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.

Ten Things of Thankful - Week 28, 2017

The above image is a quote that says "Happy are those who take life day by day, complain very little, and are thankful for the little things in life." No author is cited. The text is printed in black on an off-white background next to a round clear pale blue vase filled with white lilacs that form a canopy across the top of the photo above the text. A bright green leaf and a few green stems can be seen amidst the flowers.*

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Happy Weekend!  The above quote makes me smile. I am thankful that I am able to do the first part and the last part fairly well, but I find that part in the middle about complaining very little to be more difficult. Have you ever tried to go a whole day without complaining and come to realize just how often you think or say something negative?  It's convicting, but I'm working on it! I am thankful that I have another day to work on being a more positive person!

 I am also very thankful that Papa Bear is the most uncomplaining person I know, no matter how tired he is, or how unfair life is, he so rarely grumbles, and just takes it as it comes. He is a good role model for me! 

I am thankful for the General Manager at Papa Bear's work, a much younger man than him, who told him this week how much he appreciated Papa Bear's help and knowledge gained from working there over thirty years.  It always feels good to know that you are appreciated!

I am thankful that Papa Bear will be off this Saturday. He works six days a week, and gets one Saturday off a month. He gets so tired and needs that downtime! We won't be sleeping in on Saturday though, as we have the security alarm installer scheduled for 9 AM. That leads to another thankful... a new and much better security system that is less expensive and has it's own Wi-Fi so doesn't require a land line phone.  It will save us money, work better, can be controlled from our phones, and is much safer since there is no outside phone line that could easily be cut by an intruder. Having been through break-ins in a past chapter of my life, I feel much better having a security system.

I am thankful that Papa Bear loves cats as much as I do. He had one before he met me that lived to be twenty years old; it was an indoor-outdoor cat, so that's especially rare. We started out with just one cat which we adopted when I moved to Texas to be with him. Now we have four inside, though we have had five when we were caring for one of my daughter's cats for awhile when she lived in an apartment. He is patient with the ever-flying kitty fur from all of them having long hair, and he enjoys news of the outside feral visitors too, letting me know when Andy is waiting on the deck for supper. He recently installed an expanding "baby gate" across the stairs to the deck to prevent the neighborhood roaming dogs (a real problem in this area) from coming up on the deck in attempts to get the food in the kitty feeder. What we won't do for our furkids! :-)

I am thankful for prayers answered. One of my daughter's cats that is only six months old went into heat (yes, they can start breeding that young) so she took it to be spayed this week. Its post-surgical recovery was a little more stressful than most, while it seemed to be in pain the vet tech said it was just having a bad reaction to the anesthesia. My daughter was so worried and stressed, and felt bad for her kitty. Thankfully, the next morning it was doing so much better and is now on its way to recovery. I am thankful, too, for responsible pet owners who spays/neuter their pets and also for groups who provide low-cost spay/neuter options. If it was more affordable there would be fewer unwanted babies being born. Cats multiply amazingly fast!

I am thankful that our neighbors finally ran out of fireworks! Their 4th of July celebration went on every evening for almost a week, stressing out the furkids and at times rattling the house. I am all for celebrating and I love rockets as much as the next person, but explosions just for the sake of noise gets annoying. One tipped over and exploded on the ground instead of the air, and I am so thankful that none of them were injured, it could have happened so easily.

I am thankful that my son had an awesome birthday! When he lived alone he didn't have a birthday cake and this is a much enjoyed tradition in our family. This year his girlfriend and her son got him a wonderful cake. I am so thankful for all the blessings this relationship has brought to him and how happy they are together as a family. I could not have asked for a nicer person for him to share life with. She truly loves my son and to a mother that means everything!

I am thankful that my younger sister has discovered the joy of Internet friendship through getting to know some of the people she regularly plays in Words With Friends. In the past she never understood how I could be close friends with people I'd never actually met, now she has a couple close Internet friends that she visits with on the phone and via email, and has discovered how much those relationships can brighten your days, especially when your children are grown and gone and you spend more time at home alone.

Last, but not least, I am thankful for the beautifully cool, overcast morning. It is rare here that I can be out on the deck writing at 10 AM without being baked and blistered by the hot sun, so this was a lovely treat. The clouds are piling up and perhaps we will have rain later.  Cooler weather, even for just a few hours or a day, is such a gift!  And on that note, I think I'll head out for a little drive with the windows down, I need to go to our tiny-town post office and pick up Toby's meds at the vet clinic. Wishing a wonderful, relaxing weekend to everyone!

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 27, 2017

The above image is a quote by Millie Mestril. It says "I woke today with gratitude for those who share me in their lives. I am thankful for those who are a part of my journey." The text is printed in white on a muted background photo that shows three people walking across a sandy beach together leaving trails of footprints. The edge of the ocean can be faintly seen in the distance *

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As I walked out onto my deck on this quiet Monday morning I realized how much I love solitude after so many years of required daily interaction with others in the workplace. Yet I also considered that if I was to live a "hermit" life, I wouldn't want to be without my beloved Papa Bear, my family, or the many wonderful friends I've made on the Internet. Just as the quote above says, I am first and foremost, truly grateful for those who make room for me in their lives and share a part of my journey.

My weekend has been totally blessed by seeing all the wonderful posts being added to our TToT linkup, I woke up to several on Saturday morning!  I am so thankful for your participation, not because of numbers, but because I believe in the positive effect of what we share. It is also awesome to have new people showing up to join us! I am thankful that folks reading your posts find the concept interesting enough to want to try their own and link up a post! Word of mouth, or should I say word of blog, is how we grow. :-)

One of the biggest thankfuls in my life at the present is vastly improved relationships with and between my two sisters, one older and one younger than me. We can actually share group texts with little news bites of our day with no one getting snippy or rude. It is amazing and is a testament to the power of prayer and trying harder to be kind and thoughtful. It has been a nasty triangle for so many years and I have always mourned that. At last it is becoming a supportive blessing!

I am thankful that I stretched beyond my usual procrastinating ways and go my son's birthday gifts made/ordered/mailed in plenty of time. They arrived at his house this morning and his birthday is on Wednesday. He loves gifts, and is so easy in his requests... a batch of his favorite cookies and a small gift card.  I also sent a few fun things and am surprising him with his grandfather's engraved pocket knife and a small photo of his grandfather when he was in the Navy at about age 19 or 20. My son is a family history buff and will love it.  He turns 38, how can my baby be that old?!! His life has been blessed in so many ways this past year, and I wish him more of the same for the coming one.

I am thankful for the wonderful cherries our grocery store got in from Washington state, truly the best we've ever had here, and we are enjoying them.  Summer is such a wonderful time for fresh fruit and veggies, and lighter suppers!

I am SO VERY THANKFUL for friends on Facebook who make a concerted effort to post positive, uplifting and fun things. The news has enough ugliness and despair, and I just can't see why folks need to keep "preaching to the choir" on their Facebook pages. Share something that will make people feel good about life, we already know the horrors and harsh realities and don't need the saturation that makes your mind spin and your heart ache, IMHO.

I am thankful for the pretty new nightgowns we found on sale while shopping this weekend, they are made of light weight t-shirt fabric, very cool and comfortable! The ones I have been wearing are ragged and needed replacement, but I refuse to pay large sums for something worn only at home. It might surprise you to know that we don't put on "street clothes" unless leaving the house, at home we stick to comfy loungewear like this, the joys of an empty nest! No one drops by out here where we live, thankfully. Saves on laundry too. :-) Papa Bear also found a new "John shirt" on sale, which is what my daughter dubbed the Hawaiian shirts he loves to wear, he always wears one to work on casual Saturdays. He got new sox and underwear too, and it's funny to think that we are thankful for things as simple as that, but soft and new is nice, and sale prices are even nicer!

I am thankful for the all the people who work in and support animal rescue, a job of the highest highs and the biggest heartbreaks. For every little furry soul who is rescued, healed, and placed in a loving forever home I am truly grateful. The need is great, now we need to toughen laws on animal abuse and neglect and work to promote adoption! I am so very thankful for those who have opened their hearts and their homes to rescue/shelter animals or have donated funds. I wish we could save them all!

I am thankful that my children have a heart for animals just as I do. My daughter and her husband just added this little rescue kitty to their furkid family. They have named "Batman" or "Batkitty" for the obvious reason... 

The above image is of an eight-week old black and white kitten laying on a gray comforter in a patch of sunlight amidst shadows. Its head is up with its big ears and eyes alert. It has a white muzzle but a black nose, head and ears, making it look like it is wearing a Batman mask. Most of its back is black like a cape, while its chest, feet and underside are white. Like all kittens, it is adorable!*

While on the subject of critters, I am thankful for the fun of keeping track of my feral kitty visitors. At the moment we have three regulars that frequent our deck feeder for food and water during the day and night, and every now and then we will be surprised to see a different one show up on the kittycam. A couple nights last week a large mouse (or small rat, who knows) showed up to enjoy some kitty food. It was just too cute, and mighty brave of him/her! I haven't seen it since, which is probably wise due to food chain issues! Andy, the bravest of the bunch likes to stand up and peek into our living room window from the deck at night, seeing how the insiders live I guess, and it is so cute to see that little face looking in. He also knows if I see him I will bring him out a treat!

I am thankful that my children both have good careers that enable them to support themselves financially.  My son bought himself an early birthday gift yesterday, a fire-engine red 2015 Dodge Ram crew-cab truck that only had 18,000 miles on it and has been well maintained. It looks brand new! He was happy to sell his little Toyota pickup, needing more space for their weekend outings and more comfort for his long commute to and from work at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky each day. It gets great mileage too. He is so proud of it, and I am proud of him!

Well, I think I have at least ten thankfuls here, so I won't need to take advantage of Clark's "Get one Free" offer on his TToT post this week, but it is such a wonderfully fun idea, and you really need to check it out! I am ever thankful for all the smiles each week's TToT posts bring to my life,  THANK YOU! :-)

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 26, 2017

The above image is a quote by Marcus Tulllius Cicero. It says "What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes." The text is printed in black on a background photo that shows the wood grain top of a table or desk on which rests a lime green saucer and bright yellow-orange cup full of coffee or tea. To the right of it is the open blank page of a leather bound journal and a white writing pen.*

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Today is the first day of July, and marks the beginning of the second half of this year. The months seem to go by so quickly!  I was remembering how at this time last year the law firm I was working for was in the final thirty days of operation and things were very stressful and chaotic. I am SO THANKFUL for not being in that environment anymore and for the peace and contentment of being able to stay at home.

Do you ever look back at your life to see if you've made progress, if you've grown in any way or achieved a new understanding? Our question of the week at the TToT blog asks about one of the things we've learned in the first half of this year. One of the things I've been practicing the hardest is to learn to exercise more faith, to live with less fear and anxiety and less stress over things I can't control. I preach the merits of living one day at a time, and I am thankful that I can say I have grown in that mindset... Let Go, let God. Take action on the things that you can, and when it comes to the things you can't, breathe and let go. In the end it will all work out as it should. Yes, I believe that, Pollyanna as it may seem.

I have noticed in recent months that my hearing grows progressively worse. Without my hearing aids there are so many sounds I miss and so many words I cannot understand. While I enjoy the muffled quiet when I am home alone, it is not a great experience when you are out in public and need to be aware and interact. There is not a day when I put my much too expensive hearing aids in my ears and can suddenly hear again, that I am not aware and thankful for how blessed I am to have them. My heart goes out to anyone who struggles with hearing issues that cannot be resolved or that they cannot afford to address. We take our hearing, our vision, and our mobility for granted until such time as these things become limited in our lives. I am thinking that we need to focus more on teaching children and adults to become aware of how wonderfully we are made and what gifts these things are!

With Independence Day coming up in America next Tuesday, freedom comes to mind.  Being an Aquarian and loving freedom go hand in hand.  Freedom is a precious gift to me because, like the quote above says, freedom is the power to live as one wishes. My heart breaks when I think of how many people on this Earth for one reason or another are deprived of even the very basic freedoms we take for granted.

I am thankful that I have the freedom to express myself both orally and in writing, and to state my thoughts and opinions on anything without fear of imprisonment or death.

I am thankful that I can choose what faith or religion I will embrace and how I will practice it. 

I am thankful that I can choose where I will live and what kind of work I will do.

I am thankful that I can dress in whatever manner I feel is right for me, knowing that how I dress is a reflection of my values.

I am thankful that I can come and go as I please in this country without needing permission or to explain myself.  As a woman, I am thankful that I can go out unaccompanied if I desire to.

I am thankful that I have access to education, and also to the Internet uncensored so that I can learn and expand my knowledge and awareness.

I am thankful that I can associate with anyone I choose to, no matter what their beliefs or affiliations may be.

In conjunction with the above and many more freedoms I am blessed with, I am thankful for the realization that all privilege comes with responsibility, and the knowledge that my freedom ends at the point where it impinges on the freedom of another.

And finally, I am thankful for the most powerful freedom that every human being possesses... the freedom to choose my attitude in response to any given circumstance. While there will be times that I do not like and cannot change what is happening, I will always have the power to choose how I will react. As the years pass I am learning to choose more wisely.

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.