Thankful Thursday | I'm CPR certified!
This week, I'm thankful:
that I passed my CPR class
All of us nursing students have to do a one-day CPR class, followed by a test, so I did that last Saturday.
I'm happy to say I passed the test and I'm officially certified now. One step closer to nursing school!
I'm by no means an expert, but I do know more than I did before. And I feel fairly confident that I could use one of those public defibrillator devices now.
Part of the class was about rescuing infants who were choking, and I felt super confident about this part because one Very Bad Week in 2007, I had to do this twice for baby Zoe.
Her older siblings had left some marbles around and crazy enough, twice in a single week she put one in her mouth and started choking. And twice, I did the infant version of the Heimlich maneuver.
Given that Zoe is now a healthy 17-year-old, I can confirm that this does indeed work. 😉
for the artists in this community
Remember the perfect pear I shared a photo of before?
Well, reader Jana painted it.
And now reader Martha has done an impressionist version of it as well!
for the rain
It has been so super dry here; we've had a few showers, but nothing significant.
Until yesterday!
We had a lovely soaking rain all day yesterday, and even my rainy-day-disliking self was really delighted.
I'm especially happy that it was a slow and steady rain; that's even more advantageous than a violent thunderstorm.
for the green trees
A lot of the smaller brush was starting to look a little crispy from the drought, but the trees remained green.
And after today, the smaller plants should be lookin' much better. I'm excited to go for a walk and see what the rain has done.
that Chiquita's cold is all gone
You know how shelter cats almost always seem to come home with a cold?
Chiquita was no exception, but I'm happy to say that her sneezing is all gone now!
Sooo, it's now safe for us to start slowly introducing her to our other cat. Wish us luck.
for how snuggly Chiquita is
She really, really likes to cuddle.
for the earrings I made with Sonia
We went to a little bead shop when we were at the beach, and we each made some earrings. So, now I have a pair of earrings that is not just plain silver or gold.
Since so much of my wardrobe is neutral, these earrings will work with a lot of my clothes.
Also: many of my non-neutral clothes are varying shades of a coral/pink/red tones, so the earrings will work with those items too.
I too am thankful for the rain yesterday and, hopefully, in the upcoming days. Our yard was such a dried out mess and shrubs were drooping. I don't generally love rainy days but yesterday was a good day to mostly stay home and get things done. It was also a good day to turn on the oven and bake muffins.
I am thankful for the Screenshot feature on my phone. It is so helpful multiple times a week. This week I am trying to track down a lost package that USPS was scheduled to deliver. We were on vacation, with the mail on "Hold", when tracking indicates it was delivered ) just a few minutes after it was being held at the Post Office per customer's request. I have screen shots of the hold and a couple of tracking screens and if I ever talk to a person I'll have all those ready to use. I will stop in at the local post office today after being hung up on several times when I called the distribution center yesterday.
I am thankful we had a nice beach vacation and I am also thankful to be home. I would not be good at a nomadic life though I appreciate those that are.
I am thankful every day for modern plumbing, electricity, the modern food chain, etc.
I am thankful for historical fiction and memoirs. They give me a peak into other people's lives.
I take screenshots of stuff all the time too!
@K D, Historically I've had a really hard time getting a hold of someone at the post office when things go wrong. I love the USPS and I am always amazed by the convenience of this federal service that can take things from my house all over the country for such a small fee BUT when things go wrong, it's really a pain to fix.
@CrunchyCake, Our local post offices publish their phone numbers so we don't have to go nuts trying to get someone on an 800 number to help us. I did not realize this is not normal every place. I, too, am a lover of USPS---it amazes me that one stamp can take a letter from the top of Alaska to the panhandle of Florida for such a cheap price.
@Lindsey and Others,
We once had one very minor issue (not of the USPS's making) and called our local post office. They signed us up for Informed Delivery, which every day sends you a photo of the mail you will receive. No extra charge. Can’t believe they would add this to their workload. Best bargain around.
This week I am thankful:
*that our week of appointments is nearly over. Why did I book 4 days in a row with multiple appointments today?
*that my friend's suffering mother-in-law has passed.
*that I picked out different (very different) glasses than my norm. It made me feel adventurous and stylish. (I am neither of these things ever.)
*that when I tried to explain to the assistant at the eye doctor's why I was getting weirdly emotional over picking glasses, she told me that if I hadn't told her about my facial paralysis, she wouldn't have noticed. I was really shocked that I was tearing up over picking glasses.
*for the rain.
*that our period of waiting on another broody hen is over this weekend. I hope we have more chicks!
And beautiful pears!
Ugh, yes, a zillion appointments in a row is no fun, especially for us homebodies. 🙂
I always say that I like bread way too much for me to ever have visible abs. Ha. The abs are there, and they are strong, but probably no one is ever going to actually SEE them.
@Kristen, my saying is slightly different, I always say that there's a circle of fat surrounding my abs. I do actually have abs, even though it's been quite a while since I've seen them, I know that my core is fairly strong in the daily things that I do that require core strength.
@Kristen, I'm confused. How did abs slip into the appointments/choosing eyewear/broody hens discussion? Thanks for the little snicker!
Thankful for the old friend whose most recent post on his personal blog is a lovely tribute to DH (https://johnemcintyre.blogspot.com/2023/06/thres-hole-in-world.html). Among other things, this will answer the questions a few of you have asked about why and how DH went from a PhD in English lit to the building trades.
Thankful to the neighbor who's a notary public and took time out yesterday from preparing for a short trip to notarize a document for me.
And, of course, thankful once again for all the neighbors, relatives, and friends who are helping me get through this, including the FG community. Where would I be now without all of you?
@A. Marie, that's a beautiful tribute! You clearly excel at creating great community throughout your life. (I've been maid of honor multiple times but never best person.. : )
@A. Marie, I wondered if it was something like that. My sister went to grad school at Yale for Near Eastern archaeology, even help dig up some of Ur and learned Akkadian, but wound up as a science fiction book editor because no jobs at all. On the plus side, she can still read cuneiform, which of course is in high demand (eyeroll).
I imagine your DH's PhD in lit was VERY attractive to you, since you are into literature yourself. 🙂
@A. Marie,
What a lovely tribute! Thanks for linking to it!
@A. Marie, What a warm and loving tribute, thank you for sharing.
@A. Marie, a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man.
@A. Marie, thank you so much for sharing this. Hugs and comfort being sent to you often in your time of sorrow.
@A. Marie,
What a beautiful tribute. Praying for comfort for you.
@A. Marie, what a wonderful tribute.
@A. Marie, I really loved reading that blog post. Your DH was very special.
@A. Marie, what a wonderful tribute
@A. Marie, wonderful tribute to your husband!
@A. Marie, what a beautiful tribute. My sister got her PhD in 17th century British literature and married a man in the same field. They now work at the same university and consider themselves tremendously lucky to have been able to find work and doubly so to find work together.
@A. Marie, Beautiful❤️
@A. Marie, What a blessing to have experienced such good friends and to have spent your life with such a wonderful person. Thank you for sharing with us.
@Rose, It is a good thing I did not know that one could have a major that involved learning cuneiform! Since childhood I have had an unnatural fascination for cuneiform and could easily have been sidelined into a different graduate degree if it involved cuneiform...
@A. Marie, What a great tribute not only to your husband, but to you and to the friendship you all shared.
@A. Marie,
Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful post. I knew he was a very special person from your posts. But reading that made it so real.
@Kaitlin, DS1 got his Ph.D in Philosophy and was hired to teach at a university in Boston soon afterward. We were gobsmacked and are thankful every day.
@A. Marie, Thank you. I enjoyed that read. That reminds me of my eldest son in some way because he's always willing to try doing some task he knows nothing about because there's a book for that. (This is the boy who ordered bees without having any bee handling experience-- not even watching somebody!)
By the way, at the dentist today, I began my 2nd read of Northangar Abbey. All the rest I've read multiple times. I started with the first sentence because that's what one does. But then I had to read it out loud to my two kids who were with me, and we all cracked up together. Then the second, in the same way. I think I had to read every sentence on the first page out loud so that we could all enjoy it. Then the kids were called back to their appointments. I'm only a couple of chapters in, but how rich it is! I'm so glad I have a little time to read again!
@Jody S., your story about you and your kids reading Northanger Abbey at the dentist's tickled me pink. Some of us in JASNA actually like Henry Tilney better than Mr. Darcy (we call ourselves Team Tilney). And, yes, isn't NA fun to read aloud?
And thanks to everyone else for the kind words about McIntyre's tribute to DH. Once again, I love you all!
I’m thankful for good listeners, my beautiful city, and a good interview I had yesterday.
I’m super thankful for my friends, old and new alike, who enrich my life and my kids’ lives.
I'm thankful this week:
*MOM'S CLEARED OF CANCER!
*for funny pictures my daughter took of seagulls fighting over her dinner
*the climbing rose I planted last year looks so lovely
*my niece's wedding is Saturday, the first of her generation in our family to marry
*I have a fun surprise for my son's upcoming birthday.
@Rose, three hearty huzzahs for your mom!
Yay!!! So glad to hear this news about your mom.
I'd love to see your rose; can you share it in the Facebook group? 🙂
@Rose,
Your #1 is worth shouting about! Wonderful!
@Rose, I'm thankful you have so many "thankfuls" this week.
@Rose,
AWESOME news about your mom!
@Rose, A giant yaay about your mom's health! And, glad to see how upbeat your list is.
I would love to also see a picture of Rose, her daughter and her mom win their talked-about wedding dresses.
@Rose, So happy your mom beat cancer! Give her our best! And celebrate all the happy milestones in your family!
@Rose, wooh wooh!!
@Rose, Wow!! Hooray!!!
@Rose, I hope she rang that bell so hard it fell off the wall. 🙂
@Rose, Great news about your mother!
@Rose, Hurray for your mom! And for you! That's fantastic news!
@Rose, Yay! I'm so happy for you all!
@Rose,
How wonderful!!!!!
Today I’m thankful that my husband and son will be traveling to Scotland this evening. We had planned to take our son there as a high school graduation present. Our daughter was to have a paid trip to Scotland that summer and we were going to tag along, saving at least on her airfare. Alas, he graduated in 2020, so none of that happened. A few months ago, however, my husband was invited to do research in Scotland this summer with some folks he met while on his sabbatical. So, our son is going with him and finally getting his graduation trip, three years late. It’s not what we’d hoped for, with all four of us together, but I know they’ll have a wonderful time.
I’d recommend any parent take a basic CPR class. My mother worked as an RN for decades and the only time she did the Heimlich was on my brother, at home.
@Laura, completely agreed. Honestly, I think everyone should take CPR. I’m a teacher, and I get recertified every two years. A few years ago, a middle school student choked in front of me - he couldn’t speak, his lips were turning blue… it was terrifying. I did the heimlich, and I’m delighted to report that it actually does work. I’m freaked out by blood and don’t like medical stuff, but training just kicked in, and I’m still very grateful to my CPR instructor for teaching me what to do. Because of that experience, I’m a huge advocate of CPR training.
@Laura, we were required to complete a short infant CPR training before we could bring our daughter home from the NICU!
1. For quiet time chunk of my get in my workout and knock out a chFunk of my to do list at work in a coffeehouse without any interruptions. So lovely.
2. That today is the last of a string of rainy days. I am grateful for the rain but gosh my garden needs to be weeded so badly and the harvest is about to be crazy in a good way 🙂
3. For mercies that are new every morning and the chances we all have to start again. I am on a journey to get fit and stress is almost a sure bet that I will fall out of the saddle. I am learning to give myself grace and just start again without the negative self talk part. You know the drill - 'well I already blew it with the foods I ate today so therefore I can't possibly achieve my goal'. Getting back in that saddle after yesterday.
4. For wisdom, patience and grace. I am one of the situations where you look around and ask the Lord 'why did you choose me for this scenario? I am so unqualified to handle this.' I can hear the sound of our Pastor's voice telling me he qualifies the called and I am resting in that.
5. For the relationships that fill my cup. All of my life I have had people around me that drained my cup and it is such a joy to have relationships in my life with people that fill me up and help me recharge my batteries. 45 may come with its challenges but with this stage of life comes a strong knowledge of who you really are, what you want to accomplish, and a greater appreciation of all the good around you. For this I am truly grateful.
Just over here cheering you on in your fitness journey!
@Angie, yes, mercies are new every morning!!
@Angie, love #4. Your Pastor sounds like mine; God calls the willing and the obedient. He can't make us willing or obedient, because of our free will, but He can make a beautiful vessel out of a lump of clay.
Those are all really good things to be thankful for - it looks like life is looking up for you in so many ways! We do CPR training often at the hospital - there for a few years it was once a quarter and now we are back to yearly. I read an interesting article about it recently that gave me pause...it does not work for everyone and I know this firsthand, sadly. Anyhoo! This week I am thankful for:
*the pipe having been fixed at my country property because I put it on the market this morning
*a contractor who is going to replace both bathroom floors in my for a reasonable price (I have waited for so long to be able to do this!)
*rain yesterday that watered my thirsty lawn and shrubs
*two more days off, which feels luxurious, since I will work extra next week
*as always, this quiet and clean house which is my sanctuary
In my trips through Medical Memoir World, I have concluded that there are a lot of situations where CPR is most definitely not the kind thing to do, particularly for an elderly person. I am totally going to sign a DNR when the time comes! And if I am involved with a family member who is older, I will encourage them to think through that decision.
I feel bad for medical professionals who end up having to do ill-advised CPR on a person because a DNR wasn't signed, and because family members are insistent. Sometimes, it seems like family members are thinking more of themselves than they are of the ill person.
@gina, That article may have been the NYT piece titled "How a Toilet Plunger Improved CPR" that ran this past June 15. "Traditional CPR doesn't have a great track record: On average, just 7 percent of people who receive it before getting to the hospital are ultimately discharged with full brain function....'It is dismal,' said Dr. Keith Lurie, a cardiologist at the University of Minnesota Medical School..." So they are working on new procedures to protect the brain but, even then, "patients who received neuroprotective CPR had [only] a 10 percent chance of leaving the hospital neurologically intact." Yikes. No wonder people have DNR directives put on their charts.
@JDinNM, @Kristen, and @gina, I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record (for those of you who are old enough to remember broken records) about this--but having end-of-life paperwork in place is absolutely essential for many reasons, including letting your loved ones know your wishes about CPR, DNR, and so forth. DH and I discussed this many times over the years, and so I had no hesitation when he entered the nursing home about filling out a NY State MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form to specify "comfort care only."
@Kristen,
You are right about the family members thinking of themselves bit. A hospital chaplain once told me that inevitably, it is the relative who never bothered to come see Grandpa in all the years Grandpa was in the nursing home who suddenly shows up shouting "you gotta save his life!"
@A. Marie, That works in a nursing home or assisted living setting. But not elsewhere. Although our insurers and physicians keep telling us to prepare our written Health Care Directives and sign and file them with the insurers and our health care providers, in reality they never look at those directives when the time comes. The doctors simply ask whatever next of kin who happens to be handy what they should or shouldn't do. Frequently your loved one will be in a hospital or emergency room, or at home when the EMTs are called, and no one is going to ask to see their written Health Care Directive. The directives' usefulness lies in triggering family discussions about what someone's wishes are, and then you cross your fingers that someone is available to make decisions in line with those wishes when the time comes.
@JDinNM, I'm sorry to hear this. I'll remind the friend I've nominated to be my HCP, DPOA, and executor to get out the Sword Excalibur if it ever comes to a hospital/ER situation like the one you describe.
@JDinNM, This is correct. I have had four relatives pass that did not sign directives and it really does come down to who is there at the time the decision has to be made. While my relatives never signed the directives, I had a pretty good idea what their wishes were and carried them out. Unfortunately, that does not help with those family members who show up later and second guess everything. Put your wishes in writing if for no other reason than to back up the person making the call.
Putting your wishes in writing also makes things much easier for people making decisions. When my dad got older, he wrote us a letter saying that if he couldn’t return to 80% of what he was before a medical crisis, then he didn’t want treatment. (He was in his late 50s when he wrote this.) When he did experience a medical crisis, it didn’t feel like we had to make decisions - we knew exactly what he’d want us to do. It removed a lot of guilt from our shoulders, and I’m still really grateful for it.
Also, I just took a cpr class a few weeks ago, and the instructor made a big point about the limits of CPR. He said that the point isn’t to get someone’s heart going again - the point is to keep their brain alive long enough to get them to a hospital, where doctors can save them. He said a defibrillator might restart someone’s heart, but that CPR itself hardly ever does. I’m glad I have the training, even if it’s a limited tool.
@gina, Perhaps you read the same article I did, that talked about how few people treated with CPR who live still end up with intellectual deficiencies due to brain damage. Too many TV medical shows had me convinced if it worked that the people were fine.
@JDinNM, Yes, this was the article I read also. Horrifying wasn't it?
@Lindsey, Maybe instead of shouting "Don't just stand there! Do something!" we should encourage people to ... just stand there.
@JDinNM, Amen to that! If God has called me home, get out of my way!
@Katie, Once late at night on a curvy hilly highway a van sped past me and up over the hill. I saw what looked like a lit Ferris wheel up the hill but when I got there it was the van slammed into a tree. I tried to find the people. One was sitting on the ground and I gave him a towel to press on a head wound and a woman was lying near the tree. I’d been a lifeguard so started cpr. Soon an off duty medic stopped and took over the cpr and we managed to keep a pulse and breathing. When the ambulance arrived they looked at her and went to care for the guy sitting on the ground. I was so upset. When I got home I did research and found that 70 % or more of such trauma injuries never make it out of the hospital and the other 30% have continuing major medical problems. It was quite a shock for me. I thought she could be saved.
@Kristen, don’t take this wrong, please, but the time is NOW to make these decisions and put them in writing as required by your state. This goes for kids 18+ years old and ANYONE who hasn’t already done this. Please!
Ooh, thanks to your advice I discovered that my state has a PDF that you can fill out to get this done. Sweet!
I am thankful for a lovely day out yesterday on the Isle of Anglesey.
I am thankful for the fact that my dog, aged 8 years 1 day decided yesterday was the day he would finally start swimming!
I am grateful for the fact that our new pump for our water feature finally arrived after much hassle and many phone calls.
I am so grateful for the long sunny days we are experiencing in the UK right now, which is not ever to be taken for granted by us Brits!
I am very thankful for a new style of knickers from M&S that are possibly the most comfy things I’ve ever had on my body! I’ve had too lots of surgery “down there “ so comfy soft undies are so important.
A.Marie, the tribute to your DH was so touching x
Awwww! Chiquita DOES look so snuggly!! She is adorable. 🙂
This week I'm thankful:
* for a day at home today to get some cleaning done and prep for next week. We're camping Monday through Friday next week, will get home Friday night, and then I'm hosting a birthday party at 11am Saturday for my youngest! So the weight of prep has been present this week. Thankfully, it's less now than it was on Monday.
* that our church is providing a pizza dinner before Kids Camp tonight. I'm really thankful for a night off of cooking!!
* for the long days right now. We're getting home late from Kids Camp, but it's not dark. I walked my dog at 5:45 this morning, but it wasn't dark. Also - I am finding early morning walks and 8pm walks to be just lovely!
* for the kids I've gotten to meet this week. They are pretty great. It's also been fun to get to know others in a new way.
* for a quiet morning.
Enjoy your night off of cooking!
I am so thankful for a few hours of rain after several very dry and hot weeks!
The more because I know there are places in the world where there are months and months of dry weather before the rain falls.
I love the smells and the colours after rain and even feel benevolent towards weeds and slugs that appear from nowhere.
We are at the other end of the spectrum here with the rain. After a dry spring, we are being flooded with rain in amazing stretches of daily thunderstorms.
1. And, that segues into... I'm thankful that the storms have not brought much damage here, that flash flooding has so far not caused any accidents, and that the EF-0 tornado that passed overhead close to my ex-son-in-law's house, where my granddaughter was staying while her mom was in Norway, caused no deaths or injuries to anyone and that there was only some damage to a couple of properties in the countryside.
2. For my daughter's safe return from her business trip to Norway and that she enjoyed seeing Norway very much, even though I'm still upset that a delayed passport kept my granddaughter from going with her.
3. That although all this wet is probably going to overwhelm my summer squash plants with mold and mildew, I'm getting squash off them for now.
4. That the new pressure gauge for my old pressure canner fits and works.
5. For the fertile family of assassin bugs living in my cucumber and squash plants, lying in wait quietly for the destructive bugs. Go get 'em, guys.
@JD, if the assassin bugs were at all likely to survive the trip, I'd ask you to overnight me a box full!
@JD, Haha! As a fellow gardener, I'm cheering on your assassin bugs!!
So this isn't a thankful note but when else can I share this story? I went for First Aid and CPR certification in my early 20s. My mom was a lifeguard, swimming instructor and until very recently always had her certification in First Aid and CPR. So when I needed an extra credit in college and this was an option my mom really pushed for me to sign up for it. She told me it was simple and that it would be an easy A (well, it was a Pass/Fail class but you get the idea.)
Anyway, so I go to take the class and on the very first day the instructor is talking about various situations involving blood, trauma, broken bones, people vomiting up blood etc. and I just calmly sat there until the end of the class, walked out, went outside and promptly threw up and had a full panic attack. I dropped the class the next class (two days later.) The instructor made a disparaging remark like "Oh, big guy can't handle this?" but I said nothing in return. My mom similarly let me know she was disappointed that I couldn't handle it.
So yeah, some people just aren't cut out for that stuff. I'm one of them apparently. I don't even know why I tried as I can't even watch horror movies!
So I am thankful that there are others like Kristen who can handle CPR and First Aid and all that stuff.
I'm also thankful that I am counting down the days at this point to vacation. I know it won't be frugal but it will be time away from work and I need that.
I'm thankful that while we did miss out on my wife's grandfather's house it also means we don't need to move or start a renovation project. That was one thing I was not looking forward to.
Yep! Some of my kids (Lisey included) are like that; she would want to die every day if she was a nurse. lol
I'm sorry people were disappointed in you over something like that; it's not like you can control it. Lisey is obviously no pansy, but that doesn't change the fact that she can't handle medical stuff.
@Battra92, I'm with you! I put myself through college by working in a nursing home (only job available, ya do what ya gotta do) but I hated every minute of it. I did work a lot of night shift which was better, except for the fact that the death rate is higher at night, so I spent a lot of time helping prepare bodies for mortuary pick-up (not fun.)
@Battra92,
They should have let you just learn CPR, without all that other stuff. I am disappointed that people shamed you over it! It's just the way you are made, not something for which you should be shamed. In my experience (which is the experience of one person, I realize), women handle things like blood and vomiting better than men anyway. I've known some big, tough men who threw up if they saw or heard anyone else throw up, or turned pale just at the thought of giving blood.
And I don't watch horror movies either.
I love horror movies, the scarier the better! And gore etc doesn't bother me too much. (Actually I spent this morning reading again about Unit 731, responsible for many many Japanese war crimes, which few people know about.) (I should have been working.)
That said, I really don't wanna clean up someone else's effluvia.
@Battra92, I’m squeamish about medical stuff, too! I’m very grateful for Kristen and others who really have a calling to serve in the medical field. Thank you to all of our doctors, nurses and techs!
@Kristen, I've seen cows being born and it didn't affect me at all. I'm also not one of those people who gets affected when a dog dies in a movie. When I see people in pain of suffering or obvious trauma or bodily fluids ... yeah, not something I can handle.
At least I didn't pass out when my daughter was born. Apparently that's a lot more common than people think.
@Rose, I'm with you! I had a job once that included having to attend autopsies. Not that frequently, but I loved it when the opportunity came up. I am not a believer in miracles as such, but when you see how intricate the body is underneath all that skin, it really is a miracle. I think being a pathologist would be the best job---all the exposure to medicine without having to deal with pesky live people.
@Battra92, One of my sons is like that. He was in Civil Air Patrol and they had a First Aid training meeting...I got a call saying "your son fainted, he's conscious now but we want to know if you want to come get him?" He said later that they were showing a film with animation showing the blood vessels in the body--no actual blood, mind you--and he felt like he needed some air, stepped out in the hallway and BOOM.
My brother was the same way; once he was out playing volleyball with friends, and I was at home (our parents were out somewhere) and he came into the kitchen yelling for me; he had run into a picnic table and had a big gouge in his leg. He couldn't even look at his own leg, so he had had a friend wrap a handkerchief on it and drove home, hoping I would be there to patch him up! He kept saying, "Do I need stitches? Oh GOD I don't want stitches!" And....he was 23. 😉 Lucky for him I am not squeamish about blood at all. Good thing, since with four boys I've patched up a number of bloody knees!
Oh, your instructor was a jerk, by the way.
@Battra92, When I was a little girl, my parents belonged to a bowling league and my sisters usually babysat me. We watched That's Incredible a lot. Once there was a video of an open heart surgery, and my oldest sister passed out. She does that with blood. It's a thing.
Congratulations on completing your CPR certification. Aren't those automatic defibrilators amazing?
I'm thankful for my husband, who has such a kind heart.
That we've found a supplement that is helping my older dog feel better. (Dasuquin, which was given to me to try by a neighbor.)
For sunny but not hot weather, after a week of rain.
And I'm thankful that my garden is doing well. Some years are better than others and this appears to be shaping up to be a good year.
Yes, I love that they are designed to be so easy to use, even by people who aren't very highly trained.
@Kristen, My heart doctor when I needed a very specialized test that at that time was done only in Seattle and Boston, was one of the guys who developed the automatic defibrillator. He went on, among other inventions, to perfect Holter monitors, so they no longer involve wearing a clunky cassette sized device. Because of him, I got one of the first AEDs that were sold and was one of the first people whose insurance company covered having one in a private home. Not long after I went to the ER and had the machine with me and the doctors came around one by one to see it, they were so rare at that point. About a year later we took a ship from NYC to England and had a hard time getting the device through the baggage inspection because no one had seen one. The ship's doctor heard we had one and later borrowed it for another passenger who was having a non-stop arrythmia.
All the versions of the pear are lovely!
This week, I'm thankful to have great friends to play handball and board games with. For living near several great hiking paths. For having the time to eat a healthy breakfast everyday.
@kelly,
I meant to mention the new pear picture! It's beautiful. Both paintings are. I'd hang either one - or both - of them in my house.
If a few more readers will just render the pear in some other mediums (colored pencil, markers, crayons, etc. ) you can have the first Frugal Girl Art Exhibition!
I can do the crayon one. lol
@Bobi, I agree, although, with some of the beautiful, moody photos Kristen posts here from her walks, she could already have an Exhibit in many galleries. And very cool artwork for her and family's walls (gifts).
For summer garden produce and flowers! Making a meal for friends who serve as medical missionaries in the DRC. The food scarcity is so pronounced in this country and the surrounding countries. So getting to hop out to the garden and get ingredients for a meal feels extra special. Getting a huge haul of dahlias feels extra lavish as well. I'm also thankful for how blessed you can make someone feel with a simple jar of garden flowers. It feels extra lovely to get to brighten someone's day with beauty! For my garden and fenced yard with fruit/nut tree/shrub hedge. I've been dreaming about it for years, started working on it two years ago, and the rain is making everything feel so green and alive. I can imagine the blessing it will be to my neighbors and family and guests in several years even though everything looks like little sticks with leaves at the moment : ) For the way gardening connects me to people who also enjoy gardening. I've met so many lovely people just talking about gardens and gardening. For the word of God. Getting up early to read my Bible every morning before my family is up, well, it's been a life-line. Bonus = the hot cup of coffee I drink while reading my Bible.
Side note, your blog is something I'm thankful for!
Those paintings of the pear, both of them, are gorgeous! I'm happy your new kitty is better. What a pretty girl.
I don't have a comment about what you said above (although I love the earrings and your kitty!!), but I'm just wondering....you don't talk about your son. How is he doing??
How's Lisey doing in Hawaii??
We live in Glenpool, OK and were affected by the violent storm that hit early Sunday morning; lost power immediately. Thankfully, we have extra insulation, so our house stayed relatively cool. A friend loaned us a generator and we kept the fridge/freezer and the deep freeze plugged in and running and we didn't lose any food.
We are in the midst of another kitchen reno. Thankful for our State Farm insurance that is paying for most of it and I'm getting the kitchen of my dreams!
Thankful that the storm didn't ruin all of our veggie gardens; we did lose some veggies, but not all!
Thankful we were only without power for one full day. Thanks to OG&E for working on Father's Day.
Thankful to my wonderful husband who has helped keep me sane during all of the above trials! God is good!
This week I am thankful that my library co-op is large enough that I can usually find whatever obscure book I'm looking for, even though I don't always finish that obscure book. I'm thankful for Aldi's black bean and garbanzo bean salads; with some lettuce they make a lovely light lunch, and the quantity is just right for a one-person household. It would be cheaper to make it myself, but it would be such a large quantity. I'm grateful to have time to work on my will and my health care power of attorney (I'm old), which I have procrastinated about for months. I'm thankful for my new contact lenses, with only a $13 co-pay, so I can see again. Finally, and I hate to mention this, I am NOT thankful for drought, and I am hoping and wishing for rain in Michigan.
@Martha, I love LOVE the impressionist pear.
@Kristen, The Chiquita images are equally adorable as the Shellys. Looking forward to pix of them together…..more kitty photos, yaay!
Big congrats on the CPR etc. certification. Man, I’d wish I were in the same room with you if I ever needed that sort of help.
I am thankful for my relative good health after a scare the past few weeks. And my dear husband's restored health after seven scary months and various medical professionals, all of whom came through. Will not take either of these things for granted any more.
Thankful for our two sons who work hard to support their families and love us. They each volunteer in needed places and both can cook at chef-level.
@Erika JS, thank you for your strong compliment about my pear painting. I needed your encouragement today!
@Martha, I too loved the pear! Such talent!
I am thankful for my west facing front porch where I can still sit in the mornings and enjoy a book after it gets to hot for outside chores.
My best friend’s son had a birthday party last weekend and requested that my son come over a couple hours early so they could have some one-on-one time together. The two boys are both only children and have been raised as cousins. I love that both boys value their “chosen family” relationship even at a young age.
We hosted my parents and my husband’s dad and his wife for Father’s Day. The lunch went beautifully and my husband was thrilled to share some of his favorite bourbons that he has in his collection.
I’m so thankful for the way that my husband has taken on his stepfather role. The two of them have such a sweet relationship and clearly enjoy spending time together.
I needed to up my water intake and I just happened to have a 64oz water bottle in the back of a cabinet that has been keeping me on track.
Even though the days have been HOT, the evenings have been pleasant enough to enjoy being outside while sitting on the sidelines at games and enjoying the deck after dinner.
Chiquita is such a pretty kitty! She's very photogenic!
I am thankful for the rain as well. Altho, we are supposed to get rain showers through next week. But the low that is over us and bringing us rain and storms is also - hopefully - keeping the hurricanes away. We are saving water on our gardens!
Thankful that we helped my sister in law move over the weekend. It was a long day for us - 5 hours of driving 1 way and then back - but glad that my sis in law is settled and she didn't have to do it by herself. She is not so steady on her feet and moving into a 3 story condo is tough. My husband lugged all the heavy luggage of clothes up the 3 stores to the bedrooms.
Thankful for another sister in law that saw it fit to invite the other sister in law to live with her. They worked out a deal, and I'm happy to say they will survive each other living together. Altho she was living with another sister, her new residence is closer to her grandchildren.
Thankful that my husband is babysitting our grand daughter for a few days. He hasn't been able to see her since March, so this is really special. Hopefully we'll also see her next month.
Thankful for the beautiful artists, Jana and Martha, for turning a perfect pear into perfect art. So beautiful and talented. It made me smile today to see it. Thanks Kristen for sharing.
@Maureen, thank you for your encouragement!
Congratulations Kristen, on passing your CPR course!
Your earrings are lovely! Making those with Sonia is a wonderful memory
( with a tangible keepsake) for both of you.
I’m VERY thankful my diagnostic mammogram was clear this week. I’ve been having sharp pains in the area of the lumpectomy surgery ( done 2.5 years ago) so a sonogram was also done. All is well… apparently scar tissue is still trying to build in the surgical site so I need to keep up with regular massages to the area. So far, so good. This may sound odd but I’m thankful to have experienced this ongoing cancer journey. It has helped me to feel more “equipped “ to support and encourage others going through similar trials.
I’m thankful for some rainy days. Our garden flowers had wilted even with me giving them some daily watering. They look more perky now with the light , steady rain.
So grateful for good neighbors, friends and family.
I’m very thankful for a few special upcoming events. Lately I’m finding I need things to look forward to…especially when we can gather with friends and family.
@Martha, Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful art with us!
Thankful for:
--a nice cool breeze yesterday evening. It's been hot and humid most of the week, so stepping outside was like entering a sauna. Some rain-cooled air blew in from a distant storm and it was so nice and refreshing!
--the "subchannels" (6.2,6.3,6.4 etc.) that bring more and different over-the-air entertainment for free. Lately, I've been watching "Longmire" on the Circle channel (46.2) and I'm absolutely hooked on it. So nice not to have to pay for cable, satellite or streaming.
--libraries, both little free libraries and public libraries, that give us free reading material. (Like Longmire Mystery series novels). Also for used bookstores where you can trade books. (Like a Longmire paperback). And thrift stores, where they sell books cheap (got some for 20 cents yesterday).
--my dog. She has been with us 13 of her 15 years. Best thing I ever got off of Craigslist! She's been a wonderful, loving pet. She has an inoperable tumor. The vet told us last spring to just take her home and love her and enjoy the time we have left with her. So far, she's not in pain so we are literally spoiling her to death....or until death do us part. Each day with her is a blessing.
--that I found the one set of car keys, which I had misplaced, right before I had to go to work. The dealership "forgot" to give us any extra keys, as their salesman promised. What a mess! (I threw a hissy fit, shame on me, but they are going to bring out the extra key(s) today.) BTW, if you ever trade in or sell a car, please give them all the keys and fobs you have; it causes a huge problem if you don't.
@Fru-gal Lisa, ooh, Longmire on Circle! Nice.
I am thankful for the leather shop that replaced my husband's new belt, after I asked advice for mending the "old" one (3 months after purchase). Celebrate integrity!
I am thankful for a few days of a quiet house as my DH is participating in a remote workshop and having a wonderful time. So am I!
I am thankful for my piano teacher, who is such a close and helpful guide to improving my music.
I am thankful for the investments we have made over 30 years to improve our old house (1898) and adapt it to the 20th century.
And I am thankful to have found this blog and community, sharing the effort to be less material and more focused on the spirit of life.
Grateful for the lovely shower we had this past Saturday. It wasn't a lot, I watered the important stuff this morning but rainwater helped more than treated water to germinate some zinnia seeds I had planted. In fact, as I was watering I was so taken by the number of pollinators buzzing around. It is pollinator week in MO and this month of June.
Grateful for the farm eggs a friend got for me from her friend. I eat them better than store bought ones even though those are fine.
Grateful for my auto repair place. My past vehicle had me there quite often, but this newer one, not so much. However, I need a new brake job on the rear and they worked hard at getting me in. Plus, I make a point of getting to know all the staff there and the Boss and Office manager are friends. Fresh baked cookies go a long way, too.
Thankful for Summer. When I was in high school, I did summer learning opportunities, made valuable friendships, swam a lot, fished some, rode my horse more. I don't do so much of that now, but I still think of that coppertone time of year with joy and gladness. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my AC and can only work so long outside but it's because I'm no longer conditioned to the heat.
Thankful for fruit and vegetable season and the variety. My body feels better because of the natural vitamins and fiber.
As a nurse in a nursing home, I am required to be CPR certified. But I will tell you that the minute someone starts going south that has a "full code" status, we ship them out. That sounds blunt. But here's the truth. We would rather not have to do that. We would rather continue to provide loving care to the Resident who we've been responsible for in their last years all the way to the end. It is not fair to them or us to turn them over to a place that is not as familiar with them. The blunt truth is that "everyone dies." When the body is in the act of declining, there is no return. I am not saying that all CPR is useless. There have been limited numbers of cases when it is effective. In fact, I have a friend who is living proof. But in the aged, it is often a sad ending.
Yes. CPR in those who are near death seems almost cruel to me.
@Kristen, not even sure there's an "almost" to it.
@Kristen, but anyone on whom you’d even consider doing CPR on is “near death”, right?
Oh yes, of course, that is true. I think what I was thinking of more is someone who, even before the cardiac arrest, was already near death. For instance, when someone is a 96-year-old in poor health...doing CPR on a patient in those circumstances seems kind of cruel to me.
I am thankful for the free pregnancy pillow I received from a friend. I never would have bought one of these, but wow it is nice to have. (Although, I bet my husband can't wait to get that thing out of our Queen-size bed.)
I am thankful for the stretching DVD we purchased years ago as part of a workout program. Most of the program was impractical for me, but the Stretching DVD was money well spent.
I am thankful to feel the baby kicking and sometimes the baby kicks hard enough that my husband can feel it. (I haven't enjoyed the family/pregnancy-stress, but then the baby kicks and I'm reminded that all of this should be worth it.)
I am thankful for a few more cool days of summer. It is still nice to go for walks in the evening.
I am thankful for the opportunity to join in a free book launch club with an author I admire.
This week I'm thankful that I'm in Costa Rica and missing out on heat indices of 115 in Houston. Other things I'm thankful for this week: internet communities, stationery, cute stickers, SLOTHS (Costa Rica, yo), awesome colleagues.
I highly recommend putting a Chiquita in a cat carrier and open up the area to your other cat.
We did this for increasing hours every day, and it wished well
I tried that once so far, and she just ran right back downstairs to Zoe's bed. lol We will keep trying!
@Kristen,
did you try feeding them on opposite sides of a gate/barrier? That's how we got our cats used to each other. Then my husband would sit on the living room floor tossing treats first one way and the other, to lure them both in and convince them that the territory can be shared. However, our second cat was young, and most adult cats are a little more patient with kittens that other adults. YMMV.
1. FINALLY the days are getting shorter, as of today. All summer I have tried to be thankful for longer days because night driving becomes more difficult as you get older. I failed to become sincerely thankful. I have decided I'd rather stay home on winter nights than live with this constant incessant sunlight all summer.
2. For a week where it rained weed wackers. We did not have one and borrowed one from the tool library. Then a neighbor gave us one that he garbage picked. Then we finally cleared out a small shed that was in a part of the yard we never go to, and, indeed Siberian pea bushes had grown all over it. Ten years it has taken us to take on this project! Anyway, it was filled with gardening items, including yet another weed wacker. We kept the battery operated one and returned the one belonging to the tool library and then gave away the third one to the buy nothing group.
3. For the 8 frozen rotisserie chicken carcasses our bachelor man gave us, with only the breasts missing from each one. It meant a weekend of work thawing, pulling off meat, making stock, and using the meat for various future meals. The money savings!!
4. For managing to stagger for a few steps after I tripped over Pound Hound, so I landed on our couch instead of the floor. Possible broken bones avoided.
5. The husband, always the husband.
@Lindsey,
Is the dog's name really Pound Hound?
Love it!
Thankful that my daughter has a flat share in Melbourne. It is warm and close to her work.
Thankful for my wonderful cousin who chauffeured us around the city , treated us to lunch and today will help my daughter move into the flat. It’s such a consolation for me to know my DD has family in the same city.
Thankful that DD and I had a great week of sightseeing and restaurant meals in between bank/phone/job/flat set-ups.
Thankful for a fit and healthy body - we trekked the city and my feet held up ( sometimes they swell after plane journeys).
Thankful for returning home - to family, my comfortable bed, great workmates and an abundant lemon tree which is groaning with fruit.
Interesting fact - I just completed a First Aid course for work and in NZ they don’t teach the heimlech manoeuvre anymore , it’s five sharp blows to the back. Whatever works ….
Thankful for my husband taking a week off of work for a stay-cation. We cleaned out the basement today and might go to the park later today. Probably a local beach tomorrow. It’s like an extra long weekend.
Thankful for nice weather. It’s been mid 80s and not too humid which has been really nice.
Thankful for our friend’s aunt and uncle who let us use their pool during the day in the summer. Our kiddos got to swim and play all day in their own private pool and it is so generous of them.
Thankful my butterfly weed survived. Some weird orange yellow bugs/eggs completely covered all my butterfly weed and milkweed last year and I thought they all died, but 3 of 4 plants came back and three different new baby plants are growing around the garden.
Thankful my dad’s surgery went well and he is healing nicely.
I'm thankful for:
THE RAIN!! It's been so dry for weeks, and though it has rained gently, steadily for the past 2 days and nights, we soooo needed it! Plus it helps curb my water bill!
The first CSA (community supported agriculture) box of the season. So nice to see fresh cherry tomatoes, greens, zucchini and cherries and other veggies that were grown less than 10 miles from my house!
Free shipping and returns! I can order several pairs of shoes, take my time trying them on in my own house, walk around in them awhile. and send back the ones that don't work, as opposed to driving 40 miles and spending all that time and gas money on an experience I don't enjoy.
For retirement. Again. Still. I know I've mentioned this before, but when I have difficulty sleeping, as I did last night, I don't have to go to work and function on 3 hours' sleep; I can just take a nap.
For online grocery ordering. Did I mention I hate shopping in person? It's just so nice to have someone else walk around and around the store, run it through the register, load it into bags and load it into my car. It's one of the few good things to come out of Covid for me.
Chiquita is looking even more adorable these days, probably because she's feeling better! Congrats on the CPS certification!
--for a nice gray cloudy day; I dislike going out in the sun and was compelled to go for a walk. I found a perfectly good spoon out on the curb, too, so that was neat. We are low on spoons.
--for our Fit Desk exercise bike, which makes it super easy to get exercise in even when it is rainy, or too sunny, or hot.
--that our kids get along so well; right now one of them is working on dinner prep and is having a spirited (friendly!) discussion with another while they hang out together in the kitchen.
--for a husband supportive of my tentative efforts to start getting out of the house more; I signed up to volunteer at the cat shelter where my best friend from high school volunteers! I have orientation next week and am pretty excited. With just two kids to homeschool (and one of those will be taking college courses, so less for me to do), I've been thinking about what to do with myself and this sounded like an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend and do something as well.
@Karen A., I cracked up over the found spoon. Serendipity! "We are low on spoons." So you must be living right to go for a walk and find one.
Chiquita is snuggly like my kitty is! He wasn’t always that way but if he’s awake he likes to be touching me or within sight of me.
I’m thankful for gray windy days (today was forecast to rain but it hasn’t yet).
For neighbors gifting seeds, tomato cages, soil & buckets to plant in/with.
For friends sharing tips about how to arrange house furniture in tiny living rooms.
For leftovers - I love them and the puzzle that is dinner with a leftover buffet!
For raw milk - tried it for the first time this week and it is a beautiful addition to coffee.
A. Marie, that is such a lovely tribute to your husband. There are so many more people who love literature and the arts than find paid careers in those fields, so it was not surprising that he wound up doing something different but doing it very well. You both were and are blessed with such good friends.
This week I am thankful that we also have rain, that physical therapy part II is going great and my arthritic spine is feeling much better, that today's grocery shopping was not too spendy, that our young rescue cat is such a hilarious girl, and always for my sweet family.
Congratulations on your CPR certification. Here's a story about how it was done in 1981. While I was in college, a summer job I had was teaching kids the "Basic" computer language (related to my course) at a summer camp for the kids. I had to take a CPR course. I was paired up with my fellow (male) teaching friend, and yes, we had to do the CPR on each other; no dummies in those days. I passed. My only comment is #garlic.
Thankfuls:
- Getting quite a bit of rain, in between the hot days. We are expecting rain from tomorrow Friday all the way through to next Wednesday. It helps keep the temperatures a bit cooler. I'm okay with summer rains and not sweltering temperatures.
- Sunday I discovered that my driver's license was not in my purse. I tore the house apart looking for it but could not find it. Monday I found it, ahem, in my exercise backpack in a sort of hidden zippered compartment, that I had told myself to be aware of when I put my license in there to begin with, ahem. The thankful part is a) finding my license, and b) not being pulled over by the police. I would have been even more surprised than the officer for not having my license on me, and due to my anxiety, it may not have gone well. (It was 9 days I was without it).
- Doing laundry today, hanging it on the line. Did not get to do my laundry on Sunday, see above, my mind was not into it. It is sunny and breezy, perfect weather for hanging laundry on the line.
@Linda in Canada, I can so relate. I am forever putting things "in a safe place" and then tearing the house apart looking for them. Today I didn't find what I was originally looking for, but I did find the extra car key that I was not looking for! And all this time I've been thinking it was so strange that I only got one key when I bought that car last November...
Prayers that Chiquita and Miss Shelly are fast friends!
I'm thankful for how quickly our new rental manager responded to an issue we're having. And yippee for not being responsible for home repairs ourselves (but we did make an exception and beefed up the closet storage system ourselves!).
Super thankful for my husband for beefing up said closet storage system. "We" was he. Ha.
I'm thankful that we're mostly moved. I think.
Ok, this is a deep one, but I'm super thankful for Jesus followers who call out those who put heavy burdens on and gaslight others. Pointing out allllllll the things (and I mean, there's, like, a list of 500 things we need to do on the daily, and Jesus will be ashamed if we don't do them - please hear this in my snarky voice) we "should" be doing to be good little Christians..... is not right. My goodness, my discernment radar went up in a church group, and I've since been able to see - and confirm through a resource I found today - that it's time for me to move on and not listen to the lies or guilt trips.
Sigh. It's all fun and games until Animal Control shows up with a ticket for $150. Because according to Possibly Senile Neighbor and Jerkoff Neighbor, my dogs bark at 5AM. Um.....no they don't. Usually I am awake then and they are not. They're lying.
Needless to say, the air horn has been employed several times today. Man, it's loud. I wish I had speakers to play some Ministry, GWAR, Misfits, Residents, etc to serenade their customers. Will purchase this weekend. In the meantime, there's the air horn.
Honestly, I'm a live and let live person, but I will not be bullied by men who think they can get away with it. Nice try, but no, jerkoffs. I've let their crap slide for a couple of years now because I could hardly believe it, but shiz got real.
@Rose,
How unfair!! So sorry.
- that I have friends that I can invite over for afternoon around the firepit, even when it is a construction zone. I like having friends who are not judgmental.
- that I took my mum outside to the park last week when it was sunny, today is rainy.
- that we get firewood from my husband's job to heat my home for free
- that my new greenhouse is helping me in growing delicious organic greens all through winter
- for the new garden beds that were delivered yesterday. They were a lot of money but they look very well made and should last my lifetime
I’m thankful that my husband is sober, one day at a time, through Alcoholics Anonymous.
I’m thankful my dog Raffi got a great checkup at the vet. At age 15 and some change, Raffi’s time with us is running out, and I’m so happy is still enjoying life.
I’m thankful that we have the Ohio Extension Service, which provides free advice to gardeners. Roses for the win!
I’m grateful for my eyesight. A couple of years ago, before cataract surgery, I was legally blind. I do not take for granted the ability to see and drive a car!
Thankful
1. to see the beautiful pear painting by Martha
2. that I drove 800 miles yesterday without incident (longest daylight day of the year helped, along with 2 audio books)
3. to spend today enjoying my great-niece and nephews
4. for ice cream with the aforementioned children
5. that their hyper dog is having a sleepover in a kennel tonight.