Thankful Thursday | Lisey got a scholarship!
This week, I am thankful:
that Lisey got a scholarship
Lisey has applied for a whole slew of scholarships, and last week, she heard that she won a scholarship from Mike Rowe, of Dirty Jobs fame. Yay!
That scholarship required quite a bit of effort for the application, including obtaining a bunch of reference letters, but now she has $7500 to go toward her aviation mechanic school.
That was time very well spent.
that Lisey has found a great place to live near school
Through a series of circumstances, she got connected with a couple who lives on an acreage with their kids. They rent two rooms out in their house, and one has just become available.
The rent is super affordable for her, plus she doesn't have to furnish a whole apartment this way (more cost savings).
And it'll be nice to be in a homey environment for her first home away from home.
for air-conditioning and cold showers
I have been exercising outside in the early mornings (never the afternoon!), but even then, it is a very sweaty experience.
So, I am ever grateful for the joy of a cold shower, followed by a day in the air conditioning.
that I get to see people's faces now
I was at the PT office with Zoe last week, and I realized that the whole time I went to PT for my neck last year, I didn't see my physical therapist's face.
It was so weird (and good) to see her without a mask.
that I got to see my Ohio friend last weekend
I usually see her once a year or so, but because of the whole 2020 situation, it had been about two years since we'd seen each other. It was lovely to catch up.
that Zoe got a pet-sitting job next door
I know I said last week that we were all done with pet-sitting for the moment...but our next-door neighbors went on a trip, so Zoe got another job this week.
This one is the easiest ever because it requires no driving. So perfect.
for paid-off cars
It's been a long time since we've had a car payment, and sometimes I forget to appreciate the no-payment life.
So. I'm remembering to be thankful for a car-payment-less life.
for slightly cheaper car insurance
For whatever reason, our car insurance was a few hundred dollars less than we'd thought it would be. Yay!
(Every July, we pay for the upcoming year in one lump sum. It's painful, but there's a discount for doing it this way. And as soon as we pay for one year's bill, we start saving up for the next year, with automatic savings deposits from Mr. FG's paycheck.)
for my new Snoopy shirt
Mr. FG let me know that L.L. Bean has just come out with a line of Peanuts merchandise, so I hopped on over and splurged on a Snoopy baseball T.
Normally, graphic t-shirts are pretty poor quality, but this one is super nice knit material.
Also, baseball tees usually have those annoying ¾ length sleeves, but this one has full-length sleeves!
I intend to wear it all the time once fall gets here.
I MEAN. Look how cute Snoopy and his bird friends are!!
that I get to write for a living
I obviously have a thing for Snoopy roasting marshmallows.
When I was a teenager, an English teacher judged a short story I'd submitted for a fine arts festival, and she mentioned in the notes that I should consider becoming a writer.
At the time, there weren't a whole lot of routes to a writing career, and besides, I didn't really see myself wanting to write books or be a newspaper reporter.
So it's kind of funny that here I am with a job as a writer!
When I was a teenager, I could never have envisioned this (we didn't even have the internet at the time), but I am really thankful that there are so many ways to be a writer now.
We also haven't had a car payment in a long time. But it cars are now both 9 years old, so now that we are getting the kitchen done, the next plan for the "dream fund" as I call it will be too save for new cars. We should have enough for both of us to get a newer used car or pay a good chunk on a new one in 2-3 years, at our current rate of savings.
Yes, this is so smart! We've been putting money into our car fund for a while now too; gotta start saving early to prevent possible car loans in the future.
@Kristen, I've had a car fund since about 2010 at least. I just have an automatic transfer from my paycheck that goes into it and I have been able to buy our last three cars with cash.
Yup, that's exactly how we do it too. Savings on auto-pilot!
I am thankful for the beautiful state parks near us. We just went camping for a few days and the admission was really quite cheap, but we got to go swimming and see lots of beautiful things.
I am thankful for my husband’s willingness to put up the tent and set up camp. I will gladly take care of the food preparation, but he puts up the tent himself and I am eternally grateful.
Thankful for the wild black raspberries growing in our yard. They are very delicious and the kids love picking them.
Thankful for my kids’ cousins. They came over for the afternoon while camping and they had lots of fun hiking and swimming.
Thankful my kids sleep at night. It’s been a year since the little one started sleeping all the way through and getting adequate sleep makes such a difference in our quality of life.
Oh for sure, sleep makes everything better when you are getting enough!
And when you are not getting enough, it makes everything harder.
Congratulations to Lisey on the scholarship! That's AWESOME!!! I'm also happy she found an affordable and safe place to stay with time to get settled.
Re: your car insurance, it's possible there was a drop owing to Covid and/or the age of your vehicles. We pay monthly (there's only a $3/year difference between that and doing a lump sum), and our rates went down 1) because of no one driving and then 2) our already vintage ride crossed another age threshold. Either way, yay money for you!
Coincidentally, this past week I've been thinking how thankful I am to have never had a car payment. There has been a noticeable uptick in "in transit" stickers and recent models on the road. While I wish everyone well with their new vehicles and hope they chose wisely, I'm *VERY* thankful for our current $1000 ride (four years and counting!) and "new to us is new enough" outlook on cars. Not having to care about renegade shopping carts in parking lots, inexpensive repairs, and $50/month insurance ($10 of which is renter's, since we bundle) are well worth it!
I wondered if COVID had something to do with the rates!
I too am happy to not need a new vehicle right now; both new and used car prices are super high at the moment. It's a very good time to choose to keep driving the car you already own, if at all possible.
Hooray for Lisey!
That my husband and son finally got home after a two-day long ordeal in airports and planes.
That the transmission fix on our van ended up being something minor, rather than a new transmission.
For our neighbors. This week I got apricots from our bachelor neighbor's tree and two roosters from our elderly neighbors.
That my husband got home right after I got the roosters. He's the resident butcher.
For a relatively relaxed and uneventful summer. Last summer was not that way, so I'm appreciating this chill summer even more.
Congratulations to Lisey!!!
I love seeing people’s faces again, too. I didn’t realize how much was communicated with a smile until the Covid crisis.
I’m feeling a bit stretched this week - personally, professionally and financially. So taking a few minutes to find joy is much needed.
• I’m thankful for my 13-year old calico kitty who is curled up on my lap this morning.
• I’m thankful for this excellent cup of coffee that I’m drinking as I type this.
• I’m thankful for a shift in our weather pattern. The sea breeze has returned and the torrential downpours have stopped.
• I’m thankful that my daughter was able to visit for the first time in 14 months. I’m sad she had to go home, but it was wonderful to see her.
• I’m thankful for the promise that each new day brings.
That Snoopy shirt is awesome! I live pretty close to the LLBean flagship store so I might need one too! And congrats to Lisey on her scholarship! Woohoo!
Thankful list:
-That beloved husband made it through open heart surgery with 3 procedures done at one go and that he's home recovering after 9 days in the hospital.
-So very thankful for the excellent care he got there. Nurses and CNAs rock! So did the surgeon and the OR staff. Also, for visiting home care nurses and PTs, etc. You all helped my husband gain more health and more time here on earth and that's remarkable when you think abut it.
-Thankful that I have had many check-in calls, texts, and emails from caring others that have asked about him (and me) during this time. Also thankful that he's been on prayers chains and that many others, even strangers, have given us grace and support through their prayers and well wishes.
-Thankful beyond all saying for my grown children and their love---for checking in regularly and especially to my daughter and son-in-law who are actual nurses and provide so much advice, support, education, and comfort to me and the hubs. They have made this much easier and less scary through the whole process.
-Thankful that women and men decide to go into medicine to help strangers in their time of need. I'm very confident that you, Kristen, will be an excellent nurse and that you will help others in that new way. Right now, though, I'm thankful for your love of writing and this blog. You always remind us that being thankful is very healing to all kinds of hearts.
Off topic a bit, sorry, but whenever I see Snoopy items, I think, I wonder if Kristen knows about these? 🙂
Aww, I love that!
Go Lisey!!!
SO, SO much to be thankful!
Congrats to Lisey!
I'm grateful for my new job even though ramping up in a new place is always stressful.
I'm grateful for the time we had our cat Opal (with RBF)--she died on Monday and we'll miss her so, but she had only cuddles, good food, and love her short life. (Cancer.)
I'm grateful to Kristen and this blog which forces me to stop my stress spiraling and breathe every Thursday.
@Rose, so sorry about the loss of your cat. I remember because my Pumpkin has RBF, too, but we love her! And we have a cat with a liver tumor, young, too. And 2 extras that we are fostering (do you want 2 cats?;). They provide so much love, I know you will miss her
@Rose, I'm so sorry that your beloved Opal has passed. It can be so difficult to say goodbye to a dear friend. They add so much joy to our lives, don't they? I hope your memories will be of the good times with her.
I recently had a health scare with my ten-year-old cat, Sam (pancreatitis) and although he's on the mend, it was a harrowing week while he took meds and recovered. His brother (Jack) is 11, and as they both enter their elderly years, I know my time with them grows limited. I am so grateful for every day with them.
Oh, I am so sorry about your cat. Much love to you and your kids.
@Rose, I'm so sorry for the loss of Opal. HUGS Maybe, when you're ready, you can make a donation in her honor? Local shelters appreciate food, toys, old sheets and towels for bedding, and I know our emergency vet clinic is always grateful for old towels and spare carriers for pets that come in without.
@N,
That is a lovely thought, and we will do so.
I do feed 8-10 local feral cats every day, and now and then I've cried a little about how no one loves them--but then I realized that I love them, and they love each other, and I look out for them. My favorite one, who has this weird ugly face, ha, looked sick this spring, and I couldn't catch him, so I got some antibiotics from our vet and figured out how to get him alone to eat them in canned food, and he eventually looked much healthier. I wish I could get him to live with us, but it's no use, he's a wild animal and wouldn't be happy.
I can't believe I've turned into a crazy cat lady. I've always been a crazy dog lady, and now I'm all about cats, too. What next? Parrots? That seahorse aquarium I've always wanted? IT WILL BE CRAZY.
I'm so grateful this past week that my ten-year-old cat, Sam, has recovered from his bout of pancreatitis. Very thankful for the 24-hour emergency vet staff who are so caring, especially dealing with owners (me) who are terribly upset and somewhat panicked when their pets get sick or injured.
I'm grateful, again, for air conditioning, especially so that I replaced the HVAC in my home over a year ago. The old units were 20+ years old and struggled to keep the house cool/warm. The new units do a lovely job and keep the temperature at a consistent level. It's been hot and humid here and I'm not sure how well I'd do without AC.
I'm grateful for everyday things that make my life easier and more enjoyable, especially that which I've not had in the past. Health insurance and prescription coverage to treat a recently diagnosed health condition. A fridge and pantry of healthy foods and the resources to refill it as necessary. A reliable vehicle that will take me anywhere I'd like to go. Access to more reading material than I'd be able to read in ten lifetimes. A job that I love, I'm good at, provides opportunities to challenge my knowledge and skillset, with co-workers and leadership who value what I bring to the table.
I am thankful for a dinner out w/my friends last night -1st time in 18 mos - and for the fresh start one of them is getting.
I have been struggling with our meals since celiac came calling. Lots of household tension around food has gotten me down. I am thankful that we have the resources to spring for the GF food that is often more expensive which makes this easier.
I am thankful for good health insurance and wish everyone had equal access. My family has needed a lot of testing and specialists this year.
I am thankful we managed to get to the DMV in enough time before summer started that my daughter could drive herself at 5:45 am to swim practice. I did it for years and every day I soundly appreciate that I’m not driving this year!
Congrats to Lisey on the scholarship! Great news!
@Susan,
I’m sorry about the celiac diagnosis. I was diagnosed 7 years ago. At first it can be especially difficult, but it does get easier to be gluten-free. There are so many products out now, and I’ve learned to cook without traditional flour. Hang in there’
@Bee, and @Susan,
I just now read a blog that goes into a lot of detail about frugal GF meal-planning and has some great links. It’s at http://www.government workerfi.com. Frugal Girl might be how I found it!
@Jenny, http://www.governmentworkerfi.com
Congratulations to Lisey. She received a benefit to her effort. The women's club I belong to gives scholarships to our graduating students in our area. It's a simple form. We get few applications and some put very little effort in applying.
BTW: I don't know how long Lisey will be going to school, but the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) has other scholarships, sometimes focusing on areas of study. Each state has a GFWC affiliate.
A month or so ago I entered a writing contest of a small, local publication and I won. Members in my club, who were school teachers, said I should write. I had a subject to follow through with so it was easy. I don't know that I can just write off the cuff.
Good for Zoey to get a local job.
Off to care for the grandchild--It's hot out. Maybe a story hour and the splash pad today. (frugal and fun)
Oh, I will let her know about the GFWC. Thank you!
I am super thankful that none of my friends, family members nor work colleagues have been harmed in the ongoing unrest here in SA.
I am thankful that my household has stayed healthy this far, and that my husband will be eligible for vaccination from August 1st (my mom and I are both fully vaxxed, as over 60 and HCW respectively).
@CarolineRSA, I've been reading about that unrest - stay safe!
Congrats to Lisey!!
I am so thankful for AC right now that nothing else comes close.
1. Frugal electricity tips. Unplug everything. Don't iron. Throw out the T V. Turn lights out. Don't leave porch light on.
Congrats to Lisey! That is awesome news.
I'm thankful for:
-My parents, for keeping the kids for "Nana & Papa Camp" over the past week or so. The kids are having a fantastic time, and we're enjoying the at home "vacation". We're working, but it's so quiet & peaceful - lots of adult time.
-That the sale of our vacation house is officially done, and we can relax & not worry about all of the last details
-For a fridge & freezer full of food. Sometimes I worry about using things up (I hate food waste) & menu planning, but what a great problem to have. We have the resources to have a full fridge & freezer, and can easily feed ourselves.
-To live in a neighborhood full of great neighbors
We are receiving a substantial financial windfall this month which will pay off our house; we wanted to pay off our mortgage in ten years…it has only been eight! So…hooray for us!
Thankful for my best friend who let me put in a huge garden in their backyard; it’s providing veggies for us and them.
Thankful for our wonderful veterinarian. Our Havanese got horribly sick on vacation with an intestinal infection and a back problem. Infection is gone and Marisol goes for cold laser therapy once a week and is back to her sassy little self.
Thankful for friends and family who prayed for our Mari and the Lord for hearing those prayers.
Thankful for my hardworking husband.
Congratulations to Lisey!
@Viktoria M Sacker, So glad that Marisol is doing better.
I am thankful for my loving daughter. I had an upsetting event happen on Monday and she stopped to see me on her way home from work and called that evening to see how I was dong.
I am grateful for a neighbor that shared surplus tomatoes. My tomato plant has been a disaster. The only tomato I had was taken by an animal (squirrel) I'd guess the day before I was going to pick it. Home grown tomatoes are delicious.
I am thankful I'll get to meet my nephew's long time girlfriend next month. They're young but seem to be quite mature and have been together 3+ years.
I am grateful that there is not a drought in the mid Atlantic region. I feel terrible for those living out west and in other drought stricken parts of the world. I appreciate being able to water trees and shrubs, especially those we planted this year.
I am thankful for this weekly opportunity. While things seem to be more messed up overall these days most things go so smoothly that we just take them for granted. This is an opportunity to be thankful for things right in our worlds.
Congratulations to Lisey!!!! Good for her!
1. I am thankful for the abundant harvest of our garden. I say this over and over again but it bears repeating. It is such a comfort & a blessing to be able to preserve a harvest that you grow yourself. We love the homemade recipes, it is convenient through the fall and winter, and it is a joy to watch seeds sprout and produce something that feeds us throughout the year.
2. I am thankful for my faith. For all the ways that it challenges and feeds me. And for the chance to worship a God that never leaves me stuck in my own mess but invites me to grow, change, and become the person he created me to be.
3. I am thankful for wonderful friends with whom we have so much in common. It is such a joy to do life alongside people who are in the same stage of life that you are.
4. I am thankful for a week's vacation coming up this next week. We aren't traveling but I am so looking forward to a bit of time when we can slow down a bit before school starts and our schedules become more hectic.
5. In no particular order I am thankful for coffee, an HVAC that continues to work well, parts on hand to fix a leaky kitchen sink and a husband who knew how to fix it, an abundant supply of canning jars, a helpful mother, lovely neighbors, community with like minded friends and a wonderful comfortable bed to sleep in.
I know I've said it before but I just find the whole "Snoopy is cute" aspect of Peanuts to be so hilarious considering how heavy some of the strips would get.
But let's see what's making me feel thankful.
For a dry basement and a functioning sump pump. Lots of rain has dumped across the northeast this past week and *knock on wood* we're still dry here. Some people I know have had to deal with flooding.
That I haven't had to water my garden in weeks.
That I've had time to watch a few new shows by myself.
That my wife has a functioning car that isn't leaking transmission fluid all over the garage.
Also thankful for paid off cars and an almost paid off house. I don't know what I will do when it's finally paid off. It just seems so foreign in a way that I'll be able to just not have to pay for this every month. I'm sure the money will end up somewhere. 😛
@Battra92,
I've always had beagles since I was 20 years old, and my dad would make jokes about Snoopy being the "head beagle" to me and them. Later, I found that Snoopy meeting the Head Beagle was in fact a storyline for the strip in 1970.
https://peanuts.fandom.com/wiki/Head_Beagle
I was five in 1970 and my parents had me read the "funnies" every day, but I just didn't remember the Head Beagle.
@Rose, that strip is so cute- my Beagle would definitely NOT be reported to the head beagle;)
@Rose, The Snoopy themed strips seem to have come out when Schulz was having a good day.
But yeah, some stuff would even sneak in with the dog strips, mostly via Snoopy's brothers (particularly Spike) https://iamtheflippingwalrus.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/pe940918.jpg
Congrats, Lisey!!! So awesome!!!
Just the other day I read that Mike Rowe had given out scholarships and that he said he was pleased that some were going to girls; I thought - Lisey? And now I find out she did it!
Love the Peanuts shirt. I might have to go online and take a little look...
Thanksgivings, the family edition, apparently.
I'm thankful that:
My son-in-law's uncle in Northeast Florida, who is in his 70's, is home after SEVEN MONTHS in the hospital with Covid. He even made the news, it was so amazing. This family is a very, very close-knit extended family, so they are all ecstatic.
For the birthdays of both my uncle and his wife this past week - both are in their nineties.
That my hometown has a history page where people can post things. This week someone posted a photo of a highschool reunion, taken in the early sixties. The picture included my aunt on my dad's side and my uncle and his wife on my mom's side. I had never seen this photo before, and never would have, without the history page. This is by no means the first time I've seen an article or picture pertaining to a family member.
For a brother-in-law getting some negative results back on some medical tests he's taking. That's good news.
For my kids, who so willingly help me out when I need a break from caregiving duties for a couple of days.
Thankful for:
- Rain in July
-Free pool membership
-18 Yr old still wants to attend church camp
-Motivation to workout
-Husband that bought me a treadmill
Just found your blog and it’s great!
Welcome, welcome! So glad to have you here.
A pool is SUCH a helpful tool for getting through a hot summer; it means you can be outside without melting!
Wow! So many wonderful things on your list this week! Praise God for His provision!
This week I have a couple of really-big-in-my-world thankful items:
* That the childcare at my gym finally reopened! My kids are having a great time being back and I'm thankful for the chance to get regular exercise. It's apparent that I've lost much of my strength, endurance, and some balance that I had built up, so I'm excited to get it back. My kids are actually there right now as I take a break to type this up. And I'm looking forward to spending regular time with my exercise buddies again.
* That my in-laws are moving back to the States! I'm thankful for the time they had in Hong Kong and the growth in ministry, but I am so excited to have them within driving distance! It's been 3 years since my father-in-law has been here (my youngest was 3 weeks old at the time) and 2 years since my mother-in-law was here. I'm tearing up with happiness over the fact that we will get to be together again! I'm thankful that my kids will be able to play with them instead of just video chat. We can vacation with them! Oh goodness, I'm so excited. They will likely not live in our state, but a 10-hour drive is so much better than a flight to the opposite side of the world.
Ooh, yay for both of those good things in your life!
@Ruth T,
Not to get too political, but it's good your inlaws are leaving Hong Kong. My son studied there a couple years ago and loved it, and loved taking part of the pro-democracy protests, telling the locals "America stands with Hong Kong," but the PRC is really cracking down ever since then and it's not good.
@Rose,
I understand. We visited 3.5 years ago and much has changed over that time. I'm glad we went when we did.
Good news for Lisey. Your kids seem like such hard workers and I love that they have different kinds of jobs. My three kids always had summer jobs and did lots of pet sitting, baby sitting, grass cutting, and drove their counselor in high school a bit batty applying for numerous scholarships. But by doing so, they were able to go to their choice of schools and, with our help, come out debt free. Having a good work ethic is so important and it seems you've instilled that in them.
1. We finally had our day with our two granddaughters who are the children of our estranged son. It was a wonderful day of fun and catching up. I don't know if or when there will be another one, but.......baby steps.
2. I volunteer at a food bank each week and there was a situation brewing between people who had been vaccinated and someone who will not be vaccinated. I talked to the director and she established a policy that apparently everyone can live with. Feathers have been smoothed.
3. I love bouquets of zinnias in the house in the summer, but I have not been able to purchase any plants or get any seeds to grow for two years. For some magical reason some of my seeds came up this year and it seems I will have half a dozen zinnia plants. It will be some time before they flower but still I'm thrilled.
@Anne, bravo for both your #1 and #2. And re: your #3, I'm finding that zinnias are remarkably forgiving and deer-resistant plants (although the Japanese beetles seem to find them tasty, alas). I've been enjoying flower arranging with zinnias this year, and have been taking bouquets of them (in thrift-shopped/trashpicked FTD vases) to various informal social events with my friends.
And, thank goodness, I am actually finally able to resume a social life. DH continues to do as well as possible under the circumstances, and two friends remarked at a gathering yesterday that I looked considerably less stressed.
It is wonderful to hear that the new living situation for your DH is working out so well for him and for you.
@A. Marie, Thanks and great news about some of the stress being lifted from your shoulders.
Congrats to Lisey, that's amazing news!
I got a laugh about your comment not seeing your PT's face. My daughter is a PT and she said an added benefit for wearing masks was that her clients didn't recognize her when she's out in the community. It seems like a client always recognizes her when she's grocery shopping without her hair and makeup done, wants to introduce her to their family, and it makes her feel awkward.
This week I'm thankful that:
1) We were able to schedule a moving truck and helpers to load the truck to move our son out of his house now that he's graduated.
2) Our son will be able to live with us while he continues to try to buy a house. Our housing market is insane right now so it may take a while to finally win a bid.
3) We get to out for dinner to celebrate my husband's birthday tonight because we're fully vaccinated. We haven't been out to dinner together since March 2020.
4) I'm thankful that our pest control company was able to come out for an emergency treatment yesterday. I woke up to the worst ant invasion we've ever had around my kitchen sick. Thankfully the treatment worked and we're down to just a few stragglers.
5) I have flexibility at my job. I need to take off often lately to deal with the sale of Mom's property (I have the POA), driving two hours to deal with getting my son's house ready to put on the market, and house hunting.
Congratulations to Lisey! 🙂
I love Snoopy too! My Aunt Liz used to give us Peanuts birthday cards every year and they were my favorites.
This week I am thankful for the following:
1. That I only have to go back to the office part-time. I am not a fan of heat and humidity and commuting in it is even worse.
2. For my little canteen so I can take cold water with me when I commute to make waiting for the bus in the heat more bearable.
3. My husband who packs my lunches for me and always packs a snack just in case I need it later.
4. My office has a hot water dispenser so I can make tea instead of spending money getting it from deli.
5. The mini fridge my colleague and I share so I can keep milk for my tea. The big office fridge is dirty and no one else volunteers to clean it, SIGH... We are glad to have our own and take turns cleaning it as needed.
Great news about the scholarship and I know that is a big weight off everyone's shoulders. I'm sure that leaves plenty of tuition to pay for, but its still a big chunk. Where is the aviation school? I know of one in FL, but I'm sure there are plenty more.
Congratulations on Lisey's scholarship. That is awesome!
I’m grateful for my job, I really enjoy it and all my coworkers are so kind and wonderful to work with, I feel so fortunate.
Although at times I miss the heat, I am grateful to live in a moderate climate, it never gets very hot or very cold here. Although it is a little strange to have the heater occasionally kick on in July!
Im grateful my son is feeling better. It was just a cold, but no one in our family has been sick for the last year and a half(another thing to be grateful for!) so it hit him pretty hard.
Kristen, I’d love to read your prize-winning story, and/or anything else you’d be willing to share! I’m glad that the teacher saw this talent in you, and mentioned it, and that you paid attention!
Oh goodness, I have no idea where that story is by now! And I probably would be too embarrassed to share it. Ha.
Congrats on Lisey's scholarship! You must be so proud of her.
We are, we are! Not so much because she won the scholarship, but because she put in so much hard work to get here. To enter for the scholarship, you have to get multiple reference letters, telling about your work ethic. So, her hard work at her previous jobs has paid off in the form of good references.
First off, huge congrats on the scholarship Lisey! Way to go! Second, our AC died last Friday night, so we were "toasty" until Wednesday. I second the HUGE gratitude for AC!!! It could have been worse temperatures. Or even, no electricity for 4 days. For those of us on well water and septic systems that means no water or toilets. All said, grateful it was only AC.
Congrats to Lisey and hoping she may get more!
Thankful for air conditioning, phew it is hot here and there's no relief in sight.
Thankful for reaching out to an old friend to invite them over (I suffer from social anxiety) for a lovely lunch. It was exciting to be social again, the reward outweighs the anxiety.
Thankful for a good book to read, getting my brain back into reading after a long long spell of not being able to focus.
Thankful for my husband, still leaves me little love notes when I least expect them.
Coffee!
Congratulations to Lisey! I thought of her when I saw that Mike Rowe had announced his winners and hoped she was one.
Aww, I love that you were thinking of her!
How exciting for Lisey!
When my employees started to get their vaccines, I started seeing their faces for the first time in a year. Some of their facial features surprised me and I love seeing their smiles.
Today, I am thankful that a friend messaged me to tell me that gas jumped up .40 everywhere except the gas station in front of work. There were some crazy long lines all facing the same way, and one facing the other direction. I decided to pull around to that line, and was the second person in queue! Saved 6.40 by stopping and filling up today instead of tomorrow.
I am thankful for the spirit of seven year old sons. What a joy to watch and enjoy! Mine loves to roll play...by himself. He will be the good guy and the bad guy while jumping from one side of the area he's in to the other, so he can be both! It is my favorite.
I am thankful that my husband hears me and is willing to sacrifice some sleep when I told him I needed to spend time with him. We spent that whole next day hanging out... Just what I needed. Our work schedules do not allow time for this, but I had last weekend off.
*I do not love writing per se, but felt great when both my English Comp college professors asked if they could use my papers in their examples.
I'm thankful for:
*cooler temperatures. My city is in the 90's this week.
*live music. My city is now able to run their Summer Music Festival. I hadn't realized how much I missed live music with my neighbors.
*a new taco recipe to feast on.
*that I've hit all of my stressful July work deadlines.
*camping with friends who have a telescope (and know where the galaxies are).
I am thankful that my daughter, who has pretty severe mental and physical health issues had a good adjustment at the chiropractor. We've been at her back for awhile and it seems like we are finally getting her adjustments to hold for more than a day or so. She is starting swimming for exercise. Last fall, she was bedridden for quite a few months.
I am thankful for the vaccine, so we can do things like go swimsuit shopping and there was a fitting room open!
I am thankful for my husband's job which means we can tighten our belts and still afford residential treatment for my daughter, if insurance doesn't cover what she needs for a full recovery.
I am super thankful that my older daughter will get to be a sophomore in college this fall, on campus and in-person with her professors. From a cancelled senior year to all virtual, some asynchronous classes, our kiddos have had a hard, isolated 2 years.
I am thankful for online support groups for parents of kids with chronic or invisible illness. Those groups kept me sane a lot over the last year, especially during the long months of quarantine. We are headed in the right direction, and I love being available to support other parents whose journeys are just beginning.
One of my cousins has a son with a super rare condition and I know online support groups have been wonderful for her too! It's sometimes hard to find people in real life who can support her and understand her; the internet is great for this type of thing.
So happy for your daughter! Great parenting is behind her. Great job Mom and Dad!!
Good show on the scholarship!
Thankful for:
1. Losing 6 minutes of daylight each day. I cannot wait until we have some darkness at night.
2. A husband who spent the last three days remodeling the bathroom, with not a complaint heard.
3. The chickens who keep producing three to four eggs a day, eat weeds that I pull from the garden, and eat down watermelon rinds to a paper thin shell that composts easily.
4. My husband is severely dyslexic and I cannot stand to have things piped into my ears. So, we select which books we want to read and discuss and he takes care of finding them on audio for himself and orders a written version for me from the library. Audiobooks changed his life and enhanced our marriage---in grad school, before even Books on Tape, he hired people to read his textbooks into cassette tapes. When we married, he never read for pleasure and only enough of the newspaper to be an informed citizen. The day we found out we could get things in audio for him so we could share talking about a book was a revelation! It added a whole new dimension to our marriage. I still read the New York Times to him, though.
5. Feta cheese.
1. That fitting rooms are finally open again!
2. That my son can get together with friends this summer…bowling, trampoline parks, we are happy to be socializing again.
3. The opportunity to spend time with an old friend this week.
4. That my husband and I are celebrating 16 years of marriage next week.
5. Vacation.
Congrats to Lisey. I'm sure you must be so proud!
1. For a husband who isn't above picking furniture out of the neighbors' trash.
2. That I've reached my goal of going down two pants sizes. I still have about 8-10 pounds to lose but at least I've met the pants size goal.
3. That my children love playing outside. When I was a kid I was a total couch potato. So happy my kids aren't the same way.
4. For bedtime reading. Every night I read for a long time with my three girls. It's one of my favorite parts of being a mom, hands down.
5. That my husband is off half a day tomorrow and we're gonna hang out as a family and probably do something fun, like go to an indoor playplace. It's something we hardly ever do and the kids ask about it a lot!
6. That my husband is such an involved dad. I can't imagine being in a previous time when a lot of dads were more hands-off with the childcare. My husband takes such an active role and I truly love it.
I am so pleased that your girl has a scholarship and a place to stay. What a tremendous achievement and the housing situation is good.
Thankful for
1. My dear friends are visiting this weekend.
2. The opportunity to attend the immersive Van Gogh exhibit.
3. My neighbor and I ran errands together. It was nice to have the company and she helped bring in my groceries.
4. The family that looks in on my elderly mom. She lives in another country, so we talk on the phone often, but it gives me comfort to know she has help with grocery shopping, the garden etc.
5. The walkability of my neighborhood.
I am thankful for multiple medium and big family health-related things that aren't mine to share. They've been having an impact on my life for a month and longer, and I'm part of several of the support networks. So finally hearing good news about several of them is, well, good news.
I'm responsible for making some of the good news happen so it's nice to see hard work rewarded. I'm also thankful that I know how to help make the good news happen and would be pleased to share with others, how to improve the outcomes and speed of medical care/issues.
The rest is either good luck/life happens or the result of someone else's hard work.
Either way, I'm thankful for it and look forward to the rush and the worry diminishing in the next few weeks.
Been wondering where you've been! I'm so glad that things are working out for your family members, and good on you for being a support person.
@Kristen, Yeah, it's been a bit time- and attention-consuming. We're nowhere near the end yet but the frantic beginnings are drawing to a close.
First time commenting, I believe. I am so excited that Lisey earned a Mike Rowe Scholarship. I’ve been a huge fan of him & his commen sense work ethic for years. It’s so cool to know that I “know” (hah) someone who actually won that scholarship.
Day late, but here goes…
1.Thankful for sweet friend who blessed my coworkers & I with homemade chocolate chip cookies.
2.Another who gifted me a beautiful bouquet of roses & lilies, just because.
3.A busy, but productive day at work. So much better than feeling like I’m just spinning my wheels.
4.I seem to be recovering well from a nasty sinus infection & bronchitis.
5.Air conditioning…Texas. Enough said!
Oh yes, pretty much every day, I feel thankful for air conditioning. What a mercy!