This week, I am thankful:
that the snow stuck around for over a week!
Here in the Mid-Atlantic, it is common for fallen snow to disappear within a day or two.
But this time around, I got to enjoy a bright white world for over a week, and I am grateful!
During these days when the sun sets so early, it’s a nice treat to at least have brilliant days. 🙂
And you know what I also love: ice.
that Chiquita is still loving her cat tower
She is near enough to me to be happy, but not so near that she is in the way of whatever work I’m trying to do at my desk.
I’m a fan!
for a week of relative quiet
This is the last week before school starts and there hasn’t been a ton on my calendar. Sooo, I’ve been able to make good progress on all the work we got assigned to complete before the semester starts.
that I feel a little better about the upcoming math exam
We have our do-or-die math exam the second day of this semester (so next Wednesday for me), and as you know, this always stresses me out.
The math is not anything approaching calculus-level difficulty, but I cannot get more than two wrong out of twenty if I want to continue in the semester, and I have two minutes per question. So I have to be fast AND accurate, and I hate hate hate that the stakes are so high.
But I went to one of the prep sessions yesterday and got all of them right. And I worked through all the practice problems from last semester too.
So, I am feeling slightly better. But I will feel much better once this is behind me.
for our cats, always
Cutie-pies. 🙂

expert biscuit-maker right here

Chiquita would like you to know she is not as fat as she looks here. It’s just a bad angle.
She was busy trying to open the cabinet doors last night while I was cooking dinner.
Unfortunately for her, it is difficult to do this when your hands are so round and fuzzy. 😉
that I’m able to squeeze in two work shifts
You know how I am required to do at least two work shifts in a pay period? Well, I’m working Friday and Sunday this week, right before school starts.
And this is early in the pay period, which means I don’t have to feel obligated to do any more work shifts for the first few weeks of school. Yay!
I can get my feet under me and then schedule some work shifts.
that I do not have to work full-time at the hospital
One of my co-workers was like, “I am so surprised you can survive on two shifts a month!” and I was like, “Ohhhh my goodness, no no! I have another job!”
I am frugal, but even I could not survive on the pay from two work shifts a month. Ha.
I am very very grateful for my blogging job because it is way more flexible than a hospital job, and thus way more nursing-school-friendly.
that I am rich in ripe avocados right now
I bought three from Aldi when they were on sale. They were rock hard at the time, of course (that’s how I like them because then they’re not bruised) and they have all ripened up now.
I also have two ripe mangoes from Aldi, which makes me happy. Mangoes are another thing I usually buy rock hard, and then let them ripen at home.
So, both avocados and mangoes require patience. 😉
that blogging by the seat of my pants mostly works
Probably almost the whole time I’ve been blogging (over 16 years now), I have always felt like I should be more organized and have posts written out/planned out ahead of time.
But despite my best efforts, that never really happens. I’m usually writing posts the day of or the night before.
I was just thinking last night that I could probably just stop feeling some kind of “should” about this, given that I have successfully maintained a posting schedule here through a variety of busy life stages.
If it’s working, it’s working. 🙂
Ginger Bruce
Friday 17th of January 2025
Stop "shoulding" on yourself. First time I heard this, it resonated with me. I'm still trying to apply it to my life.
Isa
Friday 17th of January 2025
Thankful for:
- Being high enough on the seniority list that I get all the extra work shifts I apply for
- That 2 good friends are coming over tonight for a sleepover for my DD 15th birthday
- That I finally found a psychologist that I believe will be a good fit for me (after trying many)
- That DH is on board with my wanting to reduce our unnecessary expenses and invest that money in our retirement savings instead
- That I have a diner date with a friend tomorrow, she's taking me out for my bday :)
Kristina
Friday 17th of January 2025
Thankful for Friday, and noting gratitudes this week: + my faithful cleaner, who is shining up our home and helping us stay here. + our adopted cat, who is more affectionate every day, and wakes us in the morning with loud purring. + relief from my sciatica, which has been painful for several days. + recovering from other uncomfortable health problems. No one promised that getting older would be free of discomforts. + beautiful evergreens--holly, fir, pine, cedar--and the snow ornaments on them.
Selena
Thursday 16th of January 2025
1 - financial means - we've started my pre retirement replacement of items. 2 - that my dad is not fighting my it's time for you to stop driving in heavy/crazy traffic areas 3 - that 2+ of the people on my team are getting up to snuff so come the day I officially retire, they won't be left high and dry 4 - for the 14 deer who show up in my yard (in varying numbers) - there are at least 3 generations of them 5 - means - well prepared for the impending chaos (financial) and have a 10 acres of sanity
Lindsey
Thursday 16th of January 2025
I feel like I need to stand up in defense of snow. I loved living in the most northern village in the state, where snow fell every single month. In the summer months, it did not stick but we always had a day or two of flakes.
Thankful: 1. That Clobber Paws is finally showing us consistent affection. He was so standoffish for the first 10 months we had him, I felt like we would never be able to convince him we were safe humans. 2. For Sumo oranges. Even at $4.99 each. 3. For my food bank volunteer hours. It is such a wonderful group, and they do great and needed work; I look forward to going in every week. They are very good at finding things for me to do that accommodate my wheelchair on bad days. 4. For our hospital, locally owned and managed. It is non-profit and they pour their money into equipment that is usually not available in communities our size. Since the only other hospital is a plane ride away, this makes a difference. 5. For the husband, always the husband. I started to slip this morning getting into the vehicle and he caught me. I thanked him and he said, "I have told you before, I will be here to catch you until the day I die." It was all I could do to not weep. Not sure how I lucked out.
Kristen
Friday 17th of January 2025
Right there with you on the snow! So beautiful.
And yay for a fabulous husband.
Selena
Thursday 16th of January 2025
@Lindsey, #5 - good things happen to good people