Thankful Thursday | No, we didn't get a second cat!
New here? Thankful Thursday is our weekly gratitude practice; a way to hunt for the good that is there in our lives and in the world. And it costs exactly $0.
This week, I am thankful:
for Sonia's pet-sitting job
She took care of these two white cats last Christmas (I saw the job on Nextdoor and snagged it for Sonia, with her permission) and this past week, she got asked to take care of them again.
It's a pretty fun and easy way for her to earn some money.
that the oak flowers are almost done
They're really starting to drop now, and I think with the next windy day, they will all be blown down.
This is good for those of us who have allergies and also good for those of us who are just annoying by the yellow dust on everything!
that life is getting back to something more like normal
And I see even more normalcy on the horizon, like maybe in-person college classes next fall.
that geometry is almost done
Zoe only has one more week of assignments left and then she is all done with math for the summer. Woohoo!
(Geometry has been slowly sucking the life out of the two of us this school year.)
that my last big biology exam went well
We have four exams that are super heavily weighted; as in, you can do awesome on everything else in the class, but if the exams don't go well, you are kind of hosed grade-wise.
So, that makes me a little nervous when the exams come up.
But I did well on the last one, and I have only one more left before the end of the semester, so I think I'm in pretty good shape.
for my group of friends from biology
It's an online class, which makes friendships slightly more challenging! But we have a text message group of about five moms who are in biology, and I am thankful for them.
It's nice to have other people to bounce stuff off of or just to listen to a rant. 🙂
that I am in college while my kids are older
Some of the other moms are jumping back into college with younger kids at home and boy, I'm really thankful I was able to wait until now.
Of course, the girls do still need me in various ways, but not as much as they did when they were all in grade school. And that makes it much easier for me to do my own schoolwork.
for a healthy body
Aside from the usual small issues that almost everyone has, my body is in good working order for being in its fifth decade.
(I had to sit and think about that for a minute and I concluded that yes, when you are in your 40s, you're moving through your fifth decade. Turning 50 caps off your fifth decade just like turning 10 caps off your first decade.)
for good sleep
My mom and I were talking about night nurses for infants the other day (like someone that people hire to take care of their baby at night so the parents can sleep), and I thought that that sounds like a terrible job.
It's like taking the worst part of parenting a baby and make a job out of it!
Anyway, I am thankful that no one regularly needs me in the middle of the night now.
And I am thankful that there are plenty of other career choices besides being an overnight infant caretaker.
that we are not house shopping right now
We sold our townhouse and bought this house during the height of the last housing market boom (2005) and man, I do not want to repeat that experience again.
The selling part was crazy easy but oof, the buying was terrible.
I am very thankful that we have no pressing need to move and that we can sit this one out.
that our mortgage balance is pretty low
Since we've been here for almost 16 years now (!!!) and since we had a lot of equity from our townhouse at the start, we now owe less than $150K on this house.
Which, ok, yes, that is still a lot of money to think about paying off. But in terms of a mortgage, that's not bad at all, particularly for this area.
Also, since we've been here for this long, a pretty large portion of our payments now goes to principal instead of interest and that makes me happy.
that there are lots of temperate days in the forecast
When I look at the 15-day forecast, I see lots of days in the 70s or very low 80s and I think that's pretty perfect spring weather!
That it's Thursday, which is the last week of the workweek for me. Two weeks of working all the days at the school is hard for me. It's like being a mom for 20 kids at school and my four at home. My reserves of patience are getting kind of low.
But at least I don't (regularly) have to wake up in the middle of the night anymore to take care of kids! Also very thankful for that. A decade of that was enough.
And thank goodness we were younger and fresher during the sleep-deprived phase. Heh.
Are you all done working the full weeks now?
Man, I thought I beat Kristin at commenting this week! What time do you get up, girl???
I had my kids at 38 and 40 ..... definitely missed the younger and fresher opportunity for the sleep-deprived stage. Ha.
I had mine at 35 and 39! I want young and fresh, but I'm a much more patient person than I was when I was younger. I turn 43 on Saturday... Still waiting for my littlest (3 y.o.) to consistently sleep through the night. I'm sure I'll feel fresher when that happens!
*wasn't.
Sheesh.
I feel like nothing has forced me to be a better person, and also aged me(!!), like having babies/kids! I had mine at 31, 33, 37, and 39. Here I am now at 40, still getting up during the night with my seven month old. Starting to think I'm too old for this!! Lol. If littles are this daunting, I fear what it's going to be like to have teenagers. Lord help me. :-/
I think you were a lot younger than I was--I didn't have my first until I was 30--but I definitely felt the sleep deprivation more by the time I was on #4 and almost 40.
I don't know if I'm done being full-time. I'm covering for the other teacher's aide, who had a knee replaced. We only have three weeks of school left, so I guess the end is in sight even if she doesn't come back to work this year.
Almost always between 4 and 5 a.m. It was 4 a.m. this morning. I could've done with more sleep and less time to comment here. I'm tired now. 🙂
Happy Thursday! I'm thankful for a few hours alone in my home this morning--it's a very rare occurrence these days and I love the peacefulness. For being able to work yesterday--I am a "resource" staff member and when the hospital census fluctuates, I'm the first area to get low-censused. Along those lines, I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to catch up with many coworkers I haven't seen in forever. For my ongoing walk-with-a-friend opportunity--we began doing this well over a month ago and the physical as well as mental health benefits are amazing. Lastly, gonna do a little momma-bragging and say that I am thankful my son has made the top-10% of his graduating class and as a result, we are planning to attend a dinner in honor of all the kids in his grade who fit that category. He has persevered through all the challenges this past year and I'm proud of him.
Oh, congrats to your son! Good for him!
Thankful for good health for all of us! Even though we do have littles, I’m thankful they all sleep through the night and take scheduled naps. Huge blessing! On that note, thankful for finding Sposies. They’re diaper pad inserts for heavy wetters and have made all the difference so us! No more 2am parties with our baby boy and dry sheets for our 2 year old. Whew! Thankful my husband has next week off for some much needed family time and that he will be celebrating another birthday next Wednesday.
My daughter is an RN. She works 3rd Shift in the OB department. She works on the “mother and baby” side of OB - so she gets that fun job of caring for baby overnight if the mommas want that. Fortunately she can leave them at 7am and go home and sleep away . Plus the pay is much better than babysitting!!
Sweet gig, Sonia! I continue to enjoy cat sitting even now in my 6th decade! Have fun. 🙂
Oh, kitties! And that is such a cute photo of you with your baby. Time goes so fast when they are tiny. Except in the middle of the night. 🙂
I am thankful for this beautiful spring day, that it's been a good and quiet workweek, that our son had only very light side effects from his second Covid shot last week (the same cannot be said for his poor dad, who is laid up in bed today from his second shot yesterday), that my husband's company gave out a really nice quarterly bonus to the employees at a time when we needed the financial boost, and that the housing boom means some neglected houses in our neighborhood are finally being fixed up.
Thankful specifically that I do see a window of less work starting next weekend. Freelancing is a lovely thing when done by choice and it goes gangbusters, and it can also be an exhausting thing.
There are some parallels with parenting.
It’s been a few weeks since my hiking accident and as the time goes by I’m really trying hard to remain positive in my recovery. This week I’m thankful that the pain is getting better and I’m taking less pain medication. I’m also thankful that tomorrow I get the staples out of my leg and hopefully will get a plan from the doctor of the next steps. I’m very motivated by goals and timelines (I’m a planner) and it’s been so hard to just be “drifting along” the last 3 weeks. I’m thankful for the sunny days and the bright, open living space in my house. The sun really improves my mood and when I can’t do much but sit in the recliner with my leg elevated right now it makes the days seem just a little more manageable. I’m thankful for my neighbors who have been so sweet and kind, sending cards, asking my husband about me and even bringing dinner to us. Prior to this I walked my dog several times a day and didn’t realize that being friendly and having small conversations with my neighbors really made an impact with them. It was honestly surprising to see how much they cared. Finally, I’m again thankful for my husband, family and friends for taking care of me and trying to cheer me up when I’m not feeling so positive. One of the biggest lessons I’m learning is to let people help, which is so hard for me.
Thanks for the update-hang in there! I'll keep praying!
Heather, glad to hear you are getting better, but I'm sure it feels like a snail's pace to you. Keep us posted.
Thankful this week for....
1. The fact that we leave for our week long trip to the beach in 8 days. We have saved for this and taken all the opportunities to save that we can but I will say that even though we will have some out of pocket costs that we don't normally have, gosh our sanity is worth it. We need to get away as a family and this trip just can't come soon enough 🙂
2. For the upcoming women's conference at my church. This will be a small event so that all can social distance but this is the first time in many months that I can say I am comfortable attending church again as we are fully vaccinated and will wear a mask and attend.
3. For friends. We had dinner with some friends this week - the only ones we have been with since this whole pandemic began and they are just such a blessing to us. How sweet it is to do life along side like minded friends...don't know what we would do without them.
4. For the eye doctor that saw me Monday and the medicine prescribed. I managed to get some dirt in my eye and scratch my cornea over the weekend. This sounds minor, and on the grand scale it is but it has been painful and irritating. Medicine and doctors are such a gift!
5. For flowers growing in my yard and a garden space to grow veggies in. Not everyone is as fortunate and it is lovely to look out the windows and see things growing.
What comes to mind first: That a small tumor was finally removed successfully, and that my husband and I can have our vaccines soon.
Then the beautiful Spring week we've had where we could sit outside for a few hours every day watching our garden grow greener and greener.
Most of all I think, for last weekend, when we had a (takeout) dinner date with both kids and our son in law. My heart burst with joy to be together. I did not need to do or say anything, I was completely happy as I was.
If it were your job to be a night nurse, it wouldn't be so bad. Sleep during the day, care for the baby at night. But I tend to think it's a bad idea. Some of the most tender and lovely parts of parenting are caring for a newborn in the middle of the night. I say this as someone whose two kids slept through the night starting around six weeks. If I'd had bad sleepers I'm sure my opinion would be different.
Thankful for having my stuff moved out of my guest cottage. Now my main house looks terrible as I try to shift and move things around and find stuff the movers packed wherever. All the trouble of moving, without new space! Buuut it's mostly over. I'm slammed with work, though, in fact feeling guilty right now for typing this instead of working, and my kids are finishing up college semesters, so the house is going to look bad for a while yet.
Thankful for a finally fixed dishwasher! I didn't actually hate doing the dishes by hand but it got old fast.
Thankful for the warm, heavy beagle in my lap right now. Charles Schulz was right: happiness is a warm puppy.
If I had had access to a night nurse back in the days, I would probably not had post partum depression and ensuing hospitalization for a month when my baby was only 6 weeks old. So I think it's a terrific idea!
Thank you for some perspective to this. I think a lot of people romanticize the postpartum period and forget at how many women (and their husbands) are stretched to the limit.
The PPD, stress on our marriage and probably something akin to PTSD in me is a big part of why we only have one child. Had we had access to such things as night nurses (and not being shamed for switching to formula) we may have had more.
Not everyone can breast feed and I find it irritating that parents should be shamed for using formula, especially if they have given nursing a try and it just isn't working for them. People make such a big deal about it with babies and toddlers .... and trust me, it never comes up in conversation when your kids are teens. I'm sorry you experienced this and while I did fine with breast feeding, I found it to be one of the more challenging time periods of life.
I wish that someone had told me that breastfeeding is not easy! When my daughter was born, she had trouble latching on and it took us months for breastfeeding to not be a challenge. I cried many tears wondering why it was "easy" for everyone else. If I had not been so determined (aka stubborn), I would have given up on breastfeeding. When my 2nd was born, I thought "I got this" but again, not true. It took us a while to figure it out together. I think that, in addition to being a working mom of 2, contributed to my mild post partum depression. So I too find it irritating the others can criticize a new mother for not breastfeeding. Everyone has to find what works for them.
My kids are in their 20s now (so the eternal breast or bottle wars are far away) but I am really annoyed that mothers are still shamed for bottle feeding. For heaven's sake! As long as babies are well fed and thriving, everyone else should mind their own business!
I hope I didn't come off as dismissive re sleep deprivation. As someone who's had chronic fatigue syndrome since 4 years before I got pregnant with #1, I get it. I am lucky my two were good sleepers, I know that.
I am so sorry you and your wife had a difficult time. I understand completely, (See above) I switched to formula when my first son was 6-weeks old. I did not even try to breast feed with #2 and #3. I was chastised, but I dug in my heels. I did what I thought was best for all of us.
Despite being formula fed, my 3 adult children are exceptionally strong and healthy. They are not mentally impairment or emotionally challenged. They were not scarred in any way by my decision.
Although I recognize there are many benefits to breast feeding, it doesn’t work for everyone. It is a very personal decision,
Parents - especially first-time parents — need love and support.
When I had my 16 month old she wanted no part of breast feeding. Like she would scream if we would even attempt it. So I pumped and fed her by bottle. By 1 month we had to supplement with formula. I was thankful that no doctor, nurse, lactation specialist made a big deal about it. The hospital and pediatrician had a policy of fed is best and it truly made a huge difference.
Yes! If I had not breast feed my 1st child, I might not had PPD. Between feedings and pumping (I didn't produce much milk), I was doing it up to 17 times a day. So I was not sleeping anymore. And the midwive kept pushing until one day she said : "I've never seen someone try so hard, I think it's time to stop". (And then I had to be hospitalized for a month when my baby was 6 weeks old, because of PPD and PP anxiety)
Ahahaha, none of my four kids slept through the night at six weeks. They were all pretty bad sleepers for the whole first year.
So I would have had to hire a night nurse for a long time. lol
Cat sitting is really a good job. Cats need food, litter boxes cleaned, water, and a little love, and they are good to go.
Today I'm thankful and, well, not so thankful. I'm thankful that a rehab/nursing facility has agreed to take my husband for in-patient physical therapy, but not so thankful that we couldn't get our first, second or even third, fourth or fifth choice. It seems that all the rehabs are suffering a massive staff shortage as well as having to limit patient numbers, and it's hard to get in anywhere. This rehab may be fine, but they recently got a penalty for slow response to patients, so I'm not real happy with this option. I hope to be able to transfer him to a better choice once he gets to the rehab, but that will again depend on beds available and staff available.
I'm thankful that at least I can now visit him almost daily, since he will be in the city where I work.
I'm thankful that although we have some pretty warm days this week - it may reach 88 today -- our nights are still in the low to mid-60's, so I can leave the a/c off and run the fans.
I'm thankful that the hybrid elderberry bush that didn't flower last year, even though the native bush did, is also putting on blooms this year. I want to make elderberry medicinal syrup, among other things, so I planted these two bushes two years ago. I got a handful of berries off of the native bush last year, which should increase this year.
I'm thankful to see the hummingbirds at the feeder. They brighten my day.
JD--it seems like it's one frustration after another for you. I'm pleasantly surprised that the facility is letting family in--that's tricky to find in my neck of the woods. Prayers to you and your husband.
I was too, but I was also surprised he could have visitors - one per day - while hospitalized. Thanks for your prayers. This has been a stressful time for us!
JD: I don't doubt that the staffing shortages you mention are a major reason I'm having such a hard time getting DH into institutional care. But I'm doing my best (as a person who absolutely hates asking for help) to be the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. I hope you're doing the same. All the best to you and your DH.
Keep on squeaking A. Marie. I stay polite, but I keep pushing. I know you are pushing as well, and I hope you get a good resolution to this problem very, very soon!
This week I'm thankful...
* That my still-at-home little kiddos and I have been able to start our morning walks again on most school days.
* That my busy season of at-home volunteer work for our church's kids camp is nearing an end. I'm also thankful for the graciousness of my family (particularly my husband) during this month and that I'm able to help out in this way.
* That we had some really nice days this week and got to enjoy being outside quite a bit.
* That my husband wrapped our back deck around to connect to our house 2 summers ago. It's been such a blessing to have it work as an outdoor play space where the kids can easily take toys out and I've thought many times this past month of how thankful I am that he did it 2 summers ago before the price of lumber skyrocketed.
* For a number of kind and thoughtful things this week... 2 friends gave me clothes for my son, a lady who was behind me in line at Aldi gave us flowers... a lot of things like this that are just making me feel extra blessed and cared for this week!
Thank you for the reminder that the sleep deprivation stage doesn't last forever! We're going through it a fourth time and I feel like I haven't had a good night's sleep in like nine years. Someday I'll sleep again!!
1. For all the supergluing I finally did last night. I regularly have a pile going of kids' things that have broken and need to be superglued. The pile was getting out of hand and I finally did it all last night, and my kids were thrilled to see the fixed items this morning. (A doll house cradle, some doll earrings (!!), a play teapot, a porcelain doll foot, etc.)
2. For the little science experiments that are featured in the magazine my kids get. They're easy and require simple stuff we have around the house. And my kids think they're awesome.
3. That my almost 9-year-old spent like 20 minutes this morning sitting on my lap (of her own accord) and chatting with me about stuff. She's a sweetheart and I'm so thankful for her. I wish I could freeze time.
4. For all the rain we're getting today, making our backyard SO fresh and green!
5. That my 7 month old has such a good appetite. He is already a much bigger eater than his three older sisters, which is nice because they all eat like birds. It's satisfying to see him really enjoy his food.
My 9 yo also still cuddle with me, and I'm enjoying every minute of it!
I'm thankful I got to run mask free this morning (even though it left me a little anxious, too. I suspect as restrictions loosen, the process could be a bit challenging for me.).
Grateful for:
* A family doctor who takes our health issues seriously and doesn't hesitate to transfer us to the appropriate specialists when needed
*That the schooling at home is still going great after 4 weeks and that both my kids have amazing teachers!
* That I too get to sleep through the night!!!! The night nursd is an amazing idea!
* To have the means to fill out shopping cart at the grocery store without stressing about food prices (even tho I shop the sales)
* For my husband, who does so much for me and our family
My eldest son did not sleep through the night on a regular basis until he was two years old. There wasn’t anything wrong with him. ( Trust me; we checked). He was just happy, engaging, inquisitive, bright and busy – very busy. Fast forward 33 years, and he is still all these things. If it wasn’t for my husband, who did not need as much sleep as I, I not sure that we would have made it through those years.I am thankful we did.
I’m very grateful to sleep through the night now. I am also thankful for my sweet husband and wonderful son. I’m truly thankful for his brother and sister too. Fortunately, they slept.
Today, I’m also feeling grateful for:
My sister and Rescue Pup. We had a nice walk this morning.
The blooming jasmine and gardenias that are in my garden. They smell divine.
The cool ocean breeze. The sun is beginning to get hot. The breeze keeps the temperature down.
The big tree in my backyard that provides us with shade.
My husband is finally feeling better after his second immunization. My family has now all received our vaccinations. I’m grateful that Covid will soon be in our rear view mirror!
You know, I hate to play this game but I find it funny that you said you *only* have $150k on your house. Like, that's literally what I paid for my house 9 years ago (again, bottom of the market and I could sell it for much, much more now but still. )
But let's see my things I'm thankful for.
1.) That I am fully vaccinated now and while the side effects of shot #2 were hell, they pretty much only lasted 24 hours. I still took today off to rest up. I feel better but am still exhausted.
2.) That I actually have time to take off for being sick.
3.) That my state has basically set a date for everything to go back to normal. They expect masks and stuff to be more at the discretion of individual employers and businesses which isn't perfect, but it's a start.
4.) That my church has announced they will be doing communion again soon. I've been having some issues some of the church leadership lately but this is nice.
5.) That my father is healing albeit slowly. His heart has been stable and his gout in his hand is becoming less swollen. So it's a start ...
Ha, yep, I live in a HCOL area!
I didn't used to but it's getting up there thanks to so many people now being able to work remotely. I can't blame them but I do hope they don't turn this into the place they left.
I am with Sonia..more cats the better!!! I am thankful for the 2 I have and they are still pretty frisky for their ages (12 and 9)
I am thankful for getting my second vaccine done, not a single side effect, my arm stopped being sore 10 minutes into my workout...I ended up steam cleaning all the carpets despite having planned a weekend of recoupping
Thankful my son (17) gets his 2nd vaccine tomorrow! He has breathing issues when he gets bad allergies or a cold so I am very glad he will have protection!
Thankful that I am almost completed in my spring cleaning tasks! Lots of ladder up and downing...
Thankful for:
1. an article I ran across in the NYTimes that a child of immigrants wrote about how the McDonalds filet-o-fish was a family ritual that has left her with a lifelong love of the sandwich.
I have mentioned before how my single father of six used to take us to McD every single Friday for a meatless meal for this Catholic family. It left me feeling very nostalgic and thankful for being reminded of those sweet times with a frequently overwhelmed father caring for his three kids and the three kids another woman left him to raise. My father was in his late 20s then, in a time when there was no support for single dads, so he was pretty heroic. (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/magazine/filet-o-fish-asian-americans.html)
2. 10 straight days of brilliant northern lights. We will soon have no night time, so this is special.
3. Every single seed I planted has come up, even though all the seeds were from last year or even the year before that.
4. For a husband who, every spring, uncomplainingly converts our garage to a seedling nursery by setting up a dozen shop lights over long tables, arranged so I can tend them from my wheelchair on bad days. They cannot be planted outside until June.
5. For our pound hound who chased down a run away chicken, caught it with his soft Labrador mouth and brought it back to me unharmed. I thought for sure the chicken was a goner.
I was so touched by the memory you shared of your dad. He sounds like a very special man.
I always love your filet o fish story!
I always love your stories! I think you should write a book!
Thankful that:
1) our son is, finally, graduating from college this weekend!!
2) husband started lots of vegetables from seeds that are growing well. We should be able to plant them soon
3) our family is doing an outdoor detective adventure game this weekend as an early Mother's day present
4) everyone in my family is fully vaccinated
5) my car got washed while I was at work. I know it's not frugal but it is so nice to have someone come clean it in the parking lot while I'm working. I'm looking forward to looking out of my car windows that are no longer filled with dog nose smudges
I'm thankful that we're settling into our new place. I've been apprehensive about the kids acclimating, the expense, the work to move, all of it...but we're all doing pretty good.
Thankful that it was warm enough for the kids to get in the pool and that my other two kids (my dad and my husband) got in and splashed around with them. It was a nice day for everyone.
Thankful that my husband picks up the slack where I lack. He's taken care of all the updating of addresses, getting all the utilities up and going, getting all our devices up and going, took care of all the loan stuff.
Thankful that my daughter swaps out lyrics to 90s music to fit her stuffed animal escapades. It's awesome and amusing.
Thankful that I was able to get in to see the optometrist this week. I temporarily fixed one of the arms on my glasses but then it fell off again and then the second one fell off too. And I had less than a week's worth of daily wear contacts since i never wear them anymore due to enjoying my life as a pandemic recluse. Luckily the office gave me 10 days worth of lenses which should tide me over until the glasses show up.
1. I’m thankful for our house. It is not perfect but it is a place for us to live and I know a lot of people who are house hunting in this crazy market right now and it is a real challenge for them to find anything. So as much as our house has it’s issues I am grateful it is ours.
2. I’m thankful for black coffee. I am enjoying a cup this morning and it is such a wonderful simple pleasure that adds joy to my day.
3. I’m grateful my boys are getting old enough that they can play together at times. They fight a lot don’t get me wrong but my 2.5 year old is now able to play with my 5 year old and it really is fun to watch them together sometimes.
4. I’m thankful that things are opening up again. My hubby was able to go to a baseball game last night with a friend of his and he loves baseball and has been working hard at work and at home and he just really deserved a night to relax and do guy stuff.
5. I’m thankful for all the online resources about frugality, minimalism, and financial literacy. The pervading culture is so consumerist and materialist and it is so easy to let that to influence your desires and wants. I am grateful for lots of resources to get immersed in that help me keep my more materialistic side in check.
Yep! I feel exactly the same about the housing market; so glad to be on the sidelines right now.
I am thankful for our silly chickens that make me laugh
That we are healthy
That we live below our means
That we have time to help others
And for my family.
I am also thankful for my house. Not only is the housing market crazy here, there is also a shortage of rentals, which is making it very, very difficult for low income and moderate income folks to even get a place to live, never mind an affordable place to live. A lot of my friends in rentals have seen the rents go up as much as 80 percent in the last few years. Its ridiculous.
I am grateful for my furlough day each month. If I have to take a pay cut, I am much happier to get an unpaid day off rather than a reduction of my hourly wage. Three-day weekends welcome here.
I am thankful for my pets, who are good company and endlessly entertaining.
I am happy to be back into the swing of things as far as my reading life goes. I had a lot of trouble concentrating early in the pandemic and sort of lost my love of reading. But its back now.
I am thankful for the feeling of happiness and contentment I feel today.
I am thankful for the feeling of happiness and contentment I feel today.
Yessss -- thanks for the reminder!!
Oh man! I hear you on the house part. We decided to stay in our older house and I am so grateful that we have less than 44,000 to go. We will have quite a few updates, but we will be completely debt free in six years and only 48 years old. I have no desire to buy anything new either. The folks my age are all building big brand new houses, so once in awhile I get the bug. The thought of financial freedom is more appealing though!
Yes. House shopping is stressful under the best of circumstances. And in circumstances such as these, I think it might be downright miserable!
Love that dinosaur and think it would make a great tee-shirt. And I hear you on all math-related issues -- but congrats on almost finishing geometry and your own course! Also, had a slight hiccough when I applied your irrefutable logic to being in my (cough, cough, ahem) 7th decade There's some math, for sure 😉
Guess I am thankful to make it this far and that my family is healthy and hanging in.
Thankful for my daughter -- she is dealing with all kinds of stuff but I am just so thankful for her in every way and trust her brains and character to see her through. Love her!!
Thankful it's finally Friday -- banal, yes, but really really thankful school is over for the week. Thankful for the job, sure, but thankful there are just 6 more weeks til break. School (like everything!) has been challenging and weird since March 13, 2020. So, thankful to be here, thankful for coworkers and the very lovely families, and thankful to put it all up in the shelf for awhile 😉