Ten Things of Thankful

Some things on my to-do list got accomplished this past week, but as usual there are some that got pushed back to be done later. That is typical for me. I take a few breaks to do totally unexpected things which makes life so much more interesting.

So getting down to the nitty-gritty, I'm here to write my Ten Things of Thankful post so I can link it to Josie Two Shoes blog hop. I could even postpone this a couple of days since it is Mother's Day. She is just nice that way, but really she allows a couple of days into the new week every week! Be sure to click the link to get an idea of how very accommodating she is and, of course, to read the posts of the bloggers participating. Comments are always welcome, as are adding an item or two for which you are thankful. If you really get into the spirit of this blog hop, maybe we will see you linking up in the future. Hope so.

1. The other day as I was washing dishes at the kitchen sink, something caught my eye up in one of the big fir trees outside. We have been seeing Lesser Goldfinches lately, but this appeared to be a bigger bird. I quickly went to the other room to grab the binoculars, and patiently waited to see if I could see the bird again. After a few minutes I confirmed what I thought it might be. It was a Western Tanager. They are a beautiful birds and striking because of their yellow and black bodies and red heads. They show up here very briefly this time of year during their migration. What a nice break from my kitchen chores, and it did make the start of my day so much more interesting.

2. Good news from family members is very high on my list of thankful items. There will no doubt be more to add to this in a few months, but for now, I'm just feeling very happy.

3. When I make a mistake, and know fixing the mistake is going to be a pain to resolve, I just want to put it aside and come back to it later, and sometimes, much later. Such was a case with making these sweet little burial gowns for stillborn baby boys. These will be given to a local charity to give to local hospitals to make available to the bereaved parents. I'm thankful I could finally undo my stitching error and get these finished. 

Two burial gowns for stillborn baby boys

4. One of our daughters preceded a question this week with, "It might be a long shot, but do you still have. . ." Sometimes I'm thankful that I tend to save things, and even more thankful that I knew where to look and was able to find a 45-year-old pattern.

5. While I was working inside the house and my husband was working outside, he spotted several wild turkeys in our neighbors yard. He came in to tell me to grab my camera, but the turkeys were faster at navigating the hillside than we were, and had escaped from view. I'm thankful for our neighbors a couple houses away that did see them later and shared their photo of three turkeys eating bird seed under their bird feeders.

6. In the spring there are so many sweet smells to enjoy or maybe to detest if allergies are problematic for an individual. At the edge of our property there are a couple of hawthorn trees in bloom now. I personally like the smell of the hawthorn blossoms, but I may be in the minority, according to some articles I've read. Do you like the smell of hawthorn blossoms?

Clusters of white blossoms on a hawthorn tree

7. Both tulips and irises are in bloom here now and I love the way these two colors offset the other. Like people, it is good to have some friends who are not exactly the same as you are. Are there people you really enjoy being friends with because they add variety to your life and offer new perspectives?

Pink tulips arranged with purple irises

8. Learning that something I did beginning as a young mother had some value that I didn't realize at the time, other than the obvious one. Have you sung lullabies to children?

9. I'm thankful for time: time to go eat lunch with friends, time to go to the fitness center, time to enjoy warm weather outside, and time to attend a Mother's Day activity with my mom at the nursing center.

Mom (age 101) and I enjoying a vase of peonies and irises

10. To think that my husband and I could become one in purpose in building a family and that the children born into that family grew and formed families of their own, and so forth is such a beautiful blessing. It is beyond me to be able fully express that gratitude, but I know it is real, and I will be eternally grateful. I also am very appreciative for the love I felt from a couple of aunts and uncles who were not able to have children, but reached out in loving ways to their nieces and nephews. They too influenced me for good.