Thankful Thursday | Still got my free propane!
This week, I am thankful:
that my Propane Taxi credits are not lost forever
Propane Taxi rebranded to Cynch, and in the process of changing websites, all of my credits disappeared.
(I think I tweeted or blogged my referral link a while back, because I keep getting random credit notifications, which means people must be finding my link by googling!)
I contacted them, and they are now working on moving my credits on over. Whew. I didn't want to lose my free propane tank refills!
for lots of reading time
Zoe started a summer hip-hop dance class, plus she's got PT appointments twice a week for a back issue.
(that issue preceded hip-hop; it wasn't caused by hip-hop!)
These appointments/classes equal a lot of waiting time for me, which is actually very nice. Since I'm not at home, there's no work to do, and that means I can just sit and read, and that's allowing me to continue on my medical memoir bender.
There are worse fates for sure.
that most of our chicks hatched
We did a hatching rental project from a farm; you pick up the eggs and supplies, incubate them at home, watch them hatch, enjoy them for a few days, and return them to the farm.
I'm not interested in owning chickens, so this was a perfect way for the girls to get some joy out of baby chicks, without the commitment of owning chickens!
Anyway, 10/12 of them hatched, so we were pretty pleased with that.
that the cat has not been a problem with the chicks
We've not been leaving her unattended around the chicks, of course. (!) But she just has not shown much interest in them; she's not sitting around just waiting for an opportune moment to pounce.
that I had some time this week to declutter
You all know I like to go through my house top to bottom each summer, but I'd been struggling to find some time to do it this year.
But in the last week, I did my linen closet, coat closet, kitchen, living room, and entryway.
So, that's a good start!
that you all are fun to discuss things with
Sometimes, blogging here feels like having a book club; I get to show up with some ideas and thoughts, and then we all get to discuss in the comments.
I love reading what you all have to say, and I regularly feel thankful I have readers who actually do leave comments (a rarity on blogs these days).
for a cooler day
When I woke up this morning, the heat index was 68. Woohoo!
I much prefer this over days when I'm greeted by a 94 degree heat index.
that our in-network deductible is met
I always like this time of year, when every in-network medical bill is exactly $0 for us.
for the luxury of summer peaches
My $8 half-bushel of peaches is bringing me a whole lotta happiness.
Delicious and cheap is my favorite combo.
What are you thankful for this week?
P.S. I will add some chick pics to this post later this morning; I have to run out to an appointment right now, though!
Ohhhh medical memoir is a great genre! Suggestions--you'll have to let me know if you've read these and what you thought! What are you reading now?
The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
The real doctor will see you shortly - Matt McCarthy
A thousand naked strangers - Kevin Hazzard
When breath becomes air - Paul Kalanithi
Ok, I LOVED When Breath Becomes Air. I read it some years ago and my goodness, his writing is just so good.
I read The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly this summer, and it reminded me that I definitely want to be a nurse, not a doctor. Doctors have tooooo much responsibility.
I'll look up the other two!
I just read a book called Crying in H Mart, which I loved. It isn’t a medical memoir exactly, but it’s a memoir about a woman losing her mother to cancer. I loved it - it was beautifully written and a really thoughtful reflection on identity. I feel like it’s a good book for healthcare providers to read, as it’s a really good reminder about how complicated families are and what terminal illness is like from the perspective of a patient’s family. I couldn’t put it down.
Seconding The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - it’s amazing. And When Breath Becomes Air… I just don’t what to say. So so beautiful and moving.
Happy reading!
@Teri, I found the Henrietta Lacks to be a real eye-opener. The way people have treated one another (and tragically, still do)...
@Katie, Crying in H Mart was really, really well done. I loved her descriptions of the meals her mother made for her and how she translated love into feeding. What a complicated relationship they had, huh? I listened to a podcast with Michelle and she said she's currently writing the screenplay for the movie based on the book.
@Teri, I had to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks many years ago in college and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had our homeschooled sophomore reading parts of it in conjunction with her Health and Nutrition class this past year.
Baby chicks pix! Can't wait!
That's a good thing about your propane credits, too!
Today I'm thankful....
1. That this is the last workday for this week, because I'll be traveling tomorrow to visit family across the state for the weekend. I need to get away from the stress at home for a couple of days, for everyone's sake. It's a mental vacation as much as anything else.
2. That the VA is going to send us an overhead lift to get my husband up out of bed and out of chairs. If this works, it will save my back and his daytime caregiver's back from a lot of strain.
3. That the VA has agreed to send my husband to a physical therapy clinic, to get real workouts on actual equipment instead of just using elastic bands in a chair at home, starting in August. "Living in a small town" bonus -- it's the same clinic where my daughter's father-in-law works, so there will be socialization as well. His caregiver will drive him to and from the visits, bless her.
4. That I finally found that nice piece of mahi-mahi in the freezer. It's time to defrost that freezer.
5. That I had the delight and amusement of spotting Mom and Dad cardinal introducing their three youngsters to our bird feeder pole that has four feeders on it. There was a lot of chirping and flapping and excited flitting back and forth. One of them discovered the seed and suet cylinder and went wild. It was a real day-brightener.
Ooh, such good news in multiple ways for your husband's care. Yay!!
@JD, Great news about the lift! Hope the install and use are super smooth and easy.
I am so thankful for my husband. He is, like most men, not anxious to figure out difficult stumbling blocks in relationships with others and would rather I did it. But when I say to him, "I can't figure out what to do about.......(fill in the latest difficulty)", he always steps up to the plate and works with me on what to do. It has helped me enormously in not overreacting, or under reacting to problems.
It has helped me spread balm on areas that I might have torched if left to myself. 😀
Ha, I love the way you put that! And kudos to your husband.
@Anne, Oh, how this phrase moved me: helped me spread balm on areas that I might have torched if left to myself.
I will remember this phrase. Thank you.
@Anne, That line about balm is a wonderful way to put it. I commend you for going to him in the early stages of a problem. I am afraid my poor husband is often put in the position of being the fire extinguisher after I have already torched a situation. Less as I get older, but still too often I am afraid.
@Anne, I find that we don’t ask our spouses for help enough. They don’t have espn and can’t imagine the things with which we need help. They just need to be asked.
@Joyce, espn- lol!
Thankful for .... being low-censused from work today. An unexpected gift of a day! For anticipating leaving for a family road trip to WV Saturday .... I wasn't sure we were going to be able to fit in a trip this summer. For the extra veggies we got last week that were left over from our church's food donation truck--I love to see how excited my family gets about sauteed zucchini/yellow squash (in an olive oil/lemon juice/basil mixture, yum!). For the ability to go to the beach multiple times in a summer--I live where other people vacation and I appreciate the outdoor opportunities in my area. For libraries and books on my Libby app--I love love love to read and am grateful for easy opportunities to obtain reading material.
We've woken up to cool weather a couple of times this week, too. So thankful.
1. Friends who pick up right where we left off. We saw some college friends that we haven't seen in 3 years (and 7.5 years before that), and spent a short 12 hours with them and their kids. All of our kids are still talking about how it was the best day ever, and we are already planning for a reunion next year, so it's not another 3 years before we see them again.
2. An empty garden bed do with what I please. The uncharacteristicly hard freeze of this past winter killed almost everything in one section, so we took it out to get a clean start.
3. Access to an inexpensive community pool. We've had a blast at the pool, and everyone has been really friendly, which has not always been my experience at pools.
4. Uneventful travel. We have to travel 1400 miles for medical care (up from 550 previously), and we have to make the trip 3x a year. So far, with driving that distance repeatedly we have not had massive construction delays, vehicle malfunctions, flat tires, or major accidents. We buffer for them, but we've not needed that, and I'm thankful
5. Access to speciality care even 1400 miles away. We know people who have a similar situation to ours that can't make it work, and we're really thankful that we can for now.
Thankful for beautiful weather to sit out and read for a good part of my day, sometimes with a strong cup of coffee!
Thankful for our freecycle community, I got rid of a carload of clutter from the basement and picked up a wonderful plant stand for our sunroom--gotta love free.
Thankful that LeCreuset will replace my 25 year old dutch oven for a brand new one because of a chip on the inside--for free, including shipping. I really love my dutch oven.
Thankful that I've put my work emails in a file not to be opened until August, I will enjoy the next week without thinking about teaching in the fall, I will focus on relaxing and healing, not getting anxious yet!
Thankful for my husband and daughter the reason I am doing what I'm doing which includes taking care of myself.
I am thankful that I was able to get away for vacation last week, and in the process see some relatives I hadn't seen since...not sure when?
I, too, am thankful for cooler weather, and that it finally stopped raining after almost a week straight.
I'm hoping to do a good amount of decluttering of my home between now and Labor Day, and was wondering how long it usually takes you? I'm sure I am starting from a more cluttery state than you, because I haven't been doing it annually, so I expect this will take me longer. Also, how do you deal with Other People's Stuff? My husband is not good about getting rid of things. He wants to keep ALL THE THINGS.
Boy, I do not have any idea how long the decluttering takes me! I do it section by section, as I have time, so it's spread out over various days and various times.
Mr. FG is not a super cluttery person, but he does tend to have more stuff than I do, mostly because he doesn't think to go through it. If I can just look past a pile of clutter, I try to let it be. But sometimes if, say, his t-shirt drawer is stuffed to the brim, I have gone through it, pulled out a small pile of shirts he doesn't seem to often wear, and asked him if he could tell me which ones he still wants and which he doesn't. He seems to appreciate having a simple, small bit of stuff to go through, rather than being overwhelmed by a huge amount of stuff.
With kids, I was definitely more proactive because, well, they're not adults like Mr. FG! Here's a post I wrote about decluttering with my kids: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/10-tips-for-decluttering-with-kids/
One last bit of advice: remember that any progress is better than none. Your home will not be a minimalist's dream in a month, but any work you do is worthwhile and should pay dividends in future months. Progress over perfection!
@Kristin, decision making uses up emotional energy that lots of people don't want to use. If you ask people to clean out a room, closet or drawer they usually balk. It's a lot of work. But, if you take everything out of a drawer or closet and ask them to PUT BACK what they want to keep, I have noticed it works better. Their mind is on keeping their favorite things and the decisions seem to come easier. So try one drawer and put all on the bed and ask him to put back what he wants to keep. Let us know.
Thank you both for your comments. That sounds a lot like what could be going on with my husband. I get decision fatigue easily myself.
I must remember that my house didn't get in its cluttery state overnight, and it won't get out of it overnight, either!
When I was in third grade I tried to hatch baby chicks. But none of them hatched. It was an assignment at school. Lovely to have chicks that you can give back to be raised. You are such an amazing person raising terrific kids with a fabulous husband. I think you would make a great talk show host.
Oh, that must have been so disappointing for you! We felt a little sad about the two that didn't hatch, but the farm told us that often, a dud egg is a sign of a chick that had health problems and would have died anyway. So, that helped a little.
And thank you for your kind words!
I'm thankful that today I made it to my 45th birthday and that the years that I've lived have been pretty darn fantastic. I'm thankful that even though I've been stumbling lately that today's a new day and a new year for me to try to stand up and that there's the potential that I might stand up stronger than ever. Thankful for my family who provide me a place in this world to belong. Thankful for my refreshing iced tea and my husband who brought it to me!
Happy birthday!!!
@Kristen, Thanks!
I am thankful that I found your blog several years ago when I was searching for frugal tips. I'm always eager to read your posts. There needs to be a word for a blogger that you have never met but feels like she's a neighbor and friend.
@Kathy Wolfe, Frogger? 😀
Let's see:
Still dry. Sump is still running nonstop but it's dry in my basement. Had a leak in my roof and now we're getting estimates on repairs. So I'm thankful that are at least people willing to do work that I can't do.
That the air quality is good again. We had a couple days where some smoke from the wildfires made their way all the way here to the Northeast and I had to pretty much stay inside and keep my inhaler on me at all times.
That I was able to watch a movie with my wife last night. We so rarely get an evening together (our daughter is going through a bit of a stage where bedtime is difficult again) so it was nice to relax and not have to work on anything.
I was able to do some decluttering and reorganizing of a lot of my DVDs and Blu-rays. So that was nice. I've already sold one in the purge pile!
That I have had a chance to read some manga. I've got a large stack that I haven't cracked open so it's nice to be able to get into it.
I love your Thankful Thursday posts. They are a lovely way for me to center my thoughts to gratitude.
For the neighbor who offered us all the apricots from his tree. This seems to be the only apricot tree in the entire county that escaped the harsh spring freeze and actually produced fruit, so I'm thrilled to be able to make my favorite jam this year for almost free. And I've made sure to give some to all my neighbors, too, because I feel like it's my duty to spread out the happiness. 🙂
For our lovely post office lady, who brought me cucumbers from her garden, keeps popsicles on hand to give our kids when it's hot, and is always cheerful and efficient.
That the green beans have FINALLY started producing.
For the wind that has cooled things down for a couple of days. I don't love wind, but if it means 83 degrees instead of 93 degrees, I'll take it.
For our dogs, who alert us to snakes, chase away coyotes, and make me feel much safer when my husband is gone.
That some decluttering is done. There's boatloads more to do but I've cleared enough space in the attic to have room to do more.
That my family member is recouperating well.
For people I like working with.
For good friends, who have helped make some unpleasant things a little easier.
Kristen, you have awesome folks who follow your blog (not to mention an awesome blog). It's one of the few blogs I actually read through, including the comments. The comment section is always so rich and engaging, and for all of that, I'm thankful.
Yesterday, my supervisor let us know we will be shifting to permanently working from home. We've been WFH since March 2020, but were set to return to the office September. Since then, the decision has been changed to WFH, with no return to the physical office. I'm going in next week to begin the clear out of what remains in my office. This is incredibly good news for me, since I love WFH and was not looking forward to the commute, it's challenges and loss of time commuting every day. My mental health does significantly better WFH.
I finally figured out and got the rooting hormone to begin starting hydrangeas at home. I have a huge hydrangea plant that was planted about ten years ago that I'd love to reproduce in other parts of the yard. The rooting hormone came in today's mail, so it looks like I'll start plants in the next day or two.
Hi!
I have a medical memoir suggestion- the book is called ‘The Family Who Couldn’t Sleep’. It’s fascinating! 🙂
I am thankful for the cooler day. I opened the windows and made two double batches of muffins and it did not make the house warmer.
I am thankful for the conveniences of modern day life: a dishwasher, modern plumbing, electricity, a variety of appliances including a washer and dryer, two refrigerators (and obviously an oven). I am also thankful for the bounty of food available at the grocery store (and so many other places).
I am thankful for the family I was raised in. It was a solid existence. My parents were there for us and I had siblings that added to family life. I never knew all the things we did not have as we always had enough. I am grateful that I am scheduled to visit some siblings next month and that some family is coming to visit in September.
I am thankful for the company of friends. They are an essential ingredient in my life.
I am thankful for modern day transportation. How wonderful it is to get in an air conditioned vehicle and go where you need/want to go. Air travel makes traveling a long way easy.
I am thankful for this blog. It is a wonderful and diverse collection of readers.
I am thankful for audio books I borrow from the library. They allow me to hear a book while doing other things.
I’m thankful for a frugal opportunity that has come with the possibility of saving me $1,000 plus earning me about $800 so I’m up $1,800 in my mind! I’m going to be potentially released from my lease 1 month early due to a new renter and the new renter who wants my apartment will also pay back my deposit in full! Very thankful to my mom who has helped me move and supported me through all of this! She even ran to IKEA after work the other night to get me a Billy! She is definitely my hero! 🙂 I am also thankful for a new connection I’ve made and I hope it works out. I haven’t been on a date in ages so it has been nice chatting with him. It’s really hard for me to put myself out there so I’m just thankful for meeting and connecting with someone recently even though it’s still early stages.
$1800 is an enormous frugal win!
I am thankful for
1. The book my friend sent me and the time to read it!
2. The wonderful city I live near enough to easily access art, music and culture without having to live in a noisy city.
3. The Non Profit Farm we get our CSA delivery from made organic jams as a fundraiser. I love fig jam!!
4. My grandfather-in-law has made it to 99! And we are going to visit him in a few weeks.
5. Inspiration. I’ve been inspired by an art exhibition, a TV show based in country I know little about and my neighbor, who loves cars so much, we did a photo shoot.
1. Thankful for sunny summer days and cool nights.
2. Thankful for fresh herbs from my backyard
3. Thankful for good friends
4. Thankful for lake views
5. Thankful to be able to hang laundry out on the line
I love chickens and used to raise orphaned baby chicks when weasels would get in my grandmother's hen house. A few babies would always survive the horrendous slaughter and need to be raised by hand.
This week I am thankful that:
1. My father came through surgery well.
2. The cancer was removed and the margins are clean.
3. Tomorrow I get to see my sister (it's been two years)!
4. Camping in the Sierra Nevadas.
5. Last week, when my car wouldn't start, the problem could be fixed with just a new battery.
A battery is really a best-case scenario with a non-starting car. Whew!
I am immensely grateful for the reduced heat index the past few days here on the lower east coast!!
I'm incredibly thankful that, despite separate incidents involving 1) a mistimed left turn by my husband, 2) a distracted teenager, and 3) a suicidal deer, the 11-hour drive back from my in-laws' house involved no actual accidents.
Thankful that the hand surgeon I met today was just a lovely human being and that he has high hopes for the success of my carpal tunnel surgery next month. Figuring out what was wrong with my hands was delayed by Covid, so I am still a bit worried that the damage may be more than he can repair. Now my biggest challenge will be asking for help while I recover from friends, as my natural inclination is to help others but never ask for help for myself.
Super thankful that the school district my daughter will be teaching in this fall agreed with her that doing the actual student teaching coursework was unnecessary. That's at least 75 hours of work she won't have to do and thousands of dollars saved! I am honestly more relieved that she will have more time than I am that we won't have to pay the money. First year teaching is plenty of work all by itself.
1. Kind coworkers who make me laugh. Our office is so busy and crazy, and the work comes in faster than we can keep up. They're good at not letting me take things too seriously, pointing out the ridiculousness of some situations, and reminding me that a lunch break is needed every day. Like they tell me, the work will still be there when I get back.
2. Some days lately that have been hot enough for swimming. It's one of my favorite things to do.
3. A few more weeks with my 18-year-old daughter, who will be heading far away to college. It seems like we just brought her home from the hospital and I was thinking, "what in the world do I do with this little 5-pound person?"
4. The knowledge, especially as I get older, that if people are nice then so many problems go away. Like you say, Kristen, I can only control myself, so I really make an effort to do what I can: let cars in when they need to merge, do a little extra so a coworker doesn't have to, and be cheerful about housework and fixing meals (that last one isn't always so easy).
I'm thankful to be living close enough to family for my kids to spend 3 weeks away from our home (1 week with the in-laws, 2 weeks with my parents, who live further away so we don't see as often as we do the in-laws).
For the first 8 years of our marriage, we were too far away to do this kind of break-from-the-kids thing. It's been a blessing to be able to do this over the last 6 years. It's usually a bit more spaced out, but various schedules resulted in them being out of our house for 3 straight weeks, and I *really* needed this break.
My husband and I are re-discovering what it means to just be a couple together, doing life (we both work full-time), and I'm looking forward to doing some long-term planning next week (we decided to spend this week just "playing" when we're not at work, so lots of walking, biking, going out to dinner!).
Thankful for:
1. A husband who always grabs stray carts and takes them into the grocery store when he is headed in that direction. Watching him do good things without prompting makes me want to be a better person, too.
2. Vases full of flowers in most rooms, all from my garden.
3. An unidentified plant a friend gave me that turned into a pumpkin when this year I thought I was not going to have any pumpkins.
4. Marigolds, which are not only my husband's favorite flower but when the blooms are dying the chicken will eat them and end up with much richer colored yolks. Not more nutritious, as far as I know, but more fun to cook and eat.
5. Sourdough pancakes, which are the only pancakes I like and which we have almost every Sunday. My starter just keeps on going, even when I sometimes neglect it.
6. A new family dairy opened 90 miles from here, one of only two grade A dairies in Alaska. They sell their extra creamy milk in glass bottles and although it is much more expensive than the large commercial dairy, I can afford to buy it as a treat to myself. It makes me double happy to know I am supporting a small family farm and helping to insure our food supply. Most of Alaska's food comes from outside the state, and when the supply chain is disrupted we can get shortages. (Never mind that fresh foods often are not in the best shape when they get trucked this far or are unloaded from planes at below zero temps.)
1. My 16-year wedding anniversary today.
2. A week spent enjoying my family at the beach.
3. A book finished and another begun while at the beach.
4. That my daughter is smiling and happy. It’s been a rough year for her, as it has been for many, and I can see some of her joy returning.
5. Homemade ice cream.
Happy anniversary!
@Kristen, thank you 🙂
I am so thankful for our new dog. We rescued a young beagle mix a couple weeks ago and we feel as thrilled and exhausted as any new parent. Now that she's settling in and some of her issues have been addressed, I have time to read and comment here!
I hear a new puppy is like a new baby! But they do tend to sleep through the night faster than human babies.
My kids traveled 1000 miles here for a party we had for them and they had safe travels there and back.
That I got to see my kids after 1.5 years! They also got to spend time with the grand baby who was only a month old last time they saw her. Plus another grand is on the way due in December!
We were able to get mosquito treatments for little cost, you can't even go outside they are so bad.
My case of poison ivy was very light even though I took a lot of precautions removing the plants.
I get to work from home tomorrow!!
I’m thankful that my 2003 Honda Pilot lasted 18 years for me! And that I had several years with it paid off. The transmission went out last week. I will miss it but am looking forward to getting a newer one.
I’m thankful for “new” free living room furniture. What a mood lifter!
I’m thankful I got to spend time with family from out if state.
I’m also thankful for cooler temps!
I'm grateful that my toddler is getting the hang of throwing up into a bowl. We've been hit by a stomach bug, and her learning how to use a bowl means that we don't have to do a full bath, outfit change, floor cleaning, etc. every time she throws up. I'm also grateful that she's extra cuddly right now. She's been growing out of that lately, and I'll gladly take it back for a few days.
—I’m thankful that my daughter got my Uber app to work since I have a wedding this weekend.
—for my husband’s help since I tore my ankle ligament and have a long recovery.
— help at work since my injury