Ten Things of Thankful

My blogging has been mostly in my thoughts this week, but I can't let the week go by without posting   those things for which I am grateful at Ten Things of Thankful.

Raindrops!  Raindrops on this nasturtium!

1. My husband often lets me pick the movies we go see, but on Monday, he picked the movie and didn't tell me what movie we were going to go see.  I learned what the movie was when he was purchasing the tickets at the theater.  It was The Martian, and I'd not seen or read anything about it, so it was truly a surprise.  I found myself wondering what I would have done in such a situation, had I the background and knowledge of the main character.  I'm thankful for this surprise element of our date, with my husband deciding where and what we were going to do and see.

2. Tuesday I went to see my Mom at the nursing home.  The head nurse pulled me aside and quickly assured me that my Mom was okay, but she wanted to tell me something.  She let me know that her last day of nursing there will be the end of this coming week, and that she has accepted a job closer to her home town.  I told her that I was happy for her, but sad for me and that I would really miss her.  I've never met a nurse as caring as she is.  I'm thankful for those very competent and attentive people who tend to the needs of my Mom and others whose thinking and health are impaired.

3. Late afternoon Tuesday, my husband and I went to the home of another retired teacher where several retired teachers and their spouses were gathering for a potluck dinner.  We had an enjoyable evening learning how people are spending their retirement years.  I knew one of the couples there from my church attendance when I was living in that town, and it was fun to catch up on each other's lives since we'd last seen each other.  I love potlucks, because invariably I taste something I want to try to duplicate at a later date.  I'm thankful to be able to not only meet some people I didn't know, but to reunite with some I did know.

4. Tuesday as we drove on the freeway to a town south of here, my husband was barely starting to change lanes when he saw a car quickly approaching from behind in the other lane.  I'm thankful that he was so observant at that very moment.

5. Wednesday I went to my Mom's to meet with the lawn care people regarding some long lasting brown spots in her lawn.  They had reseeded the area, but the seeds didn't grow.  They had tried doing this when it was way to hot, so they did it again now, at no extra charge.  I'm thankful that they are true to their word.

6. On Thursday, my husband had a yearly dermatology appointment.  I'm thankful for those skilled doctors and PA's who can detect when there are areas that need treatment.

7. On Friday, my husband and I took another couple with us to see a concert in a nearby town.  The performer was John McCutcheon.  He is a folk singer and story teller, and plays numerous instruments.  He has albums of music which children enjoy as well as albums directed to adults.  The whole evening was wonderfully entertaining.  This concert was held in a very old Presbyterian church which has semi-circle shaped pews.  It was an intimate setting.  The music and stories were funny at times, and brought tears to my eyes at other times.  A song that was especially touching to me is called Between Good and Gone.  It was about a road trip the performer took with his father who had Alzheimer's and lived in a nursing home before his passing.  McCutcheon's talent in playing the different instruments is incredible.  I especially enjoyed his performances on the hammer dulcimer.  He continues to write songs.  He sang one about the recent shooting tragedy at the Umpqua Community College in Oregon, and one about the baby that was found dead on the beach at Kos, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea.  I'm thankful for folk music and those who continue to sing and teach through this style of music.

8. This evening I attended a wedding reception for a young couple I know from church who were married earlier in the day at the Portland Temple.  It was wonderful to see how happy they are and to see so many people come to join in the celebration of their marriage.

9. One day this week when I was visiting my Mom, she asked me what time it was.  (It is amazing that she is still able to tell time.)  When I looked to check my FitBit it was missing!  I'd never had it come off like that and I'd been a lot of places, so I was thinking I'd never find it.  When I looked down between her wheelchair and the chair in which I was sitting, I was very glad to see it.  There was no need to search further!  I'm thankful this gift was not lost.

10.Lastly, I'm thankful that we really did get hard enough rain today and often enough that the ground is beginning to look wet!  Although we have had some rain earlier this week, it hardly made a difference because the ground is so parched.  I'm thankful to see and feel the rain!