Thankful Thursday | I signed a lease!
This week, I am thankful:
that I have a signed lease!
I did all the paperwork yesterday, and I should be able to move in in about a week and a half. Whew.
Of course I will share pictures and such once we get settled in. 🙂
that my brother and his wife could come over for my birthday
My brother's birthday is the day after mine, so we usually do celebrate together, and I'm grateful he could be here this year.
for a free birthday coffee
Thanks, Starbucks!
that my brother found the missing leaf for my table
You know how I've been working on this round table:
Well, in his efforts to clean out the flooded basement of the house, my brother found the leaf that goes in the middle of this table (it slides apart to accommodate the leaf).
It's in pretty bad shape, but I think with my dad's help (and me using his belt sander!), we might be able to resurrect it.
Stay tuned. 😉
that I only have two more exams after today
The renal system exam is today, then I have an endocrine exam in two weeks, and a cumulative final a few days after that.
I am almost done with anatomy and physiology!
for the sunshine on my birthday yesterday
It was unseasonably cold, but at least it was sunny. I will take that over warm + cloudy every time.
for my new glasses
I picked up the new ones this week and my goodness, the updated prescription is wonderful.
When I walked outside of the eye doctor's office, I noticed how well I could see things at a distance. So nice!
that I remembered Zoe's checkup just in time
Somehow, she and I had both forgotten that she had a checkup this week. I rather randomly searched in my email and realized that her appointment was in about 45 minutes. So...we did actually make it, but barely.
Good thing I checked when I did!
that feelings come and go
Of course, I sort of wish happy feelings could stay forever. But when I am having a hard day, I am grateful that unpleasant feelings aren't permanent.
My current situation is like riding a feelings roller coaster...lots of ups and downs. But at least there are usually ups after the downs. Life is always a mixture!
for a dental appointment today
I hate going to the dentist, but I am grateful for good dental care. And I am grateful that my teeth are not usually too problematic.
Congrats on the new lease! All good wishes to you.
Can't wait to see pics of your cat again enjoying the space with you.
I hope the table leaf also comes out right in the end. What a lucky find on your brother's part and how wonderful that you and your Dad have sufficient skill to tackle its resurrection. The nice thing is that your table is already wonderful without it if by chance it just doesn't work out.
Congratulations on your new home!
I am grateful for a weeklong visit of son, daughter-in-law and two year old grandson from Vienna.
The soldier son who lives in the North of Germany and just returned from a two and a half months manoeuvre in the North Sea made sure to be in Stuttgart as well during that week and the son living in Stuttgart spent every single evening at my place to enjoy the company of family. It was such a relaxed and wonderful week and I am so grateful, that my sons make sure to get together whenever possible. Without me having to push family gatherings.
The Ukrainian mother with her two boys left my place and Stuttgart and decided to move up north where friends from her hometown live.
This Saturday another Ukrainian mother will move in with her 13 year old daughter. I am so grateful for having enough space to accommodate refugees. It is my way of dealing with this crazy world.
I am very grateful that finally after a month of constant sunshine we had some good rains with more to come. Nature needs it so very badly.
Have a good day everybody!
@Lea,
Bless you for taking in Ukrainian refugees. It is a great way to deal with the craziness of the world.
@Lea, Bless you for your kindness.
@Lea, I am thankful for you!
@Lea, Thank you for taking in the Ukrainians. My parents were refuges after WWII and if someone had not been willing to take them in and help them get settled, things might have turned out very differently for my family. They would have spent more than the two years they already had in a displaced persons camp.
Their sponsors are long dead but I still thank them in my heart for their kindness...and for yours.
@Lea, I just love how you're helping Ukrainian families during their time of need. You are wonderful.
@Lea, I echo the other readers in saying Thanks for helping the refugees. Many blessings to you and your family!
@Lea, Wow, that is an amazing act of kindness and generosity and grace.
@Lea, u r so awesome to bring refugees into your home. It is so great to realize people r really good to 1 another when possible.
I am thankful for the return of Pilates classes at my yoga studio and the fact that the teacher is good.
I am thankful for a hair "stylist" that has taken me on. The last one seemed to be phoning it in after a while. There is not much styling to my hair but I do appreciate a good haircut.
I am thankful for frozen blueberries. I'm able to have organic blueberries on my oatmeal every morning.
I am thankful my sister had three very good pieces of news on Tuesday: she found a mother of the groom dress, her youngest was pleased with his MCAT score, and her middle child is set to move for a job he is looking forward to.
I'm thankful for this blog and this weekly exercise.
I'm thankful for the library. I can borrow books, my favorite are digital versions (print and audio), and if I don't like them I stop reading and return them. This has happened with several recently.
I am thankful for friends and family. I'm thankful there is quite a bit of longevity on both sides of my family, with members typically living into their mid 80s and beyond. Not everyone has that.
I'm thankful for health care and my job that provides it.
@Becca,
Also, congratsies on the lease and the table leaf find! I can't wait to see before and after pics of both table and new place!
I'm so happy for you and your signed lease!!
*For the second week in a row I'm thankful for an L-shaped couch because it's the second Wednesday night in a row that I've slept on it with a puking kid. (A different sick kid than last week.)
* I'm thankful that my little sick one didn't get sick until after her Awana awards ceremony last night. She worked hard to finish all of her books and would have been really sad to miss.
* I've been thankful a number of times this week that I'm not working right now. Not just from having sick kiddos (though that's a big one) but I spent another hour on the phone with my health insurance company and their call center is only open during M-F business hours. I kept thinking, "What world I do if I was back in my 8-5 job? I'd be toast!"
* I'm also thankful that the customer service person with our insurance was so friendly and helpful. It's been a huge mess these last 2 months getting everything sorted out for almost every medical thing we've done and I've really appreciated that each of the customer service people I've talked to have been kind and patient.
Congratulations, I hope the move goes smoothly.
Thankful for a little break in cleaning. It is too much at times. Also for the wonderful neighbors who were good friends to my parents and transferred their care to me.
For a full freezer and pantry so when there is nothing we need on sale and I can skip shopping.
For the nice weather. Not only beautiful but frugal as we don’t need heat or ac at this time of year.
For the internet. Any topic I want information on is at my fingertips. Plus you can get it from many sources.
Thankful for the fact that I'm finally **supposed** to get my home phone line disconnected, after almost a month of trying. I'm not going to declare "Victory over Verizon" until the line actually goes dead, but I think I'm nearly there. (The big holdup was over my DPOA for my DH, since the account was in DH's name. I'll spare you the details, but let me just say I wish we'd gotten the utilities in both our names before DH became incapable.)
Thankful that, so far, not getting the utilities in both our names seems to have been the only major mistake I've made in this whole lengthy process.
Thankful for two days of bad weather this week, which gave me a chance to rest after a few minor muscle strains in the garden.
Thankful for four days of better weather coming up, so I can get back out in the garden!
And, Kristen, "conga rats" again on signing the lease!
@A. Marie,
I had my electric account in my name only when I married DH (I was renting as a single person, he was just out of the Navy and living at his family home when we met). Florida Power added his name to the account when we married and all was well. Duke Energy took over this area's accounts and I found, much to my surprise and annoyance, that they had renamed the account in his name only and refused to give me any ownership of it. I feel for you on trying to deal with utilities in your DH's name. May you have complete and total Victory over Verizon!
@A. Marie, happy with you for this victory. I didn’t have a problem disconnecting my dad’s phone. It went through and they even sent a small refund. Then two months later I received a bill from the same company for long distance. It was a nightmare getting to the right department with my continued asking of why this wasn’t cleared up originally. Pity the last poor person I talked to because I cried. He was so helpful and considerate it almost made up for all the drama. The lesson I learned was to ask about all final charges. Oh and trying to cancel credit cards has taken several phone calls, even with no balances for several years.
@A. Marie, Verizon is the worst! I had the same problem with my mom's phone line after she moved to assisted living; just finding a live person to speak with at Verizon is a feat in itself. They actually did have the line in both names but because it was during lockdown and she couldn't speak to them herself, they gave me tons of grief. Don't tell anyone but I finally resorted to impersonating her to complete the task.
@Bobi, I impersonated my mom once on the phone when trying to deal with one of her accounts after she was badly affected by Alzheimer's. The company refused to honor my power of attorney and allow me to deal with it, so I called their customer service line and did it "as mom". Felt not the least bit of bad conscience about it.
@A. Marie,
When my father passed away, there was a slight delay in gaining access to his accounts. His mortgage was due soon after his passing. However, I was just starting out and could not pay it myself. I called the mortgage company to explain the situation. The customer service representative actually said to me, “ Do you understand this could affect your father’s credit rating?”
I quickly said, “Do you understand my father has died? Fortunately, you don’t need credit in heaven?” She became quite apologetic and helpful after that.
@Bee, you seem to have a talent for "stop 'em in their tracks" responses to sticky situations. Next time I'm up against a wall, I may call you in as a consultant!
@Ruby, HA!! I have impersonated my husband's voice more than once. I have a very low voice and years of singing taught me how to make it even lower, so when I have to I can become the mister.
@cc, Funny I received a letter in the mail that my credit card was canceled because I had not used it in 2 years. I have 2 cards and was using the other one.
Needless to say I was surprised and irritated they did not give me a chance to use it before canceling. I had the card 15 years.
Now I have to get another cc because I am nervous with only one card.
@Lindsey, I may call you in as well next time around. Didn't have the nerve to try to pass as DH this time, but if I get into a scuffle with National Grid or Spectrum...
@A. Marie, The trick is that if they question if you are a man, you act insulted and they back off...
Thankfuls . . .
--That the giant wildfire this past weekend (started by a cigarette someone tossed out of a car window on the highway) that burned significant portions of ranches where quite a few of our school's students and staff live didn't injure anyone, and that the firefighters managed to save all the structures on the ranches with bulldozed firebreaks.
--For the firefighters. An amazing group of people.
--For this community. It is remarkably cohesive and supportive, which is highlighted at times like this.
--For the surprise lamb born on Sunday. The mother was younger and must not have been ready to breed until later. So now we have five lambs.
--For the asparagus I can eat every day for a few more weeks.
--For the end of the school year being in sight. Everyone is ready for a break.
@kristin @ going country, I've been thinking @ you with the wildfires - glad to hear you're good out there!
@kristin @ going country, wildfires are terrifying. Glad everyone is safe and well.
@kristin @ going country, first responders —especially fire fighters and paramedics — are certainly something to be thankful for. I’m glad you are all well.
Congrats, Kristen!!
I'm so thankful that I was able to walk over 20 miles in 4 days on vacation. I haven't been able to walk without pain for over 2 years, and this is a huge breakthrough.
I'm thankful for technology. Without it, I wouldn't be able to communicate with friends and my dad numerous times a day.
I'm thankful for the kindness of strangers. We encountered several people on vacation that were so kind to us and made us feel at home, and that makes all the difference.
@Brooke, look at you go! I'm so glad pain didn't stop you from getting so many miles in!
@Kaitlin, Thanks! I was so happy to be able to do it. 🙂
Happy Birthday.
Also congratulations on the lease.
God bless.
I am happy to hear that you found a place to live. I wish you the best as you blaze this new trail.
I am thankful that I found a piece of jewelry that had been misplaced. It was a 40th birthday present (many years ago now) and had been “lost” for several months.
I’m thankful that after two years of covid malaise, there are things to look forward to.
I’m grateful at this moment that all three of my adult children are happy. Someone once wrote that you can only be as happy as your least happy child. There is some truth to this.
I am pleased that my husband and I will leave on vacation next week. DH really needs a break. He’s a bit cranky and rightfully so. Best of all, we were able to pay for the lion’s share of the flights, hotel and rental car using points gleaned from rewards programs.
Most of all, I am thankful for love. It takes so many forms. The love of a friend, a parent, a child, a sibling, a significant other and a pet are all so different and so wonderful.
Wishing everyone peace and good health.
@Bee, I read that very quote in The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It stuck with me.
Also again thanks for the book recommendations. I am currently reading The Lost Apothecary and enjoying it. I know I heard of it hear and can't remember who recommended it. I am assuming it was you.
@karen,
Thank you for letting me know where that quote came from. I could not remember.
I’m glad you are enjoying The Lost Apothecary. Book choices - especially fiction - can be difficult. I checked a book out of the library last week, Beautiful World Where Are You. I was on the waiting list for several months. It received fantastic reviews from critics, but I haven’t enjoyed it. About 1/3 of the way through, I finally gave up, read the last two chapters, and returned it to the library. Sigh….
Different strokes for different folks.
I'm really looking forward to the pictures and I hope that table leaf turns out to be usable.
I'm thankful:
1. That our oldest was able to help me take DH to his dental appointment yesterday. He can no longer transfer from chair to car or car to chair with just my help, so I must have someone help me get him in and out at the doctors' offices. Our kids have to miss work to help us like this, so I am very appreciative of them doing so.
2. That the long, long saga of getting his dental work finished is all but done. He should have only one more appointment left.
3. For a sister's visit with me last weekend, something she hasn't been able to do in a long time. While DH was still home, we really couldn't have overnight company at all.
4. That the clover seed I scattered quite some time ago to help fix nitrogen in my back yard soil is finally growing and blooming.
5. That nights are still cooling off enough to make it bearable to keep the A/C off for a while longer, as long as I open windows and run the ceiling fans. This won't go on for much longer, but I'll take it as long as I can.
And an extra...
6. For the month of May approaching, which brings so many good things: our first work holiday (Memorial Day) since New Year's Day, my wedding anniversary (#43), Mother's Day, our grandson's second birthday, one granddaughter's confirmation at church, and the birthday of a daughter's best friend, who is like another daughter to us.
@JD, I am so glad that your kids are able to help you with your DH's appointments.
@Beverly, I agree with you about JD's kids. You wouldn't believe the number of folks on the alzconnected.org caregiver forums who get either no help from their kids or active interference from them.
@A. Marie, I had so little help from my brother with my mom. She thought he hung the sun and moon in the sky, but he would not do things for her unless there was something in it for him. She's been dead 11 years and I still just seethe with resentment about it.
@Beverly,
Yes, I am eternally grateful that they are so helpful! I've known families where one or two family members had to shoulder all the burden with no help, so it is a real blessing to have their help. Plus, just their presence lifts their dad's mood.
@Ruby, I truly understand the resentment.
Congratulations! We just found a new rental in our area that we are very excited about. I'm strange and like moving and settling into a new place.
Today I'm thankful that my kiddo's wisdom tooth extraction went well yesterday--dental surgery has come a loooong way since I had all four of mine out 30 years ago. He had to have have four out before they erupted, and by evening was chatty and feeling pretty good.
Yay! for new glasses and the rescued table leaf, and always Yay! for the new house and your lovely brother and his wife.
I am thankful that our youngest dog, who was sick earlier this week and had to see the vet, is doing great; that my husband, who works from home, no longer has 7 a.m. online meetings, so he gets to sleep a little later; and that life is so nicely uneventful, at least so far this week.
The timing for your move is pretty good, considering you only have two more exams to prepare for? I daresay you'll do fine! 🙂
This week I feel grateful for Spring. After a very warm March month, April was pretty much having its own way with snow! and overall much cooler weather. But our garden plants are growing by the day in spite of the cooler days, and we even have some blossoms. It is a lovely, promising time of year.
I am also grateful for good garbage collection. We pay by container (and have separate containers for paper, and for compostable waste and general waste) and between purging my house and some public holidays, our general waste container is now very full. I've weighed down the lid with a brick to keep it closed!
I'll be very happy to have an emptied container again, the more so because the spring house purge is not yet finished.
@J NL, I always say after police and fire my favorite city service is sanitation. They often do surveys and it’s usually police, fire and library, which I also appreciate. But to imagine how bad it would be without trash pick up is horrifying.
@cc,
Yes!! God bless the garbage service professionals!!!
Happy Birthday, Kristen, and so thrilled to read that you've been able to obtain an apartment for you and your girls!
My Five Thankful Things
- Our petite travel trailer. It has delivered so much happiness over the years, including the week we just spent in it hiking and ocean gazing alongside a different part of our coastline. Plus, it juuuust fits in our garage, meaning we save thousands each year in offsite storage fees.
- As another poster expressed, that it is the time of year that necessitates neither furnace or A/C. Where we live in coastal California, we should be good until early July, as our summers arrive, and remain, later than many people realize.
- Brioche hamburger buns. We had an enormously physical day yesterday, which meant I could justify the calories in making burgers for dinner, and those brioche buns (which I bought as a six pack at Aldi's) were absolute game changers. Yum!!!
- The discovery of several new cozy mystery book series, thanks to recommendations made here, particularly Louise Penny and Rita Mae Brown. I love that there are more wonderful books than I'll have lifetime to read!
- My herb garden. It gives me so much pleasure to walk outside and cut a handful of herbs. I double or triple whatever herbs my recipes call for, and it never seems to be too much. I think thyme is my overall favorite of the bunch, should I be forced to pick.
@Tamara R, Oh my goodness I agree I love the herbs I grow and like you I triple maybe even quadruple the herbs what the recipe calls for.
And I know thyme is my favorite with basil a close 2nd. I call thyme my substitute salt. I put it in pretty much everything.
@Tamara R, thyme, basil, and oregano are my Holy Trinity of herbs. Everyone loves them, everyone on my list requests them, and they're the three I use most often myself.
@A. Marie, @karen. And amazingly, the bunnies don't like any of them! Rosemary, thyme, oregano, mint (potted!), chives, parsley . . . all.bunny-safe!
So happy for you, Kristen!
Census has been low at work and since I'm prn, I have been called off a lot. Normally this would be irritating, but I have had several health issues this month and would have had to call in sick, so it's been a blessing to be called off.
Finally seeing some evidence of spring here!
Thankful for my lap cat.
Thankful for my husband's coworker who gave us a loaf of his homemade sourdough bread.
Thankful for getting my continuing education credits completed this week.
Thankful for my patient husband who has been really sweet during my stupid health struggles.
Congratulations on the apartment and you are doing a fantastic job on the table, I really like the stain and paint color you chose.
I'm thankful we found a caregiver for my MIL. It's been really, really hard lately dealing with her dementia and just having someone there to feed her, give her medication, etc. is a relief. She was just in the in-between stage before where she was forgetful, but not a danger to herself and still taking care of herself, but unfortunately we are now past that stage.
We're fixing up an older small sailboat, so I'm once again thankful for youtube videos and the helpful people at the local marina. Hopefully we can get it in the water very soon. We had this same model many years ago and I'm really excited about sailing again down in Biscayne Bay.
@Sandy Beach, hands across the Internet to you as you try to help your MIL. Mine had dementia too and was stubborn as a stone about accepting help (unlike her second son, my DH, whose sweet nature has made everything a lot easier than it might have been otherwise).
Hooray for a lease! Space of your own is so nice; I know you and the girls will enjoy that!
I am thankful that my trip home to GA was uneventful and I'm even more thankful to be back in Colorado. It is truly home.
I'm thankful for new opportunities with my current clients and for potential NEW clients too! There's always something happening with work and I enjoy that immensely.
I'm thankful for the past two beautiful days to get in some golfing and biking. There wasn't much physical activity to be had in Georgia, so being able to get out and do the things I love has been great.
Mostly I'm thankful just to be. Every day to be here, with people I love, doing things I love in a place I love.
I keep trying to remember your phrase about look for the good. I'm having a very hard and crummy week, for no particular reason. Last night as I was cooking dinner, I thought to myself, "I can't cope. I can't do this any more." Which is something I haven't felt for years, since the bad times with my children when all I wanted to do was hide. Look for the good. A sweet kitten, whales spouting out my window....a warm home, a car that works. That's all I can come up with.
@Rose,
I am sorry to hear you have had such a hard week.
Watching the whales spout (from your own window) sounds like an amazing experience. These incredibly large creatures in an even more incredibly large ocean.
My kitchen window shows a transparent bird feeder that holds seeds and grains. It is frequented by sparrows and tits and it lovely to see them picking out the best bits. When I am in the kitchen, I often see them doing a last minute swerve when they notice I am watching them. When I am minding my own business and only looking at them from the corner of my eye, they are more confident and will perch and feed. Clever little things!
@J NL, I have one somewhere. I hung it so the cat could watch the birds but I am not sure where it is. I need to find it and fill it.
The kitten and I were watching a cat Youtube video and the birds were obviously British. I am pretty good with American birds but with the British ones, all I knew were the robins and tits. Should look them up on my phone next time we watch.
@Rose, sometimes life just sucks, doesn't it? And yet, you came up with good things to be thankful for--kudos to you. I hope the rest of your week goes better and that you feel supported. Sending you a virtual hug (or if you're a non-hugger, a virtual high-five).
Aww, I want you to know that I think it is ok to have weeks like that. I do too! Sometimes I am just so tired and so sad and so overwhelmed, I want to lay my head down on my desk and not do anything at all.
Sometimes, it's really hard to hunt for the good, but I think you did a great job; you found a few blessings around you, even in the midst of a tough week.
I am so glad you do these Thankful
Thursday posts. It really makes me stop and think about the wonderful little things in the week.
Our new home now has a roof and gutters.
For supper this week I have made sure to use up all leftovers.
Tonight I am using up turkey and macaroni and cheese that has been in the freezer since Thanksgiving.
We got rain this week! It is definitely needed in this part of Texas.
My family has been watching The Chosen together. So grateful for the discussions this has sparked with each other.
Thank you for this space, as I just wrote an extremely long reflection on what I have to be thankful for in the last five years since our employer abruptly closed. (I am editing it out, except the last line):
And best wishes on your new space, Kristen! I hope you have a ceremonial house blessing to make it the welcoming home you deserve.
@Heidi Louise,
What a super idea a ceremonial house blessing is!
Thankful for:
Warm blankets ( STILL!)
Hot tea
I am finally eligible for second booster in my county
I actually slept like a normal
Person last night. This seldom happens. Yay yay yay
Thankful for electricity. We lost power for about 8 hours last week, and I'm just...so thankful that happens very rarely.
Thankful for my husband's sabbatical. It feels like the first real "breather" we've had in a decade.
Thankful to be watching my son learn to read. It really is a magical experience.
@Elisabeth, Watching the progress of children's reading ability is amazing! What a joy!!
I am thankful that my favorite tea shop made it through Covid and that I have tea arriving from them today!
I am thankful for a dark and gloomy day that will make running the fireplace extra special today.
I am thankful that we live 1.5 miles from a park with lovely live oak trees. We went for a walk there after dinner.
I am thankful for the big farmhouse table I received as a hand-me-down. I love sitting at it to work in the evenings.
I am thankful for the book "Rembrandt is in the Wind" which is helping me learn to appreciate art and contemplate my faith. It is a surprisingly beautiful book.
Thankful for internet. Doctors don't seem to know anything about long covid but the internet has people who are trying to figure it out. Thankful that the seasonal allergy meds I use each year stopped the heart palpitations. Thankful to know about Diamine oxidase, histamines, mast cells, vagus nerve, and other stuff I never wanted to know.
Congrats on the table leaf find Kristen. Someday soon you will be gathering friends and family around and the table will extend to accommodate these future guests:)
My hairdresser/ friend is living a parallel life to yours at this moment. The gracious way you have approached this situation and the warm and loving comments by readers to your initial post gave me ideas and language to best support my friend. Thank-you all.
I’ve taken up rowing inside during this winter. What a gift. Instead of being upset because of my gym classes shutting down I chose to be thankful. I tell my friends and family that every day for 30 minutes in the morning I will pray/ meditate/ think of them and any situation they would like “ thoughts and prayers” for. I know it’s been a blessing for me. When circling thoughts come at me I think, “ I’ll think about that on the rower.” Haha, sometimes 30 minutes is not long enough to fuss in my thoughts but….I know I can pick up again the next day on the rower so it’s easier to let something go because I’ve told myself there is a specific time I can come back to review it.
I’m realizing life is short. Saw an obituary of a fellow I had a relationship with when I was younger. It’s possible we might have married under other circumstances. It was a wonderful write up of a deeply loved and admired individual. So thankful he came into my life. Also thankful for the partner I did choose to marry.
Glad to see you and your girls are able to keep moving forward by signing this lease.
Thankful for:
1. there was another foster family in town when we did foster care and we frequently helped each other out by acting as respite or a cooling off home when each other's foster children were having a hard time. For 15 years we saw each other almost weekly and shared a lot of meals. She and her husband moved away for a few years but last year moved back. With Covid, we did not get together until this last week. It was really nice to see them and talk over how some of the kids who remained in touch with one or the other of us are doing. We read some of the same blogs so have seen each other in print during this time but it was good to have a face-to-face.
2. salmon. I really, really love salmon and for some reason it had dropped off my meal rotation but I unearthed some while taking a freezer inventory this week. Very yummy.
3. that despite hearing how backed up the IRS is, we got our refund within three weeks. Usually we estimate better, but for this year we overpaid by $4,000, so it was nice to get it back so quickly.
4. That my brother, who lost some years to drug use, has been clean for over two decades now. It has taken me this long to stop fearing that he would lose his sobriety but this week I finally was able to let go of worrying about him. He was having a hard time at work and when he managed to get through it without faltering, I suddenly realized I had been holding my breath for a very long time and I needed to stop seeing him through the lens of him being a drug user.
5. that my husband has become an accomplished hair cutter, sparing me the much hated visit to a hair salon. I have always hated how noisy and smelly beauty parlors are, so not having to go is wonderful.
@Lindsey, your #4 is huge. Kudos to your brother and to you.
One nice thing about not being a young adult is the knowledge that things change. If you're having a great day, you know that tomorrow will probably be less great; if today is going badly, tomorrow will probably be better.
This week, I'm trying to find satisfaction from gratitude about having resources:
- That I can experiment with different supplemental drinks to find one that has what I need: throwing out ones that taste terrible rather than having to choke them down.
- That I can always buy lunch or snacks if I want to, even though I rarely do.
- That I can still drink as much soda as I want even though the price has increased as much as 50%.
- That while price increases are inconvenient they only restrict my choices to the extent that I choose to let them.
- That I can still afford to donate places that can help those whose choices are being restricted.
@WilliamB,
Your first piece reminded me of a teacher who had this thought permanently on her blackboard:
If you like today, it’s here; if not, it’s going.
Strangely comforting.
Congratulations on the lease!
My Thankful list:
1. my coworker H-she's great, and I'm sad that we only have one week left together before she moves on to her next adventure.
2. rain-we're in drought and we got a good soaking rain this morning. Hopefully we'll get some more to help make the summer more bearable
3. my son's G-tube formula-there was a recall on a commonly used brand of g-tube formula that has wreaked havoc on many, many g-tube users, and my son has been spared most of that crisis due to being put on a new formula. It also means that more of his old formula (same kind, different brand than was recalled) is available to those who need it.
4. My friend is coming for the weekend. I've seen her twice in the last 11 years, and I'm thankful that right this minute we only live a few hours apart rather than 1/2 a world apart.
I haven’t done this in awhile and I need to start up again, it brings a lot of value to my life.
1. I’m thankful for our medical insurance and the convenience in reaching the doctor. My daughter had a rash appear a few weeks ago that I thought could be eczema. I emailed a picture to her doctor who prescribed an ointment that cleared it up right away, same day response! Similar situation with my son, who has had nasal congestion for months now, his doctor responded to my email right away with instructions on doing a 1 month trial of allergy meds. I’m just so thankful that I can get help for them so quickly and conveniently.
2. Thankful that I can now go inside my kids preschool. They started at this school during Covid and part of the schools safety plan was that parents couldn’t come inside the building, a teacher brought your child to you at the door(they did have large front windows at least, so I knew what it looked like inside) They’ve now lifted that restriction and it’s so much nicer getting to see the classroom, and talk to the teacher, other parents and students more easily, makes the environment feel much more friendly and relaxed too. Plus my kids were so excited to finally get to show me around their classrooms.
3. Thankful for the hour I get alone in the mornings, before the kids wake up, to just sit and think and drink my coffee, it gets my day off to a good start!
4. Thankful for good friends, I met up for brunch with some friends of 20+ years last weekend, and it was just so good to be with them. We’re all just so comfortable and enjoy time together. We live about an hour away from each other and some of us have young kids but we’ve committed to seeing each other once a month now and have even picked the dates for the next few months.
5. Thankful for all the basics, plenty of food, a cozy, comfortable home, money in savings, a safe neighborhood, a good paying job that I enjoy. I often take these for granted so need to remember to be grateful!
Grateful that I made it through three days in the office this week complete with a massive commute, traffic, meetings and new bosses. It was refreshing but surreal as I haven’t actually seen my
Colleagues in person in over two years.
Grateful that a wonderful lady gave me
A fantastic haircut this afternoon. Being anemic is really hard on my hair and it has been falling out a lot lately so a good cut helps things out.
Grateful for no rain an beautiful sunrises on my morning commutes this week. There is nothing like worship music and sunrise and a cup of coffee to start the day off right.
Thankful for my awesome Boxer who is happy as can be to snuggle her tired mama at the end of 3 very long days.
Thankful for all of the flowers that we planted last weekend. They were a lot of work but gosh they are pretty to look at.
Last but not least….congrats on the signed lease Kristen. Wonderful news and I can’t wait to see you guys get settled
In.
I've been doing a lot of decluttering, and I'm really grateful for garbage pick-up. They skipped our block last week, and it made me realize what a blessing it is to just have our trash disappear once a week with very minimal effort on our part.
In the fall a coffee shop and "micro-grocer" opened a few blocks from my house, and I just realized the frugal potential for it this week. Despite the food being more expensive than what I could pick up at Aldi, if, for example, my chicken just did not defrost in time for dinner, I can walk over there in under 10 minutes and grab pasta and sauce for a quick dinner for a fraction of the cost of ordering in pizza or getting take-out.
Thankful for-
Our neighbors who are super awesome!!!
That the medical procedure my sister had did not find any issues. Maybe TMI but she is almost 60 and not entered menopause. It has taken a mental toll on her.
I offered to have a counselor visit the house but she refused. We can have a weekly counselor as part of our elder care, at least she was open to a pastor for dad. He appreciated that.
For my coworker L who has a lot of experience with elder care and hospice. I always appreciate her advice.
My vet who gave me more meds to help with my youngest pup who has IBD. He has had a couple of good days in a row. He always says if you need something just call and leave a message for me.
I have to just say I am so surprised and amazed at your positivity!
Congratulations on finding a place! I'm so happy for you 🙂
All things in His time... the previous properties were not where He wanted you to be!
I am thankful for...
1. That I have the ability to work from home while my sister is recuperating from some mystery, non-covid, non-flu, virus. She usually cares for my mom while I am at work but this virus attacked her muscles and joints and she was in severe pain, barely able to walk. All blood work, tests, etc. were normal. So I am grateful I can work from home and care for Mama while my sister is recovering.
2. That the mystery virus my sister has seems to be running its course and she is slowly recovering.
3. The beautiful day we are having! I love me some sunshine and warm weather!
4. That, at 85 years old, my Mama's health is actually very good! While mobility is problematic and the forgetfulness and confusion is both frustrating and amusing, she is healthy as a horse internally. Heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, cholesterol, etc., etc. are all in great shape! I am hopeful that will translate to several more years with her!
5. For my 3 year old granddaughter. At three she has such a big personality! She makes my heart smile!
Happy belated birthday!!
Today I’m grateful for:
* Medication
* A job where I can just call in sick and be replaced, without it being a big deal
*A house in a quiet neighborhood
* 2 daughters that perform exceptionally well in school despite neurological conditions affecting them both
*Being officially accepted in Social Work (bachelor) and having the financial means and support at home to go back to school full time for the next 3 to 5 years
Kristen,
Happy Birthday and Congrats on signing your new lease. I love your positive attitude! Looking forward to see what your table looks like when it is done!
Good luck with the new place 🙂
So happy you found a place to call your own and to be able to take the time you need in this season of life.