Thankful Thursday | on a rainy day
This week, I am thankful:
that I got a walk in yesterday before it rained
I was so happy that it was still partly sunny yesterday morning; plenty of time to get in a walk before the clouds and rain moved in.
for the needed rain
I do not love rainy days per se, but I recognize that we need rain! Rain is better than a drought, so I am gonna be thankful.
for the ability to hike hills
I've been going for walks on some hilly trails in the woods here, and I was thinking about how glad I am I can do this.
For part of January, I wasn't able to do this because of recovering from the plague (!) and then in February, I twisted my knee and wasn't able to do much walking for a few weeks.
But right now, nothing on my body is messed up and I am able to walk basically as far as I want to. Yay!
for beauty in the woods
I am happy to walk on neighborhood roads, of course. But I am especially happy to walk on paths in the woods; there are so many interesting things to see!
that Lisey likes her job
She's back in the garage, doing tire and battery installations, and she's loving it. And so far, all the dudes she's working with have been respectful.
(This is not a thing that is a given by any stretch of the imagination! If you want to know whether sexism is alive and well, just be a woman and go work in a male-dominated field. You will not be confused on this topic for more than a minute.)
for less-expensive gas this week
Still high? Yup. But this is better than last time I filled up.
for a fun cleaning session with my niece
I have a niece who is right around Lisey's age, and between school and work, her room had gotten a bit overwhelmingly messy.
This was driving her nuts, but she was having trouble getting started on it, so I offered to help.
And this week she texted me, "Aunt Kristen, can you come help me clean?"
I spent half a day with her and then she finished up all the rest of it after I left. We had a fun time together and now her room feels way better to her. Yay!
for the way "boring" skills can still bless others
Cleaning and organizing are not particularly flashy skills.
But despite their boring, ordinary nature, I have been able to use those skills so many times over the years to help other people (for instance, when I helped my aunt for a couple of years.)
This train of thought always reminds me about how everyone has something to offer to others. It could be a meal, a listening ear, childcare, errand-running, handyman jobs, paperwork help*, or any number of other things.
(*our dear Alaskan reader here, Lindsey, voluntarily helps people navigate medial insurance!)
Isn't it so wonderful that we can help in such a wide variety of ways? No one needs to feel useless.
for how much it blesses us when we bless others
I was listening to a podcast this week in which an expert was talking about how important it is for humans to be able to give love to others and have that love received.
He talked about how even little toddlers really want to share their Cheerios or goldfish with you, and they are SO delighted when you happily receive these gifts.
As I was helping my niece this week, she was really appreciative, and it made me so happy to be able to do something valuable for her. What a lovely symbiotic situation this helping-others thing is.
I am thankful that my husband has the week off. We took a short trip and he's been able to relax and also do a lot of things he wanted to do, like work in the yard, fix a lawn mower, and clean his car.
I am thankful my niece's prenatal visit/scan went well. She's been nervous over every milestone even though she's doing everything you're suppose to do.
I'm thankful another niece is excelling in culinary school. She had been a bit rudderless after a couple years of college but she has really found her niche. She's come out of her shell and not only is doing an amazing job in her classes but she's helping other students and has found the courage to network extensively. It's a wonderful and amazing change.
I'm thankful that the recent price hikes have not been a source of stress for us. We are empty nesters without a lot of expenses. I know how lucky we are.
I'm thankful for continued good health. I do stay active and eat well but I know that's not a panacea.
I'm thankful we're able to plan some summer travel. Our fingers are crossed that there is not another Covid surge.
Kristen amen and thank you. I keep telling people when a child or toddler is sharing whatever they have and you should accept it as it is all they have. It reminds me of the widow's mite.
My granddaughter seems to have had a cold and not the dreaded COVID. She bounced back so quickly.
We had a family get together on the weekend and everyone was happy. I have great memories to tuck away.
I love that you helped your niece. I truly struggle with this.
@Suzan, your comments reminded me that one of our younger granddaughters "made" Christmas presents for everyone in the family (including grandparents and Aunt & Uncle) this past year. The gifts were mostly seashells that she'd picked up when they were at the beach (and not necessarily pretty ones!) but they were wrapped and given from the heart and were truly enjoyed by the recipients. And it taught her how joyful it is to give.
I am thankful for the people in my life who have taught me important lessons. Sometimes those lessons were painful, but I am a better person for having learned them.
I am thankful for many books to read, for children who love me, for two days off for my husband, for having a friend I can joke around with, for warmer weather because the kids are loving playing outside, for hymns in church, for soccer things stored in the basement (so we won't need to buy anything for spring soccer for the 2 children who are playing), for coffee, for having time to type this comment (there were things on this blog this week I just didn't have time to comment on), for an ice cream date with my middle daughter, for our outside cat, for an upcoming road trip with my son (and daughter for part of the way), for another son who only pretends to be grumpy.
1. Thankful I was able to purchase used kitchen cabinets to replace the ones my tenants trashed in my rental cottage. $300 and they're decent quality.
2. Thankful that people put up with my stupid moods. I remembered what my former life coach told me about turning things around to be positives. Instead of being annoyed the kitten peed on a pile of litter he'd kicked around instead of the litterbox, I learned not to leave piles of litter around because he'll see it as OK to use. (I don't know much about cats.) Decided to focus on how lucky I am rather than feeling sorry for myself.
3. Was featured in a podcast put on by a friend this week as "the queen of snark." Everyone seems to love it or at least they're not telling me if they don't. Grateful.
4. It's spring!
5. This exceedingly expensive college semester of my daughter's will soon be over.
@Rose, And you're not going to share the link to the podcast? I love snark!
Umm, yes. Ahem, Rose. We want a link, if you are willing to share!
Don't say I didn't warn you folks. It's mostly about Hamptons real estate with a segue into Irish soda bread. My real name, latest episode, etc. My daughter said, "I'll take a pass on that." My son said, "I hear your opinions every day in real time."
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1851022
Thankful's . . .
That the blown tire on one of our cars was still under warranty, AND that my mother-in-law was here with her rental car to drive to the small city where the tire was purchased so we could drop it off to get another. She likes going places, so she was happy to go to this town she'd never been to before; her small rental sedan was big enough to carry her, my husband, and the three children who were excited to drive four hours roundtrip, leaving the remaining child and me at home where we wanted to be; and we didn't have to put the miles on our other car. We paid for her gas, of course, but her rental used WAY less per mile than our big vehicles.
That I have so many years' experience in the kitchen I am not thrown by crazy-busy weeks that upset my cooking plans. I had to work more than I usually do this week due to substituting, but I can still get home at 4:45 p.m. and have dinner on the table for six people by 5:30 p.m.
That said, I am thankful that this week is over for me (assuming no phone calls asking me to come in in the next hour or so . . .), and that it will be over for the rest of my family after school today. We can all use a chance to sleep in and chill out.
For my husband, who also has to re-adjust his plans when I have to go in to work unexpectedly and take care of an unhappy four-year-old by himself.
For the rain/snow we got on Monday. Not as much as we need, but it will help the seeds I got in the ground on Saturday.
You are such a whiz in the kitchen, Kristin!
@kristin @ going country, Ahhhh! No apostrophe on "Thankfuls." It's a plural! NO APOSTROPHE! One of my pet peeves. Boo.
@Kristen, Thank you, but the point is that it takes a long time to get to the point that you can walk into a kitchen with no idea what to cook, and still manage to get a relatively balanced meal on the table quickly. I was not always a good cook, and it took me many years to get to that point. One of my chief annoyances at the current "food culture," (even the term is annoying to me) is that there seems to be an emphasis on "anyone can cook! it's not hard!" I think that is a bad message for people who are just learning, because just like anything else, it takes time and practice for it to feel easy.
I have many more words than anyone wants to hear on that subject, but I'll just stop there. 🙂
I feel like I wrote a blog post about this, or at least I thought about it. Hmm. Time to check my archives!
But yes, cooking every night is NOT easy. It can get easier with practice, but I think it's wise to set people's expectations realistically; otherwise they will think, "Hmm, this isn't easy for me! Cooking must just not be in my blood."
Well--I do think anyone can cook simple things. It's like everything else--there are levels. I get annoyed with people who just announce they "don't cook," as if somehow it's an arcane skill they can't be bothered with.
I will say I was very lucky to grow up with an amazing cook and baker as a mom, and I learned so much via osmosis from her. Your kids are lucky that way too. (Theoretically my kids too, but my son obstinately refuses to cook and my daughter can be condescending. "Did you salt the water for the potatoes? It makes a lot of difference," she informed me. Yes, I knew that 20 years before you were born, snot.)
@Rose, Your last few sentences made me laugh. I remember what it was like having kids in the house.
Although my kids were never condescending when it came to cooking and food (they're all foodies and we love food around here), my oldest daughter turned out to be a wiz in the kitchen and far exceeds my cooking abilities.
@Rose, I agree that 'anyone' can cook 'simple things'.
Yet I will stand firm on the soapbox proclaiming that all those 'anyones' sure benefitted from some training, somewhere along the line, even if the training was that vague osmosis of being somewhere near the kitchen while (usually) mom was whipping out a meal.
As for the 'teach your grandmother to suck eggs' comments of your daughter - GAH, it would just crack me up to have one of my kids deign to inform me about foods in a condescending tone. The eldest HAS taught me a thing or two, however mostly the information STILL is slowly rolling downhill from me toward the three of them.
Cooking IS a bit of an art, a bit of a skill, a bit of a desperate stab in the dark, IMHO. Learning to keep the right kind of 'fast' ingredients on hand, and having 14 possible meals in the rolodex in ones head? THAT is the sign of someone who is getting adulting figured out.
I know that having some pasta and sauces in the pantry can mean the difference between 'there's nothing I know how to cook' low blood sugar breakdown, and a warm healthy meal in 20 minutes - most of which consists of boiling water and perhaps chopping up some veggies for salads or sides.
Well, I am thankful for this POST! And for the reminder, as the world is falling apart faster and faster, (and me along with it! LOL) that the SIMPLE gifts abound. Holding fast to God because HE holds me fast-- and praying for hurting hearts. Listening to Arron Copeland's Appalachian Spring now.
@Barbara Smith, I love Appalachian Spring!
You are the world's best aunt for spending that time helping your niece with her room.
This week I am thankful for more signs of spring, for continued calm at work, that everyone at our house is healthy, that our old cat is being so nice about the shots we have to give him, and that we somehow made it out of the grocery store last weekend under budget for the first time in ages. Given current food prices, I'm still not sure how that last one happened, but I've been walking on sunshine all week because of it.
Aww, well, I was happy to do it! I like organizing and cleaning, and I like hanging out with her too. So I don't know that I deserve tons of credit. Ha.
I just think it is so lovely when there's a match-up between tasks I like to do, and tasks people need help with.
That I had a better session with my therapist this week. Basically without getting too specific he identified that I always put myself last in every scenario and tend to give in a lot and end up resentful. Even today I do the most for my parents in terms of helping but I'm largely ignored unless needed. Apparently that's super common amongst middle children.
I know that sounds like a downer but getting to the root of problems should be helpful in the future.
More positive things:
* I got some radishes planted.
* No snow (though we're not out of the woods yet)
* It's not dark at 6 so I don't feel like the day is over when I'm done working for the day.
@Battra92, omg, "giving in and then feeling resentful" will probably be etched on my tombstone. I'm way older than you, know that I do this, and STILL find myself offering myself up. I just found myself driving a neighbor, I barely knew, around town for personal errands, when all I had agreed to was one trip to her doctor's. And she had other options.
I think you're right about it stemming from a childhood with parents from whom we couldn't win affection.
I feel seen. I was never the favorite child of anyone's. My parents were affectionate and loving, but I was the difficult kid out of four, and in the middle. I will point out that I'm also the most successful kid, and I do the most for my mom. My mother knows I'm also the most sensitive and she appreciates that I do so much for her.
However, I never give in so I'm usually fighting with someone. Wow, I'm an attractive human being, huh? Sorry, folks.
Oh, that is an interesting combo of middle child traits; that you are assertive still is impressive! I am #2/4, the first girl, and I am a classic middle child doormat (which is not an excellent trait at all.)
@Battra92, Congrats on a better session with your therapist. And for having the courage to see a therapist. I do the same - I am not good at saying no and then feel resentment. Super embarrassing confession: I do this with my spouse. I'm a people pleaser, often to my own detriment. Not good. So good on ya for working on it! Hope the realization leads to growth for you.
@Battra92, I know that feeling about being ignored unless needed. I am the younger child, but my brother (the older) had a bone disease as a toddler that left him unable to walk until he was 6. Our roles in the family wound up getting swapped as a result. I was responsible, quiet, serious and completely overlooked.
@Battra92, I'm this way, too. 4th of 6 kids, oldest of younger three, appear assertive in professional or public settings but in relationships that I care about the most do so much work and take on everyone's stuff and then get resentful that no one else is doing anything. Recognizing it a couple years was a game changer. Creating new perspective and habits is slow, but it is finally starting to help. Thankful alongside you for helpful therapists and the ability to grow and change.
@Battra92, I can relate to your feeling that you're largely ignored unless needed, things were like that between my Mom and me. I tried to focus on the fact that when she knew something important needed to be done immediately, I was the one to do it instead of my siblings that she heaped attention upon.
@Rose, Yeah I'm the most successful by far. I end up doing work for my parents and just this past week I did their taxes! I know it's not healthy long term but it is what it is.
My parents weren't affectionate at all. Like, I don't remember being hugged by my parents or anything like that. It probably happened but it'd just be weird now. People were wondering why at my wedding there was no mother son dance or any of my family in the bridal party ... well, that's why.
@Beverly, I have to say that reading all of your comments about feeling ignored or unappreciated as middle children has given me food for thought about my brother, who has complained about that and I really did not get it. I am the first born, and, worse, to a father who wanted a son. And then when the next child after me, a boy, died, I became my father's son. I was taught to be very assertive and that I could accomplish anything (60 years ago, this was pretty revolutionary), and it was a given that I would go not only to college but beyond that to something like law school or medical school or for a doctorate. Part of this had to do with learning English faster than my parents did, so I did a lot of translating and taking care of business for them. By the time my second brother was born, either years into this, he was not given the primary male role that was the norm in the culture my parents came from. Weird how positions in the family can impact parent child dynamics.
@Lindsey, eight years into this, not either years into this.
This is all very interesting to me. My brother, the oldest, was everyone's favorite. He was (and is) handsome, looks like my dad (dark), and is easygoing. I will fight without anyone about anything, especially if I'm bored, and am also super sensitive and anxious. I look like a combo of my mom and my dad and I'm the only one with red hair. The younger two are/were blondes. My younger sister is like me but easier going and less fiery. My younger brother was a bit like me but he was killed in a car accident when he was 15 and no one ever talks about him any more.
I send my mother flowers on his birthday every year and she says I'm the only one who bothers to remember him.
Ugh. Too much pain thinking about him.
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry that you lost your brother. That is so, so hard.
@Lindsey, I'm finding the birth order comments interesting. I've been thankful lately that I am the baby of my family because I feel like I can relate to my own baby in a way that nobody else does. Everybody just assumes she's the baby and she wants to get her way. . . but I know what it's like when everybody is older and doing their own thing, and usually that thing is something the baby can't do.
@Rose,
I lost my brother in a car accident too, when I was 9. He was 21. I’m so sorry no one talks about your brother anymore. How painful that must be.
Thanks, Kristen. It destroyed my happy family. My mother, who was generally cheerful and happy-go-lucky, was never the same. He would have turned 50 last December and it's a little hard to picture someone who died at 15 turning 50.
Plus, of course, it makes for always awkward conversations about how many siblings I have. Well, two now, but the youngest died, so.... etc. I did grow up in a family with four kids. Just a fact. Three of us now and my brother is mostly checked out. My dad is gone and my mom is paralyzed. Of course I envy your skiing trip pictures.
Oh, friend...that must be so hard. I am so sorry.
It has been a week filled with minor irritations that has left me feeling a bit negative. So I’m challenging myself to find three things to be thankful for. I’m so glad you do this exercise, Kristin.
1) I’m thankful for the lovely walk I had in the pouring rain with rescue pup. Every once in a while it feels great to put it in your outdoor gear and get out in the elements. I do feel invigorated. However, the dog is looking at me like I’m a bit crazy.
2) I’m thankful that I hired someone else to do my taxes. They ended up being much more complicated than usual so this year. It has saved me time and a little bit of my sanity even if it didn’t save me any money.
3) I’m thankful that the refrigerator has been stocked with yummy things so that I haven’t had to go to the grocery store. This is a blessing when there are a lot of different things happening and life is hectic.
Wishing everyone peace and good health!
- That I live near the ocean. Here for five years now, I expect to be thankful about it for the rest of my life. And should I ever forget? A quick walk on the beach, seeing the joy of the children playing in the waves should, hopefully, be all it takes.
- Soup. We've been attending weekly Soup Suppers during Lent, and the array of soups we've been enjoyed has been delightful. My turn to bring next week, and I'm a bit nervous as the bar has been set pretty darn high!
- Old friends. I treasure my long time girlfriends more each year, particularly this year as several of us (ahem!) turn 60. Our continued presence in each others lives is no longer a given, so I'm thankful for each and every get together.
- Basil, and really, all fresh herbs. I made pesto this week, and am appreciating the wonder of basil all over again. One of my meal prep delights is to go out and cut the herbs I'm using fresh from my yard. I grow oregano, rosemary, two types of thyme, two types of parsley, and mint (in a pot!). I'd grow more, but we are bunny central here, so I have to be careful of what I attempt to grow!
- Outshine frozen fruit bars. I have a pretty bad sugar addiction, but these popsicles are low enough in sugar I can usually stop at just one. Usually, LOL.
@Tamara R, So many lovely things in your post! I admire your friendships. I would like to be better about nurturing friendships - it doesn't just happen on its own. I have a sugar problem too - it's such a win to find something satisfying!
I'm thankful for the author of this blog still posting a gratitude list each week! I'm thankful that even. Though our house is not ready and we have to move sooner than expected, we have family that is willing to have us stay for a while. I'm thankful for my mother-in-law. She has been willing to haul my oldest to softball practice so my husband and I can continue working on our house without delay. I'm thankful we're building our own home and rediscovering what it means to work together. I'm thankful for my marriage. It's work, but it's worth it. I'm thankful my daughters are with us on this journey. I'm thankful to watch them grow and the opportunity to homeschool them. I'm thankful for the hard times because it does make the good times all the sweeter. I'm thankful that I get to wake up and make breakfast with my girls. It's all happening so fast, but I get to be here for the big and little things. I'm thankful for the opportunity to do better today than I did yesterday.
I am thankful for your blog! Really enjoying it and the topics seem to come at the right time for me!!! Thankful for a visit from my father in law! We have enjoyed the week with him, and after losing my MIL in September to Covid, I was thankful he came down and we get to spoil him a bit here in sunny Alabama while he and my husband and family are adjusting to life without her. Thankful for my family and children. So far they are taking life by storm, and I am super proud. Life is so precious. Thankful for every second
The pictures are lovely. Walking in the woods is one of my favorite things to do, and one of the things I meditate on when I need to calm down.
1. Kristen you are a sweet aunt, and you reminded me of something to be thankful for. When I was young, my parents spent years struggling to pay huge medical bills after my mother was permanently medically harmed (back when malpractice suits were unheard of) so money was extremely tight. I had two never-married aunts who would surprise my siblings and me with new clothes, cute costume jewelry and other items. Two other aunts, married with kids, sent us seasonal boxes of very nice clothes that were outgrown by their kids. My mother sewed for us, but she couldn't keep up with our needs all the time, so those gifts were blessings. Aunts are awesome! I feel very thankful to have had some great ones.
2. I usually dislike the very sandy, poor soil in my yard, but with the really heavy rains we've had recently, I can actually say I am thankful to have soil that drains easily.
3. I'm thankful to have won a $100 gift card for completing a survey.
4. I'm thankful that DH's physical therapy is continuing at his ALF and that he hasn't refused it so far.
5. I'm thankful for the neighbors who brought me church potluck leftovers of roast beef and gravy, which I've pulled out of the freezer and had last night, and will have again today.
Thankful that our kitchen countertops are being installed on Friday and I can finally unpack our kitchen!!! Hooray! I have never been so excited to use real dishes and then wash them in my life.
Thankful for my husband who pitches in with my son and whatever else there may be to do so that I can turn in early on days when I am truly exhausted.
Thankful that we have some sunny days ahead. Rain is a blessing but my oh my we have had a lot of it lately and I need some dry days so that we can get the back yard cleared and drainage system put in.
Thankful that the completion of the kitchen will result in a big reduction in the number of boxes still in our home and more organization over all. I am much happier in an organized space than a cluttered one.
Thankful that we will have Easter Sunday together as a family - my husband has always had to work so this is a wonderful blessing.
I started meditation this week using "Great Meditation" on YouTube and WOW! What a wonderful, guided meditation resource. It's geared towards women and I love that the 10 minute sessions are perfect for my quiet mornings.
I'm grateful I have quiet mornings. I love being up early, just me and the kitties, and journaling, meditating, and watching the world wake up.
I'm grateful I got through Tuesday's slightly aggravating meeting and set a fair price, I think, for the revisions my client wants. I'm pretty proud of myself for reminding the client that you can't wait a month to ask for revisions and think I haven't already finished the project...
I'm so grateful for a house stocked with lots of good food. I love to cook but I am not much of a menu planner, so having plenty of things to chose from here means I'm not stuck running in the store everyday.
Very very very grateful for counseling. Having a person whose whole job is to listen to ME and help ME figure out ME is so wonderful!
I also offer my decluttering organizing skills to others in my circle. It is usually physical work which I like and I love to do it. My specialty has become horrible insane basements!
Thankful for
Rain
Not ice
This blog
My faith
Light in the evenings after supper
@Stephanie, If you move to Fairbanks, call me! We have a basement that needs an overhaul!!!
@Stephanie, I second every single thing you put on your thankful list!!
I'm headed back to work on Monday *sniff!* and reminding myself of everything I have to be grateful for:
1. My job and our union*. Resident doctors are way more protected now than in my parents' generation. I was allowed to take a lot of time away from the program and have my job protected. I even continued to receive a large portion of my salary! My profession has become much friendlier to women over the years, and more humane in general.
2. Our federal and provincial parental leave benefits. My husband is now going to take leave, allowing our baby to spend her first year of life with her parents.
3. My baby! She's healthy, happy, and just the best little person in the whole wide world (in my totally unbiased opinion lol)
4. Having local family. It has been so wonderful to be near my parents, sibling, and aunt and uncle. I had so many people helping me in the first few months as a new mom.
5. My grandma got to meet my baby! No one in my family ever knew their great-grandparents until my generation started having kids. Modern medicine and increased longevity is a wonderful thing.
*Not actually a union because we aren't allowed to unionize but it's a "professional association" that functions almost like a union.
Oof, yes, when I went back to my part-time piano teaching after my babies were born, it was a tough adjustment. But I did always find that the dread of The Thing was worse than The Actual Thing, if that makes sense. Like, once I got back into the routine of working again, it was ok.
I hope your transition back is as smooth as possible.
@Kristen, I'm stealing the line "the dread of The Thing was worse than The Actual Thing." I'm a world-class procrastinator because I dread doing certain things, mainly those that require me to get my big-girl panties on and deal with finances, insurance, utilities, etc.
But, possibly energized by the return of daylight to these parts, I am kicking butt and taking names this week. In addition to rolling over my 401(k) from work as described in Tuesday's FFT, I am preparing to disconnect our old home phone # and notifying all the people and agencies that need to be notified of the change. Two long-overdue changes--and I'm thankful to be making them. (Also thankful to have a 401(k) to roll over in the first place.)
Finally, in addition to the increased daylight, spring is busting out all over here. A male goldfinch who's starting to molt into his bright gold spring/summer wardrobe just showed up on my bird feeders next to a brilliantly red male cardinal. Joy!
And @Meira@meirathebear, I'm glad for all your good baby and job news, even though I'm sure going back to work will be tough at first. And how great that your husband can take leave for the rest of this first year!
@Meira@meirathebear, AMEN to your comment about increased longevity. My most beloved grandmother died at 99 and 11 months. I got to have a grandma around into my 50s! It was such a blessing; I miss her still.
@A. Marie, I am so bad at "life admin," as it's called, because my husband does so much of it, that I ordered a book by Elizabeth Emens on how to do it better. In the best tightwad tradition, it's a used copy.
I do not have a particularly happy thankful Thursday because we heard today that a teammate of ours passed away last night. And it came as a complete shock. I am happy and thankful that I got to know this person, but I'm personally feeling the sting in this because I was just getting to know her better.
This is one time as a telecommuter that you wished you worked in an office so you can get a physical hug from a different teammate to make you feel better. Cyber hugs are not cutting it today for any of us.
But it does make me thankful that she was part of our team for a few years and she enjoyed everyone and loved to help everyone. She loved to chat with people even if it was thru the office communications that we use. She was a very positive person and always took the time to say Thank you and that she appreciated our team. I always told her how thankful I was that she worked with us too.
Oh, Maureen. I am so sorry to hear of your loss! Big hugs to you.
I love that you took the opportunity to express your thankfulness to her while she was still here; what a blessing that must have been to her!
I am thankful that it is dry out today and tonight my husband and I will go for a walk.
I am thankful I went out for tea last night with friends.
I am thankful that even though gas is expensive now I can afford it.
I am thankful I am working today.
I am thankful to be part of this online community.
I'm thankful for the company where my child goes to speech therapy and how much they care for kids. My husband's employer switched health insurance companies this month and my son's care got denied. I don't know if it's because they deny what they can the first time or if they have a wrong diagnosis, but by the time I got the letter and called our billing person, they were already aware and working on it. When my son went for his appointment this week they told me that they're writing an appeal letter on his behalf. I'm so thankful that they're taking care of this (I feel confident that once the insurance company has the correct diagnosis it'll be covered) and I don't have to stress or worry about it.
Thankful ds was approved for an apartment with two college buddies. He graduated last year and this is the next step in adulting. It's a verrrry nice place too.
Ds2 is happy living at home during his junior year of college. He's a great help and just fun to talk to.
That dh is trying a new med and having some success.
That gas has gone down a few pennies and not up. Every bit helps.
That Lindsay helps people with insurance. I'm not a pro, but after a stroke, 4 week hospital stay with a heart Cath and 6 bypass heart operation, and all of the ancillary Dr. visits that come from that, I've figured most of it out by myself. What I would've coins for a Lindsay!!
@Jennifer, And I wish I were there to help you! Insurance issues make recovery so much harder because of the worry. What a load you had, with all those health hits!!
@Lindsey, You know, it's one of those I can be grateful for now because, as you can attest, it's great knowledge to have. Sorry I spelled your name wrong.
So many things for which to be thankful, and that's a blessing in and of itself.
This week of thankful for me includes:
Really good health insurance. I've encountered some health issues lately and my insurance is kicking in.
Really good supervisor at work. He's an awesome person and even a more awesome supervisor. (Or is he a great supervisor because he's an awesome person?) I'm grateful for his support, leadership, and that I'm a part of his team.
SPRING! The days are longer, the grass is getting greener, and the trees are beginning to bud and open. Hostas and Bleeding Hearts are coming up by the second. We're in snap of cooler temps again, but I'm so loving and appreciative of the days when the sun is shining and the temperatures are warm.
That grocery shopping no longer freaks me out. Used to be--when we were on food stamps--that grocery shopping was so very stressful. I always worried about not having enough food stamps to get the food we needed. Many years later, I buy what I want, and even with the increased prices at the grocery store, it's not a stressful event for me.
Kristen, I enjoyed reading about your niece. I love nothing more than helping people organize and decorate their homes or businesses and revamp their processes - and leaving something better than I found it. It is easy and fun for me and I'm thankful that I was born with these gifts. The physical exertion is great, too, and as I age I'm more apt to accept others' help with moving heavy stuff. (Once I read that not accepting help, etc. from others is selfish, I now say yes to so many more things.) The only payment I accept is food and drink while I'm there. It's funny that my "client" and I always think we're each getting the better end of the deal!
I'm thankful
-it's spring(last night was such a lovely, warm night)
-that my family doesn't care that I make weird, scraped-together meals
-for sweet lemons (have you ever had these? They're SOO refreshing)
-that we're getting together with friends this weekend. We've missed them.
-that my mammogram came back normal
-for a parent's love. I'm on both the receiving and giving end and both are beautiful
Somewhat jealous of your gas prices, Kristen. Ours are still over $4/gallon. I'll make an effort to turn this into a positive .... thankful we can afford the price increase.
Thankful my husband and I were able to get in a good hike on Monday before our weather turned damp and icky.
Thankful my daughter had the fun experience of participating in Honors Band yesterday and that we could enjoy the concert in the evening. These kids are pulled by their band teachers from multiple districts and while they receive the music a couple of months ahead of time, they only practice together for one day before they perform, and I'm always amazed at what wonderful music they make.
I'm struggling lately with being frustrated by being low-censused at work .... but it has given me extra time to do things like visit a friend who had surgery and take a meal to a delightful couple from our church (they are both in their 90s and have been married over 70 years!), both of which would be harder to pull off with a busier schedule. I guess these are my "boring" skills.
Thankful the covid numbers are low enough that I feel safe (or safer ... ) in getting a gym membership. I have missed going to the gym these last 2 years and find that I am more challenged and less likely to be bored by adding that into my workout routine. Our weather isn't nice enough yet to consistently get outside so this is helpful.
Thankful that the robins are back here in central Wisconsin. I have been watching for them, and finally saw my first a couple of days ago.
Thankful that, while it is dreary and cloudy outside today, it is warming up and starting to look a bit more like spring.
Thankful that I got together with a good friend and had a great day together last week just visiting local shops. We were super careful and didn’t see each other much when the omicron virus showed up, so now we are going to make up for lost time.
Thankful for a pantry and freezer full of food after grocery shopping yesterday, so I have lots of choices for meals for the next few weeks.
Thankful for frequent conversations and texts with my sisters….there were some hard feelings and difficulties at times amongst the three of us after my mom passed away a few years ago, but we have put a lot of that aside and are really supporting each other now. This is what my mom wanted for us.
Being thankful is easy this week because
My 6 y.0. finally got his talker in! It has access to however many words he wants (rather than the 32 he was stuck with for a whole year. Can you imagine being given only 32 words for a year??) He's only allowed to use it at school until he can prove that he can use it well so that insurance will pay for it, but we are so excited for him to have a larger voice!
My daughter has a 504c (a binding agreement that places joint responsibility on parents, child, and teaching staff to enact accommodations to compensate for her hearing loss) She's at a small private school and the two that helped us get the 504 in place both have extensive experience with Deaf and hearing impaired individuals, which I find to be highly unusual and fortuitous.
I am thankful for the extra hour of daylight. It is really helpful to be able to do yardwork after work.
I am thankful that spring is here and warm weather is on the way. (We have a big problem with our furnace and think we should be able to ride out the rest of the cold days with an oil-based room heater. Not having to make a decision right away about repairing or replacing a very old furnace is nice.)
I am very thankful that a rodent control specialist is coming today to help us create a plan to deal with the rat infestation in the attic.
I am thankful for a friend who brought a succulent (which I hope will live). The beauty of flowers is so encouraging.
I am thankful for the extra money we earned this week from a medical study we are participating in.
@Rebekah in SoCal, oh those darn rodents! Fought them for years in my old house, finally dealt with egress and then trapped the remainders that were inside. YUCK and more yuck, it is the old evidence that I still come across in my ongoing sorting that reminds me to be thankful that finally we cemented in all the holes.
As for the furnace, I highly encourage you to consider a heat pump. I replaced my gas furnace with one (and replaced the gas water heater with a skookum heavy duty insulated electric water heater that looks like a WWII bomb, at the same time). Hard for me to compare bills as we did a solar panel install at the same time, however I am certain that heating our home is less expensive, and last summer with our 'heat dome' that was unbearably hot, I had air conditioning for the first time in my life. it is an investment that you will be grateful for, if you can manage it.
Kristen - reading about you helping out your niece makes me want to drive four hours to help my niece out with her home now that she's a single working mother.
It's been kind of a rough week so I am thankful for this weekly post because it makes me stop and appreciate what is good in my life.
I am thankful that my husband has helped out with cooking this week. I have not felt well so it has been nice for him to take care of me
I am thankful for my long time girlfriends. Life would be so difficult to navigate without their love, guidance, and support.
I am thankful that our son's yearly checkup went better this year than last and he no longer requires one medication.
I am thankful that the company that replaced our damaged kitchen floor has agreed that it was not installed properly and they will have to replace it, again. I will be much happier when I don't fret about the unevenness of the floor every time I walk into the kitchen.
I am thankful for our dog, even though she's not a cuddly and loving as I would like. She still eagerly greets me when I get home from work each day and is just so happy and wants to play all the time.
1. I am so very thankful for a new medication that replaced two old meds. One of the old medications made me hungry 24 hours a day and bloated my face and body. After they put me on this, I lost 36 pounds in a month, mostly water. I feel much better, I am not constantly hungry, and I look like myself again.
2. I had an old rose bush that I thought was dead after spending all winter in the garage (roses will not survive our winters, so you have to dig them up and bring them indoors and store them in a cool place for the winter). I set it in water for 24 hours and suddenly shoots were coming up like crazy. I put it under a gro-light and it kept getting taller and taller. We are still having below freezing temperatures, so it cannot be put outside until June 1st or so. It is now sitting in the bathtub in our spare bathroom, with the grow light hanging from the shower rod. Well, today one of the buds bloomed! And there are other buds getting ready to bloom. Fresh roses in March!
3. Fish, I am really thankful for fish. I love them all, the taste, the texture, the versatility...
4. The library.
5. My teenage helper. He is very introverted and is refusing to go anyplace except to our house because he "feels sorry for old people." His mother has offered to pay us to have him come over and work, on the sly so he does not know, because she is so worried about him isolating himself. Luckily, we don't have to make work for him because after 90 inches of snow, we have a lot of snow removal chores. My husband has also used him to do various indoor chores and while they work together, they chat. His doctorate is in psychology and he was once a family and child therapist, so he is really kind of counseling him. The teen years are so hard, especially for kids who don't quite fit in the social scene.
@Lindsey, Roses in March indeed! And in your bathtub - LOL! How exciting!
@Lindsey, how marvellous that you have a teen in your life who benefits from your visits (and against whom you hold no judgement for the old people label!). That your husband has projects to work on with him, that you have snow for him to throw his young frustrated confused anxious body at and see a positive result, and that your relationship with his mom is one of love filled co-conspirators ? Blessings indeed. THIS story has lifted my heart today
Kristen,
This California resident thinks you should be very thankful for the gas prices you are paying now. Our prices are close to $6/gallon.
@Rebekah in SoCal, Yep. I just saw premium at $6.15 in Orange County.
Oh yes, I am so thankful that it's not so bad here. I can't imagine paying $6!
The past 11 days I've been SICK, so this week I'm thankful for...
1. My doctor - she keeps a certain number of appointment doors open every day for people who need to see her immediately. None of the, "I have a sinus infection but I can't get in to see my doctor for 2 weeks" nightmares so many of my friends have.
2. Antibiotics.
3. Good medical insurance. Just a $20 copay for the office visit and $5 for my antibiotic.
4. My husband. He ran out and bought a handful (!) of new cheap digital thermometers when the one I could find didn't work. Now they are strategically distributed throughout the house - LOL!
5. Finally being able to sleep horizontally. I was "sleeping" sitting upright several nights because when I'd lie down, my sinuses would drain and make me cough and cough and cough. It's exhausting!
6. For my comfortable bed and pillows.
7. That I'm finally improving, even though I'm not yet WELL.
I think Lisey is so brave for going to work in a male-dominated field! I think it would be very intimidating. I'm proud of her!!
Did I miss some news about your daughter? Last I heard, she was far away in airplane school.
Oh yes, she is still away at school. But now that she is past the electrical part of the program, she's got some more time on her hands, and so she's working a part-time job on top of school.
Thank you for continuing to keep this series going. I love it!
This week, I'm thankful for:
1) Gorgeous weather, particularly after getting soaked at a soccer game on Saturday.
2) For having a lovely backyard/patio area, for enjoying said weather
3) For my Kindle. I do pay for the unlimited, because my local library is tiny, & I'm happy to help authors make a little money. I get more than my money's worth & am a voracious reader.
4) For Marco Polo (it's an asynchronous video chat app). I have one chat group with my sister & BFF, and one with my parents & sister. We started it during COVID, and are so much more connected than we used to be! It's lovely, and a great way to be in touch, even when everyone is busy.
5) I'm a little melancholy about going back to the office in person, so I'm reminding myself that a) I'm only going in 3 days/week & am thankful for the additional day at home, and b) I had two glorious years of unexpected working from home in my career.
I am thankful that I don't have to drive very much because I mostly work from home. Gas is over $7 a gallon in some places around here. It hasn't been below $4 here since the early days of the pandemic when nobody was driving anywhere.
As always, I’m thankful for your blog, Kristen, and of course you know I love your photos which accompany your words.
I’m thankful for my vision. I don’t take for granted the fact that I’ve had excellent ophthalmologists since I was 18 months old.An optometrist had told my mother that I’d be blind by age 12 so she started taking me to an ophthalmologist who had a different prognosis than the first dr. So I’m thankful for my mom’s decision to get me better help and thankful that even now in my 60’s I have pretty good vision with glasses. I truly appreciate anyone in any of the medical fields who is skilled and compassionate ( kudos, Kristen, for all the work you’re putting into becoming a nurse!You’ll be an excellent one!).
I’m thankful to have stayed in touch with a dear high school friend. She and I are both artists and we spur each other on in creative endeavors. We also pray for one another and commiserate over some of life’s challenges.
I’m thankful I was available to help one of my sisters through a very difficult recovery from a fall and subsequent surgery.
I’m thankful we were able to help my daughter find a used car to replace her last used car that she wrecked last fall. And I’m glad she had the money to buy the car.
Kristen, thank you for all the frugal tips you and your readers share. But thanks also for other posts like this one. There are so many things in life that can bring us down. Your posts are so uplifting!
No matter how busy my days are, I always take time to read your posts.
I am thankful my husband took the day off with me to bring our son into the city for a doctors appointment. Navigating that alone in the rain would have been nerve-wracking for me.
I am thankful for good medical care close to home.
Our school is donating money to a children’s hospital in Ukraine. I am thankful I work at school that teaches children to care for others.
I am thankful that my first graders love to sing and dance. School would be boring if we didn’t sing and dance.
Despite, the typical cold and flu, my children have stayed healthy without masks at school.
* Enjoy your cheap gasoline! Here in Canada, I pay (equivalent) 6.97$/gallon at the moment. Yuck
My 5 TT:
* Having a car and the means to pay for it (insurances, gas, permit, etc)
* Seems like hubby will be getting a good chunk of money for a legal settlement
* Having finished both end-of-trimester papers
* A good mariage
* Great kids 🙂
I’m thankful to be on spring break!
I’m thankful my crafting girls are coming for the day. It’s my side hustle, and we’ll spend the day creating and having fun.
I’m thankful for our new kitten! We lost all three of our furry family members in the past year and a half, which has been rough. But this little guy is funny and sweet and filling a hole in our hearts.
I’m thankful for light into the evening. It’s been a long, hard winter (for everyone, I think), and this feels exceedingly welcome.
I’m thankful for a city filled with blossoming trees. It’s still pretty cold, but they are doing their level best to remind us it’s spring and surround us with beauty.
When I was in my mid-twenties (many years ago ;)) I worked at a tile dealership. We sold ceramic tile to tile contractors, who mostly worked for building contractors, installing tile in new construction homes. We had a showroom of sorts where people could choose their tile. It was nothing like tile showrooms today. And we had a warehouse in the back where we wheeled around on a forklift, loading massive pallets of tile onto contractor's trucks. I've always been interested in home building and found the job overall really interesting, but I was the only female there -- all my coworkers were men, all the contractors were men, all their helpers were men. It was a WHOLE THING. And something tells me that sexism in that kind of environment hasn't gone away in the last 25 years. Props to Lisey for doing something she loves and props to her current coworkers for behaving as people should.
And this week, I'm thankful for lots of things, but especially for you, Kristen. Yours is a unique and welcomed and loved voice in the blogging space and I'm grateful for your willingness to share your kind heart and your vulnerability.
Aww, that is such a sweet compliment. Thank you!!
And I will tell Lisey about your work story. 🙂
For cousins and family. My kids had their cousins over for make your own pizzas and a play date and they all had a really nice time, even stuck inside in the cold.
For a couple days of warm weather last week. It only lasted a day or two but it was really nice to get outside and enjoy some nice weather.
For modern medicines. We were over to my brother & sister in laws for a birthday party and I am so allergic to dogs, they have two. But I was able to take some Zyrtec and use my albuterol inhaler and I feel almost 100%. What a relief that is!
For our house. The housing market is crazy by us right now and I feel bad for people trying to buy right now. We bought ours back when the market was low and we have a very manageable mortgage. Our house is old and full of things that need updating so it is easy for me to get caught up in the negative things. But really such low housing costs are a huge blessing.
Grateful for my son’s enthusiasm for mushroom hunting. I have recently gotten into it and my older son seems to really enjoy it too! It is a fun free activity to do together.