have a wonderful sister who will put me and my husband up for the weekend. And for my sister's very pregnant daughter in law and our nephew who let us come over and make them dinner. And that they didn't say no to the gifts I bought (which they tell their mom all the time!).
Thankful we went to a bagel place on Long Island that sold "mini bagels" - half the size of regular bagels. And just as delicious. Curbs the craving of wanting a NY bagel with half the calories! However, the Italian cookies were a different story!!!
Thankful that the cousin that had a service for her husband looked like she was doing OK. However, her brother says otherwise. I know it takes time. My husband's family is huge, so hopefully we can all rally around her and make sure she is not too lonely.
And like Kristen, I am so thankful for AC that works. And it's only June. Hopefully we won't have a repeat in July, but I know we will.
@Maureen,
To be honest, I would've eaten * a whole, gigantic* LI bagel, and ALLLLLL of the Italian cookies. Ha. Plus brought a bag of LI bagels home to freeze. You are much better about "moderation" than I am. 🙂
Yes! to the a/c! We have 3 vehicles with different levels of a/c problems. We do have the part needed to fix one, but every time we are convinced it's time to replace, it starts to behave again. This week son #3 was threatening the misbehaving fan that the next not tortuously hot day, he was going to change it. It's working again. For now.
This week I'm thankful:
*for some excellent medical professionals in my life.
*for a visit from friends we haven't seen since before we were married (in 2003!). The last time we saw them, they were around 10 and 13. Visiting with their adult versions was a delight!
*for our playful kittens.
*for some time at the pool for fun. It's been stressful for me lately. Fun was needed.
*that we have all we need to support this body and life.
--For an uneventful drive to and from my sister's house in Colorado. 900 miles, no problems.
--For my sister. She welcomed me and four children into her small house; fed us,;borrowed paddle boards, paddles, life jackets, etc.; inflated water toys; shepherded us hiking, swimming, kayaking . . . She really is quite an impressive hostess.
--That my sister loves her life so much now. She was widowed five years ago, and moved to Colorado just a year and half ago, never having lived in that city and knowing only one person. Now she has a job (she's a veterinarian, so that part wasn't actually all that hard), a boyfriend, lots of friends, and is exactly where she wants to be. I'm so proud of her for building the life she wants, and so grateful it worked out for her. It was nice to see it firsthand.
--That all of my children had a good time. One in particular is usually not having a good time, but even he said he did and it was worth the drive.
--For my husband and the new bathroom floor and toilet he installed while we were gone. He purposely waited until he was the only one home so he could tear up the kids' bathroom without causing too much upheaval, and he worked like a madman to get at least the toilet and sink functional--and a floor down--before we got home. That bathroom is original to our 1970s trailer, the floor was literally sinking from several leaks that needed to be fixed, and it was way past time to address it. So grateful he was willing to tackle it himself, and even by himself. Now we wait on the bathtub and shower things to be delivered next week, but we do have a tub and shower in our bathroom everyone can use in the meantime. And it's really nice to walk into the kids' bathroom and not feel the floor bend under my feet. 🙂
--That I am home. I am an extreme homebody, so the best part of any trip for me is coming home.
@kristin @ going country,
Your sister has inspired me!
Definitely grateful beyond belief for A/C. And for the break in the heat we had yesterday due to the thunderstorm that rolled in (but did not cause us to lose power, thank God!)
I'm thankful that DS#2 was willing to take A&P class with me, and study with me--I am 100% sure that our good test scores have been due to our little study group.
I'm thankful that DS#1 is really settling in at his job--they trained him to use special equipment in the lab, and he's only one of two employees who can use it, so that makes him pretty essential. His managers also moved him to a slightly different schedule, where he goes in three days a week but teleworks on Mondays and has ever Friday off (this is standard in the company, but new hires have to be offered it). He's enjoying the work and seems to get along well with his coworkers.
I'm thankful that DS#3 is turning out to be a good driver--I never get carsick when he drives, as I do when some other drivers do!
Thankful that next week DH starts a new summer schedule where he only has to go in to work two days a week--he's so ready for this! He works better at home, anyway.
Let's face it, many of us are thankful for A/C right now! We finally had a front pass through yesterday and we are only to get in the low 90's today. If that is true, I'll take it.
1. I'm thankful that the hail that fell at my daughter's work place yesterday didn't hit at my workplace across town from her. She parks in a parking garage; my workplace doesn't have covered parking, so my car would have been unprotected. I also didn't have hail at my house, which could have destroyed my garden.
2. I'm thankful that my employers have hired my replacement. She'll start training with me late next month, so she should be able to take over seamlessly when I retire on 2/28/26. Just over 8 months left for me as of now!
3. I'm thankful for the 60 missing children rescued recently here in Florida. I'm part of an anti-trafficking group at church, and we hear some unsettling data. This was welcome news, finally!
4. I'm thankful my sister is going to have the problem of persistent pain resolved - doctors found her gallbladder was in very poor shape and she's scheduled for surgery early next month. Of course, no one wants surgery, but if this helps, she will be so relieved.
5. I'm thankful for the little lemons on my Meyer lemon tree. Barring really high winds or cold weather, I should have another crop of lemons this winter, so I'd better start using up more of my lemon juice in the freezer!
@JD, SIXTY children rescued!!??!! I’ve been ignoring the news lately, so I am thankful to hear of this good thing. But why and how were they taken captive?? Sigh. So much evil.
@JD, Wow. I only heard of the 23 missing children (ages 4-17) rescued from child trafficking bust (3-5 adults arrested) (not on National News in Michigan until days later). That is something that tugs at my soul & breaks my heart.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
This is the first one to pop up when I looked for a link:
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/60-children-rescued-in-tampa-bay-marking-the-largest-child-rescue-operation-in-u-s-history/3643262/
@JD,
I also was grateful to hear that the women and children were rescued. Human trafficking is among the most insidious of all crimes, and it happens much more frequently than most people realize. It truly breaks my heart.
On a much happier note ..,,
Hooray for a bumper crop of lemons! Hooray for 8 months until retirement!
This week in particular I’ve been thankful I had the chance to spend time in Iran in the late 1970’s. My father was an electrical engineer by training, turned manager of a number of projects involving the U.S. space program and various avionics contracts, including one with the Iranian Air Force when the Shah was still in power. So he and my mother moved to Shiraz, a lovely city in the southern part of Iran near the Persian Gulf, and I flew out to spend some time with them. Went to Tehran, Isfahan, Persepolis, Shiraz, and a number of smaller cities, and had a lovely time. It’s really a beautiful country, with lovely people (mullahs aside). My parents were taking Farsi lessons and I tagged along for those. There was a fairly large American presence in Shiraz and I remember some fabulous dinner parties with huge platters of Persian Gulf shrimp – best I ever tasted. Went to the Bazaar in Isfahan and still have a couple of rugs and other items I brought home with me. (On my way back to the States, in a spectacular case of missed connections, I stopped in Egypt, only to find that the King Tut traveling exhibit was at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Never did get to see that.)
And I’m eternally thankful that, when the Revolution came in 1979 and the Shah was deposed, my parents were safely evacuated back to the States, although they had to leave everything behind. (The State Department eventually compensated them.) It was touch and go, and I would get phone calls from the State Department saying they were on their way to the airport in Shiraz, then they were on the plane, but they couldn’t take off, then they were allowed to take off, then they cleared Iranian air space, then they arrived in Bahrain, then they made it to Paris, then they finally arrived at my house in Philadelphia, where they sat on my couch holding hands and watching the TV news nonstop and saying “It doesn’t look THAT bad! I think we can go back!” Needless to say, they couldn’t. I think in many ways those were some of their happiest years, and I’m thankful I got to share some of that experience with them.
So thank you, Kristen, for Thankful Thursdays and the chance to walk down this particular memory lane!
@JDinNM, Wow. That is a big thing to be thankful for. How scary for you and your family. It’s sad that such a beautiful place is no longer safe to live or visit.
@JDinNM,
Thank you for sharing that interesting story. What amazing experiences you and your parents had! I realize that all the people in these "enemy" countries are not bad folks, and IMO, it is very sad that they are stuck living under those terrible terrorist regimes. When war breaks out, the innocent suffer right along with the guilty, and it's heartbreaking to know they, and esp. their children, are having to endure such hardships.
@JDinNM, wow. amazing. what a story. thanks for sharing.
@JDinNM,
That is a wonderful memory. The Middle East is complex and beautiful place.
@JDinNM, Thanks for this story that sheds a light on Iran in a new way. If only war mongers would stop their madness we would have wonderful places with super deep histories to visit with ease.
@ErikaJS, The Iranian people deserve so much better.
@JDinNM, Thank you for the memory. People are separate from what their governments choose to do, which many seem to forget. I saw a piece of art on that the other day which was reflecting on Iran and the US.
My son’s CT scan yesterday was clear. They were looking for tumors, so “nothing” is the best thing to have in this case. I’m overwhelmingly thankful for this.
Yay!!! So happy to hear this.
@JenRR, Celebrating this good result with you!
@JenRR, YAY!!!!
@JenRR, Yes! I can hear your sigh of relief over the internet. ;-}
@JenRR, Yeah! Your heart must have felt so happy.
@JenRR, ❤️
@JenRR,
Hooray!!! That is wonderful! I am happy for you and your son.
@JenRR, wonderful news!
@JenRR, So relieved to hear this good news! Glad you shared.
Thank you all. I’m so glad the radiologist shared their findings with us right away, so we got to go home feeling relieved. We got slushies afterwards to celebrate.
@JenRR, Amazing news!
For how my doggie jumps up on my bed each morning to cuddle up. Also that he doesn't try to sleep with me overnight.
For a good ceiling fan in my bedroom, which lets me keep the house at a higher temp at night.
That the freezer contents didn't spoil during an approx 2 day power outage.
That Kristen plans to continue blogging. I'd be very sad not to have this blog and this group as part of my morning.
I’m praying you do well on your upcoming test, Kristen!
Hope all goes well in giving blood this morning as well. Thanks for even being willing to give!
I’m thankful for good health.
I’m so glad we have air-conditioning in our home and in our cars.
So thankful for good family relationships and for good friends and neighbors.
Thankful for a special dance event tomorrow night and the brave friends who will be joining us for the first time.
i am very grateful to all the support I've had these last 8 days since my beloved husband died. He was in hospice only a short while and the nurses were very nice. It's strange to not wake up to him being here but at least he's not in pain.
@christina, Holding you in my thoughts at this time. Glad you are here today.
@christina, I am so sorry for your loss, but glad your husband is no longer in pain. And I'm glad to hear you had kind caregivers while he was in hospice.
@christina,
So sorry for your loss. Sending you a virtual hug. May you have all the strength, support and comfort you need during this new season of your life.
@christina, am so sorry. may his memory be for a blessing.
Ohhh, Christina. I am so very sorry to hear of your loss. Sending you so much love.
@christina, I'm so sorry you lost your husband. I'm glad that the support you have is giving you some encouragement right now.
@christina,
So sorry for your loss.
@christina, may the memories help to comfort you during these difficult times.
@christina, know that I'm holding you close to my heart in the time ahead.
@christina,
I am so sorry to hear this. I walked that path last year, and it is a tough one. Grief is a long journey and there are many surprises - I had no idea temporary aphasia is a symptom of grief, for example. I pray for peace for you.
@christina, I'm so sorry for your loss. May his memory be a blessing.
@christina, I am sorry for your loss. 🙁
@christina, Thank you for sharing with us the loss of the love of your life. I will be care full to hold you up in prayer as you face each new situation. Hugs.
@christina, I am very sorry for your loss. I lost my husband 7 yrs ago 6/21 to multiple myeloma. Sending many thoughts of comfort & peace
@christina,
I am do sorry for your loss. I am sending wishes of strength, love, and peace across the miles.
@christina, I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved husband. I am sending you positive vibes regarding the new journey you will be going through. I am glad he is no longer in pain.
@christina, I am so sorry for your loss.
@christina, I'm sorry for your loss. Please give yourself lots of grace in this time of major transition in your life.
@christina, I’m so very sorry for this loss of your beloved husband. Thinking of you and sending love.
@christina,
I'm so sorry for your loss. May all your good memories of your husband help you thru this tough time. Virtual hugs for you.
@christina,
I am so sorry for your loss, and I'm sending you virtual hugs. Hospice nurses are angels on Earth.
Good luck on the blood donation. My husband donates regularly, but my puny veins won't let me. (Seriously, the blood bank asked me not to come back because it wasn't worth the stress to both me and the techs.)
I'm thankful I live in such a beautiful place. I try to never take it for granted.
For my shady front porch, which is a nice place to sit.
For friends.
For being able to call long-distance anytime and talk as long as we want. We had a long conversation with my husband's sister yesterday and I was remembering when I was growing up and long distance was expensive and only for emergencies.
That my dog who was sick last week is all well now. Turns out she has a touch of arthritis and a simple supplement has perked her right up.
This week I'm thankful:
- for air conditioning. It's been extremely hot here with a heat advisory all week. Heat index value is forecast to be 106 degrees today
- that my job is indoors and has air conditioning. I feel really bad for the roofers working on our next-door neighbor's house during this hot weather
- that I got approved to reduce my hours at work to 30 hours a week
- that even our crazy active rescue dog realizes it too hot to go outside to play fetch or go for a walk. We've resorted to playing fetch indoors to burn off some of her energy
- that the city finally picked up the last huge pile of tree debris from damage done by last month's tornado. I was tired to looking at the pile larger than my SUV every time I looked out the window
Thank you for donating blood, or at least wanting to. Donating blood is important: My father was terminally ill and needed numerous transfusions. Thanks to many caring people who donated blood, he lived no telling how many years longer than he otherwise would have. Regularly donating is important. Keeping an adequate blood supply is a matter of life and death: We never know when a disaster, crime, terrorist attack or medical emergency will occur, so if we wait until something happens, it will be too late to donate. (It takes a day or so for the blood to be processed and tested for safety.) Thanks to all who donate blood, and if you are healthy, pls. consider donating once every 56 days.
So, I am thankful for blood donors who save lives.
I'm thankful my annual cancer follow-up went well, and that I'm disease-free! And very much thankful for the super nice oncologist who is my attending physician now.
I'm thankful the 40-mile trip to/from the hospital clinic was uneventful. (Although I'm not thankful that they moved oncology out of my city! Shame on you, Baylor Scott & White!) If I'd had car trouble in this heat, I would've likely died of heat stroke on the side of the highway, and that is no exaggeration.
I'm thankful for my Social Security check coming in each month (so far).
I'm thankful for my loving pet, my aptly-named Snuggles, who immediately brought happiness to my life the instant I saw him. His adoption fee is the most expensive $12 I've ever spent, because I'm like a super-indulgent grandma constantly buying other things for him....and Snug is well worth it! (I just got him a bell for his collar so that if he gets out at night again, I can better locate him.)
I'm thankful that my neighbors throw block parties several times a year, and our Independence Day one will be this weekend. (A bit early for July 4, but who cares?)
I'm thankful the store manager let me off for the party.
I'm especially thankful for air conditioning! And the electricity it runs on.
And I'm thankful for this blog and NCA's blog. Both give me a sense of belonging to caring communities.
@Fru-gal Lisa, yay to your cancer-free checkup!
One of my coworkers who is a frequent blood donor has low iron issues at times so she will mention that she has to get her "blood goblins" up - makes me giggle every time.
• We had a very fun weekend in Chicago with my son’s team. The boys had some great bonding activities outside of the tournament. My heart was so full watching the boys wander downtown at night and cool off in Lake Michigan during the day.
• My son had a dental emergency this week (he took a ball to the face and broke a tooth in half). We were able to get him into a dentist within hours and they were able to fix the pressing issues right away. He will need a little more work next week to get his smile back but those appointments are already made.
• The rain that came through yesterday helped bring down the sweltering temps! I’m sure our AC appreciates the break.
• Our puppy is coming home from bootcamp today. We could tell he was learning and having fun based on facebook updates but our house has been quiet without him. We are all excited to snuggle him again.
• Our first CSA box of the season will be picked up this afternoon!
• I am in the middle of a wonderful book and I’m excited every chance I get to pick it up.
thanks for the chiquita pix. july 8 will be here before you know it and u will do great!!!! try not to worry. my son's graduation was fabulous. he was one of 4 MC's . he had so much poise. he was the only one who was not too close or too far from the microphone. his bar mitzvah training really helps him in the real world.
@Anita Isaac, happy graduation to your son!
@PD, thank you so much.
Oh my goodness, your mushroom photos are sooo pretty! The colors! I just had a birthday and got a gorgeous little "forest floor" jigsaw puzzle to do - totally reminds me of your mushroom photos. (the "Forest Floor" puzzle by the company 1Canoe2) Kudos to you and Brittany for giving blood!! That is such a beautiful gift to share to help others.
@Dori, Happy belated birthday.
@Dori,
Happy belated birthday! I love 1Canoe2's greeting cards when they go on sale for $2 apiece.
Hoping your blood donation goes easily. I am grateful to possibly never worry about Anemic because not only do we eat red/all meat (not seafood) but we cook with cast iron pans/skillets >>> So iron should be good. 🙂
Thankful for air conditioning & tower fans to keep us cooler. Yesterday high was only 85* after RAIN RAIN RAIN Tuesday mid afternoon & into Wednesday morning. Today high is 90* (feels like 95*+) but chance of Thunder Storms every day (but not all day) until July (forecast outlook). So muggy expected after rain each day, which is not the normal for Michigan. But I don't need to water plants.
Thankful we got teen college taken care of. Signed up for classes & one textbook needed is $400 (so far). Looking to (re)find textbook rentals to start looking so have idea if possible to rent book(s) since we will be paying for textbooks out of pocket as teen tuition took all Scholarships, grants & free money. Michigan free college will be paying $0.
Thankful was able to walk rescue dogs at 9:30 pm since finally cooled off enough for them to be outside long enough to walk. Older (B) dog dragged me the whole way while (adult) child (B dog child) dog just walked normally.
Thankful for extra freezer to buy frozen items on sale for future use. I've always had an extra freezer (most adult life for the last 30 years) which has allowed me to buy on sale/bulk for future use, but with prices So high currently I just am so grateful to have extra space if can get extra savings. Plus this allows us to eat (mostly) whatever want instead of only what's on sale this week.
Thankful did a Sam's club quick shop & picked up fresh item's out of.
Thankful for Kristen & her blog that allows us to learn & share with each other. I talk to other people about ideas shared here & am happy to tell people your ideas (good & didn't go as planned). I love learning some new frugal ideas & fails to (try to) avoid. 😉
Have a great weekend. 🙂
The AC, always the AC (as Lindsey often says about her husband.)
My new-to-me car.
My old car, so faithful and fun for 24 years.
The man who is pouring concrete steps to my studio today to replace the rotting wooden steps.
Audio books to keep me painting when I feel like quitting.
Steady sales of paintings (not gonna tell you how sick I am of painting the same scenes over and over—it’s better than being a waitress.)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I guess I never thought about an artist having to paint the same scene over and over again. I guess that would be pretty boring! I'm glad I gave you a tomato to paint instead!
AC is a must year around for us here in S Florida. Fun fact about me: I don’t care for heat or summer, but here I am in FL. I’m originally from CT and Maine, but I don’t think I could do winter again. When I was a kid, we had very outdoorsy neighbors and they harvested some mushrooms that they found on a camping trip and got deathly ill, hospitalized. I’ve heard it’s very hard to tell poisonous and nonpoisonous apart. I love to see Chiquita’s shenanigans! I miss having a cat; my husband and one of our sons is allergic.
@Susan_SFl, Just a public service announcement re: cat allergies. I am allergic to cats, and one of my sons is as well (he used to get hives from cats brushing against him, and had one anaphylactic episode!). When we were contemplating adopting Clark, I did some research and found Purina LiveClear Allergen Reducing food--it has been a game changer. When we brought Clark home, we started him on the food, and within a few weeks both my and DS#3's reactions were gone. He still takes the precaution of keeping Clark out of his room, of course, but I am amazed that we can have a cat without taking allergy medications or having any symptoms. I used to get itchy eyes just from petting a cat, but I can pet Clark and even let him in our bedroom with no problems.
@Karen A., Thank you for this information!
@ErikaJS, You're welcome! For those who don't want to switch their cats' food (which can cause digestive issues) or who don't want to buy Purina, there are also allergen-reducing food additives like Pacagen or Catigy. I feel like there are more and more options these days.
Dh is still alive. 10 days ago, dh had been in bed for 2 days and I finally convinced (or threatened) him to go to the ER. Turns out he had a Streptococcus infection IN his knee and had surgery to clean it out. 8 days later, we are in ICU. That day his heart rate skyrockets and the most amazing team of female nurses and drs. descended on him, defibrillating him, putting in an arterial line and in my mind, saving his life. Kristen, the ICU is nice and cool and I see you in each kind nurse that comes in.
Kind nurses, including the case manager who stood by me as they worked on my dh, patiently explaining everything they were doing. Or the one who grabbed my phone and put her number in it and said to call her for anything. I probably won't need to, but I know I can.
Honest mechanics - we have used the same shop for 15 years, even driving 100 miles when we moved for a year. Like your guy, ours doesn't oversell and offers a cash discount. When your only car is 20+ years old, that is critical.
My children and how they have stepped up to support me since this happened. They all have jobs and other responsibilities but the Door dash meals and Instacarted groceries have been a Godsend. 2 are still at home, so laundry is done, dishwasher is always empty, etc... I'm very lucky.
@Jennifer, oh that must have been so scary. Wishing your husband a full and fast recovery.
@Jennifer, I am so glad you got him to a doctor! That was a very, very serious situation. May he heal well and quickly!
@Jennifer, Oh my word, that must have been so scary and good for you getting him in to get the strep treated! I'm glad you have good support and your kids are stepping up and helping out. Praying that your DH can get home to recover soon!
Oh, thank goodness he got good care. Yay! I hope he has a nice calm recovery. 🙂
@Jennifer, may your dh have a full and speedy recovery.
I rarely comment yet today I am feeling compelled.
I am thankful that my son has a great friend who gave him a lead on a job. He only graduated college a month ago, but motivating a 20 year old to find a "real adult job" was a stressful weight to bear on this Mama's shoulders. Monday was his first day and while it has been a slow week, he has learned some things and so far he is enjoying the work and the people. He gets to travel some and I am just so excited for him to have this new adventure.
That has been the bright spot to an otherwise dismal week for me.
@Shelley, I'm glad you're able to find something to be thankful for amidst your dismal week.
What cute pictures of Chiquita! And well done on the practice test!
1. I am thankful for being able to see a friend I used to work with yesterday. It was so lovely catching up.
2. I am thankful for some feedback on writing which I might try putting into a book.
3. I am thankful to be home with a cup of tea after a busy day.
4. I am thankful that I had time to stop by the library earlier and pick up some holds, as well as return some books.
5. I am thankful for beautiful weather yesterday evening and a swim in the sea after working out in the gym. And I am thankful that the water here is so clean!
LOVE your mushroom pictures!
Also grateful for AC ... as well as a cool basement. For a pleasant and safe trip to my in-law's last weekend (iin Illinois, which was even hotter than Michigan). For my funny cats. For the health department folks and septic guys who are working to solve our septic tank issue (seriously, septic system workers deserve a standing ovation for what they have to do). For getting to meet up with a friend on Tuesday after a medical appointment.
@Kris, hopefully something as simple as replacing the distribution box and not your field lines.
There is not enough love nor money for me to go into a septic tank and inspect it!
I am thankful for the very smart and kind physical therapist who has been working on my back and hip, and for the neuro PA who listened to what I was telling her and made the referral. It turned out to be muscular problems instead of yet more arthritis, so yay for something fixable.
I'm thankful for a new baby granddaughter born during this heatwave. She wasn't due until July 10, but Mama was getting preeclampsia, so they induced. Baby was 5# 11oz and is doing well (and so is Mama), so they were able to come home 24 hours after the birth.
Also thankful for the two days spent with my son's older three kids while their baby sister was being born.
Glad our super hot weather came with a stiff breeze (20+ mph) pretty much constantly, which made being outside bearable most of the time. Grandkids played whiffle ball, ran through the sprinkler and helped with various farm chores while they were here.
Thankful for the several inches of rain we've had since Tuesday afternoon, now the ground is soft again and the plants green.
Thankful for the blandings turtle we saw a couple days running in our yard/edge of the field. Maybe there's now a clutch of turtle eggs laid somewhere?
Thankful I had time to go strawberry picking at a nearby strawberry patch this morning. The season is nearly done and between farm work, grandkids and other commitments I hadn't been able to get over there yet (with the exception of opening day when I arrived 15 minutes after the official start time and there were so many people there the patch was all ready full and the farm owners had declared the patch would be picked out for the day so were turning people away.)
I need the practice of being grateful, and I’m so grateful for the prompt. It seems that my Thursdays are often in need of an attitude adjustment!
Grateful that the heat wave has broken in our part of the state, it’s cool enough that no one even wanted to go swimming this afternoon.
Grateful that my kids have friends and that we are a safe and responsible home for their friends to come over to visit. Also for the basement air hockey table that we bought used and got for a great deal, it gets lots of use.
Grateful for my husband and how he helps manage the behavior of our oldest teenager, who has rage filled violent psychotic evenings.
Grateful that I have many many needs met and that the stressful points are manageable.
Grateful for margin in my life.
Oh, that situation with your teen sounds so rough. My heart goes out to you.
I am thankful for better than I hoped for test results from the eye doctor! It is something that needs to be monitored - but no prescription drops or laser surgery!
Thankful for my friends who have been very supportive through this the past month.
Thankful for medical insurance to cover some of the cost.
Thankful for my therapist.
Whew! I'm glad your eye report was reassuring.
I’m thankful for:
The bouquets I pick from my garden and plunk on the kitchen table….so cheery!
The helpful pharmacist who recommended a product that is working.
The helpful insurance agent who took time to explain a policy, made some adjustments, talked to his supervisor, then called me back with a cheaper price. Insurance is never fun, so this was appreciated.
The woman walking by my house who told me how much joy my little house and garden bring her…who knew?? It was kind of her to tell me.
Lastly, and this is very shallow, but I am thankful the Abbotsford Canucks won the Calder Cup. They are the farm team for my beloved Vancouver Canucks, and to know we have some strong call ups when the NHL starts again is heartening!
This week I am grateful:
- For having not eaten much added sugar lately. I had some cornbread left over from last night (a mix...there is just so little time to do all from scratch nowadays). It tasted like I was having a pastry!
- For my husband getting to spend a little time with a friend last night
- For maintaining my sleep schedule despite having company so I can do my work today early in the AM per usual
- For a dishwasher that cleans all the dishes I put into it, as long as I pick the right settings
- For my work friend reaching out to chat. I've been meaning to do that and keep forgetting.
I too am thankful for AC. Ours went out on Sunday and our local AC guys came Tuesday and FIXED it. So thankful because it was SO hot.
I have A blood... I should try to donate.
My thankful Thursday:
I'm thankful for my husband. I can be an absolute witch sometimes but he manages it. Recently I was denied my knee replacement by my medical insurance company. I had my whole summer planned out - recovering and pt and then a vacation at the Jersey shore at the end of August. Now I have to find something to fill up those days. One thing will be losing more weight.
Thankful that dh is out playing golf tonight. I need the house to myself every now and then and it's been a while.
Thankful that the heat wave has broken. It was brutal and like a fool I went out in it yesterday and got super cranky because of it. But I wanted to get out of the house.
Thankful that hubby fixed the dishwasher. It needed to be shored up under the counter and he was able to do it. No worries now about the dishwasher falling out.
Thankful for modern meds that can keep my moods under control and thankful for cental AC.
We came home from an out of town business trip and our AC quit. You realize how thankful you are when it's working!
* I will have to join the chorus on the AC! In my car, at home and at work. I like summer but not crazy hot days
* Being able to put savings away for retirement
* Quiet neighbors
* To have the personality to be content/happy with not much
* Much better days with my daughter for the past 6 months or so
Love your beautiful pictures of nature!
I’m thankful for …
- The wonderful camping experience with my family. Many wonderful memories made.
- The beautiful waterfalls, majestic mountains and beautiful wildlife we saw.
- Our bodies and the ability to hike 8 hours through rough terrain, wet area and snow. It’s a miracle that my husband with a previously injured hip and ankle, 3 girls aged 7, 8 and 10, 42 year old me with no hiking experience could do this.
- God’s protection over us. The hike itself was dangerous. I also could’ve drowned and gotten severely hurt after slipping on a rock near a waterfall.
- The smoky bearings on our camper not as bad as we thought and my husband was able to partially fix it for our 8 hour trip back home.
@AW, Went camping an hour away from Yellowstone.
This week, I'm thankful:
-For a wonderful trip with family to visit family in Florida.
-For the FG meetup!
-For access to the pool at my gym.
-To be out of drought conditions and that pulling invasive weeds becomes easier each time it rains.
-For my patience, which contributea to my frugality (delayed gratification!)
I'm so glad I got to meet you!
And ooh, so nice your gym has a pool. Mine has a lot of things, but not a pool.