Ten Things of Thankful - Week 2, 2017

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It's high time to get my weekly list of thankfuls done before the weekend expires...

1.  I've had a miserable cold all week long, and this leaves me so very thankful that I can stay at home to recover.  When working in the past, if you took more than a day off when you were sick, it would result in eye rolls from supervisors and grumbling from coworkers. So everybody comes to work still sick, sharing their germs with everyone else, and struggling to get through the day.  Staying home is a big, BIG blessing in my life in so many different ways.

2.  I'm thankful that the oilfield economy where we live is finally on the upswing again. This is job security for Papa Bear.  He's been at his job for 35 years now, and business has been pretty grim there the past year. Boom/bust is the nature of the oilfield.  Someday we hope to live in a more stable place, one with lots of trees would be nice. :-)

3.  I'm thankful for the happy news from my daughter that she and her fiancé will probably get married in March, and then head to Hawaii for a honeymoon.  They've been engaged for over two years now, and she's been in the process of getting her house ready to sell.  Looks like it just might all come together for them this year.

4.  I'm thankful for a good phone visit with my younger sister this week.  We don't talk on the phone often, I am not a phone person, but we had a lot of catching up to do and she had some concerns she wanted to talk to me about. Our relationship is much improved over what it was in years past.

5.  I'm thankful that my son was able to change his work schedule this year. He is an air traffic controller and was working five nights a week, giving him very little time with his girlfriend. This year he'll be working three day shifts and two night shifts, which is perfect.  It also gives me a chance to connect with him after work.  My kids are both night owls by nature, my daughter works night-shift as a nurse.

6.  It has rained all day today, and some last night too.  In West Texas we are always thankful for rain, thought it might be nice if it didn't come all at once.  It's been a dry winter so far, and the rain will be needed to help things grow in Spring, so the rabbits can thrive, and the coyotes too. It was nice to see both looking well-fed and plentiful last summer.

7. I am thankful for the awesome comfort of the very casual clothing  I wear when I'm at home, unless I need to run errands in town.  No one ever drops by out here so I don't need to worry about greeting someone at the door in my pajamas. Office wear, even casual, is much more restrictive, and I am all about comfort.  The clothing I have now will last me quite awhile.

8. In connection to #7, I am thankful that my dry-cleaning bill has dropped to zero, as has money for eating lunch in town. We've done really good at paring down expenses in the past five months. It helps that we are both on the same page when it comes to wants and needs.  In reality we don't need all that much.

9.  I am thankful for being inspired by the other great bloggers that I follow, including some old ones returning and some new ones I've discovered recently.  I am feeling more inspired to write than I have for some time.  Having two blogs is also working out well for me, even though it might seem a little strange to others, the purpose for each one is clear in my mind.

10. I am thankful for the understanding of life that comes with experience, for learning to see old things in new ways, and for believing that love and unity are stronger than hate and division.

Ten Things of Thankful is the brainchild of Lizzi at Considerings.  It's been running each weekend for a long time now, and is a wonderful way to refocus on the good things that happen in our lives, despite whatever problems we are facing.  There is always something to be thankful for... always!

 This week we are linking our posts at the TToT group on Facebook.