Thankful Thursday | My power stayed on
You guys. When I heard the snow was going to be followed by a few hours of freezing rain/sleet, I was SO SURE my power was going to go off.
I thought everything was going to stick to the trees and the power lines, which would have been an almost guaranteed power outage.
But nothing stuck to the trees! Or the power lines! Amazing.
So, thankfully, my power stayed on. And since I'd already braced myself for a chilly outage, this felt like a serious blessing. Yay!
In other thankful news, I am grateful:
for my sweet neighbors Donna and Hank
I thoroughly dug my van out on Sunday, but overnight, freezing rain came down, and on Monday morning when I tried to go to work, I promptly got stuck in a snowdrift on the other side of the street.
Hank and Donna had told me I could wake them up if I needed help getting to work, so I sheepishly rang their doorbell at 6:30 am.
"My van is stuck in the road!!"
Thankfully, they helped me get my van BACK onto the parking pad.
Then the three of us worked together to dig out their driveway and their 4-wheel drive truck. Then Hank kindly drove me to work and also picked me up afterward.
I have never been late to work in my life, but I was an hour and a half late on Monday. I had called ahead, of course, and when I arrived (very late!) they were honestly just happy I showed up at all. Ha.
that I can get out now
I volunteered to swap a later-in-the-week shift so that I could go in on Tuesday to help out, and thankfully that time I was able to successfully get on to the road. Woohoo!
that I still have my van
I love my Civic, of course, but my van is much better for the current circumstances because it is much higher up off the ground. I'm so glad I hung onto it.
My Civic is actually still snowed in/iced in, and I'm just going to leave it for now. My van can get me through until things melt more.
for my metal shovel
Book Club Elaine's husband gave me one of his extra shovels a while back, and boy, was I grateful for it this week! The freezing rain left a very thick coating of ice atop the snow, and a regular snow shovel is no good with the ice.
Zoe and I had to work together to get it done; I broke up the ice with the metal shovel and tossed the big chunks out of the way, and she followed me with the regular snow shovel.
Thank you for the shovel, Mr. Book Club Elaine!
that my gym provided shelter
We are in the midst of a streak of unusually cold weather for our area.
So, when I made it back to the gym yesterday, and my heart was warmed to see that the auxiliary gym was full of cots so that people without homes could sleep there.
(My gym is a city-run rec center, which is why they can do things like this.)
Do you ever see instances of people helping others and just find it so moving? I teared up at the sight of the aux gym setup, thinking what a relief it must be for these people to have a warm place to go.
Helping others is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
for friends who listen to my frustrations
I have a wide collection of friends that I can text when I need to vent, and I am grateful. You know how sometimes you need to engage in a very specific vent session, and it's over something not everyone would understand? It's so great to have someone at the ready who will immediately "get" it.
(I hope it goes without saying, but since this is the internet, where things are often incorrectly assumed, I'll clarify: I am, of course, always willing to be on the receiving end of this for my friends as well.)
for my Snoopy keychain
Zoe had given me a Snoopy keychain at Christmas, and the other day I realized the perfect use for it: corralling my work clamps and scissors.
This makes it pretty hard to accidentally leave them behind. And even if I DO leave them behind in a room, my coworkers will immediately know who these scissors belong to.
And that's because I am the Snoopy-est nurse on the unit!
Good morning everyone 🙂 Also, really thankful here for our power staying on!
Thoroughly grateful for my son doing the lion's share of our driveway on Monday. We left it safely covered with snow Sunday so the ice couldn't adhere to the driveway. I broke it up with my shovel, and he moved it. I dug out his car and cleared it as a thankyou. And very thankful that our school district called a snowday for Monday on Sunday, and then also a 2 hr delay on Tuesday for cold temps, but I think it was also to give facilities a couple more hours to clear snow because it's been colder yesterday and today. Whatever, it was welcome!
Hope everyone made it safely through the storm. Remember the golden rule of winter storms--plan ahead & stay safely inside if possible.
Gotta go--7 am start time on school.
I'm so early there's no comments for me to read. I love reading the comments on thankful Thursday. I'm glad to be here. Thankful that I have a car that works. Thankful I didn't have to drive in the snow/ice. I personally don't have a problem with it but I live in an area that other people aren't used to it. So it could be a problem. I was glad I didn't have to go anywhere.
Oh, it has been a week here, so I'm digging deep for thankfuls.
--Very thankful, like Kristen, that our power stayed on, because though we didn't get ice (another thankful!), high winds were predicted, and we often lose power then. But amazingly, nobody in our area was affected by power outages per the outage map!
--That the 14 inches of snow was the light, dry, fluffy kind, so even though we were down to two snow shovelers due to all the boys being sick, DH and I were able to dig out the cars.
--That the military base closed to all but essential personnel for two days, so that DH could be home and not have to drive the day after the snowstorm!
--For the plows that made it down our cul-de-sac.
--For friends who encouraged me when I was fretting about my phone interview (it went well and I have an in-person interview tomorrow at the facility), and who say such nice things it makes me a little teary sometimes.
--That when I burned DS#4's grilled cheeses, I was making two, so I could take off the burned sides and make one good sandwich out of the two burned ones. (I said I was digging deep!)
--For the extra blankets DH ordered just before the snowstorm and deep cold; it's so nice to have extras while we're watching TV. He got one for everyone, including Clark, who has decided he's actually a lap cat as long as he can sneak under my blanket so nobody sees him snuggling. (Last night he was actually purring under there, and he is not a purring sort of cat!)
--For DS#2, who got over his illness faster than the other boys, and is being a great help, clearing more snow, checking on the invalids and just in general being supportive and encouraging.
The Snoopy-est nurse sounds like a great thing to be!
1. I'm thankful that I went for a run yesterday. It was very cold with a freezing wind but I ran further than I expected and felt accomplished afterwards. I also went to a yoga class after I got back.
2. I have almost finished editing a paper I have to write for work and I'm very thankful to Past Me for writing a draft in December.
3. I went to see Eternity at the cinema with a friend. It was a very sweet film and a fun evening out!
4. I'm thankful that a dental appointment is done. I didn't exactly enjoy being there for 8AM but at least it was over with early!
5. I'm thankful that a new bread recipe I tried turned out so well!
My sibling and partner will be staying over for the weekend and we always love having them! And jointly we will be visiting mutual friends, which makes it all the better.
Thankful too for some interesting quotes yesterday, bringing me on the path of modern poetry again ( I have a shelf of poetry, that has been neglected a bit while I was voraciously reading novels from the library).
For the library ofcourse, easy access to all kinds of reading materials.
That my husband has reduced his working hours as starting Jan., which will give him the rest he needs while still having the security and collaboration he also needs.
That he got a pay rise, so the salary % we are missing is slightly smaller.
That our dear cat still plays like a kitten. I am now reading a book on the evolution of the feline species (plural) and how smaller cats came to live with humans. It terribly interesting and I am gratified to read scientific proof of all kinds of skills and behaviour we can observe on a daily basis. Lions the king of animals? Here lives the queen.
I’d love to read that book! Can you share the title?
It was published as recently as September 25 and has not been translated into English yet. I will keep an eye out and will let the commentariat (with its wide experience of cats) know if and when that happens!
Mr. Book Club is still blissfully sleeping as I write, but I'll be sure to let him know how well his old shovel is performing.
There is much to be thankful for:
-- Yesterday my two sisters and I got together to celebrate my middle sister's birthday. Instead of going out to eat, we hung out at Birthday Girl's home and ate a delicious soup and tiny gluten-free cake that Baby Sister had made. Then we learned a new skill together, soap making! I am thankful for the best sisters in the world.
--Like Kristen, I am very thankful that we did not lose power (but I am a bit concerned with the next storm, predicted to hit this weekend).
--Online yoga classes. I found myself noisily sighing out loud frequently by housebound day number 2, very annoying. A bit of exercise gave instant relief.
--Free long distance phone calls. This sounds silly to you younger folks, but it was real budget buster back in the day.
--That I did not get rid of my sewing machine. I no longer enjoy the process of sewing so I seriously considered being rid of it. But this week I used it to put a new waistband in my husband's favorite flannel pajama bottoms, not a fun project. But what satisfaction when it was done! I need to remind myself more often that I can do hard things and that my future self will be thankful.
Yes, Elaine! I felt the same when it took me weeks to sew in my removable bra cups (iykyk). But then I did it finally. And of course, it didn't even take that long, and now I can use the bra I actually bought because I needed it! I find myself constantly weighing how to balance rest/self-care with the attitude of "just do it anyway" so I'll thank myself later.
Heather I never thought to just sew those dang things in, what an amazing idea!!! Thank you for that!
Haha I can't be the only one who wants to start this movement. Would companies PLEASE sew them in and then make them easily removable? Wouldn't it be so much better if someone wants them removable to simply cut the stitches? Universe, clothing companies, hear me...........(Ok I haven't been shouting very loud. Mostly just to myself).
I'm not talking about actual padding, more like shape. I always want them, always need them, have never once removed those pads because I didn't want them in there. Have a million times wasted my life fighting with them when they get all misshapen and ridiculous and come out in the washing machine.
Thank you so much for this series. After another restless night worrying about money, I was reminded of all that I have to be grateful for, even if it's just for the littlest things like Snoopy keychains. I am grateful that you write a Thankful Thursday post and share it with us. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Lynn, I’m familiar with these types of restless nights! When the monthly bill payment approaches it’s hard to turn the mental juggling off! It does feel good to come here and find comfort in thankfulness!
What lovely neighbors! What a blessing and I am not shocked your job was understanding! My daughter had an early morning shift on Sunday in the early hours of the NE snow dump. She was 1 of only 2 STNA's who showed- 4 called out! Her dad drove her in knowing it would be worse mid afternoon- so when we knew she could leave and was not forced to stay longer we ventured out to get her. She was offered a $35/h bonus to stay 4 additional hours as there were later call outs but she declined and offered to the other girl. When dad asked her why she said " I love money (college kid) but she needs to get (her and kids)out of a crappy relationship and needs the money for a new apartment. Plus I want to take a nap"
Made my mama heart happy that she is smart, level headed and a good person all the way around!
So much snow! And Ice! I hope the region thaws out soon.
Thankfuls
1. Sleep. In recent years sleep has proved difficult. But it’s not been a problem the last several months.
2. Pretty fabric—I just got some to make a quilt for my daughter. And the fabric came with a booklet of quilt block instructions which warmed my heart too.
3. Tea. I can drink it all day without fear of it waking me up in the night. And it soothes my dry throat (forces air + *very* cold temperatures are not a good combo)
4. Good books. I read constantly, but still am finding interesting books that expand my horizons and keep me wanting to read.
- I'm thankful for neighbors. For Kristen's, A. Marie's, and all of you who mention good neighbors. It's so nice when we can look out for one another and is really the stuff of life.
- I'm thankful for the snow and so far 4 days off this week!
- Unlike many, I'm thankful that my driveway is steep, a little long, and currently shovel-resistant (the inches of sleet have frozen into a concrete-like consistency). Barring an emergency, it's the perfect excuse to spend days on end at home, my favorite place to be. (And if emergency, grateful for the 4WD truck in the garage).
- Grateful that my home is my favorite place to be.
- Grateful that Call the Midwife is accessible to me again! Thanks for all your access tips! We decided there is enough on Netflix that we watch/enjoy to make the cheapest plan with ads a reasonable budget addition ($8/mo). Not every show or movie even has ads, and honestly I'm even grateful for them. They prompt me to get up and stretch, catch up with a text, etc. Like built-in reminders to myself - are you SURE it's in your best interest to keep watching? 😉
Kristen, your new car is still beautiful, even buried in the snow. 🙂 And yay for keeping old vans. We kept our 2006 Sienna and took all of the back seats out (they are stored in the garage if we ever need them). It functions kind of like an enclosed truck -- we haul a lot of stuff (furniture finds, massive loads to be donated, junk, etc.). It's been hugely useful and property taxes & insurance are incredibly cheap at this point.
--So thankful we didn't lose power here in Richmond, either.
--I'm thankful I've been able to *finally* make progress on a project I've been putting off, largely due to deciding it had to achieve some arbitrary measure of perfection. But I embraced a "done is better than perfect" attitude and it's moving right along. Ironically, it's turning out better than I expected, so bonus!
--I'm thankful for snuggly dogs when the weather is cold & we're trapped inside.
--I'm thankful for enough.
--I'm thankful for the people in my community who are working together to take care of others. It's renewing my faith in all sorts of things.
We're digging out of the ice too, so lot of snow-related things to be thankful for!
1. That we had multiple types of shovels to dig ourselves out of ice and snow.
2. My husband. He has worked so hard to get all 4 of our cars dug out, our sidewalks dug out (we have a handicap family member with several medical appointments weekly, so this was our #1 priority), a dog path dug out, our mailbox dug out and then he started helping our elderly neighbors. AND he did all this plus his day job. Just to be clear, I did help for many, many hours, he just did WAY more than I, or our daughters did combined.
3. Health. I'm so grateful my husband, daughter and I are healthy enough to put in the hours and hours of shoveling without risk of injury.
4. Heat/Oil company. I was so glad our oil company proactively filled up our tank prior to the snow storm despite not being scheduled until the following week.
5. My snow boots. I bought these boots from Walmart for $20 in 1999. They are still in great condition and serve me well every time I use them. I may have to replace the shoe laces at some point, but I probably have a few years left in them.
-We got over 19 inches of snow and I am grateful for my husband who went out multiple times during Sunday to keep the snow manageable not only for us but for our elderly neighbor.
-I am grateful for all of the workers who cleared the roads so that we can all make it to work/school by Tuesday.
-Extremely thankful for a warm home and food on the table so that the cold weather was a cozy excuse to snuggle in together rather than a life-threatening or miserable situation.
Along with many of the rest of you, I'm grateful for no power loss last weekend. And I'm also grateful for 12" of just fluffy snow (no ice), for the DPW's keeping up reasonably well (considering equipment and personnel shortages) with plowing our cul-de-sac, and for King James my personal snow wizard.
Grateful as well that the 1.5-hour interruption in my home Internet service here early Tuesday morning was temporary (I think Spectrum must have been doing an upgrade). My first mental question was "No Internet? How am I supposed to read the FG and the NCA???" (Remember that I don't have a smartphone.)
Grateful also, as always, for these two blogs!
Finally, grateful for noticeably increasing daylight. We're gaining it at the rate of over 2 minutes a day now. (I commiserate with Lindsey on this, however--and I send continuing good thoughts to her, the husband, and the dogs.)
A reminder, Kristen, go out & run the Honda for a few minutes during this cold - a dead battery is a pain. Experience!
I too am thankful the electricity stayed on. We received inches of sleet on top of inches of snow. Our old snowblower was a help with the driveway and sidewalk but there was still a of shoveling required. I am thankful for the snow blower, our old ice chopper, the coal shovel, and our regular snow shovels. All have been used this week.
I am thankful for the quiet that comes with a major winter storm and also for all the neighborliness. People helping each other out, people out visiting, kids enjoying snow, sledding, and snow days.
I am thankful our street was plowed on Monday and Tuesday and we were able to attend our commitments on Tuesday. I am thankful DH has virtual work this week.
I am thankful for health that allows me to deal with winter storms.
I am thankful that yesterday saw the resumption of a normal schedule.
I drove home at no more than 25 miles an hour on Monday, soooo thankful for my Subaru that has a setting which gives a controlled drive on icy roads. I am a huge ninny about driving in such conditions as I got stuck in my van, trying to get to the hospital in downtown Austin, almost 30 years ago. It was like driving a giant Saltines box. Never again. My thankfulness today is:
*a warm house, good coffee, my own bed to sleep in, and another beautiful day of sun ahead.
*working appliances!
*less shoulder pain
The little things in life - including the best of neighbors - are really the biggest.
- I’m thankful we didn’t get any ice, just 6.5” of fluffy snow.
- We are in extreme drought so I am very thankful for any precipitation in general.
- My kids didn’t have school Friday or Monday and my husband worked at home both days, so we got to have a lot of extra time together. Bonus, no one had to drive on the roads at their worst.
- To continue on the weather theme … I’m very glad I’m enjoying participating in CoCoRaHS (Collaborative Community Rain, Hail, and Snow Network). It would be disappointing to get my own little precipitation station assigned and then hate it!
- I’m grateful my family made me feel very loved on my birthday.
Thankfuls:
--That all basketball games were canceled last weekend and this week, so my basketball player didn't feel like he had to get over his nasty flu as quickly as possible. There were so many sick kids, they just called all the games off. This is my one child who will insist on doing things even if he's not feeling well, so I'm glad he didn't feel the pressure.
--That NO ONE ELSE in my family got sick. This is more thanks for a miracle.
--For a weekend with nothing on our calendar starting today. FFA traveling season is starting in February, and there are a couple of other overnight trips coming up, too, so it's nice to have this weekend to rest before all of that.
--That my eldest son could wear his younger brother's dress shoes for his FFA trip to the state capitol when he inexplicably couldn't find his own. They're a size too small, but he made it work. Good thing all my sons have giant feet, I guess.
--That I noticed the rotten potato in the bag I was buying yesterday just as I scanned it, so I could bring it to an employee and then get another bag. I am very familiar with the smell of rotten potatoes, and the smell was what alerted me. I wouldn't have been very happy to get home and find that.