Ten Things of Thankful - Week 43, 2017

The above image is of a square metal lantern with a heart shaped opening cut in the front and back sides. A candle burns brightly inside the lantern and casts a large heart shaped glowing shadow on the wall of wood planks behind it. "I am grateful" is printed in three lines of white script on the left side of the images. The image source is unknown.*

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The deadline for posting this week's TToT post is only an hour away, and I have made a promise to myself this year that I would write a gratitude post every week barring something beyond my control.  This week, the past couple really, have been both busy and chaotic and it seems that I am failing to stay on top of the things that are important to me. But this is one commitment that I really want to keep, so I am dropping in to write down a few thoughts before the eleventh hour...

On this last night in October I am thankful for the many sweet memories of Halloween as a child and when my own two children were young. It has always been one of my favorite holidays because it doesn't require huge amounts of money to have fun. People tend to let the guard down a little bit and there are many reasons to smile.

My adult nephew went pheasant hunting with father and brother and a group of relatives last weekend. It was the first day of pheasant hunting season in South Dakota, and it was windy, making oral communication between members of the hunting party a little difficult. They had been hunting for only forty minutes when one of the other young hunters accidentally shot my nephew with his shotgun. Four pellets struck him in the arm and shoulder and one struck just an inch below his left eye.  I am so very thankful that something that could have caused blindness, very serious injury, or even death, instead resulted in only some bleeding, pain and temporary discomfort... and pellets which will be removed by a plastic surgeon this coming Friday.

My niece celebrated her 42nd birthday this week, and I am so very thankful for all the good God has brought to her life in the past two years after her undergoing some truly difficult times and experiences. She has a wonderful boyfriend who loves her dearly, a house full of furkids, a job she is proud of, and is at last feeling better physically. I am happy to see her happy again. She deserves that!

I am thankful for my daughter who drove from Dallas to spend several days with us for the first time in a long time, since she was living in Nashville until recently. She is in the process of removing our old carpeting and vinyl flooring in the living room/kitchen and hallways, and replacing it with vinyl plank flooring which is beautiful and perfect for our home and lifestyle. It's hard work and yet we are also finding time for fun and lots of good conversation. I am also thankful for the lessons I am learning about the relationship I had with my own mother, put in the new perspective of me being in the mother role now. 

On that note, I am thankful for all the life lessons I am given that show me how things I said, did or experienced in my past might have been handled differently if I would have been more understanding, more kind and compassionate. That's something I work harder to be now, it's important to me that someday I will be remembered for being kind and caring, any just maybe that is still possible. 

It's late, time to get this posted and head for bed. Tomorrow is another busy day here. I just wanted to drop by and reaffirm, that life is good.  No matter what, it's all good!

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 42, 2017

 

The above image is a beautiful autumn nature scene that depicts a path leading through the woods surrounded by large trees with leaves in various shades of green, gold, orange and brown. The path is strewn with fallen leaves and has a rust colored appearance. One can see what appears to be the golden light of a sunset in the distance, muted by the shadows of trees. A quote by Zig Ziglar is printed in three rows of white text shadowed in black across the top of the image and says "Look back in forgiveness, forward in hope, down in compassion and up with gratitude." The image has been borrowed from EmilysQuotes.com.*

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Forgiveness, hope, compassion, and gratitude... this has been a week when all of those have come into play. I am thinking that they are present in most of my days and weeks, and I am thankful that I am able to look back at the end of each week and pronounce it good, despite whatever ups and downs I may have encountered. I have a strong survival instinct and I am the eternal optimist... overall life is good and we will be okay!

Here are some of my many reasons to be thankful this week...

I am thankful for the happy feeling of waking up to see TToT posts popping in this morning. What a great way to start the day!  I love our weekly sharing of gratitude and positive energy, it's like a booster shot for droopy spirits!

I am thankful that the past week hasn't  been unbearably hot or cold since we have been without working heat or AC all week. The needed parts for repairs have now arrived and it should be fixed today. This would not have been so nice in mid-summer or winter, so I am grateful it happened now and we will be ready for winter when it comes.

Speaking of getting ready for winter, I made warm houses for the two feral kitties outside involving cat carriers placed inside of large storage tubs with door openings cut into them. with the inside carrier wrapped in a warm blanket and another inside to cuddle up in. I was happy to go out this morning and find Smokey happily tucked into his, and mewing at me contentedly.  When it gets cold I will put rug flaps over the door openings to keep the wind out. (Tom, the third feral brother stopped showing up about three weeks ago. I hope he has moved on to a good place, and if not I am happy that I was able to offer him affection, food and comfort while he was with us. I miss him.)

I am thankful for all the furkids that have blessed and continue to bless my life. This week Sophie turned 14 and is doing well, and Toby turned four. Sophie loves having her own room where she can spend part of her day sitting in her window seat and watch the world outside. Toby is all boy and now nearly twice her size! He still thinks he is kitten-size and loves to cuddle on my shoulder. You should try to use a keyboard with a 20 pound cat attached to your shoulder, his purr rumbling in your ears!

I am thankful that my niece is going to spend a fun overnight with her mom tonight including shopping, a nice hotel, and a five-star French restaurant. They have had some relationship struggles in the past and I see them both working harder to not get on each other's last nerve since each other is really the only family they have... except for me. :-) My niece turns 42 next week so this is an early birthday celebration. 

I am thankful beyond words for the gift of new vinyl plank flooring that my daughter is giving me for our house, which is badly in need of floor covering replacement.  It is ordered and should arrive next week, and then she will drive down to spend a few days installing it. There is really nothing housewise that she has not taught her self to do, and do very well. I am so proud of her! Vinyl flooring will be perfect with all the country dust, dirt, and cat fur here, easily cleaned and maintained. We will put a big area rug in the living room and when it gets too worn/dirty it can be easily carted out, burned and replaced! :-)

 I am thankful for my son's appreciation for doing fun things with his girlfriend and making good memories, rather than focusing on acquisitions. They have a nice apartment and vehicles, but they spend almost every weekend and an evening or two during the week going out around Nashville and the area and experiencing something fun. There is always something neat to do there! This week they watched the Titans win the football game, and are headed to a Haunted House tonight. Last weekend they took in the Pumpkin Glow festivities and attended a concert. They check out new places to eat too. I like that they are staying active and enjoy their time together so much!

I am thankful that Papa Bear is a fan of long hair on women. I stopped cutting mine my hair nine years ago, and it now measures over 24" long from scalp to ends. This is me, still a wild child at heart and always will be. I twist it in a knot and pin it up on hot days, and braid it at night for sleeping, but most often it's just flying free. Papa Bear says my shedding is worse than the furkids! :-) I have no intention of ever cutting it again, other than to trim dry ends which he does for me a couple times a year.

I am so very thankful for the few close friends that I share the ups and downs of my days with, and them with me. There was a time in my life when I didn't have any close friends, and it was very lonely. Although my friends live a good distance away, the magic of  texting and the Internet keeps us close. It is nice to be encourage each other.

I was heartbroken to learn that a friend of mine departed for the spirit world early one morning this week. He and I had been friends for twenty-five years, and he was like a brother to me. His life has been a long struggle with addiction and a life-changing injury, but somehow he kept going far longer than any of us ever would have believed possible. This week his heart gave out. I am so sad that there was no chance for goodbyes, but I am thankful that he is at last at peace.

One more note... I am thankful that in the blogsphere I am able to admit to and own my humanness. (Is that a word?)  I am not perfect, I am not always happy and positive, I am not always kind and non-judgemental. I am not always half the things I think I should be, but I continue to work on it, and I am thankful that I find acceptance here just being me. I am so very thankful for this life I've been given, and the perspective that has come with sixty years of experience!

Enough about me, how was your week? :-) 

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 41, 2017

The above image shows two large multifaceted diamonds positioned next to each other at angles with eight small diamonds arranged in a ring around them. The image background is white with the diamonds resting on what appears to be soft sand with a pinkish hue. The diamonds sparkle with refracted light. A quote by Thomas Carlyle is printed black script across the top of the image and simply states "No pressure, no diamonds." The image has been borrowed from bespangledjewelry.blogspot.com*

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I believe that we are all born as diamonds in the rough, and over the years God works at grinding and polishing until we hopefully begin to shine. :-) Life stressors, though not fun, are one of the ways we develop our inner strength and wisdom. For so many people this has been a week (a year?) of those, but yet we are all here and doing our best to bravely move forward day by day in steps of faith.

I have a big reason to be thankful this week... my daughter and her husband were travelling in Dallas rush hour traffic Wednesday evening. David was driving. A vehicle two cars ahead of them suddenly stopped, and thankfully David has good reflexes and was able to stop their vehicle in time. Unfortunately, the driver behind them was looking down, and when she glanced up it was too late... she slammed into them at 30 mph. Now that doesn't sound like something to be thankful for, but...

 

I am thankful that David was able to stop their vehicle from hitting the one in front of them.

 

I am thankful that they were aware the vehicle behind them was not going to stop and instead of bracing themselves stiffly for impact, they concentrated on relaxing their bodies as much as they could. As a result, they were only slightly sore next day instead of sustaining injuries.  As a long time floor duty nurse, my daughter already has neck/back/shoulder problems, and most definitely didn't need to aggravate that. I doubt that I would have been level-headed enough to relax when fear instinctively makes you tense up.

 

I am thankful that David drives a high-end vehicle which has a steel reinforced frame that greatly lessened the damage to their vehicle and the impact they felt. They were able to drive it home.

 

I am thankful that the lady who hit them was humble and very sorry. They all treated each other kindly instead of a hostile situation developing. Her car sustained greater damage and she was worried that her husband was going to be upset. Their understanding helped her to cope.

 

I am ever so thankful she had insurance and was quick to provide them with the necessary info.

 

I am thankful that David was driving, and not my daughter. He has lived in Dallas for some time, and for several years at an earlier point in his life, so is far more familiar with the roads and traffic. She's just been there two weeks, and would have been heartbroken if it had happened to her or had been her fault.

 

I am thankful that, while it was upsetting, no one was hurt, and my daughter was able to get out and drive the next day despite being a little nervous from the experience. She knows that "bumper cars" is a way of life in big cities, and accidents will happen. 

 

I am thankful that they both have two vehicles at this point. David also has a work vehicle, and my daughter has a Toyota that she has not sold in addition to her newer vehicle. Having a spare to drive is a blessing, especially since David's job takes him out of town most weeks and leaves her on her own.

I am thankful this didn't happen while we were there visiting, riding in the traffic stresses me out enough as it is. 

I am thankful they were together when the accident happened, and that David wasn't out of town, so they were able to support and comfort one another. 

 

I am thankful for the reminder to drive carefully and attentively; and as I reminded them, to treasure every moment you have to share, because life can change in a moment.

 

Although David loves his car and was sad about the accident that will affect it's resale value some day, he knows it could have been so much worse. And now that we have their first (and I'd like to hope last) Dallas traffic accident out of the way, we can chalk that up to experience and move on. 

 

I think this is another great example of how an occurrence in our lives can be so stressful and yet contain so many blessings when viewed from that perspective. I suspect if we lived in a state of full awareness it would be easy to list a hundred blessings each day; but really, it isn't the number that matters... it's the attitude. I KNOW that, despite the ups and downs, and doubts and struggles of life, I am blessed beyond measure, how about you?

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 40, 2017

The above image has a muted background in shades of taupe, rose, lavender, and green suggesting something floral. It has a plain, narrow double border with taupe on the outside and a light rose on the inside. A quote by Marelisa Fabrega is printed in ten rows of black text across the image and says "Gratitude should not be just a reaction to getting what you want, but an all-the-time gratitude, the kind where you notice the little things and where you constantly look for the good, even in unpleasant situations. Start bringing gratitude to your experiences, instead of waiting for a positive experience in order to feel grateful." The image has been borrowed from Pinterest.*

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I love the above quotation because I believe that gratitude should not be merely an exercise, but a way of life. Even in times of sadness, anger, or frustration, I can almost always still reflect on reasons to be thankful. Gratitude doesn't solve all life's problems, but it does take the sting out of them. :-)

Today was a busy day, playing catch up at home after being away for three days. We left Friday evening and returned home last evening, driving to Dallas to spend the weekend with my daughter and son-in-law and furkids at their apartment there. She is making good progress in getting her boxes unpacked and things sorted out from the move. 

Since we're already down to Tuesday night here and the posting deadline is looming, I'm going to keep my TToT list short this week, but I assure you it is very sweet, related to the trip and time shared...

I am thankful for 715 miles of safety on the road while travelling to and from Dallas, and towing a U-Haul trailer on our return trip home. Traffic in the Dallas area is congested to say the least, but Papa Bear handles it well.

I am thankful my daughter now lives in Texas, just 355 miles away instead of 1010 miles when she lived in Nashville.  This means we will get to see them more often, which makes my heart so very happy!

I am thankful they found a nice apartment in a good area of North Dallas, with an open floor plan and lots of windows, and thus plenty of light. Moving from a large home to a small apartment is challenging, and their storage is packed full despite getting rid of much. In the future they will buy or build another house. I think getting settled into a new job and marriage routine first is a good plan.

I am thankful for the greatly reduced stress level for my daughter (and I'm sure her husband too), now that her house sale and the move have been completed. All prayers accepted for her to find a good nursing position in Dallas that will hopefully be kinder to her physically after 20 years of floor duty nursing which have taken a toll on her body.

I am thankful that they have three adorable feline furkids to entertain them and to keep her company while David is out of town for his job most weeks. Pets are great company and I'm thankful he loves cats as much as she does.

I am thankful for all the fun and laughter we shared while playing board games and card games as we visited. I cleaned up on poker. :-) 

I am thankful for wonderful dining experiences, a chance to enjoy good things we can't find here...  I had a plate heaped with king crab at Pappadeaux, and a wonderful chicken gnocchi in a creamy basil sauce at an awesome little Italian place the night before. My daughter made us some delicious Snickers brownies too!

I am thankful for the very nice hotel room they provided for our stay, and for them playing taxi the entire time we were there, so we could just relax and enjoy the ride!

I am thankful for the time spent shopping at IKEA and Beth Bath and Beyond with my daughter on Sunday afternoon while they guys watched their beloved Cowboys go down in flames once again. We found several little treasures we just had to have, and since I  rarely go shopping it was a treat, and fun to see in what ways our tastes are similar and different.

I am thankful for the beautiful king-size mattress set that my daughter gave me. It is like new and so comfortable, and since they didn't need two of them, we were blessed to be on the receiving end of this gift.  Ours was badly in need of replacement.  We slept so good last night after we got it set up!

Most of all, I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with my daughter and son-in-law and observe the dynamics of their relationship.  We've had very little time together with David, though they have been together for about five years, so it was really good to get to know him better and see them treating each other with respect and love.  I am thankful that neither one of them has to live alone anymore, having a partner to share the ups and downs of life with is a blessing.  Now both of my kids are in good relationships, and that brings me so much peace of mind. I hope and pray they will always love and treasure each other and much as Papa Bear and I do. <3

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 39, 2017

The above image has a white background. There is a small band of water-blue across the bottom of the image which appears to be a flat surface on which a tall clear glass of water is resting. Water is being poured into the almost full glass from an unseen source above. A quote printed in five rows of black text on the top left of the image above the glass of water says "If You See Your Glass as Half Empty, Pour it into  a Smaller Glass and Stop Complaining." The image has been borrowed from leasingnews.com.*

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I smiled when I first saw the above quote because its message is pretty straight forward... stop complaining and be thankful for what you have. Amen!

I have a really BIG thankful to share with you this week. It is one of those situations in which you are so very thankful for what didn't happen...

On Friday night Papa Bear decided to turn on our heat for the first time this season due to the damp cool weather we've had this past week. He wanted to warm the house up a little bit before bedtime. We have an electric furnace like all manufactured homes have, it is nearly twenty years old but works well... or has until now.

About an hour later we were watching tv and heard a thump from the furnace located down the hallway. Suddenly smoke came pouring out of the floor ducts all the way thru the house carrying the toxic smell of burning plastic wiring. The smoke alarm immediately went off. Papa Bear jumped up and switched off the furnace and then pulled the furnace breaker. The kitties scattered due to the piercing sound, smell, and commotion. Gradually the smoke stopped and we were able to reset the smoke alarm. Obviously, the furnace was no longer in working order and the house retained the smell of burned plastic wire all night, which aggravated my lungs/asthma.

On Saturday Papa Bear had an electrician friend come out and look at the furnace. When he removed the metal access door to the furnace he found charring on the back of the door panel and burned/charred/melted wiring...

This is the door panel to the front of the furnace,
removed and laying on the hallway floor.
The backside of the panel is charred.

This is the jumble of wiring inside the furnace,
notice the charred wires and connections.

It turns out that this sequencer switch was the culprit.
The bottom half should be identical to the top half
but it apparently locked up and in doing so ignited,
 causing connected wires to arc and burn

It was an upsetting occurrence on Friday night,  and even more so on Saturday when we saw that there had actually been a fire! 

We are SO VERY THANKFUL..

 - that we stayed home and weren't away when this occurred, as it could very likely have burned down the house and our beloved furkids with it.

- that we were awake and thus aware of the situation and able to respond quickly.

- that the furnace is contained in sheet metal and there was insufficient flammable material inside it to sustain the fire once the electricity was turned off.

- that the metal furnace door did not get jarred loose or blown off. It is literally an inch from the surrounding sheetrock and the wood door frame.

- that the furnace motor was not damaged and is still in good working order.

- that the replacement sequencer switch and wiring will cost less than $100.

- that Papa Bear's friend is knowledgeable about electric furnaces and is able to do the repair work at a a reasonable cost as opposed to what someone else might charge.

- that he was willing to come out on a Saturday to check out the furnace, since we were more than a little concerned and eager to find out what had happened.

- that the furnace did not need to be replaced - an expense we really can't afford right now.

- that Papa Bear turned on the furnace early this year. Had he waited until it was truly cold outside we might have found ourselves without heat for a few days while waiting for parts/repairs. 

- that the furnace problem does not effect the AC system, so we will be able to continue using AC in the afternoons that reach into the 80s in the coming week.

- that we were given this powerful warning of a serious furnace issue, so we are able to effect repairs and avoid a much more serious and potential horrific event. We live in a rural area and by the time the fire apartment would arrive here if summoned there would likely not be much left to save.  Mobile homes burn quickly. 

- that I was not home alone to respond to this problem. I easily could have been. I have been the one to switch the furnace on several years. Papa Bear is a quick thinker and knew exactly what to do.

- most importantly, that we are safe, and the furkids are safe. Those are the critical issues, the rest is just stuff.

One more quick thankful for this week... an entire week of rainy, cool weather which truly felt like Fall. We actually have grass growing for the first time since we moved here, instead of just weeds!  And had it not been cool, we would not have turned on the furnace, and this problem could have played out much differently at another time.  We are thankful, so very THANKFUL!!

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.