This week I am thankful:
for a small break in the humidity
It has been so super muggy here, but for a couple of days this week, the air dried out a bit.
That sure helps things feel more comfortable outside.
I sort of make peace with the fact that I am mostly not going to love the weather in July and August. I expect every day to be terribly muggy and hot, and then I am just very grateful if a day happens to be faintly pleasant. 😉
for air-conditioning
Thank goodness I don’t have to sleep surrounded by humid, still air!
for cool showers
I use barely any hot water at all after my morning walks these days; I need a nice dousing in cool water after a muggy walk in the woods.
for people who listen to my troubles
I was feeling pretty discouraged several times this week, but talking to some of my friends and one of my sisters-in-law helped to perk me up a bit.
Sometimes a listening ear can help so much; it doesn’t fix the problem, but it does help to get me into a better frame of mind, which helps me face my problems a little better!
for wild berries
I’ve been finding lots of big juicy blackberries this week, and they are so good.
A lot of them grow near poison ivy, but thankfully, some of the bushes are tall enough to be out of reach of the poison ivy. So then I feel safe enough to eat the berries.
And of course I’ve been eating wineberries still.
for snuggles with Miss Shelly
I know some of you have been a little worried about her due to the lack of pictures.
But it’s not because she hasn’t been getting snuggles and attention; it’s because she’s hard to photograph even in good light, and now that she’s been choosing to stay downstairs in the basement more, it’s even harder to snap a non-blurry photograph of her.
for Chiquita’s funny antics
Man, this cat is just crazy! I think at first when we got her, we didn’t realize how much energy she has, because she had a cold.
But now, my goodness, she is just nuts.
She’s always zooming around the house, running through her tunnel, playing with her mice, climbing on everything…and aside from her habit of walking on my keyboard, it’s all innocuous and funny.
(I have to shut her out of my office sometimes so I can type in peace.)
for all the turtles I have been seeing on my walks
I’ve seen so many box turtles this last week, and that makes me happy, since I know their numbers have been declining in the last decade or so.
that my health exam records are allllmost all done
My Covid vaccination records finally went through so now I’m just waiting for my Hepatitis B shot to get marked as complete, and then I gotta get a flu shot in August.
85% completion now!
that I don’t have to make a tax payment in July
My CPA calculated payments for me recently and discovered that I have overpaid for this quarter. Woohoo!
So….no mid-July payment for the IRS from me. I’m pretty happy about that!
And I also overpaid my state tax for this quarter by $500, which means I don’t need to make a state estimated tax payment in July.
karen
Sunday 16th of July 2023
Kristen, I'm with you on the muggy weather, ewwww. Like you, I focus on cool temp showers and a little overhead fan. Don't forget to drink a lot more water as well!
I'm so thankful to have found an awesome Tahini Sauce recipe that made using up my veggie drawer contents yummy, I just wrap it up in a flatbread and pour sauce all over it, so yummy.
I'm thankful for downtime to review my habits and begin an exploration on what small things I can do to improve my eating, exercise and spending month by month.
and of course, Coffee Karen
Sue
Friday 14th of July 2023
Chiquita is a Calico! I have one too. They tend to be feisty and full of blue mud!
Brenda
Friday 14th of July 2023
I don’t often comment here, but it is good to acknowledge what we are thankful for. 1. Thankful to have completed a big garden project today. It was a lot of work, but looks so pretty and I’m sure will bring me much joy! 2. Thankful that the seemingly endless string of rainy days in Maine has ended, for now anyway! 3. Thankful that my mother was pleasant and cooperative when I had to take her to the doctor yesterday. Also thankful for a brother and sisters who help with her care. 4. Thankful for good dental care and a hygienist who is kind and skilled. 5. Thankful for a good plumber who years ago talked us into a kind of expensive kitchen faucet because it had a lifetime warranty. We have had to use that warranty twice, this week for a $50 part, and sure enough, no cost to us and a very pleasant lady on the phone to help! 6. Ever thankful for my husband, always happy and so good to me and my mother, he cooks many of our meals and always helps with the clean up. I am one lucky gal!
StephanieLD
Friday 14th of July 2023
A day late, but no less thankful! I love reading everyone's gratitudes; it reminds me of the things I sometimes take for granted, but shouldn't.
This week I am thankful again for my Vet: Associated gratefulness: sleeping/anxiety meds for my dog, which means quality sleep for all again; that she can go up and down the steps without being carried again; that she can be off leash in the house, which does calm her a lot.
A new women's study group at church for Sunday nights. It's on being Anchored when life comes at you, and the sharing among these women of all ages and life stages is so precious and uplifting.
And thankful for thrift stores, and farmers' markets, delivery and postal workers; fabric that I still have from when I was working, ebooks, rainy nights that keep this valley green and keep the produce growing, and fresh tomatoes(!), iced tea, water, and lemonade--all with sprigs of mint from my plants.
Martha
Friday 14th of July 2023
I’m thankful my husband and I had safe travels this past weekend when we gathered with his side of the family.I’m thankful for wonderful conversations with family members we hadn’t seen much recently. I’m thankful for air conditioning in our cars and in our home. I grew up in a home that had no air conditioning. At night, to help us sleep, we did have a hall fan that circulated air but it was still very difficult to sleep in summer heat. I’m thankful for a skilled car mechanic who lives nearby. He has diagnosed and fixed so many troubles in our older cars. It’s not even his main job; he just loves working on cars. He is always quick to respond when we ask him about our car trouble. He always has an affordable repair or sound advice if something is needed beyond his expertise.