Thankful Thursday | Sweet Sixteen for my blog

I started my blog 16 years ago today, on July 4, 2008.

It was a pretty random idea, and I probably pondered blog name options for all of about five minutes. 😉

(Which explains why I, as a 46-year-old woman, am still blogging as The Frugal Girl. Ha. I didn’t think that one through too well.)

I had no earthly idea that I’d still be blogging all these years later.

I had no idea my blog would grow enough to provide a full-time income for me.

And I really had no idea back then that my blog would be my financial ticket out of my marriage, or that it would get me through nursing school.

But I am endlessly grateful to 2008 Kristen for dipping her toes into the blogging world. And I am grateful to all the past iterations of myself that kept on typing, typing, typing.

I am also grateful for all of you. I cannot imagine my blog apart from the community that has formed here; you are an integral part of what The Frugal Girl is!

Some people in my blogging groups turn off their comments altogether (too much spam, too much arguing, or just not enough participation to make it worth keeping them on) and whenever I see that, I always feel so grateful for the way things are here. I love how busy the comments are here, and I am thankful that it is largely a drama-free zone….a peaceful little oasis on the internet.

Also: I so appreciate all the support you guys have sent my way these past few years. I always tell my nursing classmates that I probably have the biggest group of cheerleaders behind me out of anyone in the class. There are thousands of you, from all around the world, and I do not take that for granted.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This week, I am thankful:

for the upsides of a drought

It has been dry, dry, dry here for the last few weeks.

I mean, the air has been humid. It’s just that there’s been little rain falling from the sky.

This is not good, obviously, but since I can’t make it rain, I’m being thankful for the upsides.

Like….mosquitoes aren’t too bad right now, since they need moisture.

Also: my grass has grown barely at all since I last mowed it a few weeks ago! That’s fine with me, since as we’ve already established, I don’t particularly enjoy mowing my grass. 🙂

that we got a thunderstorm on Sunday

I know that what really helps a drought is a nice, slow, soaking rain that lasts all day.

But hey, the water that dropped from the sky in Sunday’s thunderstorms is better than nothing, even if that type of rain does fall too fast to be 100% absorbed by the ground.

that summer does not last forever here

I know many people adore summer, but aside from the school break, I do not. I think summer is highly overrated.

So in the days of heat and humidity, I focus on the fact that it does not last all year here. No offense to anyone who lives in South Florida, but if that was my home, I would really struggle! I’ve been to Naples in February several times, and even then I did not love the weather.

At least up here, I know weather relief is coming in September and October.

As I always say, one day when I am rich and famous, I will spend my summers in the Pacific Northwest. 😉

for a break in the humidity

After an oppressively hot and humid string of days, we got a little break and I was so so so happy.

I went for an early morning walk and the temperature was a dry 65 degrees. I could have cried with joy.

I even got to open my windows, which made Chiquita very happy because she loves to sit in the window and observe the world outside.

for an outdoor coffee visit during the nice weather

On one of those lovely cool days, I got together with a friend at a cute outdoor coffee spot by the water.

for a chance to see a sunset

I cannot ever see the sunset from my house because there’s a hill that goes up from the west side of my house, and that hill is covered in trees. No horizon there!

But I realized a nearby park on the water does kinda face west, so on one of our nice low-humidity days, I drove over there after dinner and enjoyed the end of the day.

You know that old advice to be a tourist in the area where you live? I am reminded of that whenever I sneak in a little moment like this.

Sitting on the beach on vacation is nice, but reading a book after dinner next to the water at home is also quite lovely.

And what a shame it would be to miss out on the beautiful and enjoyable things that are right here where I live!

for wild berry season

All of my usual walking haunts are filled with wild blackberries and wineberries right now, so there’s always a little snack to be had as I walk.

for the many animals I see as I walk

Just this week, I saw a bluebird up close, a fox, several bunnies, several box turtles, and also some sort of very, very large bird that was running down the path.

And of course, I see copious numbers of squirrels, but they are so common, that’s like saying, “Oooh, I saw some grass today.” 😉

that slow progress is still progress

I’ve been doing a lesson or two of Spanish in the DuoLingo app for a little over 500 days now, and even that little bit of practice every day is helping me learn.

I can read things like this and understand them basically as fast as I can read them now.

I’m not fluent, but I know way more than I used to!

What are you thankful for this week?