Thankful Thursday | wineberries, for starters
This week, I'm thankful:
for the berries growing in my backyard
These are wineberries, and there are several bushes in my yard, plus lots of them along my walking route.
They're kind of like a less-seedy raspberry.
that Zoe's healing up well after her wisdom teeth extraction
A little over a week out, she's doing quite well! She's not quite ready to bite down on anything spiky, but she's mostly back to eating normal foods, and her pain is gone.
A number of you messaged me and said you were really nervous about getting your kids' wisdom teeth out, and I have to tell you, it's been a fairly uneventful process for all of my kids.
None of my kids would do this surgery for fun, of course, but it just has not been an awful recovery for any of them. Now, tonsil removal? I will tell you that that was a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad recovery for both Lisey and me.
Wisdom teeth are a freaking walk in the park by comparison.
Obviously, the sample size here (aka, my children) is small, but still, I thought it might reassure you to hear it's been very manageable for us.
that we are done, done, done with wisdom teeth
Yay! No more wisdom teeth removal bills, no more wisdom teeth appointments, and no more wisdom tooth recoveries for us. Everyone's had them taken out now.
that the DMV offers so many appointments now
This is a serious improvement brought on by the pandemic.
Pre-pandemic, they had a first-come, first-served situation going on, which meant you could wait for eons to be served. And to avoid that, you had to get there before they opened and then stand in a long line.
Now there are so many services that you can make appointments for instead of just a select few. And there are a number of services that can be handled entirely online.
This has seriously improved my wait time experiences.
for non-woodsy walking options
Some days I just do not feel up for walking through a million spider webs, so I'm grateful there are good places nearby to do some paved walking.
watermelon
Man, I love summer watermelon!
for friends who are walking a path like mine
I do not wish this difficulty on anyone, of course! But I am very grateful to have a good support network of other people who can understand what I'm going through.
And I'm also grateful for the opportunity to support them and share what is helping me.
for the bed I'm about to hop into
I'm writing this post on Wednesday night and I am so, so tired.
I am grateful for the way that sleep refreshes me...I might feel terrible right now, but I know by tomorrow morning, my body will be feeling much better.
My comments last week disappeared, but as that did not make me less grateful I decided to let it go and not repost 🙂
This week I am grateful for the hum of bees and other insects in our small garden. I love to hear and see them so busy amongst the flowers.
I am grateful for longstanding and more recent friendships.
I am grateful for my own patience when people pressure me to have an (their) opinion about a sensitive topic.
I am grateful for our children who are so different bu both so loving to us and to each other.
I am so sorry your comment got eaten! I found some comments in my spam filter a few days ago; perhaps yours was among them. I don't remember!
But if this ever happens, just email me; I can always check my spam filter, which is sometimes a little overzealous.
@Kristen,
If this is true I am curious what part of my comment caused its move to the spam folder :-D?
But seriously, the exercise of considering what I am grateful for is more important than the results being read by others.
@Kristen, mine also got eaten. No big deal whatsoever. WHO KNOWS??
There is usually no rhyme or reason when they get spit into the spam folder. I think I unspammed yours too, Stephanie! You should see it on last week's post now.
I’m glad to hear that Zoe is healing well. The extraction of wisdom teeth has improved over the years. It seems to be much less traumatic than it was 40 years ago.
Today I am feeling especially grateful that the birth of my grandson went smoothly. So many things can go wrong during childbirth, but momma and baby are well.
I’m thankful that my daughter was here when her nephew was born. She seldom is able to visit so her timing was impeccable.
I’m extraordinarily grateful that my son, who is the father of this adorable grand baby, grew into such a wonderful man. He was a difficult teenager. I lost a lot of sleep during that time. However, with love, fortitude, prayers and forgiveness, he crossed the bridge from terrible teen to responsible, loving adult.
I’m incredibly thankful for my home and where I live. It’s not perfect, but it comfortable. People are generally kind, and we are relatively safe. There is also a great sea breeze.
I’m also happy that we are nearly 1/2 through the terrible summer heat. Summer in Florida can be unbearable. This makes me thankful for cool swims and AC. ( I think air conditioning is on my list every week).
Wishing everyone peace, health, and a bounty of blessings.
@Bee, Congratulations!
@Bee,
Congratulations on the new baby!
@Bee, many congratulations, and also I appreciate the comments about your son. We are in the weeds of boy-age-14 here, and it is much more of a trial than either of us (as parents) anticipated. It's reassuring every time I run across someone on the other side. This too shall pass. So, thanks.
@Bee, Yes!! I am grateful for AC too as a fellow Floridian!
Well, thanks for writing through the exhaustion. And please tell me you're going to make jam from those wineberries. I love raspberry jam and hate the seeds, so wineberries sound perfect for jam.
Thankfuls . . .
--For cool weather at night. It's almost never so hot overnight here that I can't sleep or stand the thought of drinking hot coffee in the morning, which was definitely not the case in muggy central New York. Hooray for the high-altitude west.
--For dogs that patrol all night and let us know when there are raccoons or escaped horses. (Their alarm barks at 2 a.m. for the giant toad, however, were a little annoying. 🙂
-- For bright, healthy children who can entertain themselves for the most part.
--For garden produce. It gives me such joy to harvest and eat from my garden.
--For the friend who invited us over to go swimming and gave me enough tiny but delicious apricots to make 10 pints of jam. (And then, of course, I gave a jar back to her. If only you were closer, Kristen . . .)
@kristin @ going country, I just love to hear your stories.
@Erika JS, Thanks. I sometimes love to live them. (Sometimes not so much. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, I'm envious of children who can entertain themselves. Mine is a bit high maintenance and just love company. A super extrovert from two introvert parents.
@kristin @ going country, we're having a cooler summer on the whole in muggy old Central NY than we've had in several years--only a few really hot nights. That's one thing I'm grateful for this week.
And I agree with Erika JS that your tales of rural NM are among the many highlights of comments on TFG. How giant was that giant toad??
@Battra92, It must be hard to be an extroverted only child. Out of my four children, three are extroverts. My husband and I are not. Good thing those three always have each other (although I sometimes feel sorry for the one child who would probably like to have a little more time alone).
@A. Marie, Oh man. I am bad at estimating size, especially when I'm blearily registering the size at 2 a.m. by the light of the big spotlight. It was bigger than my hand. Maybe six inches long? I don't know. It really ticked the dogs off hopping around outside the gate right in front of their noses, though. 🙂
@Battra92, my husband and I are both fairly introverted. When our kids were young, we had "quiet time". At prescheduled intervals, quiet time meant that our kids needed to read a book, work on a puzzle, etc. just about any quiet activity as long as it did not include screen/ tv. We started around age 4, at about 10 minutes each time (usually one in the morning, one in the afternoon) then slowly increased the time in 5 minute intervals. After a time, each child realized how much they enjoyed and needed the quiet time. It was a sanity saver to have that brief time when we didn't have non-stop questions flying at us. We also kept our kids to a pretty early bed time through elementary years. Having adults only time before bed was essential to us. Hope our experience helps in some way. If not, remember that these days will pass!
@kristin @ going country, our oldest Eskimo spitz dog has long gone to doggie heaven, but she had a terrible fear of turtles, snakes, and frogs/toads. Her bark could raise the dead if she saw any of those. Even the tiniest turtle made her bark like we were under attack by hordes of armed intruders. She was a special girl: so beautiful, so sweet, so deeply weird!
@Battra92,
My DH and I are introverts, our oldest is an introvert, and our youngest is an extrovert. It was like having an alien land in the family. She truly needs to be around other people to recharge her batteries, as much as we need to be alone to recharge ours. We managed, but it was a learning experience. Extra-curricular classes, sleep overs (at other people's houses when we could!) and school seemed to help her get her required dose of people. Good luck with yours!
@kristin @ going country, The giant toad - priceless!!!
@Cheryl, I have the joy of watching my older nieces and nephews raising their children right now and they all have this after lunch quiet time. They simply kept nap time when their young children outgrew it and told them that they didn't have to nap but play quietly in their rooms. I think they most often look at picture books in their beds and sometimes they do indeed fall asleep! I wish I had done that with my youngest extrovert daughter as I really, really needed a break from her most days.
Thankful for neighbors and friends to walk with regularly!
Thankful for my young adult daughter that is working so hard to find a job right now, she's interviewing and staying positive and keeps getting back up after a rejection, no easy thing.
Thankful for low humidity days, each one is a blessing as I tend to melt on the sticky hot days.
Thankful for all the fresh veg available at the markets, I just can't get enough of my veggies in the summer!
Coffee!
I'm thankful for the rain we had overnight. I think it's still raining now.
I'm thankful for healthy babies being born to those in and/or connected to our church family.
I'm thankful for being able to get time in the pool to swim.
I'm thankful my children are old enough and willing to take up the slack when it's necessary for me to be away from home most of the day.
I'm thankful for berry season, too! I picked our blackberries yesterday, and they went on top of our salad at supper. I didn't get to the wineberries yet; we'll see if the rain allows me to pick today.
I am thankful for:
* My casual (on-call) job. It allows me to take time off as needed, yet I have enought seniority that I get the hours that I need.
* A quiet and safe neighborhood.
* That my friend, who had a horrific car accident and broke bones in her cervical spine, is not dead nor paralysed. She has a long recovery road ahead of her, but she's still here!
* A good reliable car
* Summer! I hate show!
@Isa, so happy your friend is going to recover from her accident - it sounds horrible!
@Hawaii Planner Oh my goodness!! Prayers to your friend for an uncomplicated recovery!
I'm thankful for a busy day today. I'm scheduled to spend time with a couple of friends that I haven't seen in a while. I also have a bunch of other stuff going on.
I'm thankful I'm not a super picky eater. I'm making progress on eating down the pantry and freezer.
I'm thankful for heating pads and audio books. If I'm having trouble sleeping a heating pad set on low and placed under my neck and shoulders often helps me relax enough to fall asleep. I also find it helpful to listen to an audio book, on low volume, for ten minutes before bed.
I'm thankful for a cool morning walk today. It was refreshing to have a breeze as well.
I'm thankful for this blog and this weekly exercise. Thank you Kristen.
I'm thankful for:
the night's gentle rain watering the plants
curbside pick-ups continuing
the love of my family (& cats)
the ability to travel again
good health
Your comment about wisdom teeth reminds me of a constant gratitude of mine - that my kid who experiences extreme dental anxiety was born with no wisdom teeth! My son had all four, had all four removed, and required an additional visit for an infection a month later. Anyway, my suggestion to other parents - try to schedule the extraction for your kids at the beginning of a school break just in case their reaction is less easy than that of Kristen's kids.
@Kate, Great sympathy to your son and you!
When my son was little, I noticed most of the children's books and TV shows about dentists started with "There is nothing to be afraid of." That's backwards, and was not done that way for stories about other professional visits. It should start with "Here is what happens when you visit so-and-so." End with a compliment to the child to tell them how smart they are to understand what will happen and quit without using the word "fear".
Yes! Summer is a perfect time to get them out; no need to miss school or be seen with chipmunk cheeks. 🙂
Thankful for...
A much needed vacation with kids and grands. Fun times and did some memorable things.
For the beautiful weather we had the days we were there.
For all the walking I was able to do while on vacation. Very thankful for that.
The small raise I got, better than zero!
For my flexible work schedule. It means I can take the dogs for a walk before work.
For the truck who got stuck in a heavy storm with us had the wits to not stop on the xway after the truck in front of him did, it was almost a multiple car pileup.
For the cool nights we have been having. That is a true Michigan summer...
@Mar,
Michigan summers are truly beautiful!
I've never had wineberries! I'll have to look those up.
1. Let me start with the biggie - I'm thankful that the teen girl who was attacked by the shark while scalloping off our coast survived the attack; that although they had to remove her leg from the above the knee yesterday, they think she'll do well on a prosthetic leg; and that her brother, who beat back the shark, is a first responder/firefighter and knows how to apply a tourniquet. I'm also thankful for the boaters who got over there and helped get her and her brother out of the water fast, before the shark could try to get her - or perhaps her brother- again. She is a cousin to my daughter's fiancé, and a friend of my granddaughter's.
Now, less important things, but still thankful:
2. I'm thankful that the pineapple I cut open yesterday was at its peak. I've miscalculated on them before, which is always a disappointment and waste of money.
3. I'm thankful for the lovely "card" - marker dots on a folded paper towel - given to me by a young grandchild.
4. I'm thankful that a family member gave me a big hint as to what she'd like for Christmas. There's one I won't have to figure out.
5. I'm thankful that the crows, which are plentiful this year for some reason, have not eaten my elderberries. They got some of my blueberries last month.
Oh wow, I saw the story on the news and of course, I had no idea you were related to her!
@Kristen,
I'm not related, but she is a "connection". My daughter's fiancé has a large but close-in-affection extended family here in town. The brother who saved her is his frequent hunting partner. And of course, she goes to school with my granddaughter and is related to my step-granddaughter. It's a very small town and most of us are connected one way or another. There's been a huge outpouring of prayers and well-wishes for her.
Many, many people here in town go scalloping all season right where the shark attack occurred, including my daughter and her fiancé. It's made everyone much more wary. It's one of those things you know could happen, but never expect it to.
@JD, Holy cow. That's some story. Reminds me of that young girl who lost her arm to a shark while surfing several years ago. She wrote a book (Soul Surfer) about it that is still popular at our land-bound school.
@JD, on the news she seemed like such a sweet girl. I hope she goes okay. Bless her heart!
@JD, that shark attack story: YIKES!! I'm sorry the young lady will need an amputation, but glad that she survived at all and that she has such a supportive family and community.
@kristin @ going country,
I thought of that, too!
@Stephanie,
She is, and she's kept her sense of humor. She told my daughter she had watched Jaws, and said she was a better shark wrestler than those people in the movie.
You might note in her pictures that she is now has several stuffed shark toys.
@A. Marie,
They are surely there for her, no doubt. She has a long, tough road ahead, but she has a lot of help.
As always, I am profoundly grateful for my apartment home. I am on the 2nd floor, and on early mornings I sit on the sofa drinking coffee and watch the sun breaking through the trees in the little forested area behind the building. I am grateful for my neighbors - mostly older, retired people, who are quiet but friendly. And am profoundly grateful for the management here, especially for Juan, the maintenance manager, who takes excellent care of us - to the point of shoveling out our cars after a snowfall - because " you're my peeps". Life is good.
Oh, that is so nice that you have woods behind your apartment.
@Sharon,
Aww, Juan! It must be so nice to be one of his peeps.
@Sharon, I'm thankful for people like Juan!
Those berries look fantastic!
I am grateful this week for the container garden that is doing so well. We're going to be well-stocked in squash and cucumbers and tomatoes! I am grateful for my morning time to journal and meditate. I'm grateful for my clients and the projects I get to work on for them. I'm grateful for the rain we've been getting here in the desert and for the friends we got to see last night from Death Valley. What a wonderful week it has been!
I am thankful for the cool weather here in eastern PA—so far. I know the heat is coming! Hearing of the heat waves around much of the country, from our community here and especially from our son in Austin, I am very grateful that we’ve only just started easing into the 80s. Add to that, the humidity has stayed low—again, so far.
The incredible savings of library books, film and tv show DVDs. Add to that the incredible ease of getting exactly what you want. You order on the library's site, they email you when it’s in. They do the looking around for it and getting it into your library. Another email comes your way several days before it’s due. Seamless. And all free.
Coffee, to go with the exciting parts of books and to make mornings a delight.
Low humidity is such a lovely thing in the summer! I treasure every day we happen to have low humidity here.
I’d never heard of wineberries before. They sound wonderful! For a slightly larger sample size, I had my wisdom teeth out at 15 and had no trouble with the actual wisdom teeth removal but was horribly sick from the anesthesia. It seems that one person in every generation of my dad’s side of the family gets incredibly sick from anesthesia, and I drew the short straw for mine. The actual wisdom teeth part wasn’t bad, though. The pain wasn’t terrible, I didn’t bruise, and I didn’t have any trouble with the sockets. I’m a rule-follower, though, so I was very dilgent about not using a straw, doing the rinsing, etc.
This week I’m thankful for:
Keeping in touch with people. I had lunch yesterday with someone I used to see a lot at my old job, and it was wonderful to catch up with her.
The new and interesting things I learn from my job. I’m currently reading and thoroughly enjoying a book that I most likely never would have seen if not for work.
Our wonderful neighbors. This week we loaned them our spilralizer to try out since they have an abundance of zucchini. They loved it and gave us several zucchini when they returned the spiralizer. Our houses are pretty close together, so I’m very glad we all like each other.
For anxiety medication for pets. Our poor dog is terrified of fireworks, but our vet gave us a combination of medication that has really helped him this week.
My husband not being a weenie about needles like I am. One of our cats is on insulin now. I’m still practicing on organges and dreading giving my kitty a shot, but my husand isn’t bothered at all by doing it.
@Danielle Zecher, my son gets TERRIBLY sick too. He usually has to stay overnight. He is the ONE in my extended family.
@Stephanie, he has my complete sympathy! It is so awful to be that sick! Has he ever tried the Scopalamine (sp?) patch? I've had good luck with that. I still get sick, just not as sick and it doesn't last as long.
I like water melon but the seeds tend to bother me. What's your opinion on the seeds? Do you just eat them?
I usually buy the seedless variety!
@Maggie,
We've always spit them out, which is why it's best to eat watermelon outdoors 🙂
1. I took some inexpensive small rings to a coin store to sell for the gold. I had not worn them in many years, so they were clutter. I thought that if I get $20 for them that will be lunch at In and Out with my man. I got $68 and was very happy.
2. I had two planned social events that fell apart and thus did not happen. I was feeling unloved (sniff-sniff). Suddenly, my social life blossomed. Within a couple of weeks I visited with a former co-worker who was thrilled to see me, was invited to a fantastic barbecue and parade for the fourth, had lunch with a different former co-worker who told me how awesome I was and I still have two more social occasions later this month. I'm pretty sure this is more social action than I had in the past year. 😀
I’m thankful that my wisdom teeth removal, back in the 1990s, was also uneventful. I only had the top two, so that made things easier.
I’m thankful for all my garden produce! So much good stuff is growing right now.
I’m thankful for summer fruit. My kids love nectarines, peaches and plums. I don’t grow those, but they are readily available at the store.
I’m very thankful my uncle’s heart surgery went well.
My daughter just started swim lessons and I’m thankful she is loving it so much. She smiles the whole time.
@JenRR, I only had 2 wisdom teeth as well! They were on the top and had to be removed because they were “super erupted” since they didn’t have any opposing teeth. Neither of my kids got my great teeth, sadly.
@Audry Lee, I don't have any wisdom teeth, and I've passed that on to at least my oldest son. Some of the others are too young to tell. I am hoping lots of them have no wisdom teeth.
@Jody S., However, on the flip side, son #2 is missing a top incisor. So I guess missing teeth is a thing for us.
@Audry Lee, Ouch! “Super erupted” doesn’t sound pleasant at all! I’m not sure yet about the status of my kids wisdom teeth.
I have to add that I’m very grateful that we got a thunderstorm today with a nice soaking rain. We’ve been in a drought, so the rain is very much needed. The timing was also perfect, as it just held off until swim lessons had finished.
I love your duvet cover/comforter, Kristen! Very much my style - lovely, but not fussy.
1) Very thankful that my teen appears to be recovering from COVID without too many ill effects. He's not felt great, and has been recovering in his room, hopefully avoiding spreading it to the rest of us. I'm also grateful (for the first time ever) that he's easily entertained by his phone/electronics.
2) For our garden, which provided me an almost endless bounty to keep myself busy while I was anxious last weekend. I'm an anxious baker/cook. I made a ton of food, and all of that chopping kept me calm(er). Plus, pico de gallo is my husband's favorite, and we now have plenty!
3) For the cooler summer weather. It's supposed to get warmer over the weekend, so I'll enjoy it while I can!
4) I had a four day weekend at work, and it's making this week a bit easier, and also gave us plenty of time to flex our plans, & help our son.
5) For a grocery store that's a five minute drive. I grew up in the country, where the store is 15 minutes away, and there's something that never gets old about the ability to quickly grab something if you need it. It's not the cheapest store, so it will never be my primary shopping destination, but it's saved me on many occasion!
6) bonus - for a great new recipe. I tried a new coconut curry chicken dish for my son last night, and it was so fabulous, & easy! I love when a new recipe turns out. Sadly, he's lost his sense of taste, so he didn't notice it much, but I have an easy new recipe to add to our menus.
I'm thankful for a roof that doesn't leak, a full fridge and a relatively quiet neighborhood. I'm also thankful for the magic of the internet. It's still amazing to me that I can look just about anything up in seconds. I learn something new every day.
1. I am so, so, SO thankful that the grading in my backyard has been completed after delays of several weeks because of rain. This means that we can finally hydroseed AND that we will have grass where we now have dirt for my son and dogs to run an play in AND that I can stop having to clean floors every day after said dogs and kid drag dirt in because we have no grass. I know that this is a 1st world thankfulness item but I am aware of the perspective piece.
2. Thankful that canning season has begun for us. This time of year is a lot of work as I am usually up late processing fruit or veggies but this means I have lots of things in our freezer and pantry during the year to pull from which were harvested at the peak of the season. They taste fantastic, make for easy, healthy meals, and save us money. Bonus for me is I know exactly what ingredients are in each jar.
3. For an unexpected financial boost.
4. For our garden that is producing a sizeable harvest each day and fills me with a deep quiet joy that I just don't have words for. There is something so peaceful and soul filling about growing your own food. It is pure magic.
5. For our new puppy Gus. He is a fantastic addition to my family and we are having so much fun with him. He keeps our days filled with his hysterical antics, snoring, and puppy breath and is a faithful & loving companion to our first Boxer Luna Grace. These are sweet summer days.
Have a blessed day my friends!
@Angie,
I'm thankful for our boxer, Dagny. She's almost 12, but is great shape. She still runs around the back yard and she sprinted part of her evening walk recently. My husband was "walking" her, thankfully. Is Gus a boxer?
@Gretchen, Yes we have two Boxers now and love them both dearly. They are such loyal, friendly wonderful dogs. I don't think we will ever not haver a Boxer in our home. Lovely to hear that Dagny is weathering age well. I am praying that both of mine will as well.
My ex mother in law used to breed and show boxers. She still runs a rescue. Hers were all so nuts that there had to be a cattle prod charged up and ready to break up boxer fights. Good times! One of hers was the number two boxer in the country at one time. (which usually made me laugh.)
@Angie, My 60 lb. boxer/?? is such a lazy boy. He's beautiful when he runs - I think the other half is greyhound - but I have to drag him to get him walking because he's determined we should be going for a car ride. He's not a one-person dog but he barks at everything outside (WilliamB, there's a bunny 3 blocks away! I must warn you and scare it away!!!) and at most of my house guests, at least when they stand up. He was so quiet when I first got him from the shelter, too. ;->
I had my wisdom teeth removed in the late 80's. It was not pleasant. I had one tooth that was sideways. It was the 3rd one they took out. I am grateful Mom scheduled it at the end of the school year and also that I had them all done together. If I had to go back for a second time, I would not have done it. My mom has a picture of me with the chipmunk cheeks. Not a pretty sight.
I'm grateful for good health insurance.
I'm grateful for my roommate. We haven't been living together long, but it has been a blessing.
I do like this blog. I love hearing about the things y'all are grateful for and, of course, the frugal tips. I knew I was frugal but I didn't realize some of the things I done forever are frugal. I just have always done them. Examples include recycling/reusing things, grouping my errands and shopping at yard sales. I have never tried the "buy nothing" sites, but I really want to now.
Thank you,
Ginger Bruce
This week I'm thankful for family connections. Unfortunately, I find myself in a place where I need to consult with my own attorney regarding issues with my parents' estates; however, in the midst of this trial, I am thankful to have a family member on my husband's side, an attorney, that is connecting me with an appropriate attorney. It's so much easier to start with someone you know for issues like this.
I'm thankful that I can ask God for wisdom in tough situations (and any situation!), and that He promises to provide it to me.
I'm thankful for God's faithfulness. At any time, I can count on Him. He will never let me down.
I am thankful that I got home safely yesterday after driving through a serious storm and flooded streets. Yikes, it was scary!
Despite the flooding, I'm thankful for the rain we had, which brought cooler temperatures and shade to sunny Florida. Plus, my husband said he was enjoyed the "froggiepalooza" he heard last night as a result of the frogs swarming to the flooded areas behind our condo. Haha!
I am thankful for the rain today. It has been so dry and hot here
I am thankful that our daughter is doing so well professionally. Today she started as the clinic director of the physical therapy clinic. All her hard work in school has really paid off and we are very proud of her and her successes
I am thankful to work for a small company with management that cares about us. The president saw me yesterday and realized I was unhappy. He called me into his office this morning to check on me. A little terrifying to get called into his office but nice to know he cares about me
I am thankful for curbside pickup. Tennis elbow makes carrying in groceries painful
I am thankful my dog showed physical affection last night. She is very independent and usually doesn't like to cuddle. I think she heard me ask my husband if he thought she loved me so she decided she needed to snuggle a little with me to show me she does
Tonsils were bad for my child ( tho he never ever got strept throat again EVER!). Wisdom teeth easier. Sadly my one son needed both. My other son needed neither!
Thankful for funny podcasts. I am enjoying DONT ASK TIG and LITERALLY!
Light laugh out loud banter.
Thankful for my little garden. Brings me simple joys.
Stay strong Kristen. FEEL ALL THE FEELS and do not stuff them down. You are loved by many! Sleep helps most things…
Yes, poor Lisey had both surgeries. She would choose wisdom teeth any day over tonsil removal!
I'm riding the feelings roller coaster...there are some really good days filled with lots of happiness, and then some days, oof, lots of angry feelings. Or lots of hurt. I trust it's all part of the process.
I'm super thankful that my employer gave us a four day weekend. I'm feeling a bit weird that I wasn't more productive over the four days (feeling like I 'wasted' an opportunity to get things done) but I think I kinda needed some down time.
For the cool morning walk I just took. It was foggy and I didn't really want to go so I told myself that I would just go down halfway instead of doing the whole 3 miles. I ended up going the full way and saw some beautiful pups on my walk.
That I think I got a good night's rest after many interrupted sleep nights. I really love sleep.
That the sushi rolls I made last night didn't fall apart. I think it was beginner's luck - I haven't rolled sushi in a few years so I was super happy. Even though I'm the one making all the meals, I'm still relieved when something goes well.
I'm thankful that my oldest kiddo was really excited to go to summer camp for the first time and drop-off went smoothly. Anxiety was a huge thing prior to starting kindergarten and I didn't know if it would pop up for this new place and new experience. She did great!
I'm thankful for the ease of summer birthday parties. We hosted my in-laws until the morning of my daughter's birthday party and it was the least prepared I've ever been for a party. (I didn't even start frosting the cake until an hour before guests arrived!!) But a 'go play in the sprinklers in the backyard' party is way, way easier than a 'plan every minute and activity of this indoor party in the middle of winter' party and everything was fine.
I'm thankful that my garden is producing and will help my July grocery spending. Also thankful that my kids like everything that is growing!
New life goal: try a wineberry! I'm thankful this week for healing. I'm thankful to have people that care about me. I'm thankful that our newly rescued cat seems to be okay being a basementy/outdoorsy cat. We just can't bite the bullet and put a litter box on our hardwoods, and he's pretty content as is (our basement isn't connected to our main level! Apparently that was a thing in the 1950s). Also our house is teeny tiny (by choice!) and we didn't figure on someone dumping a cat at the gas station, but I read that a pet would much rather spend some time with you each day than be abandoned or in a shelter. So we are making it work, and it seems to be working out. I am very thankful for that.
Berries! Yum!
I am thankful for a wonderful first check-up of age spots, moles and such with a dermatologist. My husband just recently finished two years of treatment for skin cancer, so I wanted to get everything on me looked at early. All is benign and fine.
Also thankful for yesterday evening's cooling rain, for delicious leftovers (meatloaf sandwich with tomatoes & pickles -- yum!), for my sweet family, and for a totally unexpected pay raise that gets me close to what I should be making, taking into account education and experience. That last one makes me feel a lot better about my job on the truly annoying days.
@Ruby, yay on your "benign and fine" checkup! I am prone to skin cancer and covering up, wearing sunscreen and getting annual dermatological scans is so important.
I'm thankful for a lot of things this week.
I'm thankful for all the nice wishes I got about the house being paid off. It made me feel good and now weird for celebrating.
I'm thankful that I got a clean bill of health from the Dr. Yes, I could stand to lose a little weight but a lot of my more major issues are under control and not life threatening.
Thankful that I got to see my niece and nephews and my daughter is not "too cool" to play with the little kids. She does well playing with older and younger kids, which is nice.
@Battra92,
I did not get the chance to wish you congratulations on paying off your house! That's a tremendous accomplishment! So happy for you and your family!
@Battra92, it is definitely NOT weird to celebrate that milestone.
I had my wisdom teeth out later in life. I waited so long because of the horror stories I had heard. It wasn’t bad at all. I took the Motrin for seven days, ate soft food for about two weeks, after that it was good. The soft food was more because I was being overly cautious. My kids all need to have theirs out soonish. My oldest had a gum graft and so understandably he is skittish. He is waiting until he forgets that. All in all, not the worst experience.
@Gina, I've got a gum graft coming up in a couple of months (once I've recovered from my recent extraction and before I get an implant to replace the extracted tooth), and I'm not looking forward to it. But my grad school BFF has kindly agreed to pay a visit that week, drive me home from the procedure, and get me through the worst of the recuperation. That's another thing I'm grateful for this week.
Yay for good friends!
I am thankful for my health, my grown children, my grandchildren. I am also grateful for my rescue plants from Lowe's surviving and thriving and giving me beautiful flowers to admire.
@Lisa,
I love rescue plants! I rescued several succulents from Lowe's last year. I've managed to keep three of the total of four plants alive, too! 🙂
What’s an example of a “spikey food?
Well, something like a Triscuit cracker is a little spikey when you bite down on it! Same story with hard pretzels.
Glad to read all the happy comments this week. New babies, new pets! I myself am struggling badly this week with my kids. That's all I got, sorry.
Sending you lots of love, Rose. It's ok to have rough weeks.
Thanks.
On a related note, is mid-20s too old to stuff offspring into one of those safe-haven abandoned baby boxes?
@Rose, LOL. That depends on how big of a mid-20s baby it is. I had so few problems with my eldest, and he's still okay, but wow! it is harder as he's older.
@Jody S., My kids were 11 pounds 4 ounces (boy) and 11 pounds 10 ounces (girl). Let's just say they've always been HEFTY.
(In fact, I bought the cutest Hanna Andersson white cotton sweater suit to take my daughter home from the hospital. She didn't fit in the 3 months size. Here I am trying to shove her little shoulder into it. I gave up and figured her snow suit--she was born in January--along with an undershirt and diaper had to be enough.)
@Rose, some state or another was sloppy in writing its baby box laws, so it unintentionally included all minor children. A fair number of teenagers were dropped off. One laughs at first, then one's heart breaks at the circumstances for which parents would try for so long and still not be able to help their kids. Every single one was a challenging circumstance.
@WilliamB, Oh, I know, I still often think of the mother who drove several states over to drop off her 12 year old. My heart breaks for that kid.
@Rose, Hey, I've got a thankful for you--- you still have your sense of humor!
@WilliamB, I worked for the state adoption unit at one point. One day a woman came in, dragging a little girl of 11 with her as well as a suitcase. I happened to be in the lobby and she handed the suitcse to me and said, "I am bringing her back. She is not smart enough and I can't handle a dumb kid." Imagine what she said to that child in private, if she said this in public. I actually had to fight back tears as I took the kid back to my office. She had been adopted at two years of age!! Sometimes my job made it hard to not hate people and assume the worst about everyone. I used to go swimming and I would see men with their kids and wonder how many of them were sexually abusing their children. It was one of my better days when I managed to get a court order that forced the parents to pay $1200 in child support from that day until the child was adopted by someone else.
I always love the thankful Thursday even though I rarely comment on them. They always make me pause & be grateful.
I want to ask...how are your parents coping with your divorce? My son divorced this past March. He has a son & I'm his childcare so I have to interact with his ex-wife on the days she has custody. Without boring you with details....I can't figure out how to get support for what my husband & I are dealing with. My grandson's mom has tremendous support. My son is in therapy & he's much more private so people are not supporting him as well. My husband(who has to work with her & her new boyfriend) & I are struggling...we're very private as well. Do you have any advice on where we can find support for the parents of divorced couples or grandparents because we are a huge part of our grandson's life.
@Jenny Young,
Not Kristen, obviously, but speaking as someone whose child divorced her spouse when my grandchild was quite young:
You are so fortunate to be the child's caregiver! That's such a blessing. Do your best to be neutral, calm and cordial with everyone and always behave in the best interests of the child, who loves all of you on both sides. If you have a confidential-type small group that you attend, that could be very helpful. If not, do you have a trusted friend, a clergyperson, a therapist with whom you can be open? Have you looked at online articles and other resources? I know I found some information to help me when I was in this situation. I hope you find what you need - this is a hard period to go through.
@Jenny Young, I feel your pain. Some years ago, my church participated in a workshop about divorce for "people who have never been divorced," led by two psychologists and a family counselor. It was a wonderful insight and very helpful; there were a number of grandparents in the class as well as people like me, whose sister was struggling with an awful divorce. Talk to your minister or priest about sponsoring something like this. It will help remind people that divorce is happening whether we want it to or not, and there are many ways we who are bystanders and supportive friends and relatives, can be helpful. One of the most memorable things I remember is that the pain of divorce does not disappear; but we all learn to live with it and move on. Class participants created an almost spontaneous support group, an unexpected bonus for those of us who were just dumbfounded. It is very hard to see a bond that you celebrated so warmly, come apart, especially when children are so strongly affected.
@Kristina,
My husband and I find ourselves in a similar situation. A couple who are our best friends are going through a very ugly divorce. Hubby has known both of them since college (they are in their late 50s/I'm 60). They have two kids who are older teenagers, so obviously don't require "child care" the way small children do....but we're struggling to be supportive to all involved, without "choosing sides". I wish we could find a class like you attended!
@Jenny Young, I would recommend looking for support groups for grandparents raising their grandchildren. That can happen for many reasons, including divorce, so you may find comfort there.
@JD, yes, I am so grateful to be his main caregiver. I've been his caregiver since he was about 3 months old so we are very close. And I expect when he goes to school I'll be the one getting him up at least three days a week & taking him to school. So far, everyone is getting along well, all things considered.
I have an aunt that's helped me a great deal. She went through this when my cousin divorced. But she is elderly now & I worry about putting too much on her...my mom (her sister) is gone & she's stepped into that role for me many years ago. I don't have any close friends who've gone through this & much of their advice has been painful.
@Kristina, what a great idea. Unfortunately we are between churches right now. We've been attending a new church since this past March but I'm not connected enough to be that open yet there. Which may be part of my struggle....we went through a major church split & I lost what I thought was a good community group. Only to find that many of them weren't really connected to me as much as I thought they were....so much loss in the last 4 years for me personally is probably making the present crisis harder.
I have talked to my dr. I have an amazing dr (she has actually given me her private phone#) & had some serious health issues come up earlier this year which we now know was probably caused by all the upheaval in our family. But I only see her twice a yr & she is not a counselor.
@WilliamB, I will do that. We aren't technically raising ours but I guess we're part-time raising him.
@Kristina, @Jenny Young, @Liz B. (and everyone else on this mini-thread). The support groups/ideas you are describing sound very similar to the approach taken by Al-Anon, which is an organization for people who have loved ones dealing with Alcoholism.
I haven't yet gone to an Al-Anon meeting (soon, soon!) however those folk I know who have attended have all said "I went to try to fix the person drinking, and learned that the only person I could really change was me". And in the process, the growth they experience means that they are healthier in their relationships with their loved ones.
Now, I DO attend AA myself (we are allowed to admit we attend, we just aren't allowed to 'out' anyone else) and I absolutely encourage anyone who has a chance to attend any kind of support group to get in there and soak up the loving.
Groups of people sharing different and yet similar challenges are soul-healing places of self-growth, support, love, laughter (so much laughter), safe grieving zones, and sources of late night phone call answering buddies. Can't say enough good things.
.
I was too proud for way too long to go to Group Therapy or any kind of Support Group ... what a fool, a snob, and an egotistical person I used to be! I am much happier now, to be in the middle of a community that knows what I am experiencing and ensures that I am not alone and lonely.
Since my kids are older, it's not like my parents will need to do lots of interacting with him post-divorce. So, they are doing ok...just focused on loving and supporting me and my kids. They have a supportive church community and extended family, so that always helps in hard times!
In short, I don't have a lot of good advice, so I'm glad other readers had some ideas for you!
I'm thankful for my job. The guy I give a ride to work was laid off.I was surprised but he was perfectly calm. He said they told them at the morning meeting all contract workers were let go.. So I asked did you work that day? He did and still did his best work. They were being replaced with foreign students with temporary visas. He said he felt sorry for the foreign workers. They bring them here and put them in old empty disgusting motels, drive them to and from work, provide their meals. He wasn't sure if they even got any pay as all their expenses were taken from their earnings. He called it modern day slave labor. He went out and got a different job the next day
Thankful I have so many choices.
1. I was not thankful for this until I read the many comments about wisdom teeth: this minute I am extremely thankful that I was born without them so never had to cope with the pain or worring about things like "sockets." (Terrible word, right up there with moist as vaguely disgusting).
2. Thankful that this year there were no fireworks on the 4th. We are surrounded by forest fires, dozens of them with some close enough to result in evacuations, so the government outlawed fire works this year and for once everyone seemed to take it seriously. All children's sports have been cancelled for weeks now, due to extreme smoke. People with risk factors are being encouraged to stay indoors. Other years the hospital has had a clean room people could go to and spend the day in a place with no smoke, but our covid numbers have gone up so now they can't do that.
3. Thankful that my garden is starting to provide more of our vegetables and all of our berries. I had never heard of wine berries but we have an abundance of honeyberries and raspberries in our yard. (I like the seeds in raspberries and was thrilled when I found a raspberry jam with extra seeds!)
4. Thankful for our not for profit community hospital. I asked my cardiologist why he was able to spend almost an hour with me at a recent appointment and he explained that they are not paid by the patient, so he can spend as much time as he needs with people. Since he knew I was a complicated case, thanks to a cardiac birth defect, he made sure they scheduled more time for me. What freedom for him as a practitioner! What a boon for patients!
5. Thankful for living on the river, where I can sit in my own backyard and watch the water. I find it very soothing.
Oh, living on a river sounds so lovely! If you ever do a Meet a Reader post, I'd love to see a photo of it.
@Lindsey, what are honeyberries? I've never heard of those, but I like the name. 🙂
I hope your smoke clears up soon. We don't normally have wildfires, but did in 2016 and it was horrible. I have so much respect for people who live with that every year!
Those stairs for exercise look amazing, I'd love to do them as one set up and down. Reality = once, positive thinking = twice (do-able), to aspire to = the third time.
Thankful that my husband removed the wasp nest out of the vent from my range hood above my stove. (Apparently both us of standing outside in a mass of wasps does not bother us, whereas me trying to find a new cell phone provider renders me to tears).
Thankful that he also cleared the living quarters of 3 flying insects, with long stingers, that had moved in behind the temperature gauge on the wall outside my front door.
Thankful that said husband has a very green thumb and keeps all the plants alive, including watering my growing vegetables.
Which leads into thankful that my tomatoes so far are good this year: the past 2 years they either rotted on the vine or were eaten by some insects I know not what.
And lastly, to my neighbour who has a massive cherry tree in his garden, and says we can pick the cherries off all the branches that hang over our side of the fence. Also to mention that this year I am having a bumper crop of raspberries (must have been all that rain).
Kristen - Have you tried sprinkling Tajin on your watermelon slices. Takes watermelon to a whole other level!
I've never heard of a wineberry. Raspberries are my fave, so I bet I'd love those, too.
Super thankful for a very fun day today. Some of the fun was planned, some has been impromptu .... the planned part was seeing an exhibit of costumes from Downton Abbey at our local art museum with my daughter and taking her out for lunch afterwards. If Dressing The Abbey ever comes to your area, go! Lots of fun! Anyway, my son ended up not having to work today so I splurged and we went to see the Minions movie after that--which was a riot. It was great to laugh and I thoroughly enjoyed all the 70s references, even though my kids didn't catch most of them. It was definitely a financial splurge of a day but honestly, I feel like I've had a week's worth of vacation. Plus, it's super humid here today so being in the AC was wonderful.
@Kris,
My mom and I went to a similar Downton Abbey costume museum exhibit several years ago (maybe it was the same one, I don't know) - it was incredible! I agree, definitely go if you have the chance!
@Liz B., I bet you went to Downton Abbey: The Exhibition. I'd love to go to that if it ever came close enough to me. The one I went to today is only costumes but still so fun. The details on some of those dresses--wow.
1. I am also grateful for a good night’s sleep last night.Fresh sheets and some aromatherapy= refreshing slumber. Has been hard to come by lately.
2. Grateful for watermelon,also!!! AND cantaloupe!
3. I am so grateful our son’s health has taken a bit of a turn for the better.he’s been sick for a year now, and it’s been a family challenge. Counting our blessings.
4. Due to #3, for the first time in over a year (more,actually, cause of ugh,covid..) my husband and I are taking a short trip to one of our favorite local towns, favorite historic hotels, for some time out together! Whew!!
I froze those berries in snack bags and put those in a big freezer bag. We can thaw them for cereal all winter. They are wonderful in lemon muffins too. They would work freezing on a cookie sheet too.
Sleep is a great blessing! Enjoy it!
I am thankful for having found this blog and community, a pleasant spot on the internet that isn't selling stuff or arguing about Important Subjects. There is a place for both, but it's nice to have a place to share and visit.
I am thankful that my husband is beginning to get interested in gardening. The two of us can do so much better than I could by myself, and many tools that fit him well are too big or heavy, or both, for me. We are watching a baby grape vine produce its first grapes, and planning dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) later in the summer.
I am thankful for sewing skills. It takes time, but I make most of my clothes and my husband's, with joy in beautiful fabrics and the fun of old movies on TV. Scraps provide their own fun with small items and quilts. It helps that we are not slaves to fashion.
I am thankful for the lovely fireflies that light up our evenings. They are very common in rural Ohio and one of my very favorite pieces of summer magic!
And, fifth, I too am thankful that we paid off our mortgage after many years of financial struggle. Our home is not fancy but I love that it's ours, and I like that our taxes pay for good local schools, roads, and public services. We lived in the third world for a year, and learned first hand how fortunate we are to have building inspectors, health departments, traffic laws, and many other assets that most First Worlders take for granted, or complain about. For example, we lived where there was no ambulance service of any kind, no traffic laws, and the road to our house was too narrow for a normal car anyway--our neighbors told us that if we managed to reach a hospital alive, we were probably going to be OK! Otherwise, people just die. When my husband needed medical help urgently, we went to the hospital in a taxi. Twice. The kind driver, our neighbor, wouldn't accept payment.
Last, about wisdom teeth: had all four extracted when I was 22. The surgeon didn't tell my mother to give me something to eat when I got home (I had not eaten since breakfast of the 4 pm surgery) or she forgot, but I passed out. Back to the hospital for revival, then back to my parents' house. I woke the next morning to my mother's horrified cries as I had bled almost all night so the sheets and my (long blond) hair were all bloody. Poor Mom thought I had died. I had a very sore week that is definitely behind me, thank God, but it's a good thing we didn't have the internet then. Too many horror stories can be too scary! And there are lots of them about dental procedures. I had gone to a routine exam, the dentist said not to eat lunch because I was having surgery in the afternoon, and it was done. Good riddance!
Have a great week, everyone!
@Kristina, Very exciting to have your mortgage paid off - congratulations ! (And, just yikes @ your wisdom teeth story - poor mom indeed : )
For flexible supportive coworkers & boss, who were expecting me to be in the office with them today but were not only OK that I couldn't (I needed to help take care of someone else) but called me to see how I was doing.
For finally finishing eating down/defrosting/cleaning/organizing/restocking the deep freezer. I even bought 3 bins that will make keeping it organized much easier, something I resisted for years.
That I fit the 52 packages of chicken efficiently, and still have room to buy a lot of bags of frozen shrimp. All on deep sale of course, which is about the only reasonable (?) justification for buying that much.
That I have the resources to buy 52 packages of chicken in 2 months because even that that'll save me a lot of money in the next 6 months, it's still a substantial initial outlay. (And is a fine example of why being poor is so expensive.)
That it took only a week to replace the old dryer. And as above, that I have the resources to buy a new dryer instead of having to limp along fixing the old one beyond when it made sense to do so (c.f. Vimes' Theory of Boots).
That my roommate taught me how to replace a light fixture. I couldn't do them all but what I did do keeps the electrician bill down.
Hope you’ll consider moving on with divorce. You don’t need to walk through anything. It’s sad to see you stuck. And weird.
Walk forward and move on and love on.
I am unsure why you deem the "walk through" language as inappropriate for a divorce. Divorce is a process that people walk through; it is not instantaneous, and someone who is walking through it is not stuck (hence, the "walk" language. 😉 ).
I am thankful for the rain we had yesterday.
I am thankful for the warm and sunny weather today because it is our grandson´s birthday.
I am thankful for the orthopedist telling me that my left knee is ruined, but as long as I can walk without pain I don´t need surgery.
I am thankful for being able to walk up to five kilometers without pain.
I am thankful for my husband helping with cleaning the house.
I am thankful for our very very rainy spring and early summer - record breaking. Last Year's heat dome was appalling, and deadly, so many sick and lonely and elderly died in their homes in my province, and the wildfires and loss of an entire town were nighmares. This year, lovely wet rain. My garden's hardly have needed watering. Yes, yes, the warm weather crops are non-existant, sulking, molding, or late planted (also a reason for thanks as I was finally not late!!!) and yet my soul still rises to the green.
Thankful that my 92 year old mom continues to be amazingly healthy and independent. The changes I am seeing are a bit disconcerting yet none are slowing her down, and we can laugh and enjoy each other when we visit. "Not too often! I am too busy! " she tells me. Glorious, as she is over an hour away so it is becomes my 'one big thing' commitment on any day I visit.
Thankful that #2 son is working at getting moved from the house into the barn loft - he hasn't finished painting and he is getting there, and I help when I can. I think our relationship will continue to become an adult-to-adult one, as I learn to let him go and he learns to spread his wings - and we both learn to communicate with love. He is getting better at asking for help, I am getting better and asking if he WANTS help before care-taking all over him.
Thankful that I got all my harvested chickens parted out and packaged and frozen before I went on my holiday .. it was a big physically demanding stretch and getting it done rather than giving up and freezing more whole birds means that future Teri will be grateful to open the freezer and find single and two person portions ready to cook.
Thankful that I have a friend who wanted to holiday with me, only an hour from home and it was like a million miles away, no wi-fi, they fed us at this resort and it was RUSTIC - and we were right on the beach, I read and slept and swam and relaxed, and #2 son kept the home running just fine.
Thankful for this blog that slows me down to remember and read and share the blessings we have, as well as the challenges and sorrows. Peace to all
I am grateful that family all got to spend some time together this past weekend. And the biggest factor was everyone got home safely. Some folks had an 8+ hour drive, but we all arrived home safe and sound.
Grateful that my husband is dragging me for some bike rides while on my vacation. Thoroughly enjoying the rides and the exercise. When we ride, we do not ride next to each other; he waits for me every 3-4 miles.
Grateful that someone was selling peaches on the side of the road when we were returning home after our bike ride. So yummy and fresh!
Grateful that I got to spend time with my granddaughter. Even tho she did not want Pop as much as me and she was driving me crazy calling me every 5 min, I enjoyed our time together.
Thankful that we have stayed on budget the past week, which makes going into this week easy, peasy. Now to plan some dinners and make sure there is enough for breakfasts and lunches.
For my new air conditioner.
My brother who worked in the hot sun to remove the old 1,gopickup the new1,install it in the hot sun.
My granddaughter who picked up window units so I could breath easy in room
She also installed them right before it hit 99 I dex of 115
.100%humidity.
For entry of easy eating food during the heat.
For my folks who taught us never to turn your back on someone in need especially family
I'm thankful.....
- for the lovely summer weather we've had so far without the horrible heat and humidity. I am almost reluctant to say this in case I jinx us.
- for lovely strawberries, raspberries and sugar snap peas that my 15 yo picks at the farm and brings home (and that her employers have this lovely rule that the kids may pick whatever they like when their day is done to take home to their families) .
- that my last chemo/immunotherapy cycle wasn't too bad for side effects in the greater scheme of things and that I was still able to do all the driving for my daughter's work and sports even while still hooked up to the pump.
- that my septic smell in my back property was simply a broken pump. Although a $900 plumbing bill, much better than a whole new septic system at anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000!
-for friends and family who continue to support us and be there for us.