Ten Things of Thankful - Week 47, 2017

The bottom half of the above image shows a row of  wood planks, possibly a boardwalk or an outdoor table, on which there are five Autumn leaves in rust and gold that are in the process of curling as they begin to decay. The top half of the image has a muted background of yellow, gold, green and rust that is probably a blurred image of Autumn foliage. Printed on the background in four lines of  brown text is a quote by Katrina Mayer that says "Thanksgiving isn't just a day... It's a way we can live our lives every day." The image is framed in a double border of gold and rust, and is borrowed from KatrinaMayer.com*

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Well, here we are to the last week of November. It's funny how fast life goes by as you grow older. I can't believe we are just four weeks away from Christmas. It will never really feel like Christmas time here in Texas after growing up in the snow and cold of South Dakota.

How was your Thanksgiving Day? Ours was quiet and relaxing. With most of our family out of range and the others out of touch, we spent it by ourselves, watching the Macy's Parade, the Vikings win and our Texas Cowboys go down in flames once again.  We also enjoyed a really good buffet that our nicest area hotel does for holidays.  I am thankful for blessing of having each other to share the day with. We reflected on how much we have to be thankful for, despite the ups and downs of life.  But just as the quote above says, Thanksgiving isn't just a day of gratitude, it should be a way of life, everyday should include Thanksgiving! 

As I noted last week, Papa Bear, for the first time in 35 years, was given the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving off with pay. It was really nice to see him detach from the stress and weariness of six-day work weeks and just relax. I pray that we can make this happen for him in the future. I am thankful that the owners of the truck asscessories shop where he works realized that not everything is about profit, taking care of your employees is also good business.

I am thankful that both my daughter and son had partners to celebrate Thanksgiving with this year, both cooked at home and had great meals.  My son worked Thanksgiving night but his work schedule is changing December 1st, and will give him more weekend time to spend with his girlfriend and her son.  I am thankful her new job at the bank is going well and she really likes it! On Thanksgiving Eve as she was driving home from work in Nashville, a car pulled out in front of her and she was unable to avoid hitting them.  The front driver's side of her car was badly damaged but by the grace of God she wasn't hurt, and we are all so thankful for that, and also that her young son wasn't in the car at the time. The other driver left the scene but later contacted police so a report has been filed and hopefully their insurance will take care of it.  It was an upsetting start to her holiday, and she was sad about the damage to her car, which was only two years old. But the bottom line is that no one was injured. Things are replaceable.

I am thankful for the beautiful weather we are having this year, with many days in the 70's and nights in the 40's for good sleeping. Sweater weather in late November always feels like a treat to me! Yesterday Papa Bear and I were able to work on a couple outdoor projects because it was warm enough to do so.

I am SO THANKFUL for the new glass window pane which has finally replaced the Plexiglas one in our living room that came with the mobile home when we purchased it almost ten years ago! Plexiglas does not make for good widows, it was dirty and scratched and tended to bow out under strong winds, and I was afraid that one day it would sail away!  Papa Bear did a beautiful job of replacing it with a new pane, I am very thankful for his handyman skills.  Of course washing the window pane above it, giving us a crystal clear view out to the deck, made us quite aware of how badly the other windows need a good washing.  Will put that on the ever-growing things to do list.

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I stopped after the last paragraph yesterday to run some errands in town, intending to come back and finish my post last night.  As is typical, life took another turn.  As I was sitting and watching a little television with Papa Bear after supper the Achilles tendon on my right heal decided to start throbbing/burning. I've dealt with ongoing plantar fasciitis and heel spurs on that foot for a couple years now, but it hasn't been nearly as much of a problem since retiring and spending less time on my feet.  What or why it flared up last night is unknown, can't figure it out, but I spent most of the night awake in pain and today has found me hobbling around with a walker unable to put weight on that heel at all. Papa Bear took a day of sick leave to stay home and help me out, and after keeping it elevated and iced it is maybe a little less painful tonight, but I'm still not able to put weight on it.  I will baby it for a few days and hope it heals quickly.  While feeling sorry for myself I thought about all the people and families I know who are dealing with much bigger struggles, and I am thankful that my worries and problems are small.  I am also thankful this year is almost over, it's been a challenging one and I'm claiming 2018 as a year of brighter/better/bolder living... fingers crossed! No matter what is or what comes to be, I am beyond the shadow of a doubt truly blessed. And on that note it's time for more Ibuprofen and another icepack. I'll be around in the next day or two to read your posts and comment. It seems like, despite my best intentions, behind is my current mode or operation, but I'm trying, and there is hope! :-)

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.