Thankful Thursday | So glad it's not 2020!
As I was writing this post, I was remembering that we started this weekly practice in 2020, when the pandemic was making it very hard to feel cheerful about life.
For a million and one reasons, that time in my life was very, very challenging. But I got through it and I am thrilled to be here in 2023 instead. My life has improved by leaps and bounds.
Still, thankful lists are a helpful practice for me!
This week, I am thankful:
for a slight reprieve from the humidity
I know...my summer Thankful Thursday posts are basically me reporting on the humidity experience each week. 😉
One morning this week when I went for a walk, it was gloriously cool, with a delightful breeze of dry air.
The day before it had been oppressively humid, so the change was fantastic.
It made me happy to think that in another month and a half, we should have some drier air on a regular basis. I can't wait!
for beauty everywhere, even in parking lots
I took this picture in the parking lot by one of my walking trails; it's a reflection in a puddle.
This is one of the gifts that habitual photography brings, I think: that your eyes are always looking for beautiful things around you.
I know for sure that I did not notice things like beautiful light or tiny things in nature nearly as much before I got into photography as a hobby.
You know how I always say that paying attention to blessings helps you get into the habit of noticing those things more?
It's the same with photography; paying attention to beautiful things around you helps you get into the habit of noticing beautiful things around you!
for a trail with a breeze
On Monday, the air was SO thick with humidity, and I decided to drive to a nearby trail that is by the water. Deep in the woods, the air is still, but by the water, there's almost always a breeze.
Breezy humid air is always better than stagnant humid air!
for tiny flowers
Large flowers are lovely, of course, but I really love the teeny tiny delicate flowers too.
for my industrial fan
Now that we've had a long period of non-drought weather, the mosquitoes are back in full force.
So, when I work on furniture in my carport, I always have my big fan blowing on me. Mosquitoes are weak flyers, so as long as I stay in the breeze from the fan, I don't get bitten.
It requires some careful arranging of the furniture, the fan, and me, so that the fan blows on me but not on my fresh coats of paint.
But it's worth it to not be eaten alive. 😉
for Chiquita's antics, always
Every time I think she has explored all the nooks and crannies in this house, she finds more.
This week, she was trying to get behind the microwave!
I had brought a nightstand in to help it dry out (the air was so humid out, the wood was feeling kind of wet), so she climbed up on there and really tried to figure out how to jump up there and see what's behind the microwave.
for the calmness of Miss Shelly
She is as chill as Chiquita is crazy!
for a reliable car (always!)
This isn't new or different, but sometimes I sit and think about how thankful I am to have a car that has literally never had a mechanical problem.
Of course, it's needed maintenance and such, but it's never had something just break.
Three cheers for Toyota Siennas. 🙂
for the availability of free things
The internet is really to thank for this! When I was a kid, the only way to get free stuff was really by word of mouth.
Even secondhand stuff was much harder to come by. You could look at classifieds or search through The Pennysaver magazine, but the whole process was rather clunky.
But now there are Buy Nothing groups, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Thredup, etc., for free/cheap things.
Without the internet, it would have been way harder to furnish my house on the cheap!
for some extra muscle
I know I've mentioned before that when I left my marriage, I was not in a good mental headspace. For quite a few months after that, all I could manage was walking. A LOT of walking.
I'm not naturally a very muscle-y person, so when I wasn't lifting weights for a long time, I lost a lot of my muscle weight. (BOOOOO.)
But since I got back into the weight-lifting habit this year, I am a good fifteen pounds heavier than I was last summer, and I'm happy about that for multiple reasons.
I mean, it's good to be physically strong, of course. But the fact that I had the bandwidth to get back into some casual lifting is a good sign that my mental health is getting better.
Yay for some healing!
I hope that I will be able to keep this up, along with my walking habit, once nursing school starts. We shall see how much physical fitness I still have time for.
for beautiful mushrooms everywhere
I keep seeing more and more varieties as I walk; it's a nice result of the wetter weather we've been having!
You will probably get plenty of steps as a nurse in training!
I am so glad you are feeling your strength again. I wish you wind under your wings Kristin!
Actally cow parsley is probably my favourite wild flower. I absolutely love its delicate honey scent.
Thankfuls
- for this blog bringing about a string of beautiful memories: the cow parsley along the water, and the song Silent Noon by Vaughan Williams, and how we played the Lark Ascending on my mother's funeral, and how my mother used to look at us and joke with us, and many more memories and thoughts-
-for feeling capable in doing my job and household chores, even the less pleasant chores
-for a date night with my husband
-for creative ideas
-for interesting books. I've recently finished a book on primates by Frans de Waal and am now reading Oliver Sacks essays. I used to go for fiction only but reading "about things" is actually very rewarding and enjoyable. I suppose I like learning things -
I am recovering from Covid so very grateful for my vaccine and booster shots that reduced it to a severe head cold.
Thankful to my DH who made plenty of hot lemon and honey drinks and looked after me.
For having prepared freezer meals which we could use - I love my husband but I don’t want to eat steak and potatoes (his go-to meal ) when I’m sick.
For my father’s improving health in hospital.
I am thankful for modern dentistry. A small piece of a bottom tooth broke off on Monday morning. It was not visible, it was at the back of the tooth but by Tuesday afternoon our dentist had patched it up. It feels so much better and I am no loner worried about further breakage. I am thankful for our dentist as well. He took over for a long time dentist just as the pandemic hit and it has been an adjustment getting use to the practice (all the personnel changed) but we have come to appreciate it.
I am thankful for the lovely weather as well. Yesterday we had our windows replaced and it was pleasant with the A/C off and the windows out. I am thankful for new windows as well. The others were twenty five years and not not working very well any more.
I am thankful we did not have bad weather on Monday evening, as was forecast. We had a lot of rain and loud thunder and the electricity flickered when the storm started but we were lucky that was all we received.
I am thankful for all my usuals, HVAC, modern plumping, electricity, access to safe and easy to prepare food, refrigeration, etc.
I am thankful for DH.
Hi from the Holy Land! @Kristen I was thinking of you today and hope that your daughter isn't affected by the horrible fires in Hawaii.
This is the first time I'm commenting on things to be thankful for, but I really try and do a daily count of at least five things:
- I'm thankful that my daughter, who has been incredibly sick with a virus for nearly a month, is on the mend. It's totally messed up her summer plans, but I'm just grateful that she is getting stronger every day.
- For a family doctor who is our angel of earth. She went so far above and beyond her line of duty to care for my daughter, that no words can describe how blessed we are to have her in our lives.
- For air conditioning. August has been one long, long, long period of temperatures in the 100s. I would seriously not survive without it.
- For a fridge full of yummy produce. In this weather, I really have no inclination to cook (or eat cooked food). For most meals, I put a salad together with whatever protein is around. Sometimes I'll stick salmon or chicken breast in the air-fryer to use over the next couple of days in our salads. But for the most, it's cheese, tuna or an egg. Yay for a partner who loves fresh salads just as much as I do.
- For finally being offered a contract at the place I've been working at as a freelancer for the past year. In these uncertain times, I'm not taking it for granted, but it has offered me so much peace of mind. I hate being worried about finances!
- For this wonderful, kind community of like-minded people. I'm so far from all of you geographically and culturally, but I feel a natural kinship that's hard to explain. Thank you to our fearless leader Kristen for making this happen 🙂
@Talia, I was just reading about the Hawaii fires. So awful! I’m back to mask wearing at the grocery store and I don’t care if I’m the only one wearing one. My daughter, son-in-law and GD all have Covid in NY. They’re not real sick but isolating at home. I hope your daughter is careful and stays healthy. I’m one of the few Covid virgins I’ve met and at my age, NO! I’m 76.
@Talia, Hello from Florida USA. My husband and I visited Israel in September of 2019 (pre pandemic) and it's one of the highlights of our life!! A truly amazing and memorable experience.
Mercifully, she is on Oahu, so she is ok. I feel so terrible for all the people affected by the Maui fires though.
So glad you decided to hop in and participate! 🙂
@Kristen, i am so glad she is ok. i was worried but i figured something would be said sometime. love your photos. u are just so talented. am glad u r in a better place now. u deserve only good things.
@Nan,
I have a transplant so I have masked nonstop inside since 2020. I'm in Los Angeles and around half the people still mask in the grocery stores. I also volunteering at a large art museum and around a third of the visitors wear masks. It makes me feel more normal when I see other people in masks. Neither me or my husband have ever gotten covid either. We do fly quite a bit and unfortunately, we are always the only two people on the plane who mask. You are not alone!
Being strong really does feel good. I've never been in great shape; now that I'm hauling a toddler here and there and everywhere I'm the strongest I've been and it feels amazing. I can carry things! I can move furniture!
1. Brother B got married without a hitch. Weddings are always full of stresses and feelings but I am so grateful that it went well.
2. My new SIL is lovely, just the right kind of person for my brother, and selfishly for me to have a sister! 🙂
3. One of my elderly relatives slipped and fell, and while she couldn't attend the wedding she is recovering well.
4. We have had a cool summer. I don't do well in heat and humidity, but it really hasn't been bad this year.
5. I really like my extended family. This was illustrated to me when I was seated next to someone that wasn't super pleasant at an event, and I thought, aren't I lucky that this is unusual!
I plan on over-doing my thankfuls this week because I'm driving boy back to Minnesota next week, so I'll miss out on next week's Thankful Thursday.
This week I am thankful:
*for the second picture-- the small children of one of the families at church came carrying that exact plant into church. Their mother said that's growing all over their yard, and the kids have been obsessed with it. 🙂 I'm thankful for the kind of joy that children model for us.
*for adults who are kind and eager to help children. A man in the congregation was quick to help those children identify that plant/weed they were carrying around.
*that I was able to visit with two of my good friends this week. With one friend, I enjoyed a picnic with our children at a local park, and the weather was so cool and nice.
*that we weren't damaged while driving in the big storms on Monday.
*for my upcoming roadtrip. Time cooped up in a car with two of my teenage boys sounds wonderful to me. Especially since I'll be doing most of the driving! 😉 (Only partly just kidding.)
*that my husband is so capable with preserving things. While I'm gone, he will likely need to can green beans, tomatoes, and bird egg beans. He will also need to help with/oversee the picking and processing (snapping, shelling). He will also need to decide what to do with all the cucumbers. So much work!
*that my friend shared a bushel of peaches with me. I did pay for them, but it was only $10. I have been able to make lots of jam and a crisp so far. Today I will likely freeze the rest, but we were all out of jam and bemoaning the price of peaches before these seconds came into our lives.
*for capable kids. There's been so much work around here lately, and I don't know what I would do without them.
*for continued baby steps with my face.
*for the rain.
*that my college son is so excited to go back. That it seems willing to pare back what he is taking to college so that we can take our car instead of the giant van. The car is more fun and easier to drive. And easier on gas.
*for the mushrooms. Like you, my nephew is enjoying seeing and harvesting mushrooms (with help from others). You see, he's paralyzed from the neck down, and for quite a while he didn't get out of bed at all. Now he is enjoying life again. I can't tell you how happy that makes me.
Gaining back strength and mental health and healing - such a beautiful gift!
This week I'm thankful:
* also for the availability of free things on the internet. While we don't have a buy nothing group, we have something similar. Yesterday I listed our double sit and stand stroller (we're done with the stroller stage of life!) and it was out of my house and to its new owner in less than 45 minutes.
* on the heels of that... we took one of our first zoo trips with no stroller or wagon and we made it! I love, love, love babies and the baby stage, but there's beauty in each stage and this is one of the beautiful things about elementary kids.
* that I still have friends having babies and that they let me hold their tiny humans.
* for the ways my husband helps my parents. Man, my dad really lucked out with the guy that I married! He's spent a lot of time helping my dad with building things recently (like an extension on his chicken coop) when I know that my husband has things he'd like to get done at our house. But my dad is having some physical limitations right now and my husband is stepping in both to be helpful and an encouragement to my dad. I really appreciate it.
* that my husband's boss values and appreciates him.
* that my mom took the kids for a sleepover and I am enjoying a quiet, productive morning!
* for friends. After living here for 8 years and being in our awesome church community, I really feel like we just have a bounty of amazing friends.
You are so right about the internet and second hand/free things. It also makes giving away things easier I think!
At the same time, in the offline world in Scandianvia, some stores have started taking back their own kids' clothing and selling it second hand in the store. I love shopping there because the brands are usually high-quality expensive and as second hand much more afforable. (It also requires the stores to make decent clothing that will last which is good for the planet!)
Thank you for continuing this practice, Kristen! It’s so nice to take a few minutes to really think about what I’m thankful for.
-I’m never not thankful for having a washer and dryer in my house. It makes my life easier nearly every day and never ceases to seem like a gift.
-For clean, drinkable water. When we moved into our house a year ago, the well had been neglected and was growing bacteria, so we couldn’t drink the water for the first month we lived here. It’s such a good reminder to me still that clean water is really incredible.
-I’m also so thankful it’s not 2020 anymore. I was pregnant with my son 3 years ago and it’s been a very different experience being pregnant now in not-2020.
-For really lovely weather. Where I lived, June was all rain, July was heat and humidity, but August so far has been nearly perfect: sunny and in the 70’s.
-For having made friends in my new town. Life is so much better with friends to enjoy it with.
Thankful for a noticeable dip in temperature. Who knew there was such a difference from 93 to 103 degrees? And thankful overnight temperatures have drifted back down to the 60s, making the mornings so much more pleasant.
1) For this authentic blog, this practice and the progress and positivity you have shared with us - it is so encouraging and hopeful.
2) A recent family reunion that I attended that was delightful and well attended. Thankful for a cousin and his wife who put a great deal of thought and planning in to making it so and for my family to be able to enjoy it.
3) For good neighbors - we live in a rural area so not physically close - whose company we recently enjoyed for a dinner out. With caregiving duties the past 7 summers (we take that on to give another family member a few months of respite each year) my husband and I juggle our schedules so one of us is always home. As a result we rarely get an opportunity to both socialize at the same time together. Last night our son came over to allow us time out together with said neighbors and it was so nice to catch up.
4) A clean house - at least the first floor (ha) - and the time, energy and motivation to have accomplished a deep clean recently.
5) A garden that has been providing lots of fresh produce to use and share.
6) Exercise classes at a community center that are reasonably priced and for the talented instructors who lead them. That is not something I take for granted.
7) A wonderful library that provides so much more than just books.
I am thankful to be home from vacation. The house is fine and I can sleep in my own bed again. I am also thankful to hand the cooking back to my husband. I do the cooking on vacation and while I'm competent in the kitchen, his cooking is much tastier and elaborate though not very well-suited to understocked vacation kitchens, hence my role as understudy. I'm much more flexible and creative in less than ideal circumstances. For example, my mother showed up with steaks that I hadn't planned for and I created a marinade out of a blackberry seltzer, maple syrup, red wine and Italian dressing. I then wrapped them in bacon and grilled them along with my planned (ahem, preseasoned) burgers. They turned out delicious, but took some definite thinking outside the normal kitchen box.
@Becca, Words to live by: Anytime you haven't planned for a key ingredient, wrap whatever it is in bacon and grill it. Entire Food Network shows have endured for multiple seasons based on that principle. ;-}
@Becca, Yum! I think I gained 20 pounds just reading your post about your delicious impromptu vacation meal! Rachel Ray has nothing on you!
@Fru-gal Lisa,
Ha! I also spent about three hours one morning making pancakes in a ridiculously small pan, and then decided I wanted whipped cream to go with them. I had heavy whipping cream, a small amount of regular sugar and...a fork...
Next time I'm going with frozen premade pancakes and canned whip cream, but it was a decadent breakfast.
I am continually thankful for the good feelings your blog posts give me. Sometimes I just need that reset to gratitude. You are a wonderful individual whom I respect and care about. I have read every post and reread many. Wishing you the best of everything.
This week, I'm thankful for a couple of cool grey mornings. Perfect conditions for gardening.
And I'm thankful for Dr. Bestest Neighbor's four visiting great-grandchildren (ages 12 to 7), who gave me a heroine's welcome when I went over yesterday with three jars of my refrigerator dills: "Yay, PICKLES!!!!" No fooling, these delightful kids eat them like candy. It's pleasant to know that I'll be remembered by a later generation for at least one of my accomplishments.
@A. Marie, Sounds pretty wonderful to be the pickle hero! Enjoy!
Hooray for putting on muscle!
I'm thankful for my gym membership--the quiet, cool atmosphere is nice in the humid weather.
Thankful my adult nieces and nephews enjoy getting together as a family. My nephew and his family are vacationing near me this week, and we had a family cookout on Monday.
Along with that, grateful for my niece (who lives locally) who was willing to host the cookout, despite her busy schedule.
Thankful I got my husband off on the train safely early this morning (on a side note, it's dark now at 5:30 a.m.--I feel silly, but that was a shock to me!). He's heading to Illinois to help my son move out of his summer rental. He's had a very busy work week so I'm also thankful for his selflessness in helping out my son.
Thankful that my son will be home for about 10 days before he has to go back to college.
I'm thankful to be lifting weights as well. I started about a year and a half ago and it has made a huge difference so I can relate to what you're saying.
I'm thankful our weather here in N Ca is fairly nice right now. Yesterday it was a high of 86.
I'm thankful we have just enough SS to pay our bills and do some extra projects.
I'm thankful to not have to start Chemo quite yet, but it's coming.( I have Multiple Myeloma and have had a nice remission period of 2years almost). But unfortunately,MM will surface at some point but there are many new treatments so that's a good thing.
@christina, Praying for you to have a quick and complete healing of your MM and for God to cause your chemo and all other treatments to be easy and pain-free. And effective, of course!
@christina, I'm joining Fru-gal Lisa in sending good thoughts your way as you resume treatment for the MM. May the main effects of the treatment be powerful, and the side effects as mild as possible.
@christina, I’m sorry you’re facing the MM and chemo again. I’m praying that you sense the Lord’s presence through it all and that He will heal you. I hope you have a strong support group and an excellent medical team.
I was just thinking about 2020 yesterday, specifically in regards to the start of school. My youngest son started kindergarten that year, in a small "learning pod," with masks and physical distancing and and and . . . It was not a good beginning to full-time school. My daughter is starting kindergarten on Monday, and while her entry to full-time school will also be somewhat disrupted due to the fact that we're building a new school (yay! and also: what a pain), it will be MUCH less difficult than her brother's kindergarten year.
Anyway. Thankfuls.
--For cool enough weather that I could sleep last night without the fan (I hate the noise, but it's a necessity in the summer), and actually SLEEP instead of tossing around. I slept in to 6:30 this morning, which is late for me and sign that I definitely needed more and better sleep.
--As I start back to work, I am reminded how lucky I am to work in a micro-school that so far hasn't had many of the problems faced by most public schools. I think this every time we have our mandated training for suicide awareness, active shooters, cultural awareness, etc. The presenters travel all over the state, and what they assume is normal for a school environment is depressing.
--That I came home from that all-day training on Monday to find the dishwasher run and the laundry hung up, courtesy of my eldest son. The older children also helped to feed the younger ones while I was gone. My husband was here, but he prefers to foster independence. 🙂
--That my eye FINALLY stopped twitching. I had an eye tic in my left eye for a few days and it was SO ANNOYING.
--That our new priest is so nice and personable, and I like the way he says Mass. We tend to have high turnover here in the middle of nowhere (is this perhaps not a deisrable assignment? perhaps definitely) and just have to kind of roll with whoever comes. We've had four priests in the five years we've been here, and this is my favorite so far. I hope he stays for awhile.
@kristin @ going country, That eye tic could be another sign that you needed more sleep. (At least, that's why I've been told by a doctor.)
@kristin @ going country, I think your new priest may stay for a while as long as you keep making him dinners like the one you described recently!
@kristin @ going country, 24 years ago we remodeled our house. The contractor was so difficult to work with that any time I talked to him, I had to hide my left eye because it would twitch. For an entire year afterward, every time I simply saw his truck on the road, my left eye would start twitching again. Yep, annoying.
Being an artist (I drew and painted incessantly as a child and wanted to go to art school) helps you notice the beauty around you. Or maybe you're just the type to notice and you want to copy it. I also still do calligraphy and interesting typefaces make me want to copy them, even in just air writing (which is something I've always done, too).
I love Queen Anne's lace, or cow parsley as the British call it, or wild carrot. Umbellifer flowers. I've embroidered them many times because I think they're so exquisite, and even though they're a weed, planted a pink version in my yard.
I am thankful for being accepted into a very prestigious online writing workshop! More than 300 candidates applied, and I am one of ten who got in! WOO! My sister's response: "Neat." As I said to a friend of mine, you can always tell how jealous she is of my accomplishments by how short her response is to any good news I impart. Neat means we're at DEFCON 2 of jealousy.
Although it did occur to me that this means I can't go to England this autumn to spread BFF's ashes. Oh well, that can wait till next spring, I guess.
I am also thankful this week for my beagle, who on a beach walk decided to lie on his back with one hind leg wiggling. My son decided this meant he was hurt and would have to be carried back to the house. I said, "No, he just likes to scritch his back on the sand." Nice try, beagle.
Yes, I have thought that drawing and painting would do the same thing: make you see things you didn't see before!
Yay for the writing workshop! What will you be learning specifically?
@Kristen, Memoir. Much of my memoir is written, but knocking it into shape as a book has been hard. This is an advanced seminar where, over six month, we will have 10,000 words written and a proposal done. I already have all that but when my agent* sent the proposal to the big six (or is it big five now?) pub firms, they all turned it down. This time, it will be different. Bidding war! heh.
*Who said to me, "I vowed no more memoirs. But your voice is irresistible and you're funny."
Sweet!! I hope for wonderful things for you as a result.
@Rose,
Vaya, es GENIAL! (learning Spanish on DL).
Really good for you. Last summer I read a book by Fay Weldon Why will noone publish my book or something to that extent. It was hilarious. Make the most of your youthful love interest('s) would be my advice based on that book. I look forward to reading more about your adventures in getting your memoirs in cover.
@Rose, I’ll use her “Neat” & raise it by 1000!!! Congratulations- that is tremendous. I have a memoir & a novel that I’ve been writing/ignoring/pondering for years. Super happy for you
@Rose, That is awesome; I’m really happy for you! I look forward to news of your book's publication. Keep us in the loop.
@Rose, your voice is irresistible and you are funny! I bet every one of the commenters to this blog will pre-buy your book. Memoir is my favorite genre.
@Rose, we were just talking about Queen Anne’s Lace - the name I have always called it. My husband calls it wild carrot and claims he can smell it when he mows our field. I too love it as a decorative motif. When my grandmother got married her “ bouquet “ was of Queen Anne’s Lace. When I got married I asked the florist to include a few stems of it in my bouquet too.
I think I will probably elope if I get married again, but I DO love the idea of a free Queen Anne's Lace bouquet!
Pull it up and smell the root. Carrot. In fact, supposedly it's edible although I have never tried it.
Re eloping, I wanted to, but my mother, who eloped because of her Wedding of Shame (my brother was born six months later), practically had a nervous breakdown at the idea. Sheesh! My bouquet was cream colored roses and ivy for fidelity, and I had a matching floral wreath.
"Using first year Queen Anne’s lace plants are recommended. Roots are long, pale, woody, and are finger-thin and are used in soups, stews and in making tea. First year leaves can be chopped and tossed into a salad. Flower clusters can be ‘french-fried’ or fresh flowers can be tossed into a salad. The aromatic seed is used as a flavoring in stews and soups."
@Rose, My senior seminar was about memoir and writings of the self, and I am drawn to that genre frequently. I would love to read yours 🙂
I enjoy your nature photography so much! Thank you for sharing your talents.
I'm thankful for my late in-laws. While I sincerely wish they had spent more money on themselves in their later years, now that they are gone we are benefitting from the money they left us. We have never lived extravagantly and really don't desire to, but we now have an extra financial cushion and room for a little luxury, too.
For long-time friends. New friends are wonderful, too, but the long-time friends know your history and they 'get' you and where you're coming from.
For the slightly cooler weather, especially at night. Mornings are very refreshing now.
For the first tomatoes from the garden!
For modern technology. Smart phones and the internet have made so many things easier.
Hi Kristen, what does your muscle-building routine look like? Do you mind sharing what you use and what you do? You make it sound so doable!
@Farhana and Kristen,
I would truly love to hear about it, too!
Ok, duly noted! I am but an amateur...so keep your expectations low.
1. My son and husband had Dude Night last weekend (one of my son’s favorite nights of the month) which meant I had a night out with my friends. We went out for dinner and had a great time catching up and people watching!
2. My husband set up a day-date on Sunday at a new indoor mini golf space. He only takes one day off a week and I know he wants a day to just relax at home so I appreciated that he set up a daytime activity for us.
3. Our daytime temps are finally below the 90s. It’s easier to enjoy summer when you don’t feel like you are melting outside.
4. I’ve been struggling to propagate my snake plant but I have little roots that have sprouted!
5. So thankful for coffee and air conditioning!
That cat... so cute.
The pinkish flowers look like beauty berry blooms, although I can't say with absolute certainty.
My thankfuls:
1. Tuesday was such a hectic day; I'd missed work Monday and spent Tuesday catching up and meeting deadlines. After work I had to rush to visit DH since I'd been unable to see him on Sunday or Monday, then rush back across town to meet the uncharacteristically late Azure Standard drop, where we who ordered all rushed to help unload the truck and get goods to correct owners while standing on black pavement in 94 degree heat. Instead of turning right to take the interstate to go home when done, I suddenly turned left and took the rural 20-25 mile road to the next county's historic county seat, then turned to go home, and it was a good choice. Many years ago a nurseryman named Fred Mahan donated literally thousands of plants to place along that entire stretch of two-lane road, and as I drove down the shady road, driving past or sometimes under arching branches of blooming crepe myrtle planted in long swaths of pink, fuchsia, lavender and white, I could feel the tension draining away. Thank you Mr. Mahan and thank you to the road department people who still maintain this all these years later.
2. I'm thankful that my younger daughter, who started with her international employer as an HR assistant straight out of college, has steadily worked her way up and is now a Vice President in the company and the General Manager (the in-charge) of the local plant in a male-dominated industry. The previous (male) manager let the plant lose money so she has a tough job ahead and is working incredibly hard to meet their expectations. She got that drive and ambition from her dad. He and I are so glad her hard work was recognized.
3. I'm thankful that the results of my Monday procedure were very good!
4. After my procedure on Monday my daughter/driver and I stopped and got specialty burgers. I eat out maybe 4-5 times a year. It's a real treat for me to eat out and I was thankful for being able to do it guilt-free, since I'd been on clear liquids-only for over 36 hours and still had a two-hour drive home.
5. I'm thankful that my lawn crew, which is moving to Georgia and dropped two-thirds of their Florida customers, elected to keep me as one of their customers while they transition to commercial lawn and tree work in Georgia. So I will have them for a while longer, giving me time to find someone new. Right now, with 12 hour work/commute days and my DH's situation, mowing my one acre+ sized lawn by myself just isn't going to happen.
Ohh, I have seen beauty berry clusters in the fall but I didn't know what they were called! Thanks for the name; I googled and realized, "Ohhh, I've seen and admired those before!"
Yay for a good medical procedure. And yay for your daughter! I feel proud of her in the same way I feel proud of Lisey for breaking into a traditionally-male industry.
@Kristen,
Aren't the flowers and berries pretty? I use the berries to make jelly or combine them with elderberry to make wine. Bonus - make a strong "tea" of the leaves and it can be sprayed on your skin to deter mosquitoes.
Our girls are doing it! I am proud of Lisey, too!
@JD, I'm glad to read all of your thankfuls, especially your #1. Crepe myrtle is one of the things I miss most about the South, and I send kudos to your nurseryman and your road dept.
@A. Marie, crepe myrtles abound in Houston, and are stunning this year despite drought conditions.
100% agree- I am always so thankful that 2020 is in the past! I so appreciate your blog, Kristin and your future patients will be so lucky to have you caring for them!
The orange mushroom is called chicken of the woods and is edible!
I am so thankful this week. My dad has prostate cancer and his initial labs after surgery came back with a poor prognosis and he was looking at really awful treatment options. But his recheck was much better and the doctor thinks it is just elevated from normal tissue. He still will have a pet scan and monthly labs but the doctor is hopeful it is all good.
I am thankful for a bunch of radishes, lettuce, and cucumbers from my garden.
I am thankful for our neighborhood cat who comes to visit us. We are allergic and can’t have cats, but a few pets and cuddles here and there outside are pretty swell.
I am thankful for our family camping trip going well. The kids had a ton of fun running around with their cousins for three days. I hope it will become a yearly tradition.
I too am thankful for mushrooms! They are so pretty and fun to try and ID, and a lot are edible and delicious. Looking for them makes hiking that much more fun.
Yep, I thought about picking it to try it, but when I went back to get it, someone else had gotten there before me!
So glad to hear your dad is doing better.
I do so look forward to this Thursday ritual- thank you so much Kristen! 🙂
1) The wildlife in the little canyon behind our home. This week we were visited by two Great Horned Owls, who tickled our senses as they perched on two of our umbrella stands early one morning, and hooted away.
2) The ocean. Always the ocean. We're in the midst of our summer west coast humidity season here, and yet it's always breezy and cool right along the sand. Cool enough even to do long 8-10 mile walks in the middle of the day. Some electrolytes are still needed, but it's entirely do-able, and I am so thankful.
3) The pure happiness of children at the beach. The excitement of children playing in the water is absolutely infectious, and it lifts my spirits every single time.
4) My herb garden. I have no green thumbs whatsoever, but even I can grow herbs, and the flavor hit they give to my meals continues to delight me. This week I added fresh thyme to some slow cooking pork ribs (amazing!), made fresh pesto, and added fresh oregano to my marinara sauce.
5) Voice Over Internet Protocol (aka VOIP). My granddaughters are currently living 6000 miles away in Europe, which is as hard as you would imagine, but this week, thanks to VOIP apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp, my youngest granddaughter excitedly modeled her new school clothes for kindergarten next week, and my oldest granddaughter spent time working on and discussing the needlepoint project I'd mailed to her. It doesn't entirely erase the time between visits, but it surely helps!
Whoa, do you walk 8-10 miles daily? That's a super long walk!
@Kristen, I do that distance about 3-4 times a week. Anything less and I don't get enough of the good brain chemicals to make it through the day. 😀
Plus my spouse and I approach often break up the walk with something yummy. Yesterday we split a carnitas burrito midway, today we're splitting a poke bowl.
That's so impressive! Good for you! I usually try to get in 100 miles per month, but it sounds like you do way way more than that.
That is a lot of thankfulness! Being mindfully aware of being thankful really helps me also. The way I became alert to thankfulness was to write down 1,000 things I was thankful for over a 12 month period. Now is is habit.
Hope your daughter's OK in Hawaii
Yes, she is ok. She's on Oahu. But my goodness, I feel so awful for all the people on Maui!
Kristen, Please let us know how your daughter is doing in Hawaii. I know her airplane mechanic job is of utmost importance, even more so now that they need to evacuate large numbers of people. Perhaps that is why God allowed her to have this job -- He knew they'd need a really good person to help. Prayers for her and for all people in Hawaii -- and all over the world -- who are affected by disaster, who have lost their old way of life
and/or homes/businesses, who are suffering from burns and other injuries, grieving the loss of loved ones and etc.
I am thankful that an unhappy chapter in my life is winding to an end, as my former friend and roommate has moved on. I tried to help her, keep her from being homeless, and be a good Christian to her even in the face of her ugly behavior, but sadly I was not successful. It's time to get my life back and my house in order.
I am thankful that we live in a diverse society where people from all backgrounds are part of the community. In particular, I have two friends -- they started out as hired men --who look after me as if I was their sister. They are black and I am white and when we were small, our town was very segregated. But I feel like God sent them to me when I was overwhelmed by the yardwork I had to do, not having any male relatives left to do it, and one of these gentlemen saw I was struggling with the raking. (Three giant live oaks shed six or more inches of leaf debris, too much for me to handle.) He stopped to help, wouldn't take money for his efforts, but gave me his business card for next time. He and his cousin have helped me mow the lawn, cut down tree limbs, make repairs, move heavy furniture, and much more. If I can't pay them one day, they will wait for the money and they have never overcharged. I feel really blessed and protected by these friends.
I continue to be thankful for modern high tech medicine and people who practice the same. It has been a year since the cancer diagnosis and almost a year since the "robot" surgery. I'm cancer free and it is almost as if that never happened. It was a week yesterday since my 2nd cataract surgery -- high tech laser surgery -- and my vision is incredible.
I'm also thankful for the friends who have cheerfully shuttled me to surgeries and treatments when I could not drive.
While I am reading some of your weather reports with extreme envy (cold nights, rain, low humidity -- how nice!), I am thankful the Texas electric grid has so far held up. We continue to soldier on in this long stretch of heat advisories: It was 90 degrees F. at 8 this morning....and 106 yesterday, with a heat index even higher. Despite humid mornings, my area has not had rain in over a month. I am very thankful for air conditioning -- no exaggeration, but the AC is keeping us alive in this heat. A power outage would be deadly.
She's doing well! She's still in the training process that everyone has to go through when they join the company, but soon she will be done with that. It's kind of like a short school she has to get through, with tests and all.
Kristen, as a nurse of many, many years, I promise you will get plenty of steps in a day. BUT, you will still want to walk outside amongst the trees and flowers to clear your head! Nursing is good, meaningful work, but also hard on your body and mind sometimes. I know you will be such a wonderful addition to the profession.
My Thankful list this week:
Fresh cucumbers coming in from the garden every day. Love them!
Face Time. My grands live far away and I love the chance to see and talk to them this way!
Venison in the freezer. The price of red meat is so high this year, so it’s nice to have this as a protein option.
Lazy summer days. Yesterday was National book lovers day, so I spent the afternoon reading and drinking lemonade on the front porch.
My sisters. I took my mom to an appointment the other day and my sister spent that time washing all the floors in moms house and giving her kitchen a thorough cleaning. All of my sisters contribute in some way to her care. Physically, mom still gets around fine, but her dementia can be challenging as it has made her mean and crabby. It’s true that many hands make light work!
Yes, I figured getting my steps in will not be a huge problem once I'm a nurse. But in this first semester, which is very heavy on the lecture/class work, I might need to still make a point of it!
We do get to start clinicals in November, and that'll help a lot.
@Kristen, do bun-squeezies while you sit to study! 😎
Haha, ok, I promise I will.
@Brenda, I hear you about your mom's dementia, and I'm so glad you have your sisters' help. I'm truly thankful that DH's Alzheimer's never affected his sweet nature--but we weren't so lucky with his mother, who went from being a rather difficult lady to being someone who should have been riding a broomstick. And my own dear mother, on developing vascular dementia after a series of TIAs, went from being brave, cheerful, and resilient to being silent and sour. In both mothers' cases, we noticed the personality changes before the cognitive changes.
Kristen, would you share any details about your use of weights for strength training? Or point me to an earlier post if you already did? I know that that is one of the best things I could be doing to preserve my own health/wellbeing, but actually making it a routine part of my life has proved to be a challenge… Thanks for all your work on this blog - your journey inspires me!
AND, welcome to the profession of nursing!! I know that you will have less time for blogging once classes/clinicals hit your life, but I look forward to reading whatever you have time to share. I went back for a nursing degree in my mid-40’s, and it was SO much easier to be a seriously focussed student at that age. Bonus: there are so many ways to be a nurse that it lets you try several different “careers” over the course of your working life.
Has your cat found her way on top of the cabinets yet? My cat is kinda scary watching everyone from her high perch. Thankful for a home. Sometimes I feel like Eloise but my cat refuses to answer to Skipperdee.
@Tiana, I thought Skipperdee was Eloise's turtle? Stop me if I'm wrong, but...
@A. Marie, that’s true, and probably why my cat is offended.
I love your pictures! You inspired me to take more nature pictures along my walks. Do you use your phone camera?
This week I'm thankful for:
* My small garden. Every year I try to make it a large garden but I'm not the best gardener. Still I'm getting cucumbers, tomatoes, and tons of basil.
* My small fig tree, that is still in a pot, looks like it is already about to produce 2 figs!
* My cats, always.
* That my body is strong enough to do classes at the gym.
* My brain--allowing me to solve complicated "puzzles" at work! Takes alot of brain power and so far I'm still going strong!
Yep, I just use my iPhone camera!
I’m thankful for:
1. A good friend who is making me accountable to walk regularly.
2. A wide variety of available walking routes right outside my door.
3. Enough retirement income to live comfortably and still be generous.
4. My son and his wife who are renovating their walkout basement into a very large and pleasant living space for my husband and me.
5. Cataract surgery that allows me to go glasses-free!
I am very thankful for my every other Tuesday card playing group.I host today and I made a quiche for our snack, using items already in my pantry and refrig.
Grateful for an upcoming trip to visit family 3000 miles away— first visit since 2020!!
Thankful for my lovely kitchen and all the windows and natural light here.I love my kitchen time.
I am so thankful that our son is healing after a bout of illness related to Covid.
VERY thankful for the love and support of my my husband. We have been together since we were teenagers, and this year I have turned 70.He is my lifelong best friend.
As always, Kristen, I’m thankful for your photos! They’re all so beautiful.
I’m thankful for a good mechanic who lives nearby. He has a full-time job but working on cars is his passion. He’s glad to help when we’re having car troubles. Between his skills and our son’s, we’re keeping our cars for a very long time.
I’m thankful my husband and I currently have good health, strength and stamina to keep up with dancing. Many of our dance friends are unable to dance due to sudden health issues. The younger dancers seem to be going strong but for us older folks, dancing can be a challenge. We enjoy dancing so much but we don’t take it for granted that we’re able to keep up.
I’m so thankful for a new way my husband and I can serve together in our church.
I’m thankful for my daughter’s sense of humor. Her memes and various art posts are so creative. When she shows me some of the funny stuff, we just laugh and laugh. If I don’t understand something she’s posted, she patiently explains… and then we laugh at the post or at my inability to “get” it in the first place.
I would be super happy to find your first mushroom. It is Chicken of the Woods and highly sought after.https://www.ediblewildfood.com/chicken-of-the-woods.aspx
Thank you for taking the time to share the beauty you're seeing around you. It serves as a gentle reminder to me to seek it out.
1. For a new roof! How lovely to have our roof replaced so I don't have to worry about it leaking in the middle of huge downpours! Our house was so quiet in the midst of a huge rain storm last night - definitely a result of the new shingles.
2. For two nights of blissfully wonderful sleep. I struggle with sleep and the difference in me with sleep and me without is huge.
3. for the lovely fall & Christmas decor I am starting to see glimpses of. I know many have strong opinions about this but I love these upcoming seasons so much I can't help myself. I also find that in the midst of the dog days of August, thoughts of days with highs in the 50's and dry air is soothing.
4. For the availability of fresh fruits and veggies and an endless supply of healthy recipes. This is such a blessing when you are on a journey to health. I am never bored with what I am eating. Hooray!
5. Coffee. Hot first thing in the morning. Decaf in the evening. Iced in the afternoon. Anyway I can get it, coffee blesses me.
@Angie, I’m so happy to see someone else who gets a thrill out of seeing the first fall decor in the stores, no matter if it is so early! My three daughters share this with me, and I always text them pictures of it with the caption “it’s coming!!” We all love fall so much.
Kristen, you are such a good photographer: only you can make sand spurs look good! I pull those out of our backyard all the time to keep the sharp seeds from hurting the dogs.
This week I am thankful for an excellent eye checkup to monitor a condition with my optic nerves. Also thankful as always for our peaceful little neighborhood, my sweet family, our tribe of rescued dogs and cats, even if they do create a lot of cleaning, and for spending a little retirement money on replacing our falling-apart chest freezer on a small upright. My arthritic back and hands are so grateful that getting out provisions is now as easy as opening the fridge.
Yay for powerful Kristen! We all know how powerful she has always been, but now it’s popped to the surface! Your life has changed so much and you’ve handled it with such strength.
*Ok, everyone has said how thankful they are for air conditioning. But it’s the only thing keeping us alive in Houston, Texas right now. I’ve long said to forget “sliced bread” being the best invention ever; no, we all know it’s a/c, in car and house.
*I am thankful for my air fryer that keeps me from using my oven that heats the whole house miserably. Tonight: air fryer chicken parm.
*I am thankful for grandchildren who want to be with me. Yesterday after an outing with four of them and their mom, they dropped me off and begged to stay for the rest of the afternoon. (I flatter myself I guess— I’m sure it was the freezer full of popsicles). These four are ages 11 down to 7, and I know these years are flying by-but for now, I’m savoring it.
*I’m thankful for modern medicine to deal with auto-immune psoriatic inflammatory arthritis.
*I’m thankful for my Roomba vacuum lol
*I’m thankful for my clients ( I’m a groomer) some who have been with me for over 20 years with multiple pets. They have given me an independent income that I really never thought I’d have, having been a SAHM for so many years.
Happy to hear you regained your muscles!
-I am grateful for time with extended family (we live in Norway, most of the family is in the US)
-Grateful that my kids are enjoying our time in the us even though this means they are often out seeing friends
-thankful for all the American foods I miss and being able to have them now (beef hot dogs, dip cones, dill pickles, donuts, root beer, etc)
-thankful for my one living grandparent (I am in my forties so I feel blessed to still have a Grandma)
-thankful for my two best friends from high school who still make time to see me whenever I visit. They are precious.
I'm thankful:
- My move to a lower altitude is DONE and my beloved cabin listed for sale. At times it felt as if I would never get through all the little tasks and expenses. Repeating,"Slow and steady wins the race," helped me stay sane!
- For my neighbors, new and old. Their kindness and offers to help when I just didn't think I could do one more thing have been priceless!
- For beautiful big skies over my new home. I miss the forest when my little dog and I head out each day. One look up at the clouds and brilliant blue and I'm reminded there is beauty to be had just about everywhere if I look.
- For the local farm just up the road that sells delish produce, meat and canned goods! Bonus on the relo!
So many places for thankfulness:
1. A passable road to cabin in spite of terrible damage over the winter
2. Stunning wildflowers near the cabin due to the storms that caused so much damage
3. Annual social obligations at the cabin cancelled because the road is so bad (Those events normally eat up weekend after weekend in August.
4. Lower temps this week so I chose to stay home and just catch up on things; as much as I love the cabin, living in 2 places is definitely a mixed bag
5. Huge stack of library books to work through - glory be, I love to read!!
This week I'm thankful for:
The time spent with all our children on Saturday. Time school clothes shopping, a dune ride, followed by ice cream. My favorite times are when the oldest and his girlfriend are able to join us!
My oldest had a medical concern which turned out to be "working the surrounding muscles too hard". He said, "75 dollars to find out there's nothing wrong with me." I responded with, "75 dollars for peace of mind is priceless."
Middle son (teenager) is healing from a break up. Getting out with friends more, laughing more, and not "ughing" every time we saw something.
Our first cat is better. He had a URI, which really had us worried, but he's on the mend now. If our second cat caught it, we'll know what to expect.
Our bathroom update is almost over, our coffee was delivered the day after we ran out!, we paid off medical debt this week, and our garden is entering the harvest stage.
Are you still working on that little table you bought months ago or did you decide to throw it away?
Funny you ask: I just spent some time working on it this week! I should be done soon.
@Kristen, Can’t wait to see it-I love your furniture makeovers!!
I agree, so thankful for a lot of reasons that it's not 2020. Or 2021. And maybe 2022, ha.
I'm thankful for a slow week to establish, actually re-establish, some habits. Take more vitamins, do more exercises, walk more....all good things that will improve my health and will hopefully become automatic fairly soon. I purposely slowed down my schedule this week so that I could get into my new routine, and it's been good.
I'm thankful for some laugh out loud funny things my husband does.
I'm thankful for air conditioning. And cool showers. So hot here, but I look for the shade...and the random rain showers...and allll the cool spots.
I'm thankful for how easy Amazon makes it to return items. Just today I got a defective item, and I'll be able to drop it off at my choice of 3 stores the next time I have to batch errands.
I'm so thankful that my plant, one that lived in my parents' house before they passed away, is now thriving. It did well the first year I had it, and I even got some cuttings to grow! But this past year the poor thing was not happy. A lot of it died.
But now, in the large window seat of our new apartment, it's growing and thriving. Yippee!!
Joining in the thankfulness!
-fresh garden produce and seasonal fruits
-access to modern medicine
-lots of safe flights (a family international trip and two separate work trips).
-work from home days mixed with on site technical work. The variety is nice!
-puppy snuggles
-watching our teenagers gradually grow into independent young adults
-several recent walks with friends (exercise + friendship + happy/tired dog)
Glad to hear that Lisey is ok in Hawaii! And yes, 2020 was a rough year all around for so many people for so many reasons!
I am thankful for:
1. My house. We've only lived in it for 8 months but I was in apartment before for a year and I so appreciate my downsized dwelling. We've had a few problems recently with plumbing but I'll still take it over apartment living anyday.
2. My teeny tiny backyard. Our apartment had no green or outdoor space - zilch - so I love that I have a small yard to have a few flower pots and can watch my grandson run around.
3. My new vacuum. My old vacuum (it's the same model) had a loose handle so it was always falling down or even worse, on me. We fixed it many times but it still had problems. Finally, after watching me struggle with it one day, my husband said Please buy a new one! That's all it took - I bought a new one the next day and I'm so glad that I did.
At this point of writing my thankfuls, I have just read the 73 comments (included Kristen's) and am so blessed.
Our weather: horrible drought conditions, then LOTS of rain. Tornado in nearby town flattened everything! I've prayed specifically that our town and neighbors would step up physically, financially, and mentally. God has abundantly answered. The power company army descended on Monday and were done in one day. That was after much was cleaned up the day before and since. It makes one emotional to see what happens when people come together for a common cause to help others during this mostly self-centered time. Rebuilding has already begun.
The power of a compliment: yesterday was a visit with my nephrology nurse practitioner. She assured me that my kidney function is stable. We were able to discuss life style changes that another Dr. had instructed me to do for GERD and she was in agreement that moderation was beneficial. I cannot live in a world without tomatoes or tea, but I can time consumption and modify amounts to enjoy and not suffer the consequences. It was a dreary, rainy day and I had chosen a light yellow top with jeans to wear and my hair curly from showering and letting it air dry. She said I looked "pretty" and looked "good." I take "good" from her to mean healthy. I'm still beaming.
Thankful someone has bought the house to the north of me. I have not met the new owners, but at least the waiting is over.
Thankful my new spice jars have arrived. I enjoy sorting and organizing. I have varying containers and bags (the bags are ones I dried) that are falling out of the cabinet. Several are the little plastic tub like containers from the Mennonite bulk market. I do try to keep fresh ones in stock.
Caption for Chiquita: "Hummm, I haven't been up there yet."
I picked a Queen Anne's lace stem yesterday, and put the individual branches into a mini five bud vase in the bathroom. Not big, but sweet nonetheless.
I just love your photos, Kristen! I have become a hobby photographer, with a special interest in photographing birds. I find it very relaxing to get out with my camera, and look for interesting things to take pics of. 😉
You might know this already, but that white lacy flower might be wild hemlock....which can make you very sick if you touch it, or ingest it in any way. (Several years ago, there was a patient at the hospital where I work who ended up in the ICU after he handled and mowed a bunch of it in his field). It looks very much like Queen Anne's Lace, but QAL has a maroonish "drop" in the middle....that's one way you can tell them apart. I know you're not picking flowers or nibbling on them during your walks, lol, just be careful.
My thankfuls....
1. That I have some good friends I can talk to about anything. A good friend recently hurt my feelings, and has chosen to have very limited contact with me. My other friends have rallied around me during this difficult time, and I am so thankful.
2. That my family was able to take an extended summer vacation this year. Not particularly frugal, but many memories were made, and we saw some amazingly beautiful parts of the US.
3. That my special (non-frugal) 'Dark Side of the Moon' astilbe plants survived being ignored while we were away. I still need to plant them, but I'm waiting for a less-hot and humid day.
4. For A/C, plenty of food to eat, the comforts of home, and my adorable furrballs (three cats and a dog).
5. My husband, who comforts me when I'm down, and cheers me on when I try something new (like photography 3 years ago).
Nice photos, Kirsten! Thanks for sharing the beauty of your area.
My thankfuls this week:
* Big storm blew through Ohio last night and our 100 foot tall maple is OK. And our house! If the tree had blown over it could have smashed our house.
**My DH was so helpful for the hostess of a potluck for his work group. She is widowed, and he quietly stepped up to help get things done that she had forgotten, since her husband had done them in the past. I was so proud of his generous friendship.
***I took a wonderful sewing class on Monday, how to make patterns to copy clothes without taking them apart, and the teacher was wonderful. I hope to take more of her classes.
****My piano teacher has helped me identify a big stumbling block, and I am improving already! It feels so good to ditch bad old habits!
*****I ran into an old friend this week and so enjoyed catching up.
Thankful for:
The beautiful sunrises lately.
The very slow week at work. They don't happen often enough.
For modern technology, it makes my life easier.
For gifts of garden produce.
For the grands, love them to pieces. I am always down for playing with Barbies or PlayDoh.
What year is your van? I have a 2000 Toyota Avalon, which I love, but it’s ready for some maintenance repairs that will cost more than it’s worth. So I was thinking it may be time to look around. I've never owned a new vehicle, have no desire to. So in researching there are years that Siennas were good and some not so. (Just like the Avalon) Any advice would be awesome! Thanks!