Thankful Thursday | let's start with cats
This week, I am thankful:
for our cats
A reader astutely pointed out that I'd neglected to include any cats in last week's Thankful Thursday post. So, let's fix that straight away this week. 😉
A perfect loaf:
A studious cat:
a stalker:
A little sweetie pie:
that I missed just one easy thing on my competency testing
I have never had to go back to repeat a skill, but this time I had a brain cramp on my oxygen application assignment. Ha.
The order said 40% oxygen with humidification and my nervous brain thought, "Ohhhh, that's a Venturi mask for sure!"
But it was supposed to go on with a regular face mask, so I had to go back yesterday and redo just that one thing. Sometimes the things they have you go back and redo are a little bit nit-picky, but I feel like I did deserve to have to go back and remediate that.
for my Snoopy sweatshirts
I will never be too old to wear Snoopy clothes. 🙂
that I found my gloves
I wore them to school on one of those super cold days we had, and then the next day, I couldn't find them.
I really missed having them while driving on cold mornings (a frozen steering wheel is miserable with bare hands!) But a few days later, I found them in a zippered compartment in my lab bag. Yay!
I must have absentmindedly put the gloves in there when I got to school.
But I'm happy that there will be no more frozen fingers for me. 🙂
for the beautiful ice and snow
We have now had snow and ice on the ground for over three weeks, and that is a pretty novel experience for those of us here in the Mid-Atlantic!
It's going to finish melting in the next couple of days, but I have really appreciated the wintery beauty while it's been here.
for the less-dry air that's coming
You will rarely hear me be grateful for a humidity increase, but...it has been so cold here that the air is really, really, really dry. Like, I keep getting shocked by static electricity when I pet Chiquita.
But we have some less chilly air coming, plus some rain, so that should help!
I am extremely thankful to have an ingrown toenail removed. It was one of those things I kept putting off having fixed and when I did set the appointment, it was still two months out. The end of my big toe was so sore, I kept thinking there had to be more wrong with it. But the Podiatrist assured me that it was just the sharp corner of the toenail causing all of the pain. I am thankful for the cooling liquid that allowed me to not feel the numbing shots going in, as that has always been the most painful part. Plus, it worked fast. so I was in and out of there in twenty minutes. As a nurse, the process was interesting to watch. And we planned for more work in the next couple of months and then I will not feel gnarly in sandals and toenail polish!
I am thankful I was able to attend church Sunday morning. I had missed several weekends d/t work and my Uncle's death. And one weekend, I just didn't move from the bed. My Hug-o-meter was back up in the black!
I am thankful for the warmer temperatures although I know it's short-lived. I really don't like dressing up as Nanook from the North.
I am thankful for my home delivery systems. I enjoy getting my Misfits box, Grove Collaborative and Chewy. I figure the little bit extra I pay, is worth avoiding impulse shopping, Plus the Misfits has a lot of organic products and sometimes things I would never eat otherwise. The Grove Collaborative is also supposed to be helpful for the planet. It's so much easier to move things from the front porch into the house rather than carry to and from the car.
@Chrissy, and here I thought I was the only one who used the “Nanook from the North” phrase!
@Chrissy, boy do I agree with you on home delivery. Chewy was a game changer for me and our sensitive doggo. She's allergic to corn and chicken, which meant we had to find specialty food. I'm so happy Chewy carries it and I don't have to special order it or drive all over my metro area to find it.
@profesorahb, and @ Chrissy,
Same here! We love Chewy. One of our cats needs a special vet-prescribed wet cat food, and not only is it cheaper through Chewy, but its on auto-ship, so we don't have to try and remember to re-order it (and we can skip a shipment if our supply is adequate).
@Chrissy, hmm.. while it has been decades ago, I just remember the PCP stuffing cotton to put space between toenail and flesh. Perhaps yours was worse than mine?
Thankful my aunt who snapped her femur after a fall agreed to have surgery. Not sure what we could have done for her if she had refused. We are anticipating difficult discussions on loose carpets and small side tables upon her return home - but that is for the future.
Thankful I was able to buy additional days of leave at the beginning of the year. I dug right into them this month, as compassionate leave after my MIL passed away was minimal. And this week I was with my aunt at the hospital all day.
Thankful for beauty, online and offline. I generally prefer offline but your pictures always raise my spirits Kristen. Not just the cat ones!
@JNL, Oh gosh, I cannot imagine refusing surgery after an injury like that...I hope your aunt heals well and is agreeable to changing things around to make her home safer!
Aww, I'm glad my pictures have that effect on you!
I got a shock the other day when Clark gave me a nose-boop and every day the towels from the night before have dried completely! Where I grew up it was always so dry in the winter we'd get shocks on every doorknob.
Today I am thankful for:
My newfound ability to get up early. Not only because His Lordship von Fluffenhausen expects it, but with the return to work movement at DH's employment, I can help him get out the door in time to get to work. Telework is a thing of the past for government employees. And it is nice to see the sunrise in the mornings!
That I got 100% on my second Chemistry quiz. The first one I got 70%, which was depressing to me even though I knew the lowest 2 out of the 12 quizzes are going to get thrown out...I hate getting low grades. This time I studied in a more organized manner, and it paid off! The quiz scores are 50% of the grade so I take them seriously.
That we've had warmer weather and the snow is melting...we were able to go walking in the park, even if some of the pathways were treacherous with slippery half-melted ice.
That we're expecting a lot of rain to wash away all the rest of the snow.
That DH's eye has recovered very well from his incident--he accidentally poked his eye against the corner of some cardboard boxes while grabbing something in the garage a couple weeks ago. We had to flush his eye out multiple times, and got debris out; it was so red and painful for him but thanks to God (and some xylitol bandage treatments) it's all healed.
@Karen A.,
Isn't the trick for door knobs to touch them with albow before you open them with a hand?
@JNL, Yep, if we forgot that (as we often did as kids), we'd get shocked. 😉 Or, if you were like my brother and liked to tease, you'd sneak up on your little sister and give her a shock when she wasn't looking.
Woohoo for your improved chemistry grade! I personally hate chemistry so it's hard to find any joy in the process when I have to take one of those classes.
@JNL,
As I child, we learned the best way to keep from shocks is to touch the wall before touching the door knob or light switch or anything! We always had to relearn this trick in the winter but you soon remember.
@Karen A., thanks for dredging up the memory of my big brother doing that to me too!
@Karen A., Yay for 100%! I remember in college (undergraduate) we could always tell who would, and who would not, go on to med school depending on how they fared in organic chemistry.... That seemed to be the litmus test.
@Gretchen, I learned that trick after pulling sheets from the "hospital" beds with side rails. We no longer use the long stainless steel bed rails so it's not so much of a problem anymore.
@Kristen, I am actually enjoying it this time around? The last time I took Chem was in college, and I took it in high school, but I honestly don't remember a lot from either aside from learning about surfactants and soap and that bases can burn you as badly as acids. This time around I'm enjoying the logic that there is in it, and the math is pretty doable.
It helps immensely that I have DH, who enjoys all sorts of science, including chemistry, to help me when I'm stuck.
@Karen A.,
"His Lordship von Fluffenhausen"....《giggle》.....:-)
@JDinNM,
Organic chemistry was DEFINITELY the weed-out class for pre-meds and medical technology students where I went to college. Ask me how I know....Organic Chemistry gave me nightmares. (Shudder) It also revealed to me that I cannot visualize non-physical things in 3-D. I did enjoy chemistry in high school.
@Karen A., sad to say RTO is nothing but an ego trip for those calling the shots. And given the "collaborative", "nimble", and "agile" of "open office", reserve your desk every day bullshit, please make sure your DH does his best to not get sick.
@Selena, He's got his own office (he teaches officers) and has a big old air filter in there as well as fans to circulate the air away from him. So far so good! He even managed to carve out his own classroom (in his lab) that other professors don't use, so I'm very happy for that.
Thankful that the temps this week have been over 40 degrees. A lot of the snow has melted, but what is left will melt with tonight's rain. They already have flood warnings up in our area.
The snow was beautiful for a while. But then again, with all the snow and cold we had, I felt like I was living in Upstate NY again and not WV. I seriously forgot what the cold and snow felt like because the past 2 winters were very mild. I huddled in my house for a week or 2 and only went out when my husband drove us. But I am so thankful for a house that was warm.
Thankful that I have started the task called taxes. UGH!!! Why do they tax retirees (my husband) so much? You would think they would cut us a break after working so long. I just hope when I finally retire next year and not make a lot, the picture will be better.
Thankful to still have a job. As much as I hate it and hate this time of the year because of annual reviews, I am thankful to have it. The point person for all the projects quit in December and we have very little to do now and that makes me nervous. Especially the way other companies and the government are handling their hires.
@Maureen, well we retired and working folks need to pay for the rich folks tax cut. You know, so it can trickle down to us. Yeah, been hearing that excrement since 1982, have yet to actually see it work. What I have seen is the tax rate on the rich increased which pried open their wallets a bit and resulted in a current year surplus. Which Greenspin said "was bad" - uh how is it bad when you have a surplus in your current year budget AND still have a deficit? Really people, we could run the government much, much better. We know a need versus a necessity. We know an obligation versus lip service.
I am thankful for warmer temperatures and melting/sublimating (there's a chemist in the family) snow.
I am thankful that money is not so tight that we have to watch every penny. Yesterday I tipped my hair cutter well (she is an independent contractor and rents her chair at a locally owned salon). I also left some money with a couple of girls that were selling bracelets they made. I didn't want anything but I told them to use the money for someone that wanted something but didn't have the money.
I am thankful a friend will visit today. She normally lives in FL but is in DC for a couple of months.
I am thankful for audio books. Not only do I enjoy listening to them during the day but I sometimes put one on for ten minutes when I am having trouble falling asleep. It's good to have a boring one for that purpose.
I am thankful for general good health. I made my annual Gyn and mammogram appointments yesterday and they asked if I need accommodations. I was glad to be able to answer "No" but I did keep in mind Kristen's "temporarily able bodied" mindset.
A Homecoming Thursday Thankfuls:
--That for once, I was able to come up with something for every one of my four children to wear on every one of the spirit days this week. Costumes and things are not my strong suit, but this year's were easier for me, so I managed. My son won a prize on dressing like a celebrity day--he dressed like our UPS guy, who is no lie the biggest celebrity in our county. When little kids see him, they go into full paparazzi mode. And my daughter won yesterday for dress like a first responder or hero. She wore her brother's old Army soldier costume that all three boys have worn for Halloween one year or another. Today is the last day. Maybe my youngest son will win with the cowboy hat we decorated with braided blue/white/black fabric and gold jewelry that we made for school colors day. (We have four colors because we play sports with the school twenty miles away in order to have enough kids.)
--That today is the last day of spirit week. It's taxing my already-overloaded brain. 🙂
--That I got through Tuesday subbing in the 4/5/6 grades class with no major mishaps and I even understood the math lesson well enough to teach it in a competent manner. Not always a guarantee in the older grades. My math retention from my own elementary days has been . . . low. Ahem. 🙂
--That my daughter gets to carry the homecoming queen's crown for the coronation tonight. They choose one first-grade girl and one-first grade boy every year (for the king's crown). She's very excited.
--For my friend who brought my two FFA sons home last night when they got back from a long day trip to a wool-judging clinic. Her son is friends with my older two and stayed with us the night before, and then I brought all three boys to the school at 5:30 a.m. to leave. So my friend picked the boys up at school at 6:30 p.m. and delivered my sons home to me before going home herself (she lives farther away, but works at the school and just stayed after). Her younger daughter is my daughter's best friend, so she came home with us on the bus and stayed to play until her mom came to drop my sons off, which made both little girls extremely happy. AND, my youngest son forgot the protractor he needed to do his homework, so I asked my friend to grab one since she was still at school and send it in with my other sons when they got home. So he got his homework done without lunch detention or whatever. Hooray for good friends and teamwork.
--That we have NOTHING TO DO tomorrow. We all need a break. This week is always crazy, and everyone is tired. One last big day today--there's an afternoon pep rally my husband is driving the bus for, basketball game for one son, cheerleading for my daughter, homecoming court for the eldest son, and the community dance tonight for the older two boys--and then we can all sleep in tomorrow.
You DO deserve a day of rest tomorrow!
I strongly suspect you will still spend plenty of tomorrow in the kitchen. 😉
@kristin @ going country, that all sounds so wonderful. Too much fun can be exhausting! I hope you get some rest tomorrow.
@kristin @ going country, I would need an entire weekend with zero interaction. Spirit week sounds like hell!
@Kristen, Well, yes. I mean, all this fun has meant I'm behind in my kitchen work. 🙂
@Bee, It is wonderful. It is also exhausting. Much like Christmas.
@Sophie in Denmark, Spirit week is not my favorite, but the students (and my own children) love it. It's like any big holiday: Hard for the adults who make it happen, but always a hit with the kids.
- I'm thankful that the steroid shot has improved my RSV symptoms. Still not feeling great but can at least sleep until 4 AM before my cough medicine and decongestant wear off.
- I'm thankful that I can work from home today. I'm sure my coworkers will be glad to have a day free of hearing me cough all day.
- I'm thankful DH was approved for FMLA. That's the first step in his application process for disability.
- I'm thankful DH had a video appointment with Mayo today instead of having to travel to Jacksonville, FL.
- I'm thankful for our warm weather. Last week we were freezing, today's high is mid-60s.
@Beverly, speaking as a former in office worker that had to listen to a co-worker dang near hack up a lung because our insurance company wanted her to try the "cheaper option". Which she already had, which her physician made blatantly clear to the insurance company (memory serves, it was UHC). Thankfully for her, the try the cheaper option didn't last long. Her desk was half way across the office yet the better half could hear her when he and I talked on the phone.
So thankful for a wonderful visit with our toddler grandson last Sunday. And so glad I remembered to bring cake pops which he loves.
So thankful for my husband’s skill sets with technical devices as well as household appliances. He fixes many things that I would need to call in experts for help otherwise. Thankful too for my husband’s helpful spirit. I get very anxious when things break. He just stays calm and troubleshoots the problem then goes about fixing it cheerfully.
Glad I could do some alterations on some of my son’s clothing.
Happy about a beginners dance class tomorrow night and that a friend wants to join us for it.
Very thankful for more daylight and slightly warmer temps. Like you, Kristen, I love winter beauty but I struggle with cold temps. As always, I love your photos of nature as well as of your cats. They’re beautiful!!
The snow is beautiful and the cats are adorable.
One big thankful for me - My biopsy sight for breast cancer became infected. It was miserable. After three rounds of antibiotics and 6 weeks, the infection has cleared. I’ve decide that there really is no such thing as a minor medical procedure. I am extraordinarily thankful that I am feeling more like myself and not so tired.
Wishing you all the blessings of peace, good health, and prosperity.
@Bee, So glad you're feeling better. Sometimes "little" things end up being the biggest problems.
@Bee, So glad this is behind you. 6 weeks is indeed a long time to be in pain from an unintended consequence.
@Bee,
I'm so sorry to hear about that. You are right, there are no minor procedures. They all have the potential to become major ones.
Oh goodness, I'm so sorry to hear about the infection! I'm glad it's cleared and I hope you don't have to have any more "minor" procedures for a very long time!
@Bee, what an exhausting experience; I'm so glad you're past the infection and feeling more like yourself, and wish good health back at you
@Bee, I add my thankful to everyone else's that you are "over the hump" with this infection--and my regrets that you got it in the first place. Bleah!
@Bee, So glad you're on the mend. And yes, there is no such thing as a "minor" medical procedure.
@ Everyone, thank you for your kind words! I am relieved!
@A. Marie, or would that be over the "lump"? And let's hope she got an all clear after the invasive, demeaning tests, and "post op".
I miss having a cat! As I've said before, my tripod dog is probably not safe for cats, so cats are out of the question for now. These pictures will have to do for me.
My thanksgivings:
1. Although I enjoy cool winters, last week was just a bit more than cool, so I'm glad to have upper-thirties/low forties for the low this last couple of days, not for the high as it was last week!
2. I'm thankful that the two grandchildren with the 'flu have recovered and so far, none of their siblings nor their parents have come down with it. Or me, for that matter.
3. I'm thankful for my eldest's wedding anniversary this week. She and my son-in-law are such a good match. Their wedding day was so joyful.
4. While I'm NOT thankful I had to wait an hour past my appointment time to get my quarterly blood work done this week, I am thankful that it came back with good numbers, especially the ones for inflammation. My doctor will be all smiles when I see him in February.
5. I'm very sad about the news of the collision at the Reagan airport and my heart goes out to all who are affected, and it makes me doubly thankful that my daughter has flown so many times without incident. I don't take that for granted.
@JD, the DC plane disaster is bad enough to begin with--but the truly sad news for all us figure skating fans out there is that so many young figure skaters appear to have perished. Shades of 1961, when the entire US figure skating team got wiped out in a plane crash in Belgium (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabena_Flight_548).
@A. Marie,
I've been reading about the figure skaters. It is all just heartbreaking.
@JD, let's call it National, perhaps it will remove the jinx and sad to say, military not so wise choices.
I’m thankful for my two adorable cats, even though I just had to clean up some cat barf. So adorable.
I’m thankful for the lentil soup recipe I found in the comments here earlier in the week. My husband’s comment as he ate the soup: “This is good!” He was also happy to learn that it costs so little to make!
I’m thankful that I checked in with my kids who are away at university and they all seem happy, in spite of possible NSF shenanigans that are taking place, and that might impact the funding supporting my oldest kid’s research. (Yay, science!)
I’m thankful for the long walk in the woods I took yesterday.
@Ann on the farm,
I think I missed the lentil soup recipe. Can you - or someone else - please share it again? Thanks in advance.
@Liz B., found it! (Originally posted by TarynKay.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap9TaNkEPxg
@Liz B., I replied with a link, but my reply is still pending? Maybe the link needs to get checked out first?
@Ann on the farm,
Thank you! Need to try this!
Just the thought of defrosting brings a smile to my face. 😉
Thankful for teen who has been more helpful with driving to get _____ or drop off ______. Usually teen just does back & forth to school/college but has been more willing to do errands for me lately. Yeah !!
Thankful for rescue dogs who are Sooo Happy to see me when I get home from work. Running, barking, jumping higher each jump & showing me their toys. It's good to be welcomed home.
Thankful for the sunshine !!!! It's been so mice to be (blinded) by the bright sunshine lately, even when it's still cold outside.
Thankful for our house & continued heat. Luckily can dial back heat some during daytime & not struggle as much to bring back up temperature.
Thankful for Kristen & her site where we can share & learn from each other.
Have a great weekend.
@Regina,
Having a teen to run errands is the best!
Long live Snoopy and all things Peanuts!! I, too, will never be too old to wear them (even at 68!!).
@Plaidkaren, YES!! All the Peanuts and Snoopy for me as well!!!
Cats? DOGS!!!!!!!
@JDinNM, dogs are great but cats are better!
@Sophie in Denmark, I like cats! My sister and nieces all have cats. But I need an energetic dog to keep me moving. That's my hyperactive terrier's Job #1. In fact, that's her only job. To crib from our Post Office's famous motto/creed, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays this Welsh Terrier from the swift completion of her appointed rounds"! And she drags me along with her. ;-}
@JDinNM, I have one of each and love them for very different reasons. But if I could only have one pet, I would probably have a dog.
Cute kitties! My cat and I both get a little static pop from combing her long, thick coat with a metal comb in winter. I recently figured out that wiping her down first with a pet wipe, just enough to get her slightly damp, allows shock-free combing and helps keep the fluff in the comb instead of wafting through the air.
Writing from the airport on my way to NYC for a conference!
So grateful for this opportunity, my professional development fund covered the necessities on the trip, my boss approved it, and I was invited to speak on my unique (to some) brand of publishing at the conference.
I’m super grateful for the opportunity to see a Broadway show. This has been on my bucket list for something like 15 years.
Thankful for my parents for dog sitting while I’m gone.
Grateful to see my husband when we both fly home Saturday <3
I think we have the same cat brush!
-I'm also thankful for our cat. He makes us laugh a lot!
- For safety driving yesterday. I had to drive further than I'm used to and was not looking forward to it, but it went fine.
- Very thankful for our little house.
Oh my gosh, I gotta say "welcome to my world!" because it is almost *always* dry like that here in the winter in Denver! Ugh. My cats' fur does get full of static (sometimes I will wet my hands down before petting them, and I use moisturizing sprays on them before I brush them too) and we humans DO shock ourselves a lot throughout the day touching various things. It's annoying, for sure!! 😉 Anyway, hope your humidity returns soon.
I remember one time when I was visiting an uncle who lives in Colorado, I could not wear my contacts because the air was so dry!
How is it in the summer? I've only been to CO in the winter.
@Kristen, oh yes it is definitely tough for those wearing contacts! You definitely gotta use re-wetting drops in your eyes or else limit your wearing time. In the summer it is similarly dry, but for some reason there's a lot less static indoors for which I am grateful! P.S. Thanks for the cat photos this week! Looks like your two stay busy over there with lots of snuggling, spying, and getting into all the human things and activities. Ha!
That is particularly true of Chiquita. She is everywhere all of the time. Ha.
@Kristen, when I first worked IT, the computer room did *not* have an anti-static mat in front of the printer. Have to say it was somewhat satisfying to shock the printer and bring down the entire computer system. I am a high static person. So until the company pried open their wallet and bought the anit-static mat, I "zapped" something else before touching the printer.
Those cat photos are so fun, and the winter light photos are stellar.
Thanksfuls:
1. Just enough light in the mornings now that we only need flashlights if we go at 6 instead of 6:30.
2. Finally got rain and more is predicted for next week.
3. Paperwhites and narcissus are in bloom.
4. Got another book to edit—very easy to work with writer this time.
5. The 88-year-old writer's book arrived this week after 7 years of working on it and he is thrilled (me too)! ("Tales of TB", not yet available on Amazon but in a few weeks. . .)
P.S. Helping local people write books could be considered my "side hustle". I've done about 8 now, using what I learned when publishing books of my pencil drawings and one of wildflowers in the area where our cabin is.
I am thankful for warming temperatures, and ice melting.
For my supportive husband, who is a good sport to ear experiments in the kitchen that don’t quite win the prize.
For our formerly feral cat, who purrs in the morning so glad to see us get up.
For my collection of bargain hand lotions, much needed.
And for the unexpected inheritance that has paid for car repairs.
@Kristina, eat, not ear!
Cats are the best! Love Snoopy too!
Today was pretty crappy but here a few thankfuls:
1. Tomorrow is the last day of January.
2. Tomorrow is payday.
3. It's nearly the weekend.
4. I am getting better at lifting weights in the gym.
5. I didn't have any hot water earlier but it's fixed now.
Thankful for a minor surgical procedure that went exceptionally well this week.
Thankful for provision that will allow bills to be paid off, a patio to be installed, a garden to be planted, and respite vacation from caretaking.
Thankful for some warmer days that are coming up here soon. I am from the South and the snow was pretty and quiet and calm and all the things, but I am officially done with winter.
Thankful for my son and all the wonderful ways he is growing and changing right before my eyes.
Thankful for my hubby's new job that he is enjoying immensely and feel valued and seen in.
This week I am especially grateful for:
- Trader Joe's cinnamon raisin bread. I eat it plain as a sweet treat or I toast it and top with butter. Heaven either way.
- A lovely, long conversation with a niece who lives out of state.
- The jigsaw puzzles and Scrabble game provided by our Airbnb host.
- Our friends who stayed with us at our Airbnb for a few days.
- Our time at the Airbnb is coming to a close. We're so grateful we could be here and are reluctant to leave. We have a long journey back and our house won't be done when we return. BUT, we have a house!
This week I am thankful:
-For a better nights sleep last night. Due to recovery from surgery and various side effects of medications, my sleep has been very broken lately. I was a zombie yesterday. But last night was a little better (maybe because I was just so tired), and I am feeling much better today.
-For our insurance deductible being marked "paid." One of my medications is $5,000 a month if we haven't paid our deductible, but $0 if we have. Our daughter had a hospital stay the first week of the year, so I knew if I just kept watching our insurance claims, we would get to a paid deductible. This morning I logged in and saw it was done and immediately called the pharmacy to order the meds. The downside is I am now waiting for $5,000 worth of bills from January medical expenses to hit our mailbox in the coming weeks, but it is what it is.
-For another good interview for the job I want. I have now completed interview 3 of 4 for my dream job. The job will pay three times what I am making now, which should help towards the medical bills. (Of course it also means that we we far enough into our insurance year to immediately pay our deductible and bail, but it is still not financially worth it to stay at the old job.)
-For a quiet Thursday to work on my book. If/when the new job starts my days will be filled with zoom calls and other work, so I am so pleased to have quiet days for the next few weeks to get my book just about done. I'm so proud of the decade of research that went into the book, and even if this is the end of my academic career, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to write a dissertation and then turn it into a book. And I will forever have contributed to humanity's store of knowledge.
About the hospital stay and a deductible: I once was in a similar spot when Zoe had to go to the ER, except it happened right before our deductible was about to reset. We hadn't met the current year's deductible so the bill was barely covered, AND it didn't help us at all in the future because we got a fresh deductible so shortly afterward.
Sending you good wishes about the job opportunities!
@Amanda in VA, Fingers crossed for your dream job!
@Amanda in VA, that's great news about your book. Would you be willing to tell us what the topic is?
@Kristen, *some* of the Commetariat as its call will remember when medical expenses incurred in the last month of the calendar year carried over to the new year. Yeah, that benefit is long gone, as in gone with the wind. Meaning I need to start the stealth move of my annual check-up/blood work to Nov then Oct.
1. It poured down rain this morning so I was thankful I didn't have a substitute teaching gig today. Just turned over in bed and slept some more. I needed it!
2. Had a 3-day subbie job this week. Technically, it didn't start until 3rd period. But they let me come in at 8 a.m. anyway, and get paid for the whole day. (Two out of the three days, I was sent to other 1st and 2nd period classrooms, so it worked out great for them, as well.)
3. Was able to grab a burger between school and the start of my drugstore shift.
This isn't always possible.
4. I haven't gotten sick so far this winter. Lots of folks are down with the flu.
5. For flu shots and vaccines. (See #4.) And that Medicare covers them. Praying that this continues to be the case.
I'm late to the party here, but for a very good reason: NDN's CF and I just got off a Zoom call with NDN's nephew (her only living relative who's of any use). He listened attentively to all our concerns and is willing to back us up, legally, medically, and otherwise. So that's a big thankful.
And I'm also thankful for a rare sunny day, the birds who are at my feeders in the usual droves, and the steak from my 1/4 steer that I've pulled from the freezer as a reward for myself for getting through the Zoom call with all relationships intact.
Finally, Betty sends her feline regards to Shelly and Chiquita. I celebrated Betty's "Gotcha Day" anniversary on Saturday with a generous serving of dried homegrown catnip in her corrugated cardboard scratching pad, which resulted in an enthusiastic self-pedicure.
Yay for some progress with the NDN situation. You are such a godsend of a neighbor!
@A. Marie, 3 huzzahs for the productive zoom call! You and CF are making great progress in this hard task.
@A. Marie, Glad the Zoom meeting was productive. Hoping, praying for a suitable outcome for your NDN's safety and well being and for your's and the CF peace of mind. Thank you for being such kind , responsible neighbors. Not everyone could OR would take on that role.
I am the opposite of being thankful for the snow and ice. I am thankful that it is gone and that the sun is full today and it is a glorious 63 degrees currently! The older I get, the more I dislike the cold.
I am thankful that by next week my kitchen should be DONE! Woohoo!
I am thankful that I'm geographically near my grown kiddos. I had dinner with the older one and DIL this past week in the middle of the week. Last night, my younger son called in the middle of the night having a horrible back spasm and needed help (he's single and lives alone). It's nice to be able to help when needed and not be hours away and feeling a bit helpless. But the boys live next door to one another so they had each other even when we weren't around.
Thankful that my shoulder pain seems a bit less today and a finger that has been swollen for months was better today too. It's like a lot of inflammation left my body overnight.
Thankful today that I had no appointments or work and after getting home from son's house I could sleep in all I wanted!
* I and my sinuses, like Kristen, are thankful that the severe winter/dry air is improving.
* Zoom calls with my sisters and a cousin. We live in three different states, but it seems like we are in the same room when we have zoom calls.
* Lunch made with leftovers - today's was half a cheeseburger, sweet potato and broccoli, very colorful.
* Room in the budget for hiring professional painters to paint the interior of our home. It's a new thing for me.
* Always, always, always, this positive, encouraging and informative corner of the internet. Thank you Thank you!
I’m so glad the grabby oligarchs were not allowed to snatch the food out of the mouths of school children and seniors. I can not understand the mindset of those who can never have enough and take from those who barely have any but I know it’s as old as time. The soundtrack my mind is playing today, Randy Newmans I think it going to rain .
@Tiana, sad to say give them time. They have no honor, no sense of respect, no empathy - they are nothing but pieces of excrement. Just remember, karma is a bitch with impeccable timing. The end will justify the means.
You got some great pictures of Shelly. Black cats are hard to photograph.
Thankful for the snowy weather, for snowshoeing with a friend last week, for a visit with my college daughter today, thankful that my new eye condition is treatable, and thankful for a great husband who is with me through all of life's ups and downs.
I'm thankful for:
1. Pictures of your kitties! They are adorable!
I finally bit the bullet and bought a new car. My old one was 14½ years old and had 275,000 miles on it - all but about 30 driven by ME - and repair bills were just getting to be too much, too often. So... I'm thankful for:
2. The old car lasting as long as it did.
3. The new car.
4. My husband's GM retiree discount (no haggling over the price).
5. Having a car under warranty for a change.
Sorry they're mostly about the car, but ..!