Ten Things of Thankful

1.  My husband has diligently prepared sugar water, almost on a daily basis now, to feed the many hummingbirds that have taken up residence here year round.  As a result, the hummingbirds have come to recognize him.  Yes, they really can recognize people!  He was pretty excited this week when he held one of the feeders in his hands and one of the hummingbirds landed on his finger to drink from the feeder!  He invited me to try, but I was a little doubtful it would work, because I knew they were partial to him.  Our plan was for me to sit next to my husband on the porch.  I would hold the feeder, and we would just wait.  As the birds began getting closer and closer to me, my husband got up and got his camera and captured the moment when a hummingbird landed on my finger and supped from the feeder!  What a thrill!  I'm thankful for my husband and all the thrilling moments he has brought into our lives.

2.  One day this week I had a short amount of time to do some errands.  I was walking rather quickly  from a store to the parking lot when I heard a lady say, "Someone ought to give you a ribbon."  When I turned and looked at her, she commented that I was fast.  I had to smile, because my ability to walk at a faster pace is because I am continuing to heal following my back surgery.  I'm thankful for words from others that make me smile.

3.  This probably wouldn't have even made such a list as this at another point in time.  Are you ready?  I'm thankful that I can cut my toenails again.  The last time they needed cutting, one of my daughters did it for me.  Back surgery recovery takes time, so I had to rely on others for some things, well a lot of things.  I'm thankful that I am more self-reliant again.

4.  There are so many ways people can brighten the lives of others.  I often visit my mother in a nursing home.  She, along with others there, suffers from varying degrees of dementia and Alzheimer's.  Fortunately there are people in the area who regularly go to the nursing home and share their musical talents.  Many times, "the lights come on" when people with dementia hear music, especially musical pieces they may have heard earlier in their lives.  This week a woman in her 70's went to the nursing home and played music on her accordion.  One of the residents asked if she could play any Lawrence Welk type music.  She promptly started playing one of the signature pieces that was often heard on his show.  To see the absolute joy and enthusiasm on the face of the man who had made the request was just priceless.  I'm thankful for those who bring joy into the lives of others as they share their talents.

5.  Earlier this week I decided, upon the encouragement of my daughter and other bloggers, to take up this adventure of blogging again.  I had just barely begun to do so back in 2011when life got in the way.  A day after beginning to consider this possibility, but having some doubts, I watched a Roots Tech 2015 video online.  This particular video was about tech tools.  One of the things that was addressed in the video was about blogging sites, and was another helpful prod for me.  I'm thankful for the ways we receive help when we least expect it.

6.  Do you like to sing or hum when you work?  My husband has often referred to me as his "little hummer," because he can hear me humming as I work.  I'm not exactly sure when I stopped humming, but I suspect it was somewhere during this past year when there was a degree of pain and stress in my life.  I didn't even recognize that I'd stopped humming, until one morning this past week I recognized that I was humming.  Immediately, the thought came into that my mind, that I hadn't done that for months!  I'm thankful to feel like humming again!

7.  I'm sure that all are aware that when life stands still, weeds continue to grow!  It is too bad that they couldn't at least pause, until you are able to tackle the job.  I was hoping I could get to them before they got completely out of hand, but such hasn't been the case.  (Dr.'s orders not to do gardening yet)  I'm thankful for a dear neighbor who got up early one morning to come do some hand weeding for me (not a project my husband can do these days either).  She worked for two hours as I watched.  When I tried to pull a weed, she kindly said, "You probably shouldn't be doing that."  So I would stop.  I'm thankful for my neighbor's kindness and conversation at the beginning of a summer morning.

8.  Having a make-shift birdbath and some feeders around attract birds that perhaps we might not easily see, such as a Western Tanager.  They are such beautiful birds, but they aren't here in this area for long before they continue their migration.  Sometimes we are lucky enough to see a glimpse of one in the fir tree.  Late in the day yesterday I saw one at the birdbath!  I'm thankful for all God's creations and that I can sometimes see one up close.

9.  Do you sometimes have a prompting to do something, like call someone, or do something for someone, etc.   I do.  Sometimes I talk myself out of the prompting, and other times I follow up on the thought.  This week I was reminded of how important it is to listen and to follow up.  I'm thankful for those promptings of the Spirit that help us be an instrument in His hands.

10.Lastly, but not least, I am thankful for my husband and father of our children.  He is amazing and makes me feel amazing too!