Ten Things of Thankful - Week 35, 2017

The above image is of a quote printed in seven lines on plain parchment with Hero written in large bold lettering at the top. It then goes on to define a hero as "An ordinary person facing extraordinary circumstances and acting with courage, honor and self-sacrifice." The parchment is centered on a background image of four wide, weathered boards that were once painted white, running horizontally, that might be part of a building.*

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Happy September! I smile as we head toward Autumn, which means here in Texas that we will soon experience relief from the triple-digit temperatures of summer, making it much nicer to be outside again.

While this has been a week of so much suffering and tragedy here in Texas, and into Louisiana, in connection with Hurricane Harvey, it has also been a time to witness the very best of the human spirit rising above and reaching out. I have watched and read of countless examples of ordinary individuals and business owners doing generous and heroic things to help others, creatures included. Just when we began to wonder if the American people had reached a collective low in compassion, we are reminded that the world is still full of good people who do the right thing, and go above and beyond, without thought to politics, race, religion, or gender. I am so grateful for this reminder about what is really important and where our energies should be focused.

I am thankful for the animal rescue groups who have been able to relocate many of the homeless cats and dogs that were already in the Houston shelters to other cities around the country, making room for those rescued from flooding or needing temporary shelter until their owners can reclaim them. Bless those who realize how important these animals are to family members who have lost everything.

I am thankful that Galveston sustained only minor flooding from the hurricane aftermath. This is something they are well-prepared to deal with. As of this weekend the port has reopened, and services for tourists are back up and running.  If all goes well, and an other hurricane doesn't strike before then, we will be headed there in two weeks to celebrate our ninth anniversary, as previously planned. Galveston is the place in Texas where my heart most longs to be, the ocean calls to me.

I am thankful that the inspection for my daughter's house went well, with only a couple minor issues and one allowance request. The Radon test is now in the process of being completed, and it looks like closing should remain on track for late September. All prayers appreciated. I am thankful, too, that her husband has a few days off work and was able to come and spend some time with her. They miss each other a lot while they wait to finally be together in Dallas. 

I am thankful that a friend who underwent surgery this week is at home recovering and doing well. She deals with so many medical issues and yet always has a cheering word and kind thought for others.

I am thankful that my younger sister got to spend a couple days caring for her new grandson. He is a precious bundle of joy.

I am thankful that a friend helped my older sister put up a fenced area in her back yard so that her two dogs can enjoy more supervised playtime outside without being tethered.

I am thankful that the feral kitty trio that adopted us are thriving, and becoming more social every day. They often hang out on our deck and run to greet us when we come out. They are sweet boys, and I am blessed to be tasked with making their lives easier.

I am thankful for all the life lessons I am learning, even if those lessons can be uncomfortable at times. Lessons help me grow in wisdom and compassion, so in the end it's all good.

I am thankful for each one of you that comes to share your thankfuls and comments each week. Positivity and encouragement are so wonderfully contagious! :-)
 

Blessings to you in the days and weeks ahead... Look for reasons to be thankful in your life, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!
 

The above photo 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.

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 34, 2017

The above image is of a person standing on a rocky shore at sunrise or possibly sunset, with his arms uplifted in supplication as if embracing the brilliant ball of sunlight. The image of a flower has been superimposed over the first image, with the petals being a rainbow of pastel colors from yellow to lavender to mint green to light rose, and the sun forming a bright yellow center. The text printed in two rows of dark brown lettering across the sun says "I am Grateful"... and indeed I am!*

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 I had expected to begin my TToT post for this week with the exciting news that my son-in-law has given my husband and I a four-day stay on Galveston Island for our upcoming 9th Anniversary in September. We try each year to celebrate our anniversary by making fun memories rather than buying gifts for each other,  and my son-in-law knows that our funds are tight this year. He also knows that Galveston is my favorite place to go in Texas. I am truly thankful for his kindness and unexpected generosity.

And yet Hurricane Harvey's arrival in the Gulf Coast has certainly and very quickly put things in perspective. Now my focus on Galveston and the surrounding area is the safety of people there, and sadness for the struggles they are enduring and will be experiencing for several days. When you live in that area you realize that tropical storms, high winds, and flooding are to be expected from time to time, but that doesn't make it any easier for families, animals, or business owners, not to mention all the security and rescue people that must risk their lives to help others.

I am thankful that there is evidence of good planning to help alleviate as many problems as possible. I am thankful for cities that provided free bus transportation of evacuees to shelters in other areas, and also permitted them to take pets.  I am thankful for the medical and emergency people left behind that must carry on their duties in the face of the storm while worrying about their own families and property.  I am thankful for good news coverage that keeps us informed of what is happening and what to expect.  I am especially thankful for those who have reached out to help with funds, food, shelter, and other necessities. 

Last night I saw a posting on Facebook of a ranch in the area that was offering free emergency boarding for pets and livestock, food included.  That's the spirit of love and caring that warms my heart! I am thankful for grocery stores, home improvement stores, hotels, and restaurants that don't price gouge when presented with the opportunity to do so because of high demand for their goods and services.

Texas is a very large state, many people don't realize that. I am thankful for friends who have contacted me to make sure we are ok, and I am grateful, for once, that we live in West Texas and will only experience residual rains from the hurricane.  I am also thankful for friends in the hurricane path who have quickly responded to my inquiries to make sure they were safe.

I am also thankful for all the people who have the good sense to evacuate when asked to do so, rather than putting emergency crews at greater risk later when it becomes necessary to rescue them. I am thankful for people who wouldn't even consider leaving their pets behind.

I am thankful this morning that thus far no loss of life has been reported, things that are destroyed by the storm are replaceable, family members are not.

Most important of all, I am thankful for the prayers being offered for all in the path of the storm, and for the sense of community and perseverance that assures all will be put right in due time. Isn't it interesting how all the superficial divisions between people that are so widely publicized these days suddenly fade into the background as people pull together to face bigger issues? Maybe that's the real reason to be thankful in all of this.
 

Blessings to you in the days ahead... Look for reasons to be thankful in your life, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!
 

The above photo 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.

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 33, 2017

The above image is a quotation that says "Be grateful for ever moment of every day that you get to spend with the people you love. Life is so very precious." The author is unknown. The large purple text is printed above an image of five lavender roses on short stems in a clear glass of water. The background is off-white shaded with diagonal streaks of lavender on the top half which extend from the upper left  to the middle right ending behind the roses.*

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 This is the first time I've sat down at my keyboard in ten days, that's a record for me! As most of you know, I flew to Nashville on Saturday a week ago to visit my daughter and help her prepare for the sale of her home there.  My son also lives there and I got to spend time with him and his awesome girlfriend too!  It was a busy week that went by way too fast. 

 

On the plane coming home Saturday night I started to make notes of the things I was thankful for, and in just a few minutes I'd surpassed ten and easily could have kept going for twenty. I am two weeks behind on reading and commenting on your TToT posts and am eager to get back to that, so this will be the short version of  my week and just some of the many awesome things about it...

 

I am so very thankful for my daughter's gift of the airplane ticket so that I could visit her, we really needed that time together.  I am thankful she is financially able to do such a nice thing for me.

 

I am thankful that my flights and connections both going and returning went smoothly, other than a short delay in Dallas which was no big problem. I am always fine with sitting as long as I have wi-fi and my smartphone. :-)

 

I am thankful for the surreal beauty of flying high above the clouds in the daylight and for seeing the tiny twinkling lights below at night. No matter how old I get it will always feel magical.

 

I am thankful beyond words for getting to spend quality time with my daughter and son; seeing them doing so well in their grown up lives is always such an amazing thing to me, since I don't see them often.

 

I am thankful for getting to meet my son's girlfriend's little boy who is seven, and so polite and conversational. He is being brought up the old-fashioned way with real parenting and it is refreshing. He loved my daughter's cats and was so gentle with them.  I gave him a Toys R Us gift card and he had a great time shopping, choosing some cool new bathtub toys. :-)

 

I am thankful for a chance to enjoy all the green beauty of Nashville and the surrounding area. How I've missed trees, grass, hills, and water! Although it was plenty hot and humid during the days, it was worth it to have the luxury of such gorgeous scenery!

 

I am thankful for the fun of playing with my daughter's three cats, they are healthy, active, beautiful, and very spoiled. We got along great and I really wanted to bring the kitten home with me! :-)

 

I am thankful for all the wonderful meals we ate out and prepared at home, and the fun of sharing really good sushi and German food. Part of the fun of traveling is getting to eat something different!

 

I am thankful that I was able to help my daughter with the final chores of cleaning and staging her house for showing. We worked hard, laughed a lot, fussed at each other a little, and got the job done.  It is such a beautiful home, and her sense of style and décor is amazing!

 

I am thankful for the fun things we found to enhance the appearance for showing, and the bright yellow flowers we planted in the flower boxes on her deck which will make her smile remembering out time together.

 

I am thankful for the amazing outcome of the house listing... the very first person to see it made a good offer immediately after doing so, and contract papers were signed the next day! How often does that happen? What a blessing! She's been working on the house for a long time getting it updated and ready, and was so tired and ready to be done with it. So very nice not to have to do a whole bunch of showings and live with more anxiety. God willing, closing will take place Sept. 25th, by which time she will be packed and ready for her move. I am thankful that she will finally be able to join her husband in Dallas, so much closer to us!

 

I am very thankful for the nearly new king size mattress set that she will be bringing to Dallas and giving to us, so much more comfortable than the old one we have.

 

I am thankful for recipe's shared, new things learned, and all the wonderful and thoughtful little gifts both my daughter and son bestowed on me.

 

I am beyond thankful for Papa Bear's outstanding care of the indoor and outdoor cats in my absence, it's a lot of work! I returned home to find the bed made, dishes done, and everything taken care of.  I am thankful for all the photos he took to send me, and all the little love notes each day.  We missed each other so very much!

 

I am deeply thankful for all the conversations, the laughter, the tears, and the overwhelming love that was shared this past week, and all the lessons that God taught me along the way.

I am thankful that so many of you shared thankful posts and commented on each other's posts in my absence, proving once again that it is not me, but all of you that make Ten Things of Thankful such a wonderful, supportive experience.  I can honestly say I missed the fun of reading about your weeks, and I'm headed that way now!!

 

Last, but definitely not least, I am thankful to be home again, this too is a place of tremendous love and caring, and I know how very blessed I am!

Blessings to you in the days ahead... Look for reasons to be thankful in your life, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!
 

The above photo 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.

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 32, 2017

The above image is a quotation from Buddha that says "Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it.." The black uppercase text is printed across the image in six lines, covering the background which is a blurred photograph of what might be flowers, in pink, white, yellow, and yellow-green tones.*

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This has been a happy week for me, as I look forward to my plane trip to Nashville tomorrow. It's also been a little stressful trying to get everything ready, not only for me but for the Papa Bear and furkids, who will be at home in my absence. I am not as organized as I once was, or perhaps I just experience more anxiety about such things than I used to. At any rate, I am so very thankful for this upcoming visit and the opportunity to spend  time with my children.  I am also deeply thankful for Papa Bear who is happy for me, and does not grumble about being left to fend on his own for a week or about taking on the responsibilities of caring for our inside and outside cats. He is such a blessing!

 

I am also happy and so thankful to report that my daughter's house is finally ready to be placed on the market this weekend. Please pray that she gets a good offer quickly so that she can move to Dallas to join her husband there. It's been a long, stressful process for her to handle all on her own and she is understandably tired. Our week together will be fun and should be a good distraction from the stress. I encourage her to focus on the outcome rather than getting bogged down in the anxieties of the process, easier said than done for all of us. :-) All prayers will be appreciated.

 

I am thankful that my son and his girlfriend were able to schedule a view days vacation this week for a getaway to the beach in Florida, they both love the ocean like I do. They put in long work hours and were due for a break. They are headed back to Nashville today, a long drive but so worth it.

 

I am thankful to report that the feral kitty trio who visit our deck each day are doing well and finally starting to fill out a little, thanks to a good diet, and flea/worm treatment.  Andy, the bravest of the bunch runs to greet me every time I come out, and loves to be petted and rubbed.  Tom also comes quickly but is a little unsure about being touched yet. Smoky is more shy, but also very handsome with his all-gray fur coat and green eyes.  Our inside furkids love to watch them through the window!

 

I am thankful for a husband who tracked down the UPS delivery truck on his way home from work last night and showed them where we live. They have been delivering our packages to the house down the street this week, despite the fact that our house number is clearly visible on the front of our house! Hopefully today's packages will now be delivered correctly. The drivers must be new, since we've never had this problem before, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

I am thankful and delighted that the online supporters of Mac's Mission rallied to help them win not one, but two large corporate donations by voting on the corporate pages. Mac's Mission does wonderful work in rescuing and saving dogs who would otherwise not have a chance at life. It is fun to see what can be accomplished when individuals work together for a common cause. I also support Mac's Mission through my Amazon Smile purchases. If you are an Amazon shopper, please dedicate your purchases to one of the many charities through the Amazon Smile program. Every dollar makes a difference and it costs you nothing extra.

 

I am thankful to report that my sisters are once again communicating, and hopefully both will mind their manners and get along. I would like to cross this item off my prayer list for good someday! :-)

 

I am thankful that my husband's daughter was able to secure better housing for herself and her two children this week. The situation they've been living in was anything but good, now maybe they will have a chance to start rebuilding their lives. My heart aches for all those kids have been put through.

 

I am thankful to wake up one more day and find that our President has not (yet) engaged us in a war with another unstable leader. It is a fearful situation and I hope and pray along with you that this can be resolved and we can move away from the brink of destruction.  Peace is always the answer.

 

On that note, I'd better get back to washing, packing, and planning.  As I noted on the TToT blog, I will be reading your posts while I am away, and next week's link-up is scheduled to appear on time, but I won't likely have time for commenting until I return home next Saturday night, so please bear with me, and visit each other's pages and leave comments! I hear fairly often that those who post later rarely get many visitors, and that is sad. Sharing our thankfuls is what this is all about!

 

Blessings to you in the coming week.. Look for reasons to be thankful in your life, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!

The above photo 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.

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 31, 2017

The above image is a quote by Steve Maraboli that says "If you want to find happiness, find gratitude." The white text is printed in three lines across the center of the image. The background is composed of about sixteen large iridescent bubbles on a background of muted shades of blue, green rose, pink, gray and white, giving it a very soft and magical feeling.*

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Happy Weekend to You! As I noted in the comments on the TToT Blog, happiness to me means being content. Gratitude means being content with what you have and thankful for what you've been given. Happiness isn't a wild dance of joy at every moment, sometimes it is the quiet awareness that your life is good; I am so thankful for the life I have now.

August 1st marked one year since the law firm I was working for closed and I lost my job. It has been a year of transition. I am thankful that we have survived this year, it hasn't been easy but we have learned and grown a lot. I am thankful for the joyous freedom to plan my days. I am thankful to be away from office environments which all too often meant dealing with problematic coworkers. I am over-the-top thankful not to hear ringing phones all day long! :-)

I am thankful for the downpour of rain we had a couple days this week, while it resulted in flooded streets in the city and humidity like a sauna in the afternoon heat of the following day, it cooled things down nicely those evenings, and lessened the risk of wildfires. I am thankful that there was no hail high wind in the rainstorms. We have been so very blessed with rain this season. There have been summers where no rain fell at all. 

I am thankful that my younger sister's 60th birthday turned out to be a wonderful time that she enjoyed very much. She and her husband took a mini-vacation to stay at a B&B that I located for her near a large recreational lake, her first B&B experience, and they really loved it. Whew!

I am thankful for the fun of making my highest scoring word to date in Words with Friends this week, 141 points on a triple-word score space, in a game with Lisa!  I am thankful that I was able to win a game with her, a rare occurrence! :-) I love playing Words with Friends and Yahtzee and having my brain challenged by it.

I am thankful for people who share the bounty of their summer gardens. Papa Bear brought home squash from a coworker this week, and it was much enjoyed. If you think about it, being given anything that you weren't expecting makes you smile. Those little intentions to share good matter!!

I am thankful for opportunities to see people in different perspectives. Yesterday I watched a video of Todd Hoffman singing Sounds of Silence, it was a truly powerful rendition in a unique style. You might recall Todd Hoffman as one of the lead characters in the TV show Gold Rush. We used to watch it and I can't say that I liked him very much, he had an abrasive manner of treating people. So it came as a surprise that he could put this much feeling and a talent I was unaware of into a song I love. Check it out on YouTube. Funny the things we don't know about other people that might surprise us!

I am thankful that we are now in August and just a couple more months away from cooler weather here in West Texas. I am also thankful for an averaged electric bill that keeps our budget on an even keel with no blow-out expense during the hottest or coldest times.

I am both thankful and excited that one week from tomorrow I will be on a plane to Nashville to spend time with my daughter and son. I miss them so much! <3

As always, I am most thankful of all for the quiet reassurance of faith that sustains me and helps me to live in the moment without letting fears or worries overcome me.

Blessings to you in the coming week.. Look for reasons to be thankful in your life, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!

The above photo 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.

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 30, 2017

The above image is a quote by Mary Davis that says "I am thankful for this precious life, this precious day, this precious moment."  The black text is printed in three lines on a transparent banner that runs across the center of the image. The background photo of is of yellow-green growing shoots with tiny unfolding leaves. that appear to hold drops moisture such as rain or dew. Fading into the background above the shoots one can see slivers of blue sky.  The image is credited to Every Day Spirit *

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Just as the quote above says, I am so very thankful for this precious life I have! Papa Bear and I were talking this weekend about how both of our mothers died in their sixties after years of chronic illness, and how important it is to celebrate each day and each moment we are given to love and share. I am thankful that both Papa Bear and I are in relatively good health at the present time, and that our children and extended families are as well. Health is a precious gift.

This has been one of those weeks that calls to mind the image of a turtle that has turned over and is struggling to flip himself right side up. I am thankful that I know if life tips me over, I can pray for strength to get back on my good side and find my peaceful center and positive attitude again. I am thankful for the gift of perseverance. I am also thankful that I have learned to take life one day at a time, that way it isn't overwhelming or defeating. Each day has endless possibilities.

I am thankful for the hope of a week of cooler, rainy days as promised by the weather forecast. It is only 81 degrees this morning and slightly overcast, so much nicer than the sweltering triple-digit heat we were out in Saturday afternoon.  Heat drains our energy just like it does to batteries.

I am thankful for friends and strangers who take the time to share smiles. Kindness is contagious and brightens up everyone's day! I feel bad for people who walk around gloomy or grumpy all the time, what a waste of precious moments!

I am thankful that I have learned to be more gentle with myself, more accepting of my human flaws and failings, while still working on self-improvement.  I hear and read so many friends running themselves down, feeling that they somehow aren't good enough. It hurts my heart. We ARE good enough, don't listen to that garbage playing in your heads! We are a work in progress and progress is what we strive for, not perfection.

I am thankful for the little love notes Papa Bear often sends me while he is at work, it means he is thinking of me, and that's sweet!  I am also thankful that he is willing to take on the care and feeding of my indoor and outdoor kitty crew while I am away for a week in mid-August to visit my kids in Nashville.

I am thankful for Papa Bear's help in repotting our Christmas Cacti last night. His is old and root bound, it was grown from a piece of one that belonged to his great-grandmother! Mine is small yet, but very full and so ready for a larger pot. Papa Bear gave it to me a couple years ago at Christmas time. Today they both look really happy in their pretty new pots!

I am thankful for the never-ending entertainment of our furkids, both inside and out. Cats have funny, quirky personalities and always make us laugh at their antics. The outside feral trio are becoming quite comfortable, and could be seen napping on the deck after supper last night. Andy wraps around me like I am his long-lost best friend when I come out. :-) 

Last but definitely not least, I am thankful for friends who pop in with messages, Words With Friends and Yahtzee games, photos, etc. each day. It is such a blessing to have people to share life with and who care about you! Truly, we lift each other up, and that's what the TToT is all about too!  I am thankful you come to share the experience with me, life is much more fun when we do it together!

Blessings to you this week. Look for reasons to be thankful in your life, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!
The above photo 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.

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 29, 2017

The above image is a quote that says "Gratitude gives you wings to fly higher." It is credited to "Assertiveness for Earth Angels" which is a book about "how to be loving instead of too nice," by Doreen Virtue. The text is printed in white on a dark teal blue background with billowing pink and white clouds. A winding trail of  sparkling "fairy dust" leads from a side view of a tiny white butterfly with golden brown edges on it's wings, and winds up the left side of the image to a much larger version of the same butterfly at the center top, implying that it has been enabled to fly up higher *

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Like many of you, I am thankful for weekends! Although I am no longer working in a Monday thru Friday job where one often eagerly anticipates the weekend, I still look forward to Saturdays because it means that Papa Bear will get off two hours earlier than usual which he is thankful for too, working six days a week is very tiring. On Sunday he is able to sleep in as late as he likes and then we have the day to spend together. <3

Saturday has been our "date night" for all of the nine years we've been together. Sometimes we go to a movie or some event in town, other times we do a little shopping or run errands, or just enjoy sitting home on the deck together, and we usually end up soaking in the hot tub before bedtime, relaxing underneath the stars. I am thankful for our date nights, every couple should make time for them.

High on my list of thankfuls this week is that my daughter has purchased an airplane ticket for me to come and spend a week with her in Nashville in August! She will be off work that week since her house will be on the market and it doesn't work well for showing it if she is working nights and has to sleep days. Although it will be hard to be away from Papa Bear for a whole week, it will be really good to have some mother-daughter time, and I'll be able to spend some time with my son while there too!

I am thankful that a friend of Papa Bear's was able to come this morning with his tractor to mow our two acres which has become overgrown very quickly with all the rain we've had this season. We need to keep the weeds down to reduce the risk of wildfires. When it gets this high Papa Bear can't mow it with our riding mower, so we are grateful his friend could do it for us and in turn we could provide a little extra income for his family.

I'm thankful that no family emergencies occurred early Tuesday morning! I awoke to discover that when we requested ATT to shut off our landline (since we no longer use or need it), they inadvertently shut off our cellphones and internet as well, at 2 AM no less! Papa Bear was already at work when I discovered this, he hadn't even looked at his phone yet. I had to drive the twenty miles into town to the ATT store to get the problem resolved. I am told that even if a cellphone does not have service you can still use them to call 911, but I certainly am glad I didn't have to test that!

Just two weeks ago I noted as a thankful item that my two sisters and I were all getting along well for a change. Sadly, that didn't last. One overstepped the boundaries in comments and hurt the other's feelings, and once again they are not on speaking terms. Sigh! I am thankful that I have learned to  remain on good terms with both sisters by not getting involved in the issues between them; as the middle sister they used to find it easy to pull me in both directions. Staying out of it helps me to maintain my own inner peace, although it does make me sad that they can't learn to treat each other more kindly and not say things that are guaranteed to cause upset.

I am thankful that I was able to help my younger sister locate the perfect Bed & Breakfast on a lovely lake as a place for she and her husband to celebrate her 60th birthday coming up next week. She was frustrated that she couldn't find anyplace available near them, since summer is a busy season and she hadn't booked earlier. I am pretty good at Internet searches, and she is excited about where they will be going. It's always fun to go somewhere new, and she can take her dog, which is essential to her. :-)

I am happy that I am gaining the trust of the three feral tomcats I'm feeding on our deck. Andy, the first to show up, discovered this week that it feels really nice to be petted and have your chin and ears scratched, and now he comes running as soon as I step out on the deck to wrap around my legs and see if I have any treats. The second one, Smoky, is a little more shy and watches us while he eats from his bowl, I can approach him as long as I don't get too close. The third one, Tom, is still timid and will often scoot off the deck if I come out, then stand and watch me warily from the steps or concrete pad below. As soon as I come in the house he returns to the deck to continue eating. It won't be long before he realizes that I am safe to be around. Our indoor cats love watching them from their cat tree at the living room window.

I am thankful that we have been able to survive financially this past year without me working. It hasn't been easy, my social security check doesn't go far, but we have learned to be much more careful in our spending, and have also been able to reduce some of our basic expenses. That's all good! Papa Bear likes having me at home, and I love being here. My sister asked me this week if I miss the social interaction of working in an office job. No, not at all, I love the quiet and freedom of not working so much more!

I am thankful for the little "pill pockets" treats I discovered  that are made for cats and dogs. Toby gets a daily medication and it tastes bitter if ground and mixed in his food. It is so quick and easy to pop it in the soft pill pocket and squish it shut, and he is eagerly waiting for his "treat" as soon as he hears me open the pill bottle. They come in chicken and salmon flavor for cats, and must taste good because he loves them! If you need to get medications into your cat or dog, this is a no-stress answer! :-)

I am thankful for the internal awareness and changes that are taking place in my life. This week I realized that I was frustrated by having too many "need to do" things on my list and always feeling behind and defeated. So I looked at what I could modify and which things were most important to me. I decided to take a break from creative writing for a bit, maybe just for the summer, so that I could spend that time and energy on other things, and it felt freeing to cross it off my list. I love to write, but I also love to read what other people write and I haven't had enough time for that lately, now I can make a little more.  If the urge to write something creative strikes me, I can do it without the need to respond to a schedule.

Most of all, I am thankful for each day of life, for the wonderful friends and acquaintances God has blessed me with, and for my needs met and my prayers answered. What more could I ask for?!

Blessings to you this week. Look for reasons to be thankful in your life, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!
The above photo 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.