Thankful Thursday | Cardiology + slot machines
New here? Thankful Thursday is a practice we started in mid-2020, since all of us needed a mood boost. And since we haven't stopped needing mood boosts, we've just kept up the habit!
This week, I am thankful:
that my in-the-airport exam went well
I was a little nervous about how it might go since I had missed a week of classes. But after a good cram session during my Las Vegas layover, I apparently was sufficiently prepared, and I got a solid A.
Whew.
Incidentally, this is most likely the only time I will take a college exam with slot machine music playing in the background!
Good thing I don't have ADHD, or I might have had a rough go of it under such circumstances. 😉
that the vein/artery anatomy is not as hard as I thought
When I first opened the lab ID list for this module and saw 70 vein/artery items to learn, I was like, "OH NO THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE."
(By now I should remember that I pretty much think this at the beginning of every A&P module!)
But once I listened to some lectures and did some labeling exercises, I started to realize that this is, in fact, a manageable amount to learn in two weeks. I am going to be ok.
(Again, by now I should remember that this is always how things turn out.)
that I was able to get a replacement pair of earrings for Zoe
I bought a really silly pair of frog earrings for her birthday, and she loved them! But when we took them out of the package, we saw that they appeared to have been run over by a dump truck.
Honestly how do earrings get THAT smushed during shipping??
Happily, the seller was willing to send me a new pair, free of charge. Whew. Birthday crisis averted!
that Lisey was able to visit for Zoe's birthday
I'm so glad that, at least for now, Lisey lives close enough to visit for things like Zoe's birthday.
After she graduates, she probably will move pretty far away (to somewhere with a beach, probably), so I know we won't get to see her as much then. And that is all the more reason to appreciate it while she is close by.
for the ways my anatomy knowledge helps me understand things I read
I was reading a medical memoir the other day and one story involved a VAD (ventricular assistance device). Since I have just gone through heart anatomy, I was able to really understand what this device does.
And when my dad shared an article with me about an ancient cadaver who had apparently died because an arrow went through his subclavian artery, I was like, "OOH! I know where that artery goes!"
for friends who listen to my troubles
I think I've said something along these lines before, but even though a listening ear doesn't exactly fix a problem, it does make a difference.
When friends listen to me and empathize with stuff I'm going through, it puts me in a better space to handle whatever problem I'm facing.
And that is very valuable.
for an unseasonably warm day yesterday
We had the windows open! I wore short sleeves! We remembered that spring is on its way!
(Today we are back in the 30s. Good thing yesterday is stored in our memories.)
for evergreen trees
That photo above reminded me of this; it's February and most things are dead or dormant. But the holly trees are still green, and they make that photo look almost like early spring.
What a mercy that not everything turns brown in the winter; there are little glimpses of green to get us through until April.
that I can encourage my girls
I'm thankful I can be there with a listening ear and an encouraging word. And that's true even from afar; Lisey has my contact info in her phone not as First Name, Last Name, but as "MOMMMM HELPPPPPP!"
And that made me laugh when I saw it.
What a blessing it is to be able to be there for people that you love!
that my parents are in good health
This year, my mom turns 70 and my dad turns 77, and they are both in such good health.
My mom takes multiple 18-mile bike rides every week, and my dad spends his days doing physical work (yesterday he took down a tree in his yard!), and I am just so thankful they are able to do things like this.
I also feel like this may bode well for my future aging, possibly. 😉
I am so very thankful that my children are settled and managing successful lives.
I am thankful for my granddaughters who fill my heart with joy.
We are under a severe weather warning and so far it has been pretty mild.
I am also thankful for my craft stashes as they make my heart sing.
February is almost our hottest month. But lots of rain have kept the temperature down. This is great because our main air conditioner is not working. The humidity is high though.
"Mommmm Helpppppp!" - love it! And it made ME laugh, too. It reflects the strong relationship between you and Lisey, her trust in you, and the fact that she has a wonderful sense of humor. All will serve her well as she makes her way into the world. Thanks, Kristen (and Lisey) for providing a delightful start to my day!
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, it's funny to me because I swear my mom probably lists me as help in her phone since those are the only times she calls me (or to tell me someone died.)
Lisey does have a great sense of humor. She makes me laugh almost every time I talk to her.
And yes, I feel that is an honor to be labeled like this in her phone because yep, it's a sign of trust. A high compliment!
@Battra92, I hear you clearly. My husband has three other siblings, but he was the one that his mom always called for help after his dad had passed. When you're the "go to" person, it can feel like both a privilege and a responsibility.
@Kristen, I believe I'm listed as "Mom" with a heart next to it in our 22 year old daughter's contacts. In an effort to get her thinking about solutions and not just relying on me to solve a problem, I frequently respond to a call for help with, "What do you think your options are?" One day, when I got "the call," she started out, "Mom, I don't need an adulting lesson, I have a problem and I just need to know what to do." I don't even remember what the problem was, but I still laugh about it whenever I think of it.
Well, yesterday our eldest paid his deposit for his first year of college. Sigh. Friends, the college of choice is a 2-day drive away. There will be no weekend visits. But I am thankful anyway, especially ....
*that we might get to see him for his fall break by meeting him kind of half way at my in-law's house for a family wedding.
*that we get to go on a road trip to the school for additional scholarship opportunity.
*that we are nearly all better after our second round of sickness in February. Who needed a productive February anyway?!
*that we are getting a few more eggs from our chickens.
*that we're well enough to enjoy butchering this weekend.
*that my friend invited me to share in her Jane Austen buddy read. We had our first discussion, and I had so much fun with that.
*that my kids, so far, share my love of literature.
You take really good notes!
I'm thankful I was able to donate a package of advertising to a friend. I wasn't going to use it but I couldn't get a refund for it. Thankfully, they allowed me to transfer the package to someone else. My friend was ecstatic because she had no money left for advertising her books.
I am thankful for health insurance and a work situation that allows me to take leave pretty easily. I am also thankful for a supportive and flexible boss and coworkers. I am thankful for my husband and my kids. I am thankful for the birdsong I wake up to every morning.
"What a blessing it is to be able to be there for people that you love!"
A close family member just started her first week of chemo for stage four lung cancer. I can't take away or even fully understand what she is going through, but I can be there for her by picking up groceries and pulling together a care package of things to occupy her during chemo.
Thanks, Kristen. I needed this today!
@Steph, those little things are huge gifts to those in need. Wishing you love and strength during this difficult journey.
Bless you for being there for her!
I was reading a discussion online about the mental health differences between men and women. One big difference between the two is that men almost never have someone to talk to outside of their spouse. We don't have friends who just call up to chat or something and when we do talk it's usually about superficial unemotional stuff.
Oh wait, this is supposed to be about thankfulness.
I'm thankful that I am now fully over whatever cold (Omicron or whatever) that swept through my house. I had it the worst but my wife didn't have a picnic either. The worst part was just lingering for a few days of the runny nose and stuff.
I'm thankful that work policy allowed me to work from home on the days when I was clearly too contagious to go in but still well enough to work. As I commented to a coworker, I've worked through far worse colds than this but that's not something to be proud of any more.
I'm thankful again that I bought my house when I did (bottom of the market.) Seeing acquaintances complain about their rent going up or being unable to get a home makes me feel nice and secure where I am. I also am thankful that I have less than a year on the mortgage. I kinda wish I could celebrate this more openly but I don't want to be a braggart.
That this year we are not having vacation with my in-laws. The last few years I've had to drive an entire day to get to my in-laws' house and spend a week being miserable and bored. Instead this year we are doing a few weekend or mid week trips here and there. We haven't decided entirely what we are doing yet but we're looking around at options.
@Battra92, definitely celebrate when you pay off your house, but like you said, restrain sharing (except here!) We worked hard to pay ours off in 9 years and were so thrilled we wanted to tell everyone. Bad idea. No one understood why or even believed we had done it through hard work and frugality. Mortgages and debt are mainstream and almost universally embraced; being debt-free, not so much. ;-(
@Battra92, I'm afraid Bobi is right that paying off big debts is way outside the mainstream (in the US, at least). Fortunately, our family and friends already knew DH and I were nuts--but we definitely got some funny looks from the professionals involved when we (a) dipped a bit into savings to pay off the home mortgage well ahead of schedule, and (b) paid cash for a car. The guy at the car dealership in particular didn't actually say, "This is un-American!", but judging by his expression, he sure was thinking it.
@A. Marie, it's funny but when buying my wife's car they were unphased by our cash payment.
It must have been very difficult to concentrate with the sound of slot machines jangling in the background. That airport is so loud! When my son went to school in LA, the route I took required me to change planes in Las Vegas. I always tickled me that the plane’s passengers were always a little rowdy when going to Vegas and extremely quite when leaving.
I am thankful that spring has arrived to Northern Florida. There are few sounds as lovely as bird song. Few sights as pretty as blooming azaleas. Few things as wonderful as longer, sunny days.
I am thankful for the kitty on my lap, the coffee in my cup and the ability to turn off the morning news.
I am thankful that I have a wonderful family, that we have so much to look forward to this year, and our family is growing! Although I worry about two of my adult children who haven’t settled into a career path, I remind myself that right now they are doing just fine. B
Most importantly, they are exceptional people, and for this I am truly grateful.
Wishing everyone the blessings of good health and happiness.
I thought it would be hard too, but it worked out ok. Exams are a little stressful, so they make me focus more. I might have been more distracted if I was just doing homework.
Kristen, that is indeed a memorable place to take an exam. 🙂
This week I am thankful for my sweet husband celebrating his 64th birthday, for a few days of spring-like weather (followed by winter returning, but that's February), for our health insurance covering my first shingles shot and no side effects from it, and for the appearance of the tiny wildflowers called spring beauties in the backyard grass: the first sign that the earth is warming up.
@Ruby, I just reread your comment, and I almost teared up at your mention of spring beauties. The last time I stopped by the house where I lived from birth to age 12 in TN, my stepmother was focusing mainly on the obvious deterioration of the house--but I was silently thanking my stars that no one had ever put weedkiller on the lawn. My then-BF and I picked spring beauties and buttercups out of that lawn every spring of our childhoods.
This week I am grateful for the bulbs poking their green shoots above the earth.
I am grateful I was able to help both children yesterday when they were stuck. My son first thing in the morning and my daughter late afternoon. Never a dull moment. I'm grateful my son had a wonderful time in Costa Rica swimming and surfing.
I am grateful that after seven months at my job, I've finally slipped into an easy groove and it doesn't stress me out any more.
Not so happy about: current world news, my glasses arm broke off again (and I really like these frames, sigh), my dog chewed up and spilled a bottle of my pills (she didn't eat any), I never get a vacation because I can't afford it, and the anxiety/stress dreams I have most nights.
I am so glad your dog didn't actually eat your meds. Whew!!!
I am thankful for the bright red cardinals when everything is gray and brown (but beautiful). I am thankful my daughter still wants a hug and kiss before getting on the bus in front of her friends. I am thankful for a rescue dog who needed me as much as I needed her. I am thankful my mom taught me the basics of cooking when I was young and to keep it simple. I am thankful my wind chime still finds the wind after all these years.
I am thankful for air bags, seat belts, and crumple zones. My daughter and I were driving, and someone ran into us - we walked away from a totaled vehicle. I am thankful for my insurance company, who told me that yes, the car had full insurance on it, so the accident was covered. (It was our old kid-drive-around-town car with 170K+ miles on it, so I thought I had only minimal insurance.) I am thankful for my daughter who despite being very upset about the accident, was able to call 911 and talk calmly with the dispatcher. (She was so adult and responsible!) And an adult daughter and boyfriend came up yesterday while I was at the doctor's and they took care of school pick up, making dinner, and general entertainment of kids. They also helped push my husband's truck out of an ice puddle which had frozen the tires stiff.
And as much as I hate teaching remotely, being able to hold my class via Google Meet (because I'm still shaken up from the accident - whiplash is real!) is a blessing. I don't have to cancel class or take my daughter out of school to get me to work.
@mbmom11, I hope you feel better son. Scary!
@mbmom11, Glad you and your daughter are ok!
@mbmom11, I'm sorry to hear about the accident, and I'm very glad you and your daughter are OK (apart from being shook up). I too was very fortunate to walk away from a totaled car when I wrecked our Prius in November 2020. (Well, I didn't wreck it all by myself; the guy in the pickup who was going 60 mph in a 30 zone definitely helped.) And my insurance company couldn't have been more helpful; I had the total-loss payment in hand within 3 weeks.
@mbmom11,
Oh no!!!! I’m glad everything ended up okay, but sooooo scary.
@mbmom11, so sorry this happened to you and your daughter and so glad that you were able to walk away. Wishing you a full and quick recovery!
Oh my goodness, I'm so glad you guys are ok. And I hope the work of mopping up the post-accident logistical mess goes as smoothy as possible.
My 16-year-old daughter finally got her ears pierced last fall. What changed her mind? We saw earrings at a craft fair with opossums on them. Yup, opossums. Glad to see she's not the only one who likes quirky earrings.
Thankful for a sunny day! We've had miserable rain/sleety weather of late and it really drains my emotional tank.
Thankful that covid is finally slowing down in my area. It's been a very long season. Downside is that I'm not getting many hours at work (hospital) because I'm not needed currently (I'm a prn employee).
Thankful that we can afford for me to not get many working hours! I don't take that blessing lightly. It's due, in part, to the wisdom of all you frugalistas!
Thankful to go out for lunch with my sister and nieces today.
Thankful for the cat. He provides us with so much laughter and cute furry-ness.
I am at once thankful that we got some more snow, because we need the rain, but also thankful it won't stick around long down here in the valley! It's pretty and I know there are lots of people out there who wish they saw more snow in the winter, but it hinders my outdoor activities like golf and biking! At least there's skiing. Another thing to be thankful for! A body that can ski.
I'm thankful for clients who challenge me. I am not a person who enjoys even the slightest hints of disagreement or conflict. I don't like to debate. And yet I have one client who sometimes likes to push buttons or or say things that I know are meant to be a bit inflammatory. And I'm grateful for him, honestly. I know he doesn't hold onto grudges very long and that he really just wants a spirited debate, not a fight. If everything were always easy and simple and steady-as-we-go then my job would be pretty boring.
I'm grateful for my sweet Monica kitty who wanders the house meowing all morning just looking for someone to chase her or pet her. At least she's vocal about her needs! Ha!
I'm already grateful for the hot bath I plan to take after I get home from a meeting with the aforementioned client and lunch with a friend. I'm super grateful for the friend who is meeting me for lunch! I knew I'd need a sounding board after my meeting and probably a beer too.
Thankful for my friend, who I can call whenever and just talk about whatever.
Thankful for my daughter who calls whenever and talks about whatever.
Thankful for a break from teaching this week and ready to get back to it!
Thankful for my safe and warm home.
Coffee
We are on vacation this week, so my comments are mostly themed around that:
1) Thankful my dad had a successful back surgery yesterday, and his immediate recovery is going better than usual. Typically he gets hiccups for days after surgeries, which can be really painful & makes it impossible to sleep. The surgeon experimented this time & found some options that eliminated the hiccups.
2) That we have a family activity that everyone enjoys (skiing). Given how challenging it can be to engage teenagers, and get them off of their phones, we are so happy they love skiing together.
3) That we rented a condo, and were able to make most of our meals. There has been very limited dining availability (labor shortage & COVID?), so I'm glad we weren't planning to eat out.
4) For warm gear. We typically ski at Lake Tahoe, and it's rare for it to be truly cold there, but it's really chilly in Park City (4 degrees or so yesterday/today) + snow. The warm gear makes a huge difference.
5) For having two kids close in age, who will engage with each other on vacations. Given they are both teenagers, they often are really busy with their own friends, & don't spend much time together at home, but on vacation, they ski together, ice skate, & go to the hot tub together. It's lovely to see.
This week I’m especially thankful for our neighbors. Our development formed an online private group in which we share information. It’s very comforting to get personal recommendations when you need to hire contractors and the like. They came through for us on an issue we have and the stress relief can’t be quantified.
Always my DH, our sons, books, and coffee. The important things.
Also always thankful for Kristen's work on this blog. Her sharing is so wide-ranging that you never would miss a day because it’s either seriously useful or mood-lifting-ly whimsical.
Aww, that is such a nice compliment. Thank you, Erika!
I am thankful for odd weather and snow! I know many of you live in places where snow is not special. I live in SoCal near the mountains but at low elevation. It was so beautiful to see snowflakes falling outside of my window.
I am thankful for good books. I am slowly making my way through Jane Eyre (the edition with Karen Swallow Prior's notes and reflection questions). Wow. What a good book.
I am thankful for all the friends who want to help us move next week and who are giving me tons of free boxes.
I am thankful that I live near so many hiking trails. The spring wild flowers are in bloom.
I'm thankful I don't get headaches very often. I had one on Tuesday and did not appreciate it. I think it was caused by something I ate (chicken salad at a cafe). Luckily it went away after I drank a lot of water and rested for a bit. I know how fortunate that is.
I'm thankful for a new hair stylist. My previous one was phoning it in. This one seems really good and she's at the same studio so it's close to home. The stylists work different days so there should be no awkwardness about switching.
I'm thankful for low Covid-19 numbers in the state. There is a GI bug going around but I'm careful about hand hygiene so I should be okay.
I'm thankful we had wonderful warm weather the past three days. I'll bundle up today but I know March is around the corner. I noticed yesterday that some grass is turning green. Flower bulb leaves have been out for a while.
I'm thankful for non-dairy products. I though dairy was causing congestion so I switched to non-dairy yogurt. I seemed better the first two days but not today. Oh well, something else to ponder.
I'm thankful I have a good sense of humor. When you can laugh at difficult or absurd things it makes things easier.
This may sound odd but I'm thankful that my parents aren't here to see what is - and has been - happening in the world since they died.
@MB in MN,
Sometimes I feel that too.
@J NL,
Me, too!
I sometimes think this about my grandmother. Every now and then I feel angry that she died at an age that seems too young to me, but then on the other hand, she didn't have to experience some really heartbreaking things in my extended family, since she was already gone. So it is a mercy for her.
@MB in MN,
I often wonder what my parents would think. I would love to have them give me their perspective on world events
There is an old adage that says, “You know that you are getting old when the world no longer make sense to you.” I’ve decided that I’m not only old, I’m absolutely ancient!
@MB in MN, I too would like to ask my parents what they think about the current state of the world.
They lived through the depression and WWII so I think they would have some good perspective.
I always ask DH is it just I am getting older and more afraid or are things going haywire? This is where my parents would have perspective.
@Bee, I'm reminded of the time during the year my mother spent in a nursing home when I was trying to explain cell phones to her. After a while, she gave me the "weary hound dog" look she'd perfected and said, "Stop the world, I want to get off!" I felt for her then and feel even more for what she would have thought now.
@MB in MN, I agree 100%. My parents lived through the worst of WWII, including Nazi camps and then two years in a displaced person camp waiting for a country to admit them; no one was eager to take in Eastern European refugees. My entire childhood I heard their gratitude for how the US helped stabilize Europe and how they were safe living here. Now I see the hate and supremacy groups in the US and the way Russia is flexing its muscles and I am so very glad they will not know the anxiety I feel every single day.
1. I'm grateful for finally getting my husband into a rehab for physical therapy yesterday afternoon. It's older and small, makes my drive home 1/2 hour longer, and he's not all that pleased, but some people we know from our town work there, so I am hoping that helps him feel more comfortable. It was recommended to us, so I hope he does well there.
2. I'm thankful that this Saturday will be the wedding of my great-niece, who is a sweet girl and so well-grounded. She was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic at 13, but she has such a good attitude. She is getting a degree to be a diabetic educator/nutritionist. She especially wants to help young children, who can be so frightened when diagnosed.
3. I'm thankful that the armed, dangerous criminal who was loose in my little town after seriously wounding a deputy this week is no longer loose.
4. I'm thankful for the book recommendations I get here. I have one on hold at the library now, and enjoyed "The Kitchen Front" already.
5. Like Bee, I've been enjoying our recent North Florida weather very much, although I dread the coming of summer. What we have now is just about perfect, though.
@JD, hurray on finding a rehab spot for your DH at last, even though it's not ideal. I'm hoping with you that he will recognize the folks from your town who are working there.
JD, wow, that's been a long wait. I hope he does well and has good and caring staff to work with. I'm an OT and often recommend a rehab placement prior to returning home and it's the rare person who is happy with that recommendation .... I try to emphasize that it's a temporary "pain" with hopefully a longer term success at home. It's a hard place for both of you to be.
Oh, I'm glad you were able to get him into PT. But oh man, I am so sorry about your already-long drive getting longer!
"MOMMMM HELPPPPPP" - love it! It reminds of when our daughter was in college and called to ask me for help by saying "I needed an adulter adult"
This week the thing I am most thankful for is that our son is feeling okay now.
1) Our son went into Anaphylaxis and in addition to not being able to breathe, he also lost his voice. He texted me to tell me about his condition and I'm so thankful that he lives close so we could call 911 and be there to help get him into the ambulance.
2) I'm thankful that we have good health insurance. While he was in the ER, our son was fretting about how much it was going to cost and we assured him it was not an issue.
3) I'm thankful our son coincidentally already had an appointment with an allergy doctor so he was able to get tested to determine what he had the severe allergic reaction to right after he got out of the hospital.
4) I'm thankful that the thing he is severely allergic to is green tea. That will be much easier to avoid than if he had a nut allergy.
5) I'm thankful for all the friends and family that have shown us love and support during the medical scare.
@Beverly, such a scary situation. So glad for a happy ending!
"an adultier adult"; I love it!
@Beverly,
I’m so glad he is better! It is a scary experience for everyone involved to go through that.
@Beverly,
Green tea?!? That would never occur to me as a major allergen! How fortunate that it was picked up in the testing, and I'm glad he's now doing well and you were able to help him!
I'm thankful that at this point in my life I can afford to indulge my two favorite hobbies. The first one is reading and that is a whole post in itself.
The second one is my flower garden. My husband jokes that if we see any kind of a plant nursery he speeds up the car before I can yell, "STOP." We're in So Cal so I've been already planting for a couple of weeks now.
Yesterday, I drove an elderly neighbor to Best Buy for some phone repair and I had to kill time for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, there was a Home Goods nearby and by the time I left I had, yet another, new planter under my arm. This one hangs on a fence and I will look for some flowers to go in it today.
I.CAN.NOT.STOP.MYSELF.
@Anne,
Please don't stop! I'm not a gardener, and it's always so nice to walk by someone's yard who is. The colors, the arrangements, the scents are always so glorious to look at! My yard has some nice shrubs and trees, but our neighbors on both sides are avid flower lovers. So I get all the beauty with none of the work! So your garden indulgence blesses everyone around you!
I'm thankful for the sunny location we live in. I went for a morning walk and it was so beautifully crisp and sunny. From the top of a hill 10 minutes from my house, I could see the beautiful Pacific ocean in one direction and snow capped mountains in the other by just turning my head. I didn't even feel like going for a walk but I'm so glad I did.
For podcasts - I love listening to them when I walk and today I listened to one of our former first ladies talk about her perspective on aging and her body and it was a nice refresher to appreciate my body for what it is and how it's not reasonable to expect that it look and behave like it did 15 years ago. I've been frustrated that I haven't been able to lose the 10ish pounds I want to drop and this reminded me that it's all good - I just need to go easy on myself and do the right things.
For my body. It is strong and takes me where I want to go every single day.
For a cozy bed. I need to figure out my pillow situation but man, it's a comfortable place.
That the days are getting longer - the sun was up before me today; it's been a while.
I am thankful for a safe home and plenty of food and being able to share it with our loved ones.
The daffodils and tulips are carefully poking their leaves to the surface, and we are looking forward to seeing their color. I also planted some bulbs in a corner but cannot for the life of me remember what they were - except that bees should be attracted. We'll wait and see!
I hope you'll continue these weekly posts, Kristen. Covid or not - we can use it I feel.
I am very thankful for reading about the thankfulness of lots of thankful people!
1 - Good health insurance
2 - The noise of sanding coming from my basement - my husband is making something in his wood working shop.
3 - The misty rain outdoors - it's not snow and ice!
4 - Physical therapy - I broke my left radius on Thanksgiving Day, my firstbone break. I'm thankful that I reached the ripe old age of 63 break-free. (Lesson learned -- do your outdoor chores before the sun sets.) Anyway, I leave momentarily for my second hand PT and I am amazed at how much more motion I have after only 3 days of exercises. Physical therapists work magic! (I realize this is 2 thankfuls but oh well...)
5 - Strong black tea - in the summer I love green tea but getting through February and March doldrums takes a bit more. English breakfast tea makes me very happy.
So glad your PT is working so well already!
@Elaine N, Physical Therapists ARE magicians!
Thankful my doctor treated my knee which gave rapid improvement, I can actually walk and use steps.
That my neighbor offered to clear my driveway while hubs is laid up. I was able to use our snow blower last time to clear it but my knee swelled up the next day so I hope I don’t have to clear it. We have long driveway.
My youngest got Covid and recovered quite quickly.
For modern day devices that allow quick communication.
For the grand babies who fill my life with joy. The oldest is 27 months and is getting good at doing FaceTime by herself. You may only see the top of her head but she does well with the phone.
@Mar, on this tearful day your description of your granddaughter on FaceTime brought a big smile to my face.
Thankful for the sunny weather Monday and today, which has allowed me to get out on a couple of long-postponed outings. I drove out Monday to exchange extremely belated Xmas gifts with friends who live 20+ miles SE of here, and I did a round of errands today that included stops at a local bakery outlet and our Thrifty Shopper outlet store.
I'll save a detailed list of the thrifty scores at both outlets for the next FFT. But for now, the main score at the Thrifty Shopper outlet was a large and absolutely gorgeous butcher-block cutting board. I was gasping at its beauty even before I turned it over--and gasped even louder when I read this inscription on the back: "Hand Crafted at the Maine State Prison."
So my two TTs from this one: First, I'm glad I'm not in prison. And second, I'm glad there is at least one state prison in this country where the inmates have the opportunity to make something more beautiful and meaningful than license plates. (OK, I've just outed myself as a bleeding-heart liberal. I trust, as always, that there is room here for a full range of views.)
I think making useful, beautiful things in prison is probably quite a fruitful use of that time!
A lot of Heavy in the world today, which makes finding things to be thankful for all the more important.
Thankful for...
-A safe home in a peaceful place. As I've been reading about South Sudan during the early nineties and Ukraine, I'm thankful my family has had the luxury of knowing peace.
-2 administrators with experience in Deaf culture at my daughter's small private school. She is hearing impaired, and we didn't realize how much it was affecting her until this school year and a lengthy conversation with these two amazing people.
-leads (thanks to above people) on resources for my family to learn ASL and support my daughter and help her fully develop in the hearing world and signing world.
I'm thankful for generous friends who are wealthier than I am. My husband's college buddy is a real estate developer and purchased a huge 6 bedroom, 5 bath home with a pool in Naples, FL to basically tear down and build an even bigger home. But, before razing it next week, he let us bring our entire extended family down and stay in it for a week. It was a particular blessing because Maine has been extremely cold, and it was nice to be warm for a few days. It made me reflect on how we can all be a blessing to someone else no matter how big or small our home/wallet.
Thank you to Alexandra for mentioning the book "55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal" by Elizabeth White in last weeks Five Frugals. I am halfway through and find her examples and statistics, as well as her positive attitude, very interesting. It was written just before the pandemic and I would be curious to read her take on current employment crisis's and on our aging population.
I am thankful my husband and I were raised by parents who had similar ideas about frugality and that we have been able to build on those to have enough and just a little extra throughout our lives, which is more than so many have.
Prayers for Ukraine.
Smiling at your list and rejoicing in these things with you, Kristen!
Kristin
I was too busy with work to respond yesterday. But, your heading made me laugh out loud at myself. Ha. My mind initially thought Cardiology referred to card games because slot machines followed. Hahaha! Thank you for the unexpected giggles.