Thankful Thursday | Ohh, it's fall, it's fall!
This week, I am thankful:
for fall weather!!
I am so freaking happy that the summer weather appears to be entirely in the rearview mirror. Yay!!! I really, really appreciate the less-sweaty existence that fall affords me.
that I work on a hospital unit with windows
Even on rainy days, I appreciate being able to see the outdoors.
And on sunny days, it's even better.
(Both photos taken in an empty patient room, just FYI!)
for mail-in/drop-off voting
I already filled out my ballot and dropped it off at one of the secure ballot boxes. No muss, no fuss, no standing in line, no worrying about how to vote if I am scheduled to work!
for the right to vote
As I filled out my ballot, I thought about how grateful I am that I have the right to vote. Women have not always had that right, of course, and I am grateful we do now.
(Not everyone is happy about this.)
for the sights the rain brought
We've had a pretty wet fall so far, which means there's some 10/10 moss out there right now.
And mushrooms are all over the place too.
These porcelain berries are invasive but beautiful, and they always remind me a little bit of those Easter candy robin eggs, with their little speckles.
for my fuel-efficient car and short commute
Considering how high gas prices are right now, I am very grateful for my high MPG (49.2 this week!) and also for my short commute.
It's a mere ten minutes from my driveway to my hospital's parking garage, and I feel so thankful that I live so near my job.
Also, a very nice thing about 12-hour shifts is that you never waste gas by sitting in traffic; you go to work before the morning rush hour, and by the time you get off at night, the evening rush hour is but a distant memory.
Also, also...since even full-time hospital nursing shifts aren't five days a week, you commute less overall. Win, win, win!
that I am done with my first eight-week class
It officially ends next week, but I worked ahead, and I have already submitted everything for that week. Yay!
Sooooo, I am almost halfway through the semester. I can do this. I'm gonna make it.
(I am not gonna lie, though: many times when I sit down to work on assignments, my first thought is, "I can't do this anymore!")
Moss! I love to see and touch a good moss. Or any moss - they're all good.
Thankful:
- That I could take the day off yesterday.
- That I have a job with paid sick leave.
- That I prepped a decent breakfast this morning and have no food aversion.
- That missing yesterday at work avoided a loud 40 min in the gym (overstimulating) and an after-school meeting that I couldn't mentally process anyway.
- For my home.
- For tools and knowledge that continue to grow so we can be better as humans.
Sounds like a perfect time to take off- hope you had a wonderful day!
Ha, you can be trusted to work ahead! It does lift weight from your shoulders.
This week I am thankful for my cousins, many of whom I met at a family gathering. We meet each other every other year or so and it is nice to keep up to date with what is going on in each others lives. Especially now the aunts/uncles are getting on.
Also thankful that I like my job. Workload is back to what it was, and the last haul before the weekend will be heavy.
It's so depressing that there are people who want to take away women's right to vote and that they are actually being taken seriously and given a platform!
Thankfuls
- To those who came before me and fought for my right to vote (and other rights in general)
- I am going to Venice for the first time in a few days with my sister. It's a very short trip but I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time 🙂
- I went to see Practical Magic 2 with my friend. The film left a lot to be desired but it was still a lot of fun!
- I motivated myself to go for a run the other evening. I didn't want to very much because I was tired after work but it was a beautiful evening and I felt great afterwards
- I got a review at work and received a comment on my kind nature 🙂
I read the article, didn't watch the video. He wants to repeal women's right to vote "because it is a good idea." There's logic and evidence for you!
He would replace it with some kind of household voting.
I swear these people are using The Handmaid's Tale as an instruction guide.
They are nothing but a bunch of chicken excrement. There was a female congress woman from KS who thought women shouldn't get to vote. Ann Coulter too (except she wouldn't have a job). What I have to say about her and those of her ilk is not for this blog.
Yes, so married women wouldn't get to vote. One of the proponents, Joel Webbon (truly a silly man) says that the suffrage movement "stole half of my vote". Fortunately, his submissive wife votes exactly how he does, so his experience of theft has been reduced some.
But does he know how she votes? Remember when SD had an anti-abortion question on the ballot and it failed much to the surprise of the males. There are times when women should vote in person.
Yes about that pastor wanting to take away women's right to vote, as well as his stance on other issues! I don't understand (and yet, I do, unfortunately, living in the US) how he could have a public platform to spread his ideas. It's appalling.
I think this quote from The Testaments is apt: 'Our teacher said that
even though it seemed like Gilead happened overnight, there were signs of what was coming. Candidates running for office had said things openly, about women, about gays, but they still were elected. People thought they were speaking in hyperbole. Now, women can't have jobs, or phones, or read books.'
I'm totally with you on loving fall weather!
Today I'm thankful for:
Good public transportation. Instead of filling my tank this morning, I'll be getting on the train to do my errands. It's free!
My haircut. It seemed too short weeks ago, but it's grown out to a look I like, which I knew would happen.
Free long distance telephoning. I remember when we worried about the cost of talking to faraway friends -- or even friends in the next town. Yesterday I had a long call with a friend in another state and didn't think a thing about it!
A good night's sleep, whenever I get one. I had one last night.
Our excellent public library. I'm headed there today!
Yay for Fall! We have had two perfectly cool, crisp days this week and I love it!
Thankfuls:
* WE FINALLY MADE IT HOME FFOM SWITZERLAND!! After a delay of several days because hubby was too sick to fly.
* Hubby was able to see his PCP the very next day, confirmed diagnosis of double pneumonia and got put on several meds/breathing treatments. PCP said the Swiss Dr chose a good antibiotic to start, but he needed more.
* I got a Dr visit as well and got some good meds also for bronchitis.
* We both are slowly improving, the jet lag is waning and we are starting to feel halfway normal.
*So thankful for the prayers and encouragement of friends and family from afar during those last few awful days before we could come home. It does a world of good to know people care.
*This has made me want to remember and offer the same to others who are sick or otherwise having a hard season.
Glad to hear you are home and both on the mend!
O my goodness, double pneumonia. Wishing him quick improvement and thorough recovery.
Love the moss, mushroom and berry photos!
Thankful for:
- my partner, who always makes me laugh, even when we're both super stressed
- the cup of tea he brought me in bed this morning
- my new allotment, which is sinultaneously a cause of stress (gotta get it ready for inspection) and a stress relief (the joy of pottering, the birds, the quiet screen-free time)
- the allotment cat who has decided a shelf in my greenhouse is the perfect snoozing spot (she can sneak in through an empty pane)
- naming the allotment cat Porridge brings me a lot of joy (other neighbourhood cats are called Marmite, Marmalade and Ginger Marmalade)
- the fact that Porridge the cat now trusts me enough to brush past me with her tail
Let's embrace the whimsy and small joys where we can!
Last week on a neighborhood walk, I met a cat named Gravy, who must be related to your whimsical cat buddies; just now when I returned from another walk I found Gravy lounging in my garage. So Gravy & I salute you and Porridge et al. : )
I wish I could meet Porridge and Gravy!
Those are the BEST cat names!!! LOL
Hahaha! I just adopted a vision impaired kitten from the shelter and I let my friend name it. He named it Ask. This name leads to a lot of word play wherever we go because he accompanies me in the car on errands.
Oak,
We have a variety of cats who roam our neighborhood - someone (not us) feeds them, as they are normal weight - not skinny or underweight. Anyway, a pretty kitty named Nala comes to hang out on our front porch, usually sleeping in the faux-rattan chair that has a cushion. 🙂 She's very friendly.
Fall weather is SO beautiful, even the misty foggy days.
-This week I'm thankful all flights went well during recent travel and that my jet lag is manageable.
-I am thankful to have been able to visit with my mother in her new nursing home and see her doing so well. In the past year and a half she has been in and out of hospitals, survived a stroke but kept getting infections and living with constant pain. This spring she almost died. When living at home, she was not eating and kept falling a lot despite home care. So glad she's not living alone any more.
-I am thankful I was also able to celebrate my oldest child's big birthday while visiting my home country (he lives there).
-During the week I was back home, fall weather and foliage was at it's most beautiful, so glad I got to see it as I usually visit at other times of year.
-So thankful my job gave me the flexibility to travel as well.
So many good things that you have to be thankful for!
My friend successfully defended her dissertation.
Like FG, for fall weather. It's glorious. And soon for the leaves turning as well.
For running hot water. Hot showers are also glorious.
For washing machines. My roommate has a stomach bug. Lots of dirty towels and all I need to do is dump them in a machine.
On board with loving the fall weather! It's been perfect bicycling weather--sunny but cool.
On that note, I am sad that DS#3's assist trike that he's been enjoying to get exercise and sunshine threw an axle the other day. We suspect somebody tampered with it while we were shopping in Goodwill (why do people think they can fiddle with people's bikes???). I am THANKFUL, however, that it started acting up before we were in a busy intersection, and near a place where DS#2 and I could rest comfortably and safely enough until DH brought the truck to get us and our bikes back home.
I am thankful for DS#3's continued improvements. He's being a good sport about doing more PT exercises with me, but starts "real" PT for his arm next week.
Thankful that my eyes are in good condition per my eye exam yesterday.
You can do this!
1) Grateful it's Thursday again, and I'm very excited about my second week of part time. It was pretty amazing last week.
2) That my body allows me to go to a challenging workout class.
3) I'm grateful for leftovers a lot, and still am. Sincerely. They make my life so much easier.
4) That family weekend is next weekend, and we'll get the entire gang together to visit DS19.
5) I was able to treat DH to a small surprise that made him very happy yesterday.
The remainder of the semester- you've got this!!
This week, I am thankful for: •hot running water
•non-moldy accommodations
•shower caps
•the internet- I thought a new-to-me was shrunk at the laundromat, but apparently I can soak it with some hair conditioner and hand block it flat. Fingers crossed this works
• nice people. My gosh, the kindness of strangers while I'm a nomad could make me cry tears of happiness some days
So many people are truly kind! I am glad you and they are finding each other.
Kristen, your outdoor images are always a favorite of mine and today's pics are solid day brightener material. Thanks for keeping up this practice.
Thankful today and every day for a super supportive DH. I’m having trouble enduring my statin medicine which, has given me pain for two years now. My doctors have tried changing the med, lowering the dosage but when I perform my PT exercises the resultant pain is severe. And, my muscles get weaker. Anyway, we are working on this together with the med team and I am ever hopeful of gaining strength again. So thankful for nurses and doctors who work so hard in their fields to fix tough problems. I’m looking at you, Kristen!
I so agree on Kristen's beautiful photos! I live in a hot, dry climate now, and I love seeing any photos that are of the kind of natural world that I miss.
So glad your class is technically finished for you! Soon (hang in there!) you will be free of this school!!!
Hi everyone!
This week I'm thankful that my first college math class in 20 years ends next week. It was ridiculously hard for me. I cried a lot, I had lots of online tutoring sessions, and it took over my homelife for a couple of weeks. It was truly awful. 4 assignments and a term test left. Whew!
My work bestie put in her two week notice yesterday. I will miss her so much, but I am thankful for the almost two years I got to be her office mate. She's the best!
I am thankful for more things of course, but those are yhe teo running through my mind every day.
Yay you!! I know math classes can be so hard but look at you! You are doing it.
Way to go, Lisa! I'm sure I would find that rough. I struggled with a data analysis course on my master's.
Thank you for your exercising the right to vote -- especially as a woman.
My great-grandma's murderer, and my grandpa, spent time in Jackson Prison in the 1910s and 1920s, and I took a tour of the old prison, which was pretty depressing. Well-to-do suffragists were locked up there and received horrible treatment, such as being hung by their wrists, for daring to push for the right for women to vote. I will never take this right for granted or forget the bravery of women before me who gave us this right.
Exactly! Too many people fought too hard to win this. I'm going to exercise the right, darn it!
Wow, Cindy. These are scary times and I’m glad for those who are speaking up before it might be too late. My DH, our kids and their partners understand the importance of voting in every election from the very local on. Our County was able to toss out an entire school board and Superintendent once the agendas of the newcomers was revealed. Think book banning and messing with curriculum. There’s a new documentary about this currently running on TV.
1. Last night I made a major mistake operating the cash register but my boss was very sweet and patiently helped me correct it. The customer was an absolute angel, very understanding, and noticed I was tired and was so nice about it. (That was my 2nd major boo-boo in as many weeks, so pray I'm not getting dementia or anything!)
2. Thankful that one coworker, who was sick the day before (said she was dizzy and might faint) and didn't come to work yesterday, is going to be OK.
3. That another coworker volunteered to stay after her shift was supposed to end, so that I wouldn't be the only one on the cash registers. Also, that she cheerfully took care of one of our most demanding and impossible customers (the one I'd absolutely like to strangle!), who came in at the last minute and made us all at least a half-hour late in getting out of there.
4. Weather is nice, cool and autumn-like so I can once again enjoy sitting outside.
5.The heavy rain this past week, which greens everything up and means I don't have to water the lawn myself.
the more you (not you specifically) worry about dementia, the worse you feel. please try to not worry so much. my neurologist is the kindest man but the more he reassures me the more scared i feel. can't even take my own advice. best of luck to both of us.
Yay for completing one more class!
We've had a delightful 10 days of extended summer, turning tomorrow to fall.
I love watching the acorn woodpeckers working diligently, macawing to each other.
It's mushroom season in my neck of the woods, gathering, processing and canning.
I was trying to remember what my great granny called her leftover fruit cake, like tour leftover fruit you reduced, granny would mix up a 1 egg vanilla teacake, fold in the fruit and when it came out of the oven, drizzle lemon glaze while still warm.
If it was mostly berries she would add cornstarch and a sprinkle of sugar for handpies.
She made desserts for the local hotels and restaurants.
Hopefully, you were able to find a good batch of mushrooms. I remembered when my husband and I used to mushroomed. It was so much fun!
(Not everyone is happy about this.) Outrageous!
Moss, lovely, I brought some from the neighbor's yard to my place.
Thankful to be able to read this blog.
I really did not think we would be discussing this in my lifetime. GEEZ.
Same!
We can't get complacent. It is what I compare to the "Last Dance of Crocodile" Nat Geo show. The desperate attempt to go back to the mid-1960s and prior where women were totally dependent on a male in her life. No access to banking/credit, no control over the number of children, no laws to prevent physical/mental abuse, rape was always the woman's fault.
While my mother was a "trad wife", she wasn't a doormat. She saw how an "out of wedlock" pregnancy ruined a teen's life. Thankful that her father stepped in when her sister experienced domestic abuse.
So here is my motto (and I wish I had saved the print article where I read this) - every woman should be a bitch:
Be
In
Total
Control of
Herself
We are NOT second class citizens.
Moss and fungi... Oh how I miss them. We've been in pretty heavy drought conditions and I can't wait for the winter rains and snow.
Thankful for:
My husband's job that has allowed for me to stay home all these years. I'm hitting mid forties and it's nice to curate my own days
of course you can do it. there is light at the end of the tunnel. you have been through so much already. i am grateful for you, that BMCC has free tutoring for my girl. that i am feeling a bit better. that our buddy is a lot better. anti-biotics did the trick for him.
Love all the photos. While I do love summer, I also welcome the cooler weather, with less sweaty days on the way. I fully expect here in SW Ohio, we'll get one more blast of higher temps before settling into true fall weather.
Also - those school assignments sound.....boring. You've got this. You can do it. 🙂
My thankfuls:
- for my beautiful new Prius that feels like a sports car. I've had it for about 2 months, and I'm still in awe that it's mine.
- for my son, who is faced with having to do music solos and other things he really dislikes, to better his chances of getting into a college music program. Faced with the information that his band directors provided, he jumped right in to make things happen. (He loves music, both playing and listening, but is more comfortable performing in a group).
- for our wonderful vet's office, who are helping us navigate comfort care for our now-terminally ill cat (Lafayette). They have been patient, kind and compassionate. I am also thankful for every day we have with him.
- for my DH, who fully understands how I am already grieving the impending loss of our Lafayette. He hands me tissues, understands that I want to spend as much time as I can with him, makes dinner so I don't have to - he gets it. He grieves in his own way, which is different than mine, but it's all good.
I am so sorry about Lafayatte!
Sophie,
Thank you! It was quite a blow finding out what was wrong, but we're all giving him lots of love and extra head scritches.
Me too - it is heartbreaking. While it hurts less over time, it still hurts.
I’m so very sorry about Lafayette, Liz. Thoughts are with you as this is fresh and raw for us, too. Our DS's pup, Attie, left us a month ago and we are all grieving here. They are so special in our lives.
( my comment disappeared… I’ll try again)
I love Autumn! I love the temps, the changing leaf colors and even the sound of acorns hitting the roof.
I’m thankful for good health. 2 weeks ago, I had a fainting spell at the dance venue where my husband and I dance frequently. I was taken by ambulance to the ER for evaluation. After some scans and bloodwork as well as an IV drip, I was released at 4am. The dr said it was dehydration. My husband and I drink loads of water especially when we’re out dancing but apparently I’ve been depleting my electrolytes. So now we’re adding powdered electrolytes to our water before we dance. My follow-up dr visit went well and I’m thankful no further testing is necessary at this time. And the m feeling strong.
I’m thankful to have a lot of opportunities to care for our grandson.
But I’m also grateful my husband and I have a pretty calm weekend coming up.
I’m thankful for 33 years of marriage. We’ll celebrate tomorrow!
Congrats on your 33 years of marriage!
I am thankful for the opportunities we have to travel and look forward to even more as I head toward retirement next year.
Thankful that when I booked our plane tickets last spring, I opted to head home the day after our cruise arrived in Barcelona. We wanted non-stop and the options were Friday or Monday. Since we had been to Barcelona in the recent past, I chose Friday...and we got home. Many on our cruise spent the next few days with canceled flights, flooding, canceled tours, no power, then protests and fires to boot. We consider ourselves very lucky.
Thankful we chose a cruise, which was the perfect vacation for my guy who is struggling with sleep and energy while in treatment for prostate cancer. We were able to have slow mornings if needed, do as much or as little as we wanted and see several beautiful cities we wouldn't have gone to otherwise.
Thankful we didn't get sick on this trip despite vacationing in a floating petri dish and surviving an 11 hour flight with a very ill couple directly behind us. One who had apparently decided that covering her mouth when coughing was too much effort, and failed to take any cough suppressants. She literally coughed hundreds and hundreds of times. We wore masks, and put pillows between the seat cracks and almost a week later...illness free - yay!
I'm thankful we got to do the La Sagrada Familia tower tour this time despite the rain that hit 2 hours before. It stopped miraculously as we arrived and did not return until we were at the airport the next day.
I am super thankful for the GORGEOUS fall weather we are having here in the PNW! There is nothing better than fall in the Seattle area when it's sunny and warmish, and the leaves are beautiful colors.
Thankful I get to travel to Amherst/Boston next week for my nephew's wedding and hopefully some fall colors there too.
Thankful for friends who value relationships and put the effort in to maintaining them. My guy is excellent at keeping in touch with friends, checking in and calling. I struggle with execution (adhd brain). I am fortunate that he and friends put the effort into getting together regularly.
Hello! When you were chatting about your commute, it made me wonder if you could cycle to work? Is that common in the US? I live a 10 minute drive from my place of work in the UK and I find it easier to cycle. No petrol costs at all!
Unfortunately, my route to work is QUITE uncyclable! Also, unless it's summertime, I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, and the dark would make the uncyclable roads even more dangerous.
I do not live in a very bike-friendly area, sadly.
Late to the party as usual, but with good reason.
I'm very thankful that I rose in time Tuesday morning to see the spectacular "occultation" of Jupiter and the moon, because that helped me get through some majorly upsetting news I received Tuesday afternoon. I don't care to go into this in detail; I'll say only that it had to do with the triple murder with which I was tangentially involved 51 years ago. I have since been talking this out with trusted friends--JASNA BFF, Grad School BFF, and CF--for whom I am also extremely thankful.
Awww, sending you a big hug, A. Marie. I'm glad you have friends you can talk to about this.
virtual hugs and good wishes as you sort this out may you soon come out on the other side.
A. Marie, egads! So sorry for your upsetting news.
Wow, A.Marie, This must be a hard thing to carry around for so long. I am very sorry. I do feel that this is why you are always caring for those around you and are yourself the bestest neighbor.
So very sorry to hear this, A. Marie. Please take good care of yourself-so glad you have a good support system.
Curious if you changed your name when you divorced? I've been married going on 38 years, but my state didn't put the wife's married name on the marriage certificates until 2009, before that the certificate only had the name you had when you applied for the certificate before marriage. And to complicate things, I hyphenated my married name. So I ponied up for a passport in case the SAVE Act passed. It cost me around $200 all in (including photo, passport card, parking downtown, time taken from work). Not frugal! Now I have a passport. But I'm not going anywhere.
I'm thankful that our fall heatwave is over without major wildfires, and thankful for the relatively cool summer we've had. The gentle summer made the few heatwaves a little harder to bear, but we only broke 100 F twice and the highest was 103 (one year it was 115 F!!!). This fall heatwave had cool nights, which helped since we have no AC and opening up windows is the only way to cool our house off before the next hot day. We all still have a little PTSD from the fires that broke out in October of 2017 in our area and burned 4000 homes and structures, mostly on the first night, and killed 22 people in our county. We even had some rain this summer, so the fire danger has been relatively low. There have still been small wildfires that break out in our county, but all but one were contained within 24 hours.
I've been out of work for a few weeks with asthmatic bronchitis (self-employed), and I'm thankful for my understanding clients who let me postpone their work and appointments. I'm thankful for my family taking on some of my chores when I felt like dirt. I'm thankful it didn't turn into pneumonia because I haven't found a doctor who will take new patients on Medicare yet. It was fairly mild, so I managed with home treatment. I'm thankful for Medicare because if I'd needed urgent care or ED, it would have cost a lot less than my pre-Medicare insurance--that used to upset me so much when I knew just walking in to an ER or urgent care was going to cost at least $500 (plus my $1900 monthly premiums--OUCH).
I'm thankful I have a short commute, too (2 miles). Typically, if I don't really need to travel anywhere I can go up to 2 months on a tank of gas (I work at home when I can). But I've been topping off when I get down to half a tank under the theory that gas is only going to be more expensive next time. I'm not sure if that's a good strategy or not. I have a gas engine and get around 30 mpg around town, but I've gotten up to 49 mpg on the freeway! I still regret that husband talked me out of a hybrid when I got this car in 2018. He got a hybrid last year.
And I'm furiously knitting a warm, heavy sweater so we can keep the heat down this winter. We try to keep it at 63 F during the day but as we're getting older we've been cranking it up to 66 on cold days. We save in the summer not having AC, but pay for it in the winter because our house is shaded by tall trees and with single pane windows it gets COLD.
I did change my name back to my maiden name and it was a HEADACHE! I still am finding places where my old name exists, and sometimes it is a terrible pain to get a company to change it.
I'll admit I am "not as educated" when it comes to hybrids but short trips in a gasoline engine might not be good. Not enough time to burn up the condensation in your engine - be it parked inside or out. If you have a car savvy person in your "circle", you might want to ask.
Our hot water heater is 15 years old and but there is hot water *if* you have the shower at hot max. New one purchased today, for now better half turned up the temp (which shortens the life span but ours is at its end anyway). Our budget can easily handle the cost of purchase and installation (by licensed plumbers). So I can update the expected replacement date in my retirement budget.
In such a case, what are you suggesting a person do? I can't make my commute longer (except, I suppose, by driving around in circles and leaving for work earlier?)
I'd find a person who is car savvy - I don't know if hybrids have the same condensation "issue" as gasoline/diesel engines.
Our friend google sez check your oil (you should do this anyway), take for a longer drive on occasion, and check your manual to see if there is a different oil change schedule for more shorter duration driving.
Don't worry about it too much. Everyone warned me about this when I bought my first hybrid. The engineering of the car takes it into account and as long as you take a trip longer than 20 minutes every once in a while, you are good.
You CAN do it, Kristen!! So proud of you!
Thankful for the discovery of new books at the library. Thankful for my kind friend who sent me her copy of The Calamity Club (want to try it, but not sure about it yet, at over 600 pages!). Thankful for the independent bookshop I discovered here this year, and for the book club there that I am enjoying. Thankful that I was able to get my flu shot at the health department for $20, as I don't have health insurance.
Thankful for this blog and all of you commenters!
I love fall too! It's absolutely my favorite time of the year.
This week, I am thankful for:
• Our family memories. I printed out 30 pictures for my daughter's upcoming birthday to create a picture wall in her new room. Because she deeply values quality time and feels most loved when surrounded by family, I hope these photos make her new space feel warm, cozy, and full of happy reminders.
• Our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. It is usually just the girls and me, but my husband decided to join us this year despite being in pain, and we all had so much fun together.
• Thoughtful gifts. I was a bit nervous to give my friend the seasonal fall and winter tablecloths I picked out for her, so it was incredibly rewarding to see how much she loved them after I put so much time and thought into the gift.
• Exciting new book finds. I found some great reads at the library and on Libby. On the financial side, I am really enjoying "Playing with Fire" and "Die with Zero." I am also looking forward to diving into Jessica Smartt's parenting and Christian living books: "Come on Home," "Memory-Making Mom," and "Let Them Be Kids."
• A productive and smooth day. I managed to check off my errands, find an affordable pair of black sweatpants at Walmart for my oldest daughter for gym class, and finish everything right on time to pick her up for her birthday celebration at the pumpkin patch.