Thankful Thursday | No Writing 101 for me!
This week, I am thankful:
that I do not have to take Writing 101
When I graduated from high school, my SAT scores got me straight into an honors English college class, which covered English 1 and English 2 (Words have always been my thing. Numbers, not so much.)
Because of the two-fer nature of my English class, when I transferred to my BSN college, it was showing that I only had credit for English 2.
And that meant the Writing 101 class was still on my to-be-completed list.
Obviously, I could do that class with no problem, but I am not interested in taking more classes than I need to, especially when they are at a much lower level than where I am currently.
My advisor put in a transfer exception request, and this week, I found out that it was approved. YAYYYYY!
I was going to seriously hate having to waste time doing a 101 class. Geez. So, I am thrilled with this news.
(I probably would have tried to do a CLEP test to get out of taking Writing 1. But now I don't even have to do that.)
that I'm not running my heat
I am grateful for my toasty warm oil heat, but woo, it comes at a price. I am grateful to not be slowly draining my oil tank at this time of year. 🙂
Looking at the forecast, I might be all done running it until fall, actually!
for my floor fans
It's been uncomfortably warm (in my book) for the last few days, and I am grateful for the floor fans I got off Facebook Marketplace a few years ago.
It's not really time to turn the AC on (!), and the fans made this little heat wave quite tolerable.
The real feel outside yesterday was 89, but luckily today is cooler.
that I was able to host my friend and her son
My friend Mia (also a single mom who is a nurse!) and her son had plans in the area, so they stayed with me for a few days this week. I'm glad I was able to provide lodging for them (and we joked that the amenities here include off-street parking, since I have a long-ish driveway!) 🙂
that I like my job
I'm headed to work today, and I am actually working five twelve-hour shifts in the span of six days (two on, one off, three on).
This is a lot to work so close together, and I know I will be tired by Tuesday, but I am grateful that I like my job and I like my coworkers.
And mercifully, I have quite a few days off in a row after this string of shifts. Yay!
that my residency program is going to end fairly soon
Our last monthly class is in July, so I only have four more to go. I'm ⅔ done with it!
The classes are not hard, and they don't really have homework, but still, I'll be glad to have one less thing on my schedule.
for the early blooms
Every time I go for a walk, I see more and more flowers and leaves!
I am a fan.
that my driver's license renewal was easy and affordable
I was able to do it by mail, and it was $64 for an eight-year renewal. SWEET.
that my car is a hybrid
I went to fill up at the pump yesterday and I was like, "ummmmmm, whoa." about the price per gallon.
So it's a nice bonus that my Civic is the hybrid variety. I don't use a lot of gas these days!
I am thankful for all the daylight we have this time of year. It is nice to have daylight in the evening. I also appreciate the warmer weather. I washed a winter coat yesterday and put it away for the summer. It's a beautiful spring with lots of flowers, flowering trees and shrubs, and budding trees.
I am thankful for general good health. Even though I am in my late 60s I just get up and go about my day.
I am thankful for a good annual gynecology exam. My GYN had a second year med student with her so I had quite a thorough exam. I was happy to be a guinea pig.
I'm thankful our daughter lives walking distance from our house. It's about a five minute walk. It's perfect as we're close but not too close.
I'm thankful for the Pilates classes at my yoga studio. The teacher is great and I feel stronger after just a few months.
I giggled when I read the beginning of your post about Writing 101. I'm thankful for you that you didn't have to take a class you are qualified to teach!
For myself, I'm thankful for a fall last February. That fall exposed a thyroid nodule that, at the time, was labeled benign. This past February, the same nodule was labeled suspicious. Had a biopsy and it had indeterminate results. Had genetic testing on the nodule and it came back as having a gene that is positive for cancer. Am scheduled for surgery in May with a wonderful surgeon who studies thyroid cancer. This nodule is small enough that it can't be felt and I have no symptoms. Am very grateful for the fall that set these events in motion and for all the people who choose to work in the medical profession. ❤️
I'm thankful for:
--the beautiful spring weather (our yard really needs some cleanup after the winter).
--a working washer and dryer in our home. Laundromats are thankfully far in our past, but the memory is strong!
--being very fortunate to afford what we want to eat rather than having to take item from the shopping cart (also a strong memory).
--for a healthy happy family!
--for my nice little Subaru Impreza with it's good gas mileage and reliability.
--That I noticed before I left the track meet town last night that my gas light was on. I probably would have made it to the next town, but when I stopped at the closest gas station (and the last one before leaving town), the price on the pump was almost 20 cents cheaper per gallon than the price on their sign. No idea why, but I'll take it.
--That it was cool and cloudy at the track meet. This is the first track meet I've been to that hasn't featured burning sun/heat/high winds (take your pick, or all three). Such a relief to not be hiding in long sleeves and a hat for four hours in the sun. The wind was blowing, but it wasn't too bad.
--That I had an active childhood that not only taught me how my body is supposed to work but also how to MAKE it work. My sports schedule was kind of intense as a kid, but I have a lot of knowledge about exercise and nutrition thanks to that and my very active parents that has been helpful as I age and have to constantly re-adjust my lifestyle. I'm naturally calm and sedentary (unlike my jittery family), but a lifetime of intentional movement that started with team sports has kept me healthy.
--That I can sing this Easter. Last Easter, I was sick just before and lost my voice. It was so sad to not be able to sing at all the Holy Week Masses, and especially not being able to sing the Alleluia at the Easter Mass. Today is Maundy Thursday, the beginning of the Easter Triduum (the three days before Easter Sunday), and we have Mass every day through Sunday, so I can sing for four days. 🙂
--That our priest can lead us in singing. Our churches are too small to have musicians or choirs, so it's just him leading the congregation a cappella. In our church, I'm the only one more or less confident singing without musical accompaniment, so he pitches the hymns so I can easily follow him. My range is not as high as it used to be, and following men's voices sometimes makes me have to pitch higher than I'm comfortable with, so I appreciate that.
--For some good, very open conversations with a friend this week in which both of us learned more about each other. This is a new-ish friend, and we're still at the stage of deepening the friendship. This can sometimes feel a little scary because it requires some vulnerability, but the trade-off of having a true friend who really knows me (and still loves me 🙂 ) is worth it.
Thankful:
- For spring ethereal plants that I never knew about until living in the woods and now can appreciate this beautiful signal of the season shifting.
- For a trip with my mom to visit extended family this weekend out of state and reconnecting with some I hadn't seen for decades!
- For the chance to see, photograph, and understand some fascinating to me memorabilia and photos (with accompanying stories, as far back as 1800s).
- For the chance to visit and reconnect with a teen who considers me her Auntie and the ability to help her with her first car purchase (proud that she saved 75% on her own). My research told me it's a terrible financial and legal decision to lend her this money so I'm just counting it as an investment in her and her future, whatever thr result. I am confident that she fully intends to repay and also aware that life is life.
- That I don't and won't have my name on that car title or be involved with the insurance. Risky and expensive! To all parents, y'all are heroes. And seriously brave.
- For spring break and a truly beautiful week! The ability to breathe a little and focus a bit on my personal life.