Despite the usual bumps in the road, it's been a good week and my life is overflowing with reasons to be thankful....
At the beginning of the week it hit me how much I love Mondays now! When I worked in an office, Sunday night and Monday morning were most often times of dread, wondering what the coming week would bring. Now Monday morning is an easy, quiet time full of promise, and I am so very thankful. I worked many years, so I don't feel the least bit guilty about finally being free of it, I am grateful that I can be, it is a very precious gift that I used to long for... prayers answered!
I am thankful for my four furkids, always! I love the way Toby loves to nuzzle me, wrapping his large body over my shoulder and purring into my neck, or leaning against my back to play with my hair. He has such a deep rumbling purr! Yesterday was Tiggy and Gracie's sixth birthday, their mom was a rescue kitty and they were born here. I hope they'll be with us for many years to come! They had tuna and a little ice cream for a birthday treat! :-)
I am thankful for the politeness of our new neighbors. They bought the acres adjoining ours and are living in a camper at the present time. Yesterday he came to the door to ask permission to drive his truck along our side of the property line so that he could work on the fence they are building. Of course I said yes, and I was pleased that he asked, it was a good sign for our future relationship!
I am thankful being able to sleep long enough to wake up feeling rested! We never get to bed quite as early as we hope, and I don't fall asleep right away. When I worked I always felt physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Now I wake up a little later, feeling rested and ready to begin the day, it's wonderful! It has also made me more aware of how much stress affects our bodies.
I am thankful for our security alarm system, even if it did wake us up at 4:30 one morning when the wind set off the sensor on our shop door! Although that was bit unnerving, the repairman came the next day to fix it, and all is well now. My husband will be out of town overnight tomorrow, so I feel more safe knowing that we have it. There was a time I didn't ever want one in my house, too much of an inconvenience I thought, then the farm I was living at with my ex was broken into... twice... in the middle of the day, glass broken, the house rummaged through, and things stolen. It was a horrible feeling. It taught me that it is okay to be proactive to protect your home and even more importantly, yourselves. That alarm wailing is most likely going to send any would-be thieves running and the sheriff will be on his way!
I am thankful for the greatly reduced prices for refills of my husband's medications after switching from CVS to our grocery store pharmacy. We were told that their prices are higher than most, and it turned out to be true. We are now paying far less without insurance than we were at CVS with insurance. Shop around, it might be worth it, and don't forget to inquire about discounts!
I am thankful for the amazing clouds in the sky here yesterday afternoon that looked like long flowing streaks of white... just beautiful! I posted photos on Facebook. They didn't last long, so I was glad that I was out driving at the time and got to see them!
I am thankful that I am finally making time to read again. It's another one of those things I love that I stopped doing. I am reexamining how I spend my time and what activities I most value, then finding ways to fit them in. I have loved books and reading since I was very, very young. They have given me an understanding of life that I never would have learned in school or at home.
One the subject of books, I am both thankful and delighted with the book from Zoe that I found in my mailbox yesterday. It's called "If It Fits, I Sits... Cats is Awkward Places" and it's filled with delightful photographs of beautiful kitties relaxing in the most unlikely places! Much to our surprise, it even has a photo of Sophie's doppelganger, identical to her in every way! Such a treasured gift, thank you Zoe! <3
I am deeply thankful for the old and new connections God has brought into my life in recent weeks. It seems the more time I make for others in my life, the more people He wants me to share my time and prayers with, and I do so gladly. Nothing is more uplifting than encouraging someone else a little bit!
May your weekend be relaxing and re-energizing, may you make time for the people you love and things you enjoy doing, and may the coming week be one in which blessings abound! Thank you for sharing your gratitude list at TToT, together we are stronger!
Popping in from my mini vacation to be thankful with you. Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteI so appreciate you taking the time out to join us for TToT while you are away, Mimi. You're the best! I have a nice relaxing weekend planned, and I am so glad that you do too, you've earned it! :-)
DeleteYour week is filled with so many things. I know that wonderful feeling of getting a good night's sleep and not having to rush off somewhere in the morning. I had a couple of anxiety ridden nights this week and it's a joy to be able to sleep when you actually can. I'm so thankful that you are continuing this blog hop and that you asked the question in your post for all of us to help get to know one another. I also want you to know that all your postings on Facebook are so inspirational to me - they are food for thought and often come at just the right time for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Val! I enjoy finding quotes to share that speak to me, and I'm glad you like them too! A good night's sleep is very precious indeed. On the rare nights when I've had too much caffeine, or the security alarm goes off way too early, it makes for a very hung-over feeling the next day. I am delighted that we are having a good response to the new TToT blog. Along with 6SS, it is definitely the highlight of my week. It keeps me focused on the positives! I think the TToT question of the week will be a regular feature, it helps build a sense of community beyond our posts. :-) Best wishes for a wonderful baby shower, such a happy thing to celebrate!
DeleteI like that quote. It is so true.
ReplyDeleteI really liked it too, Carin! I think we sometimes believe that happiness is somewhere out there or it only happens to other people. Happiness is a state of mind, we can find reasons to be happy, just as we can find reasons to be thankful, no matter what all is happening in our lives, it's all about how we approach things and how we get through the hard times with faith and determination! I am glad that you had such a happy birthday week!
DeleteAlways so encouraging and uplifting to read your Thankful posts. It's a true blessing in my week. xx
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! I feel that way when I write mine and when I read the others. It reminds me of how much good there really is in our lives!
Delete'cellent List!
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of the early part of the day over the later. Not certain when I started doing that, but I get much more done in the morning, including writing. Seems odd that something like creativity (or whatever accounts for the writing that makes up so much of this place, should favor one part of the day over others. Now that I see the words 'on paper', I think I know why, its that my frame of mind in the middle (and second part) of the day is all about the problems and challenges and whatnot that comes with the 'real' world.
Kinda cool, in a schizophrenic way.
Animals (dogs or cats) are pretty much perfect lifeforms.
I have always loved mornings and am most productive then, be it at writing or physical endeavors. Afternoons are down time, and evenings I become reflective, which also makes for good writing but just as you note, it is colored by whatever's transpired during the day. Morning writing is the purist I think! I so agree with you about dogs and cats, they add so much to our lives and for reasons totally puzzling to me they love to be near us and interact. If I was observing the human species from their vantage point, I might be a bit more hesitant to want a human of my own! ;-)
DeleteThe purring of a cat. Books. Clouds. Feeling safe. These are all lovely things. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kerry! My life is very much about the simple pleasures now, and I value that peaceful simplicity after younger years of living life on a rollercoaster.
DeleteReading and rest are two of the best blessings I think. This is a great list. I am glad it was only the wind messing with the shop door!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, feeling rested is like a miracle change in my life, and reading is a pleasure. Believe me, we were very glad that was a false alarm with our security system too. It certainly gets the adrenalin going, but I'd definitely rather have it than not! We have learned that quick response from the sheriff's department is not guaranteed out here, so it is best to be prepared.
DeleteYour whole list is beautiful - shows what a happy place you're in right now in life. Love it. I know exactly what you mean about Mondays. Sundays are no longer a countdown to stress and anxiety. It's a much easier transition into the week. Working at home is definitely a challenge with its own set of stress factors, but this life is so much better for all of us.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you also on the alarm thing. Never thought I'd love having one, but I do.
And yes to reading more! Strangely, I thought being down sick would give me loads of time to catch up on some reading, but I was SO sick I didn't even want to do that and so now I'm behind. Are you on Goodreads? I love keeping track of books there. If you are, we should find each other.
Working at home does have other stresses, Lisa, but the upside is that you are 100% in control of what you do and how your time is spent. Time wasted at office jobs was one of the things that drove me crazy, I always thought of what I would much rather be doing. Now when something comes up, I can address it immediately instead of waiting 'til "after work".
DeleteSecurity alarms offer great peace of mind, which is a sad comment on our world. I grew up in a small town where doors were left unlocked until bedtime, even if running on errands to the store.
When you are truly sick, the last thing your head feels like doing is focusing on written words, but as much as you love to read I have no doubt you will soon be catching up on your reading list. I am not using Goodreads, although I am signed up for it, because my reading list is so far behind now. Once I get to the point where I am looking for new things or reading new things, I will make sure we get connected on Goodreads! :-)
What a lovely list. I particularly like the sound of the book on cats! My Charlie tends to like sitting on top of the sofa where the heater is, but he's known to contort himself into all sorts of funny shapes!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jo! The book was wonderful. Our largest cat seems to be the one that is most adept at squeezing herself into small spaces, often looking like a muffin top in the process! I am always amazed at how they can sleep comfortably while hanging off the arm of the sofa or draped over a shelf on the cat tree. In my next life I want to be a very spoiled cat! :-)
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