It is time to sum up my list of 'thankfuls' for this past week. I hope all of you who are participants of this blog hop have had a good week, or if it hasn't seemed to be all that exciting, that looking back you are able to pull out ten things that you can recognize as blessings and things for which you truly are thankful. If your list falls slightly under or over, that is okay too. The idea is just to be pointed in the right direction. I'm linking up to Ten Things of Thankful at Josie Two Shoes site. Click the link to see the assorted 'thankfuls' others have posted.
My list
1 Last week I mentioned that I needed to take my car back into the shop to have them try to get my burned out tail light pulled out on Monday. Two different guys were not able to remove it last week. I was told the cost might run up to $60 if the shop had to pull out the back lighting system. This week I was in and out in practically no time. A different guy tried to get it out this time and didn't even have to run it into the shop. Total cost was just under a $2 for the bulb. Yeah!
2 I'm thankful for those things I see others doing to help out. I was backed up in a line of traffic when I saw a man running across the street from his work place to push a car that had stalled at the front of the line. He made it look like a piece of cake. Thanks to him traffic was soon on its way. I suspect the tow truck that passed by him as he was doing his good deed was going to loop back to tow the car.
3 Seeing similarities in the lives of my ancestors and my own always make me feel happy. I suspect I may have already seen this similarity in the past, but I rediscovered it this week. One of my great grandmothers had a twin sister. She and her twin have the same birthday (month and day) as I do. My mother was young, under six, but she remembered seeing my great grandmother, Sarah H. Andrews Boyd, and spoke of how she sometimes went over to the next state to visit family. After the research I did this week, I suspect that she went to visit her twin sister. Knowing how close twins feel toward one another I feel firm in my conviction that was the case. I wish I could find a photo of my great grandmother. If I ever do, I'm sure that will be a 'thankful' on my blog.
4 - 5 There were two activities during this past week at church that were quite enjoyable.
The first one was a dinner for the grandparents in the church. The youth planned the activities and decorations, made the dinner, etc. There were four youth at each table along with four grandparents, and there were getting-to-know-you games that helped the flow of communication between the two groups. The room was packed with attendees. It was so enjoyable.
The second activity was held the following night just for the women. There was no dinner, but there were some yummy sweets to dip in chocolate! One of the women led a discussion based on a book titled The 5 Love Languages, by Gary Chapman. It was quite interesting. There is a little quiz that you and your spouse can take to discover which is your particular love language. Actually knowing what each other's love language is can be very helpful in a a relationship. There are even tests for teens and for children that can be beneficial in helping those in the family improve their communication and relationships with one another.
6 I stopped to get a take-out meal from at a small local Japanese restaurant this week. It had been a long time since I'd been in there, and since I was there in the middle of the afternoon it was not a busy time. I had a nice visit with the Japanese owner and his wife. There were some newspaper clippings on the wall about their restaurant that I found quite interesting. The food is cooked the way they cook it in Japan, not an Americanized version. It was very tasty.
7 My husband is on a bird photography adventure for a few days, so my listening ear is gone. There was one day when I was feeling a little down about my Mom and wishing she didn't still have those times when she feels fearful of the Arjo mechanical lifting machine at the nursing home. There are ups and downs with dealing with her Alzheimer's. My help came in the way of a neighbor who was a willing listener one day. She has been in a position similar to mine, so I felt comfortable talking to her about my concerns.
8 Remembering old songs that have such great messages, such as
'Let There Be Peace on Earth' and 'What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love.'
9 Our children and their spouses and our grandchildren and great grandchildren
10 My husband who means the world to me.
I still have my Kia Sedona 2006. Removing the headlights is quite a chore. My son change the lights for me and it is not easy and simple like other cars.
ReplyDeleteWell you got the right guy to do the work. That's great and you saved money too.
It is always a good thing to save some money, and it was especially good that day, since there was a sudden need to purchase something else that was an unexpected outlay of cash. :-)
DeleteHello Pat! I was fun to come and read that you were able to get that troublesome light changed out easily and inexpensively. It sounds like you were led to an angel that day! I love the grandparents dinner! There is such a disconnect between elders and youth in our society at large now, and it does both a world of good to share with each other. Dealing with Alzheimers and someone you love is so very hard, they are often confused and afraid and can lash out without ever meaning to. Your mother is blessed to have your patience and understanding. Your Japanese lunch sounds wonderful, definitely enhanced by the friendly visit with the owners. Who I encounter going out is always half the fun, a great chance to share a little love in the world! Thank you for joining up with us at TToT this week! Have a wonderful week coming up!
ReplyDeleteI am fortunate that my Mother doesn't lash out at me, although if I were the one needing to transfer her with the Arjo, I'm sure she would be just as afraid and me trying to alleviate her fears would be as impossible for me as it is for the aides. The nice thing about getting to know other people and showing an interest in them and their lives, is that you often receive back the same degree or more in graciousness as you give.
DeleteFunny about cars, isn't it? (As with so many other things in life), having experience can make all the difference in the world.
ReplyDelete(Actually I've talked the youtube route when bulbs in Phyllis' CRV burnout. One of the cool things is that there are a number of differently instructional videos on how to change bulbs. I like the visual approach to learning a task like this, it helped immensely).
Sounds like, on balance, it was a good week out there on 'the other coast'.
I must admit, I often have to look at several different youtube instructional videos before finding the one that works for me. First of all, if it is in another language, or is in my own language, but with a heavy accent, I generally look for a different video. If it goes at a different pace that what I need, that also doesn't work for me. Thankfully there is usually one that is "just right."
DeleteThe youth/grandparent dinner at the church sounds like a delight, and i'm glad your car tail light didn't turn out to be such a problem after all.
ReplyDeleteThe activity was very enjoyable, and I believe the youth enjoyed it too.
DeleteWhat the world needs now IS love. And bipartisanship. Sounds like a good week. Discovering facts and connections to our ancestors is always a good feeling. You have so much to be thankful for as a daughter, wife, mother and grandmother and great grandmother(?).
ReplyDeleteI agree. It seems like there is little room these days to have a civil debate, or to be willing to compromise and to see both sides of the picture, or why people might be upset, and to try to put oneself in the shoes of the opponents or in the shoes of the least able to help themselves.
DeleteYes, a great grandmother. I find that an amazing place to be in my life.
A $2 car repair??? You got the grand prize!
ReplyDeleteI've seen the Love Languages thing and it's definitely interesting. One more reinforcement that communication is vital to a strong relationship of any kind.
The church event for grandparents sounds really cool!
Yes, that $2 repair was a win win!
DeleteHow nice that you know about your family. My family was one that kept secrets so I know very little and that's sad, I think. The Grandparent Dinner sounds lovely.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first began doing some research to learn about my ancestors, I had very little to go on, especially on my paternal grandmother, but little by little I was able to find records that enabled me to find out more about her. One just begins with what you know and then talk or write to relatives to learn as much as you can. There is a wealth of information at familysearch.org, ancestry.com, searching for county histories online, or maybe genealogy or family and the surname online.
DeleteCommunication between the old and the young. Important.
ReplyDeleteI love that song too, What The World Needs Now, what a classic question and the answer never changes.
Yes, the classic question never does change. Love is the answer.
DeleteThat's great that you could get the bulb out!
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to know I am able to give a clear indication of what I am doing with our little car. :)
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