Ten Things of Thankful - Week 5, 2017

With a birthday coming up this week,  today seemed like a good time to think about some of the things I am most thankful for in my life...
 
1.  I am thankful for my faith which gives me the courage to face each day and the obstacles life presents from time to time.  I spent a portion of my life angry and in denial, and it was a dark and scary place indeed.  I've come home to an understanding of the beautiful and blessed gift faith is, I wouldn't be here without it.

2.  I am thankful for my husband, and for my experiences with previous husbands which enables me to love and appreciate this one so much!  In my case, God truly saved the very best for last.  I could go on for a whole page just on his attributes alone,  he takes care of me in a way I've never been cared for before.  He brings love and laughter, patience and understanding, and integrity and rock-solid determination to get things done. 

3.  I am thankful for my children, they too are the best of the best.  They are responsible, independent, thoughtful, caring, funny, and so very kind to their mother.

4.  I am thankful for my parents who provided for my needs growing up, and raised me with love, and the knowledge of right and wrong.

5.  I am thankful for my few and very precious friends, all very real to me no matter where or how we originally connected.  My life would be so much less without them.

6.  I am thankful for my furkids.  They add so much pleasure to my life and give me something to take care of now that our "nest' is empty.  I am happy that I've been able to give them really good lives too!

7.  I am thankful for my health which isn't too bad, all things considered.  I know how blessed I am to be able to live without great pain, limitations, or illness. 

8.  I am thankful for our home, our little house in dusty West Texas that keeps us safe and warm and suits us very well.

9.  I am thankful for my past,  all of which has combined to make me who I am and bring me to where I am today.  It hasn't always been easy or fun, but it's been a learning experience, and I wouldn't be me without it..

10.  I am thankful for hope, for believing that good things can and will happen,  and for being convinced that love is still the greatest super-power of all.

11.  I am thankful for everything I've listed here, and so much more.  What I'm saying is that I am so very grateful for the life I've been given, it's been a really good life all in all!

 

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Ten Things of Thankful was began by Lizzi at Considerings.  It's a wonderful way to refocus on the good things that happen in our lives each week despite whatever problems we are facing.  There is always something to be thankful for... always!

 This week we are linking our posts up at the TToT Group on Facebook

 

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 4, 2017

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Sunlight streams through my window this morning and before long it will warm to 50 degrees outside, a brilliant contrast to yesterday's gray skies and snow flurries in the afternoon. Life is like that, isn't it... a mixture of  happy times and hard times; and no matter what we are going through, the sunlight will return.  I've been posting a daily gratitude post on my other blog, and here's an additional ten blessings from this week in my relatively humdrum life... 

1.  I am thankful for the example set by some of our blog/TToT friends who have been experiencing some extremely challenging situations, and yet continue to share with us, find humor in life, and remind us that if they can keep going and moving forward, so can we.  The sense of community, standing stronger together, is one of the things I've always loved about blogging.

2.  I'm thankful for Lizzi sharing her wonderful work adventure in Kenya with us this week via her Facebook posts.  The photographs and narrative have been a strong reality check for all of us, and  I loved that she tuned in to the resilience of the people there.  I just know her sparkly goodness generated hundreds of smiles, and the work she was involved in is making a difference!

3.  I am thankful for my son's wonderful girlfriend, and how much joy and contentment she's added to his life.  One of a parent's biggest fears is who their children will choose as a partner, and he's taken his time to find just the right match.  It's her birthday today, and she was so appreciative of the small gift we sent.  She's an Aquarian like myself... I've never met one I didn't like!

4. I am thankful for the close relationship I share with my daughter.  There was a time long ago when she was a teenager that I wasn't sure if I would kill her or she would kill me!  We have grown so close as she's gotten older, and in many ways she is frighteningly like me (poor kid).  I am the first one she calls if something good, or something bad, happens in her life; we talk or text almost daily.  I didn't have that kind of relationship with my mother, so I am extremely grateful that I do with my daughter. I am glad she knows that I am here for her and will always support her, along with her right to make her own decisions and learn from her own mistakes just like we all did!

5.  I am thankful for all the handyman skills my husband possesses.  He has saved us thousands of dollars over the eight years we've been together by being able to trouble shoot and repair things without the need to call for high dollar repairmen.  He's also used those skills to help out friends and neighbors.  I find myself wondering if today's children, boys and girls, are being taught how to maintain and repair things; I suppose they will likely just look it up on YouTube. :-)

6.  I am thankful for our colds finally being completely gone.  Such a small problem, such a big nuisance! Now I feel like getting active and taking care of some of the projects on my to-do list!

7.  I am thankful that  the political hate and anger posts fading out on Facebook.  As much as we have valid reasons to be upset and concerned, hate that degrades and separates never resolves anything.  If we stoop to the name-calling level of those we detest, how much better are we than them?  If you believe strongly about something, find positive ways to take action and effect change!

8.  I am thankful that I am having some success in learning to de-escalate personal anxiety issues in situations over which I have no control.  Fear is a crippling thing, my mind knows this, but sometimes I still let it take control of me.  I am learning to use faith to combat fear, to breathe my way through it, and it focus on what I can do at the moment, rather than being consumed by fear over situations which nine times out of ten prove to be exaggerated or non-existent.

9.  I am thankful beyond words for the safe return of a little special needs puppy in Missouri that slipped out the door and got lost one evening this week.  It turns out that she wandered to a nearby neighbor who took her in for the night and found her family the next day.  This is the fourth time in recent years, that I have spent much of a night in tears and prayers, along with others, on behalf of one of God's furkids, praying for their safe return home, and it has happened.  I know that it doesn't always work out that way, but each animal/family reunited is testimony to answered prayers, and a reason to rejoice!

10.  I am thankful for my own four furkids that remind me daily that the most basic need we all share is to be loved and cared for.  I think it is a rather sad thing that human beings can't purr when we are content, but we have an even greater way to communicate our appreciation... and that is to say thank you.  I thank each one of you who takes the time to stop by my blogs and leave comments and encouraging words, it means more to me than you will ever know.

 

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Ten Things of Thankful is the brainchild of Lizzi at Considerings.  It's been  up and running for a long time now, and it's a wonderful way to refocus on the good things that happen in our lives each week despite whatever problems we are facing.  There is always something to be thankful for... always!

 This week we are linking our posts up at the TToT Group

on Facebook, and at Clark's blog TheWakefield Doctrine

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 3, 2017

Here we are at the end of another week, time to get my thankful on...

1.  I'm starting off my gratitude list today with one of my favorites... my husband is off  work today! He gets just one Saturday off each month, usually the one of his choosing if it's available, and works six days the other three weeks.  When he has a Saturday off it means we get to do things together, and a house project or two, and he still has Sunday to rest up for the coming week. I like having him home with me!

2.  I am thankful that my older sister had a happy 65th birthday this week.  Last year she fell on her icy steps just a few days before her birthday and spent the next four months at home recovering from surgery for a shattered femur and knee.  She is back at her part-time job now (which her boss was nice enough to hold for her), moved into a one-level town house, and enjoying senior life with her friends.  That was plenty to celebrate!

3. I am thankful for my sense of smell and taste, both of which have been absent for the past two weeks with this cold but are slowly returning.  I am tired of everything tasting like cardboard! It's weird to chop onions and not even smell them!  It's weird how interconnected smell and taste are too. The problem is obviously "all in my head", but where?? :-) My mother told me that my maternal grandmother did not have a sense of smell.  I don't know if she was born that way or it happened later on in her life due to illness or something else.  I wonder if she had a sense of taste. I can't imagine cooking for a family without it, especially at a time when cooking was done more by taste than by measurements and recipes.

4.  I am thankful that my niece was recognized in their city newspaper for her work as a foster mom for pups at the rescue group she supports.  In addition to her own four much-loved dogs, she has fostered many others over the years, mostly pitbulls, and it's always a celebration when one of her fosters gets adopted and goes to its forever home.  She says how hard it is to let them go after loving them so much, but then she will have room to help another.  I am also thankful that her awesome boyfriend loves dogs as much as she does and is 100% supportive of her foster furkids!

5.  I am so very thankful that the election and inauguration are now over.  I am so sick of my Facebook filled with contesting viewpoints and comments that intelligent people on all sides should know better than making.  I am hoping and praying that we can work together to unify our country. We have to be the change we wish to see... role models of what we believe is right.

6.  I am thankful for all the beautiful colors in God's paintbox... from brilliant flowers to blazing skies, to the soothing shades of  ocean waves... more colors and combinations than we could ever name.  I love bright, jewel-tone colors like deep purple and bright yellow like daffodils best!  When I see something with beautiful color it lights up my soul!

7.  I am thankful that folks have been so kind about my ongoing Six Sentence serial story at the other place.  It's my first attempt at writing any fiction longer than a short story, and while I really am making it up as I go, I'm having fun as I envision future "chapters" that fall within the realm of possibility at an old house.  As I write it I am revisiting a farmhouse I loved in my youth. In my mind it is the setting for this story.

8.  I am thankful for chocolate in all it's wonderful forms and uses.  Even one piece of chocolate is guaranteed to make me smile.  Papa Bear knows this. :-)

9.  I am thankful for caring friends who visit back and forth with me via Internet and text.  Since I am home alone most days, it's nice to have company to share with, play WWF with, and exchange photos that make us laugh.

10.  I am thankful for the serenity of our home, for the love and the laughter, and the way my husband is always there to easy my anxieties and keep me grounded.  I have lived in houses that were chaotic and unhappy, and at times scary.  Because of that I treasure my peaceful home now.

Ten Things of Thankful is the brainchild of Lizzi at Considerings.  It's been  up and running for a long time now, and it's a wonderful way to refocus on the good things that happen in our lives each week despite whatever problems we are facing.  There is always something to be thankful for... always!

 This week we are linking our posts up at the TToT Group

on Facebook, and at Clark's blog TheWakefield Doctrine

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 2, 2017

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It's high time to get my weekly list of thankfuls done before the weekend expires...

1.  I've had a miserable cold all week long, and this leaves me so very thankful that I can stay at home to recover.  When working in the past, if you took more than a day off when you were sick, it would result in eye rolls from supervisors and grumbling from coworkers. So everybody comes to work still sick, sharing their germs with everyone else, and struggling to get through the day.  Staying home is a big, BIG blessing in my life in so many different ways.

2.  I'm thankful that the oilfield economy where we live is finally on the upswing again. This is job security for Papa Bear.  He's been at his job for 35 years now, and business has been pretty grim there the past year. Boom/bust is the nature of the oilfield.  Someday we hope to live in a more stable place, one with lots of trees would be nice. :-)

3.  I'm thankful for the happy news from my daughter that she and her fiancé will probably get married in March, and then head to Hawaii for a honeymoon.  They've been engaged for over two years now, and she's been in the process of getting her house ready to sell.  Looks like it just might all come together for them this year.

4.  I'm thankful for a good phone visit with my younger sister this week.  We don't talk on the phone often, I am not a phone person, but we had a lot of catching up to do and she had some concerns she wanted to talk to me about. Our relationship is much improved over what it was in years past.

5.  I'm thankful that my son was able to change his work schedule this year. He is an air traffic controller and was working five nights a week, giving him very little time with his girlfriend. This year he'll be working three day shifts and two night shifts, which is perfect.  It also gives me a chance to connect with him after work.  My kids are both night owls by nature, my daughter works night-shift as a nurse.

6.  It has rained all day today, and some last night too.  In West Texas we are always thankful for rain, thought it might be nice if it didn't come all at once.  It's been a dry winter so far, and the rain will be needed to help things grow in Spring, so the rabbits can thrive, and the coyotes too. It was nice to see both looking well-fed and plentiful last summer.

7. I am thankful for the awesome comfort of the very casual clothing  I wear when I'm at home, unless I need to run errands in town.  No one ever drops by out here so I don't need to worry about greeting someone at the door in my pajamas. Office wear, even casual, is much more restrictive, and I am all about comfort.  The clothing I have now will last me quite awhile.

8. In connection to #7, I am thankful that my dry-cleaning bill has dropped to zero, as has money for eating lunch in town. We've done really good at paring down expenses in the past five months. It helps that we are both on the same page when it comes to wants and needs.  In reality we don't need all that much.

9.  I am thankful for being inspired by the other great bloggers that I follow, including some old ones returning and some new ones I've discovered recently.  I am feeling more inspired to write than I have for some time.  Having two blogs is also working out well for me, even though it might seem a little strange to others, the purpose for each one is clear in my mind.

10. I am thankful for the understanding of life that comes with experience, for learning to see old things in new ways, and for believing that love and unity are stronger than hate and division.

Ten Things of Thankful is the brainchild of Lizzi at Considerings.  It's been running each weekend for a long time now, and is a wonderful way to refocus on the good things that happen in our lives, despite whatever problems we are facing.  There is always something to be thankful for... always!

 This week we are linking our posts at the TToT group on Facebook.

 

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 1, 2017

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Well, I haven't done one of these for awhile, and not faithfully for a long time.  This year I'm doing a daily thankful post at my other blog, but there are things I just don't want to talk about over there, not all who visit are my friends.  So I've decided to jumpstart this year by kicking my TTOT rear back into gear.  Here goes (bear with my lack of fancy intros and flowing phrases, anyone who knows me, knows that's not how I roll)...

1.  I am thankful for all friends and family that survived the last year and the struggles it presented to many.  I celebrate surviving, it used to be my mantra and still is, but I've also come to realize that there has to be more to life than just surviving, there has to be meaning and purpose, and even occasional joy (thought it can be joy over little things, doesn't have to mean a whoopee celebration).

2.  That Papa Bear and I survived the past year, both financially and emotionally. The loss of my job at the end of July was a major life changer/game changer.  We have managed to make ends meet (just barely) for the past months, and my stress levels, blood pressure, and gut issues have returned to the normal range.  Being home after working for so many years is such an incredible blessing!  There are no words.  Even if it doesn't last, I will cherish this time I've had to recover myself.

3.  I am thankful that both of my kids had someone to share Christmas with this year, and both enjoyed their holiday.  Being alone at Christmas is often sad and lonely, I've done it in the past. I have hopes that both will continue in the relationships of present, I am content with their choices. There will likely be a move to Dallas for my daughter sometime this year, maybe, we shall see. I would love having her closer.  I don't get to see my kids nearly often enough.

4. I am thankful that Papa Bear and I are so well matched when it comes to living together. We watch shows on tv where couples continually disagree with each other, have strongly opposing ideas about life, or want such very different things.  It reminds me of how my life used to be in the past chapters. You don't have to be cosmic twins to have a good marriage, but you have to agree on the fundamentals or be able to compromise in a way that both feel okay about it.

5. I am thankful that I've been able to work through my remaining resentments with a few individuals from my past, especially one particularly evil ex, and let it go. I can acknowledge that they acted out of their own levels of pain and unresolved issues, and while I don't excuse what transpired, it no longer has emotional weight to me.  It just was, and it is no more, I am free of it, very free. 

6.  I am thankful that being home has provided me the time and energy to cook good suppers for Papa Bear, he loves it.  Now I need to convince him that we need to focus on healthier fare, because he's gained weight, and we both already weigh too much. Eating at home saves lots of money too.

7.  I am thankful and excited to have reconnected with some dear blogging friends from the past this week, and also for becoming better acquainted with some I've known only marginally.  I love bloggers and blogging, and keeping up with what's going on in each other's lives!

8.  I am thankful for my furkids and their amazing individual personalities.  In the past two weeks Sophie (the elder feline and reigning queen) has finally decided it is okay (just barely tolerable, but it's a start), for Tiggy or Gracie to nap next to her on the blanket on the sofa.  They've been trying to do this since they were babies born here nearly four years ago and she would swat at them or stomp off in a fuzzed-up huff.  Maybe the cooler weather was good for something, or maybe like me, she is mellowing a bit in her old age (she's thirteen now).  It is so sweet to see them cuddled up together.

9.  I am thankful that I am getting along with both my younger and older sister, staying in communication, and learning to maintain the balance of sharing and privacy/closeness and detachment that is necessary to keep those relationships working.  We've struggled for many years and I've banished one or the other, or both from my life for extended periods in the past.  But life is short and I know that resentments are displeasing to God.  So I've worked on it, and I set boundaries I can live with.  Family is family, for better or worse.  One critical rule... I refuse to discuss one sister with the other.  (Being the middle child has too often put me in the no-win role of peacemaker.)

10.  (Wow, I'm at ten already?!  I remember now how easy this is once I convince myself to begin.)  I am thankful that the holiday gloom that often rides just below the surface in my life has passed, the anniversaries of my father's death on 12/30/2009 and my mom's on 1/09/1995 - and the bitter cold winter funerals in Dakota that followed - will soon be past, and I can move ahead into the new year ready to once again to take up the battle with de-cluttering our very cluttered house and storages. This is the year of learning to live minimally, and to have our surroundings reflect that. I can do it!

Ten Things of Thankful is the brainchild of Lizzi at Considerings.  It's been running each weekend for a long time now, and is a wonderful way to refocus on the good things that happen in our lives, despite whatever problems we are facing.  There is always something to be thankful for... always!

 This Week's TToT