Ten Things of Thankful - Week 46, 2017

The above image has two overlapping leaves in shades of  bright autumn gold on the right side and a quote by Brene Brown printed on the left side in gold text that matches the leaves that says "There is no Joy without gratitude." Amen to that! The background is in muted shades of autumn gold, green and brown. The image is borrowed from CathyTaughinbaugh.com*

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This has been a busy week with some good things happening and some bad things avoided, so there is much to be thankful for...

First off, Andy one of the now not-so-feral kitties that I feed on our deck disappeared for two days. That's not uncommon in cat colonies, but I worried about him since he rarely misses a meal. The third morning as I headed down the deck steps to my car I heard a loud meowing and discovered that he had managed to squeeze himself under the skirting of our manufactured home and couldn't find a way out. He was mighty happy to be set free, and to be treated to a dish of tuna. :-)  I was relieved, and the small space he fit through has now been closed off.  He and Smoky, the other feral, have grown big and strong, and have become very affectionate and tame. I would be so sad if something happened to either one. I am thankful he was unharmed, and had the good sense to call out to me when he heard me approaching!

I was very thankful to return home from town one day and discover that a nearby neighbor who had been pouring a new concrete pad in front of their house had come and filled up two large potholes in our driveway with extra caliche (Google it). Papa Bear had spoken to them a few days earlier about buying some from them, but they shared it for no charge. It was very kind and much appreciated!

I am thankful that my younger sister got through a minor out-patient surgical procedure yesterday to remove a small lump that had been growing on her forehead for some time. It is most likely non-cancerous but needed to go, and she was nervous about being under general anesthesia. All went well, and now we can desist with the many jokes which were helping her to keep it in perspective. :-)

While on the subject of sisters, I am most thankful to report that my two sisters and I are managing to continue the daily texting and sharing of snippets of our lives with no cross words or petty disagreements. It is such a joy to share as sisters and not feel negative undertones or deal with hurt feelings. Maybe now that we are all in our sixties we have at last grown up!

I am thankful for something new that you might not be aware of.  The USPS (Postal Service) is offering what they call "informed delivery" on their phone app. Each morning they provide scanned photos of the letters that will be delivered to you that day along with updates on any packages that are heading toward you. Our mailbox is on a rural highway, not terribly safe, so it's a blessing to know when something important needs to be picked up, and also when there will be packages to go and retrieve from the Post Office. It's a free service... check it out! 

I am so very thankful this year for the gift of quiet mornings, time to wake up slowly and savor the beginning of my day instead of rushing off to work as I had to do for so many years. I look forward to a time when Papa Bear will also be able to do this.

Papa Bear was so happy to be informed this week that the truck accessories shop where he has worked for 35 years will for the first time be closing Thursday/Friday/Saturday for Thanksgiving, meaning four days off for him! They are also going to close the day after Christmas. This is a very busy time of year in retail and he is exhausted by the end of most six-day work weeks, so the extra days to put his feet up, and maybe do a couple house projects is a real blessing and we are thankful!

I am thankful for local online groups that serve as a place for people to post free ads of things they have for sale. I have sold several things we no longer need that way, as did my daughter before her move to Dallas.  This week I found the perfect rocker/glider and ottoman for my new writing/tv room on "Let Go" in a nearby town that was in excellent condition at a very fair price. Papa Bear went and picked it up for me. Much of our house is furnished with used furniture and I like that, new isn't always better.

I have the bad habit of putting assorted things in a "special place" so I remember where to find them. Then, of course, I forget where that special place was. It happens with regularity as I grow older and am so easily distracted.  I am thankful that surprisingly often if I think about it quietly and wait for the right location to come to mind, it will.  I've had that happen three times this week, misplaced items appeared almost magically. I am thinking that I need to designate one "special place" and put every little thing there that I will be needing later, so I wouldn't have to challenge my memory like this! :-)

One of my favorite lines from the famous poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is "If you compare yourself with others you may become vain or bitter,  for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself." This proves itself true time and time again as I challenge my friends and my brain with Words with Friends and now Chess with Friends. Over time my WWF skills have improved considerably, and I can occasionally beat some of the really good players... like Val! :-) I am a terrible chess player, I play on impulse and never have a real strategy.  In both places I have encountered people who are far better than I, but are willing to play with me so that I can gain experience and hopefully better skills. I pay it forward when I play with those who are developing their skills. I never let people win, and I don't want people to let me win either, but there is a way to be encouraging rather than just trounce someone for the fun of it. I am thankful for those who challenge me to do better, and for those who remind me to stay humble. Do you play chess? I need more opponents!

Last, but definitely not least, today marks the anniversary of my friend Mariah's death. In 2009, at the age of 14, she committed suicide by hanging herself, despondent over a boyfriend's recent death in an auto accident. I am thankful that this horrible tragedy, along with many other suicides by young people on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, served to increased awareness of the problem and new intervention programs were implemented which have undoubtedly saved lives. Today I honor her memory and I wish her spirit peace. I am thankful for all her mother does to reach out to other young people on the reservation who are struggling in a very difficult living environment. As I noted to my many young rez friends on Facebook today, Mariah's story is a lesson to remind us that suicide is never there answer, there is always hope.

This is a photograph of Mariah dressed in her Lakota (Sioux) jingle-dancer regalia for a wacipi (powwow). Her black dress is adorned with shells and bells fashioned from rolled pieces of tin, her long dark hair is braided and tied with large beaded medallions. She is holding a folded Pendleton blanket over her left arm and a feather fan in her right. She has a shy sweet smile. She loved cats as much as I do and we talked about them often. She had a beautiful, tender heart.

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.