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| This photo has a background of small rocks that have been worn smooth, such as one might find in a driveway or a riverbed. They are in assorted shades from white to dark gray. There is a white transparent banner overlay across the middle of the photo. A quotation on it in black letters reads "You Can Choose - Gratitude or Grumbling."* |
1. Being a mother to two awesome people that I couldn't be more proud of! While motherhood has its share of trials and tears over the years, when your kids grow up to be awesome, responsible adults that are kind and considerate of others, it is the best feeling in the world.
2. Mother's Day... my children are always overly generous with thoughtful gifts, and I so enjoyed visiting with each of them too. Mother's Day sometimes feels a little sad with my own mother no longer living, but they make up for it in their love for me. The sweet things they wrote on the cards they sent me melted my heart.
3. My husband's oldest daughter was in town on Friday and Saturday to spend time with her sister that just moved back here. We shared dinner with them on both evenings and had a fun time visiting. It's been several years since they've had a day to spend together without children or spouses, and they really enjoyed it, a true blessing.
4. The wonderful table and chairs I was able to find on LetGo for our small dining area. We've had a counter-height table and stools for some time and have grown tired of perching on them to eat. I was able to sell them for enough to cover more than half of the cost of the replacement, and we're enjoying sit-down dinners at the table now, no more eating in front of the tv (which I really don't like). In addition to four chairs, the table came with two matching benches. One is now in the entrance hallway and is so handy when I come in hauling bags of groceries and such.
5. The rainstorm which came through Sunday night knocked out a power transformer which left us without electricity, but they had it restored within about an hour. Over 1000 homes lost power in the nearby city, so we were blessed to have ours restored so quickly. They storm was predicted to bring winds up to 75 mph, so we were also very thankful when it wasn't nearly that bad and no damage occurred.
6. I am thankful that I do not have the fear of storms that my mother did. We spent many summer nights under a table in the basement of our house in the Midwest during summer storm warnings, while my dad refused to join us and continued to sleep soundly in his bed. While we are cautious, and keep our eye on the radar maps and sky, storms are beautiful to watch as pass over us!
7. I am thankful that the batch of fudge I made this morning for my son-in-law's birthday turned out great. He loves fudge, and it's fun to send something I know he will enjoy, along with a gift card for a little shopping. My husband will be happy that there are a few left over pieces that didn't fit in the box. :-)
8. I am thankful for my daughter's perseverance when learning new things. In the past two weeks she has successfully repaired the engine on her lawnmower, and learned to make bathtub "bombs" of bath salts, skin softeners, and essential oils after watching it on YouTube and deciding she could do it less expensively than they cost to purchase. She shared the learning process with me via photos and text, and I love that she doesn't give up easily when the first batch didn't go exactly as planned. The ones she made last night turned out perfect, and so pretty too!
9. I am thankful that my son's lifestyle with his girlfriend and her son includes doing so many different fun activities each weekend, that are not only healthy but enjoyable. I really love the lady he has chosen, and I have hopes that down the road it will become a permanent relationship, they are an awesome match, and make each other happy.
10. I was once told that the secret to a good relationship is when each partner feels they got the best end of the deal. I am blessed to feel that way, as does my husband. So does my niece, based on my conversation with her this weekend, and I know her boyfriend loves her dearly. I am so thankful, her life has been anything but easy, and it appears that God has been saving the best for last in her life too!
I could easily keep going with this list, but I'll save some for the coming weekend, and get this posted so I can catch up on reading your posts!
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| This is a click-button to the TToT link-up. It is photo of one of our beautiful Texas sunsets with blue still peeking through the clouds; yellow, orange and pink bands around the remaining sliver of bright sun, and a wide band of black earth below it on which I've written Ten Things of Thankful.* |
* Descriptions of the included photos are being provided for those who may be unable to view the illustrations.
Having happy, healthy, responsible children is the best a mother can ask for!
ReplyDeleteAs much as i like sitting on a stool at a restaurant sometimes, i would also miss a regular table, and i'm glad you have one now!
Very true, Mimi, our kids are our world! We are loving having a regular table again it just feels nice to sit down across from each other for a meal.
DeleteI love getting new furniture. Before I retired I bought several things so I could take advantage of my employee discount. Now that those days are over I guess I will take really good care of what I have. It is wonderful that you have such a close and loving relationship with your kids...and your niece. Happy to hear things are going well for her. I sometimes make scrubs and bath oils for myself and to give as gifts. Bet you get some from your daughter! Happy week!
ReplyDeleteIt was really fun to get something new. We don't splurge much these days. It makes me happy that my niece is doing so much better, her boyfriend is a great guy that takes good care of her! I've already hinted to my daughter that I think her bath bombs would make lovely gifts. :-) It's fun to be given something that someone took the time to make for you.
DeleteBlessings to you. We are always grateful and full of peace when we know our adult children are well-adjusted and happy and making good choices. Your relationship with your children melt the miles away. You could very easily whine about how far away they are, but instead you cherish and build the relationships where you are. I'm sure both you and your children feel both feel they have the best end of the deal ;). I like watching and hearing a good thunderstorm (from indoors). I'm glad your power failure was short lived. My daughter and her boyfriend just bought one of those bar height tables with the high chairs for their kitchen. Perching is just how I feel when I sit there, although the look is quite modern. I'm glad you can enjoy a regular table and have use for the accompanying benches. Thanks so much for hosting this blog hop.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Val, my happiness lies in knowing they are doing ok, and being able to stay in close contact with them. As much as I would like it, I know that they need to have their own life adventures and I really wouldn't want them to live here, not much fun for young people to do. I do love watching thunderstorms, night lightning is so amazing! We bought a generator last year, after needing to borrow one in the past when we had a few days without power. Barstools just aren't that comfortable for chubby old folks like Papa Bear and I, we are relaxing much more at dinner now. I love hosting this page for our TToT bloghop, it's such a great thing to be a part of! :-)
Deletegood oT this week!
ReplyDelete(funny, the (seeming) tug-of-war between setting aside the time to participate in the truly remarkable virtual world of blogging and go out into the 'real' world (which, of course, provides more to share on this pages).
It is a balance.
I identify with the thing about storms. I enjoy them, but my upbringing (grew up on Martha's Vineyard) has me filling the bathtub with water whenever a particularly strong storm approaches.... but, once filled, I can go watch, which is usually enjoyable.
Una (as many dogs) find nothing amusing about thunder and lightening. She will seek out the darkest (i.e. least windowed) room in the house. Naturally, I go with her and we sit it out.
Funny the difference in dogs. Out first dog, Ola, was much more aggressive. She also shared the dislike of summer storms (a reasonable response, were you to be living outdoors all the time), but she took it on herself to make sure Phyllis was safe and would actually try to 'herd' Phyllis into the safe place in the house.... which was the car, in the garage. No! seriously! lol dogs are pretty remarkable animals
Living/blogging is a balancing act, Clark, I tend to err on the side of blogging, I really think I could happily write 24/7 and never grow weary of it. I had to smile at filling a bathtub in the event of impending storms. The only time we have a water shortage is if the pipelines freeze, but going without electricity means lack of heat or AC, and both can be miserable depending on the season. Dogs typically don't love noisy storms very much, my cats don't either. I love that Ola used to herd Phyllis to a safe place to wait out the storm. Dogs are wonderful caretakers of their families!
DeleteGratitude or grumble. I love that. Some days I do a little of both though, I must admit.
ReplyDelete:-)
I love to be inside and listen to a storm, so forceful. My grandmother was always afraid of storms too. She lived through a tornado that ruined her family's farm though, so she never forgot that and a storm would always bring back those memories.
Love to hear that so much of your family are happy and in love, have found partners who make them happy. Also, sounds like you and them are very close. I'm glad you had a special Mother's Day.
I think we all do a bit of grumbling day to day, Kerry, I'm trying to do less of it. :-) My mother saw tornado damage as a child too, although she was not in the storm. I suspect that's why she was so fearful. I tried to teach my children to be cautious but not afraid. The raw power of storms is pretty amazing to experience!
DeleteAs a mother and an auntie, I am so very grateful that my children and my niece have partners that are good for them. I know too well what it's like to be in a miserable or scary relationship. Mother's Day was sweet, they treat me wonderfully!
It is wonderful to see the results of your labors, and see the ways grown children deal with their challenges, and how they treat those around them. A mother always hopes for the best.
ReplyDeleteSweet messages from one's children are just the best!
What a nice find at LetGo! Having matching benches is even better. When bringing in bags of groceries, it is nice to have some place to set them down quickly. Those bags get heavy.
How fortunate to have your power restored in just an hour. We usually have to wait longer, because we are out in a rural area.
I would be one of those in the basement during one of your storms, although watching storms from a distance would be captivating.
I'm sure your husband appreciated having some pieces of leftover fudge.
Youtube is such a great place to go to learn new things, and you can usually find someone who matches your learning style. Sometimes I need to watch several before finding one that is just right for me.
It truly is a blessing to see my kids turning out to be good and kind people. I am loving the table, my new favorite writing spot during the daytime. :-) We live in a rural area too, and power goes out often during the summer and winter, but they usually manage to get it repaired quite quickly. One winter it was several days, that wasn't much fun. What you can find on YouTube is amazing, how to do almost anything, and just as you say, more than one way to do it! :-)
DeleteDear Josie,
ReplyDeleteThats a fabulous list of thankfuls. The best part about this gratitude thread is that i am learning so much in my travels through the blogs. I am so happy that your children have grown up to be kind, considerate and responsible adults. I feel, thats the best possible gift for a mother. I am so happy that they respect and love and pamper you. Your husband's daughters must be so thankful for you, also. As you talk about your new dining table and chairs, i am trying to visualise your living and dining area.Happy for the new get-up. It was so sweet of you to be so thoughtful of your son-in-law on his Birthday. A really kind gesture on your part. I am thankful that the storm did not affect your home and property. Your daughter is so talented . so wonderful to hear about your daughter's success story. Perseverance determines the quality of life in so many away and i am so happy that your daughter is blessed with the precious gift. Happy for your son and his girlfriend. A fulfilling relationship with one's spouse/partner is such a beautiful blessing . I am really happy for you and your niece too.
Love and best wishes...
Moon
You are right Moon, one of the fun things about reading TToT posts each week is getting a glimpse into the everyday lives of the people we blog with, we learn to see and appreciate the little things that make our lives good. I am very blessed, and thankful for it every day!
DeleteYour list of full of great things, Josie! I imagine it's wonderful to see your grown-up children happy and considerate people. Have a great week :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jo! It is such a peaceful feeling to know that your children have grown up to be all that you wanted them to be and more! The same goes for my nieces and nephews, not a bad one in the bunch! :-)
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