Thankful Thursday | I have a handmade quilt!
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic.
Hey there, friends! It's Thursday, and you know what that means: time for some thankfulness.
This week, I am thankful:
for the quilt my aunt made
My grandma (the one who made my favorite sweet rolls!) had started a flour sack quilt years ago. Then she had four boys and apparently never got back around to finishing the quilt. Understandable, I'd say.
So, my aunt, who is an avid quilter, finished it and decided to give it to my sister and me, since we are the only girl cousins.
(There were originally four girl cousins on that side of the family, including my sister and me, but sadly, my two girl cousins both passed away, one in an accident and one from cancer.)
We haven't quite figured out how we will go about sharing the quilt, but for now, Sonia has adopted it because she loves quilts and vintage things.
My aunt uses a machine to sew the pieces together, but then she hand quilts the whole thing, so this is a serious labor of love.
that I got to see my aunt and uncle this week
I haven't seen them in several years, and I was delighted to lay eyes on them when I went to pick up the quilt.
that my littlest niece is not afraid of me anymore
Remember the one who called me Aunt Kitchen? Well, she was very randomly terrified of me when I saw her at the pool recently.
Like, so scared she was screaming!
And I have no idea why.
So, I sent her some video messages (I am less dangerous through a screen at least) over the course of a few days, and we chatted about Mickey and Minnie Mouse, which seemed to help thaw things a bit. And when I dropped a birthday balloon at her house this week, she was not scared, and she even showed me her new purple toy phone.
Whew.
I don't like to make people scared, especially cute three year olds.
for cooler weather
I am so very happy that we've been having weather in the 80s instead of the 90s!
that Lisey gets to transfer work places
Her boss moved locations and he's got an opening for her, which is very good because there's been a seriously problematic coworker at her current location.
that Sonia's all set for college classes
I always forget how many steps there are to get a new student signed up, but I'm glad we've got it all done.
Next semester will be a piece of cake in comparison, since she'll already be a student.
that we get to do allergy shots every 3 weeks now
We're two years into this process, so now we have a year of three-week intervals, then a year of four-week intervals, and then she's finally done!
This is much easier than that first period where we went twice a week.
for the brightness of summer light
The days are definitely getting shorter, but still, my house is so much brighter now during the day than it is in the winter months.
for so many cousins
I have 28 cousins (I had 31, but I've sadly lost three) and my kids have 15.
I know a lot of people only have a handful of cousins, so I feel rich to have so many, and I feel like my kids are rich too because of this.
1. My living room is finished, and it's so much brighter with the dark wood gone and popcorn ceiling removed.
2. I remembered about precut fabric I have from my husband's grandmother that I can use to quickly make a quilt. I am excited to get started because I haven't had a good quilting project in a year.
3. Weather is cooler with much less humidity!
4. My daughter is doing an online version of the blended school (2 days school instruction, 3 days home instruction) she attended last year, and the administration and teachers have been so gracious and kind as we all figure everything out. This is such a change from another district I've worked with as a parent. Kindness and graciousness go a long way to make learning fun for children and parents alike.
5. Friends who brought a surprise lunch for kids during a brutal migraine flare-up.
1. We had a safe trip to take our youngest to college.
2. Both of my children are, at the present time, able to attend live (masked, and distanced) classes.
3. A dear friend survived a crazy accident with non-life threatening injuries.
4. My husband and I are both still working at jobs we both enjoy.
5. We are so very blessed to have a cozy home, and not be in need of any supplies. We are so very grateful for health and "enough".
6. I am thankful for your blog, and for all the people who keep the comments pleasant!
Beautiful quilt!
I'm thankful for:
-A new puppy...okay this morning after being up with him during the night, I admit I was not thankful. But I am thankful because our son has wanted one for a long time. I also hope this will be a great opportunity for him to learn how to raise a dog responsibly.
- Coffee
- Nice rain today
- Beans from our garden paired with rice for a frugal lunch.
- My kids still on summer break. We'll start back up on homeschool in a few weeks.
- God helping me change my bad grumbly attitude about the puppy.
Toddlers are so fickle, aren't they? Our son is 2 and he is afraid of some of his older cousins for no reason at all. They are very tall and much older as they are 15 and 16. But still, they are gentlest kids. We saw the oldest cousin last week and Paul literally started crying when his oldest cousin just looked at him and smiled! My nephew tried so hard to get Paul to warm up to him to no avail. When we got back from our week at the lake, I asked him if he missed my parents and he said he missed them and his (younger) cousin Matthew who is 12 and then he said, "I don't miss James. I scared of James." Hopefully he gets over that soon, though!!! I'm glad you got your niece to warm up to you! It's tough when little kids are scared of you - it makes you feel bad even though you know it's nothing you are doing!
I'm thankful for the lower humidity we are experiencing here in MN. We had the hottest, most humid month of July and it got old really fast. Now it's sunny with low humidity and I'm back to loving summer! I am pregnant (24 weeks) so especially sensitive to heat and humidity since I'm carrying around extra weight!
Aww, I hope he warms back up to them soon!
July was crazy hot and humid here too; oddly, August has been much better. I'm so relieved.
Wow! I only have 2 first cousins, and I'm not close with them. I'm also an only child. My family is very small.
My family is so small, too. I’m
an only child, too. I had one first cousin, but he was KIA in Iraq. My three kids have no cousins. I’ll never be an aunt. I hope my kids have lots of kids so they will have cousins. Treasure your families. I am very thankful for the family members that I do have.
That's how one of my cousins died; a truck loaded with explosives drove through his military checkpoint in Iraq and my cousin did not survive the blast. I'm sorry you lost your cousin too!
I thankful for a two week break from watching my grandson...I've been watching him 30 to 40 hours during covid.
I'm thankful that I am strong enough to watch a 2 yr old 30 to 40 hours a week. 🙂
I'm thankful to get my master bathroom painted
I'm thankful that my family is healthy & working.
That's a big job that you are doing; I'm sure you are a huge blessing to his parents!
My ONE cousin moved to my city/state 2 years ago. Very thankful for her! My ONE sibling lives 16 hours away. Also thankful my seeds started well this month, and we'll have a good winter garden (Florida...)
Oh wow; that is definitely a small family circle. Which probably makes you really value the family you have...they are especially precious.
I have never thought about it really but I am also thankful for many many cousins.
I am thankful for cooler weather.
I am thankful that my very sore foot does not hurt while riding my bike.
I am thankful for my pets!!
I am thankful for your blog!
I had the most wonderful night last night. I saw a beautiful rainbow on the way to dinner. Then I got to watch children laughing and playing whilst eating in the car for date night at a local drive up. A quick trip to the park for fishing, one gorgeous fish and we spotted one heron flying over the river with his long legs behind him. Then, on the way home, we spotted a juvenile red fox! All of this five minutes from home in our sweet little town/connecting town. 🙂
What a beautiful quilt! So much history and family love in it.
This week I’m thankful for
1) Finally feeling well enough after ankle surgery that my hubby can move back into bed with me. So weird to not have him sleeping next to me after 13 years of him being there.
2) That our first week of homeschooling this year has gone by without a hitch. 5 years into this adventure and we are finally getting into a groove
3) That we are getting to purchase my husbands Granny’s property. It’s been in the family for 61 years and now that she’s passed it means the world to us that we are able to keep it in the family even longer.
4) Because if said property my kids will get to know what being a kid in the country is like. There’s nothing quite like it.
- for my husband and all the grace, love, and support he gives me. Oh, and for the chocolate he stashes away for me for times when things get dire
- for two sets of friends who dropped by last night with things for me they knew I'd like - some books to read and a mat for under my son's wheeled chair in his room that's starting to damage the already crummy flooring(they were offered things in an office that was closing and know I'm always good for rehoming stuff)
- the USPS
- long, long baths.
That's a lot of cousins!! My kids only have 2 and will probably only ever have 2, which makes me kinda sad.
My list:
I'm thankful that we're less than a week away from my oldest starting school in-person again.
I'm thankful for the generosity of others. The lady who co-founded both the company my husband works for and the school my daughter attends passed away yesterday at age 99. Her generosity and legacy is incredible and I'm thankful that she and her husband had such a passion for helping others and sharing Christ.
I'm thankful that my kids played outside for 3 hours this morning without fighting, used their imaginations, and cleaned up without a fuss.
I'm thankful that my tomatoes and green peppers are coming in well.
I'm thankful for coffee.
Oh, and I don't know if the timing of your niece's fear matches up with this or not, but after quarantine my youngest was terrified of everyone outside of my family, my parents, and my neighbor. This included people who were in our life on a very regular basis pre-pandemic. She does much better now, but it definitely took some time. 3 months of quarantine is a long time when you're so little.
I'm quite envious of having so much family. I only have two first cousins and zero contact with either (one is living far away and decided for political reasons to stop talking to most of the family and the other is living in a home due to being mentally impaired.)
My daughter only has two cousins (and one is a newborn) but she does have a few second cousins.
AS for me ...
I'm thankful that I don't know any sick people still.
That my kid is not starting school in the autumn. I feel like this year is going to traumatize so many kids and I'm happy that she's in a "normal" pre-school environment. We had tried to get her into the local Christian school but that closed so we are now trying to figure out our options.
That I'm getting the hang of our Instant Pot. It's nice to be able to get dinner ready so quickly and honestly, I'm thinking it may get the spot the slow cooker had and that can get put away.
This is minor and dumb but I got some magnetic USB cables and I'm really liking them. They remind me of the old "Magsafe" connectors on older Macs.
That I still have a good job, savings etc.
I LOVE my magnetic charging cable on my Mac; it's so easy to seat, and if you accidentally pull on it too hard, no harm no foul; it just pops off. Such a great design.
I hope your daughter becomes good friends with her cousins; the age difference feels huge now, but it will shrink as she gets older. Zoe doesn't have any girl cousins exactly in her age range, but now that she and her cousins are teenagers, the ones who are five years older now feel like her peers. It's really great.
She gets alone well enough with the cousin who is two and half years younger than her. She just has a hard time that he is very much a rough and tumble boy and she's very much a girly girl. He has no interest in dolls and she's not really into making trucks smash and stuff.
I was glad that we had some local friends but since we haven't seen them since March they really haven't had any connection together.
I say take the win. I work in the room with all my books. The minor dumb bit is that the books are lined up straight and tall and are evenly lined up near - but on - the edge of the bookshelf. How minor and dumb can you get?
Nonetheless, it makes me happy pretty much every time I look up at my shelves.
WilliamB: Not minor or dumb in my book - no pun intended! (If those were my bookshelves, the books would also have to be arranged by size.) It's those seemingly little things that can inspire happiness and tranquility. Personally, I'm happiest after I have removed all the stickers from purchased fruit. I do wait until I get home from the store to do that 😉
I'm thankful for:
a bit cooler weather.
a full tank of gas. We are in a fire zone. We are currently safe.
free seedlings from the community garden where I volunteer.
Netflix party so I can watch things with my college daughter who lives a few hours away.
special orders on my Etsy shop. So fun to see what people want!
My dad had 42 cousins! I have 4. My son has 0.
1. Our wonderful fishing neighbor is moving to Washington state to be closer to his family. He is in his 80s and having trouble coping with the winters. He gave us a chest freezer FULL of salmon and halibut, a 50 pound bag of all purpose flour and two 10 pound bags of pearl barley. We tried to pay him but instead he asked that we mow his lawn and, if it does not sell, hire a kid to snow blow his walkway so the house does not look abandoned. We'll also be checking his mail to be sure nothing gets delivered by accident and making sure that the furnace is working so his house does not freeze up if it does not sell before freezing temps kick in. We really hate to see him move because he has been a great neighbor and has lived in Alaska for his entire life so has a lot of great stories of being a bush pilot. The food is a blessing, though.
2. Thankful that the garden is still producing even though night time temps are going into the low 40s. Lots to eat, so spending only on milk and watermelon these past few weeks.
3. I found an old diary I kept in my 20s, when I lived in a log cabin with no electricity or water. Made me thankful all over again for central heating, an indoor toilet, a stove, a fridge, a dishwasher, water that comes out of a tap...and not having to chop wood to keep the fire going 24/7.
4. Watermelon
5. My cutting garden that keeps the rooms full of fresh cut flowers all summer long.
I just counted- 9 cousins on my mother's side and 24 on my dad's side- none have died. My kids have cousins on my side from age 17 to 54. People can't believe that when my oldest daughter tells them. I was 20 when my youngest sister was born (she has the 17 year old) - I'm the oldest of 6- and my husband's brother has the 54 year old. I have a lot of quilts my mom made- she gave all the grands at least one before she died. For years, I've contemplated making a Christmas quilt but that's as far as it has gone LOL.GS leaves Sunday for the dorm- I'm a little leery but he really wants to live there at least freshman year. You rarely mention Joshua- did he graduate?
This week I’m thankful for the Nextdoor App which has allowed me to give away unwanted plants and other random things, rather than tossing them in the trash can. For the a/c as it is HOT here in Houston. For great TexMex takeout making Sunday supper with the family delicious and not too expensive. For credit card travel insurance, because if AirBnB doesn’t refund me in full for our beach house cancellation due to impending bad weather, hopefully they will. For making it through another week in good health.
1. Thankful for air conditioning!!! It's been crazy hot here in the San Diego area (upper 90's & many, many of the older houses here have NO central AC. So thankful our rental home has AC.
2. Thankful that our power company has given us a discount on our bills due to my hubby earning a lot less since he's starting his own company.
3. Thankful for my job as a teacher aide at a nearby high school. The benefits are outstanding (no money taken out of my paycheck for health insurance for myself & y hubby.) What a wonderful blessing.
4.Thankful that I can work from home because we only have 1 car that is running & my hubby needs it for his work.
5. Thankful for a full freezer & a pretty well stocked pantry. Many, may folks are dealing with shortages of food.
6. Thankful that I don't have to bear the burdens of this life & I can rest in God's grace & mercy.
I miss seeing my cousins -- we used to all gather regularly with our families when our grandparents were alive. Now we are scattered and mostly see each other on Facebook.
Anyway - I'm thankful that the weather is rainy enough to keep the high heat down. It's still very humid, but at least it's not rainless yet humid and hot, as most of June and July were.
I'm thankful that my old upright freezer keeps chugging away, keeping stuff at 0 deg. F..
I'm grateful for dodging hurricanes -- so far -- this year.
I'm happy and thankful that yesterday I found a leaf that had turned red. It's quite early for it yet, but it seems there really will be fall.
While people are the most valuable to me, I'm still thankful for a few things - the little bowl that was my sweet grandmother's, my mother's maple rolling pin and the 1920's estate aquamarine ring that I splurged on years ago, which I wear every single day and it still makes me smile. My books that I love to read again and again, the 1950's blanket from my childhood home that I still use in cold weather, and the picture of my dad as a kid with a bad home haircut, overalls and Harry Potter glasses, long before J.K. Rowling was born.
I love taking Thursdays to count my blessings!
My mom just gave me her Aquamarine ring. It is a little big for my taste, I only wear my wedding ring, but you have inspired me to get it sized and think about wearing it, if I ever go somewhere other than Aldi and Walmart! haha
So lovely about the quilt! And such a wealth of cousins! Family - as long as you all get along - is the best!!
I'm thankful that we have a well so we can water our gardens and flowerbeds when it is so dry. Thankful for the birds and butterflies and wasps and bees, the frog living on the patio, and the toad in the flowerbed, the many birds and animals we see in our backyard. But maybe not the skunk.
For the freedom to get up and do what I want when I want (retired for nearly two years). That never gets old! Loved my job, but love my freedom more.
Thankful for your blog, which is always lovely to read, and always inspires. Thank you!!
1. Work that I enjoy. I have an easy part-time job, and I really like going in. I've had some not-so-great jobs in my life, so I have to remember to be thankful for it.
2. My kids. I was so nervous about the teenage years approaching, but now they're both well into their teens and I think they're both nice people.
3. The golden rule. I think there's so much truth in it. Whether it's customer service people, extended family members, other drivers, etc., I truly believe that people just want to be treated well, and it usually benefits everyone.
4. Modern medicine. I'm grateful that I was born in the time of antibiotics and other medicines that can help keep my family and me well.
I only have 2 cousins, but they are like sisters to me. This is an incredible blessing...
I’m thankful summer is nearly over ... July and August in Florida are soooooooo hot, and this year there has been no escape.
I’m thankful for cool swims, air conditioning, and ice water.
I’m thankful for my dear husband, good friends, beautiful children and sweet sister.
Like JD, I’m thankful that we have not had a hurricane. I do not want to deal with evacuations. That would be challenging in the time of Covid.
1. I am so thankful for the cooler weather this week. Our whole HVAC is getting replaced at the end of the month and the a/c was limping along but died for good almost two weeks ago. It was brutal there for awhile. It’s supposed to get hot again starting tomorrow but we have almost made it.
2. I am so so so grateful they are having special ed students doing in person learning when school starts even though general ed is all online. My daughter is globally delayed and cannot learn virtually...she cannot even work a computer by herself. I cried when they announced they could go to school. This also means she can get her other services PT/OT/speech.
3 I’m thankful for the bounty my little garden has provided and for the joy and peace gardening brings me. Every year I learn something new and even though inevitably one crop or another is a bust...another flourishes. I feel like there is a metaphor there lol.
1. The lovely internet connector man who gave me a call 20min before arriving, came on time, fixed everything well, & answered all my questions with patience
2. For God who rescued me & showed me today he saves the wicked who then he calls righteous - for this is a gift from God that no man may boast
3. I have a bed, a job, and food
4. I have co-workers who care for me & make me laugh
5. I have sisters who love me
I am so pleased that your adorable little one is no longer frightened by you. That must have been heartbreaking. Your quilt is so very beautiful. It is a true treasure. I know about shrinking families. I have lost two cousins and my brother. Love what we have while they are here.
I am thankful that my granddaughter, who was sent home from childcare this morning, is much brighter.
I am thankful for treats like ice blocks that help a little girl get extra fluid on board. Just imagine being dry and a cool treat does a few things to help you. I love the wonders of our modern age.
I am loving our end of winter weather. I dread the hot days to come. So I enjoy this weather while it lasts.
This might seem strange to some but our government runs a prescription scheme. I am on free medicines now so that is a saving of about $120 each four weeks.
I am thankful for a new and safer car. I was so worried about our old car and while the leather seats etc were fantastic there were engine and safety issues. It was sad to say good bye to that car but it was beyond my ability to look after it. I used to worry every time I drove the old car. It was a complex issue and I am so happy to feel safer.
Yay for a new, reliable car!
Hi
I really needed this thankfulness post today, Thank you. I will try to think of what we do have rather than what we don't.
1. That my boys are able to attend school in real life, and that they are coping well.
2. That despite my husband not being able to work for the past 5 months (he is in tourism) he is still positive, exercising and happy. This has also given us valuable family time.
3. We have a roof over our heads and food at night - many don't
4. We have loving friends, family and colleagues
5. During lockdown, I found that online yoga really works for me. I am the fittest I have ever been (not saying much but still :-)) and this has really helped my Plantar fasciitis and now I can enjoy long walks which I could not do before
That's so lovely that your husband still has a good attitude. Kudos to him!
Thankful Thursday (love this idea by the way)
*Happy kids who are healthy and friends with each other.
*Opportunity to be home full time with the family now for the past year.
* My first mini garden this summer. Best cucumbers ever!!!
I am a day late...
I am thankful it is Friday.
The last week was really good weather so many walks with the dog. We need rain though.
Spent some time with our neighbors who are having health issues.