Ten Things of Thankful

This is a catch up post for my past few weeks of absence here on this site. First there was a trip, then just some time away from social media. Both were good healthy adventures and experiments in so many ways. That being said, I have missed my interactions with my fellow blogging friends.

I am linking this post up to the Ten Things of Thankful blog up hosted by Kristi Brierley of Thankful Me. She has motivated me in many positive ways over the years, including encouraging me to participate in this blog hop.

1. Travel adventures. We had only seen some of the scenic areas in the Utah in the past, so we drove to Utah and from there spent a wonderful week with our daughter and son-in-law seeing four national parks in four days and tacked on seeing a state park at the end of the trip.

Bryce Canyon National Park

2. Watching General Conference. Each year there are two General Conferences held in Salt Lake City by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where the Prophet and other leaders share inspired messages which give direction and counsel to all who listen. It is broadcast via satellite throughout the world and translated into many languages, a fascinating feat within itself. When I became a member it was only possible to listen to the audio transmission of conference at one of the chapels in the area where I lived.

3. Improvement using electronic devices. During our trip, thanks to our daughter, I was able to get some help getting up to speed using my iPhone. This is much faster than reading through the online manual or just experimenting. 

I also took some time after we got home to reorganize my desktop on the iPad, and learned to use some additional features of my Gospel Library app that allows me to make notes and put the notes into a Notebook within the app. 

One day when I was using my iPad, it all of sudden was not displaying the correct keyboard symbols I'd keyed! I was beginning to think my keyboard case was going to have to be replaced. Here is where google came to my rescue. I found a forum where a few others had addressed this problem. Apparently I'd accidentally bumped two keys at the same times which caused the problem I was experiencing. This was a much easier fix with no expense involved.

4. Good results on an every-five-year's health procedure. Yeah!

5. Discovering that the new farm very near us is producing organic vegetables. While I do not eat totally organic food, I think that there are benefits to doing so.

6. Eliminating as much as possible the boxelder bug population around our home. Little did we know when we planted maple trees on our property many years ago that the trees attract boxelder bugs! These pests, more because of their numbers than actual damage to anything, are particularly annoying in the spring and in the fall when they emerge. Since maple trees are quite common in the valley here, many are plagued with the presence of these bugs. By the way, these creatures are bugs not insects. If you ever wondered what the difference is between the two, click the link.

7. Beginning the day with laughter. One day when taking apart my CPAP attachments so I could clean them, the end of the hose fell into one of those sticky spider traps I'd placed in the corner. When I pulled the hose up, the trap came too, as did the electric cord that it knocked loose which also got stuck on the trap. What a picture that was! Fortunately strength prevailed and I was able to free both from the sticky goo and get them both cleaned off thanks to one of those products made specifically for such jobs. I also found a much better place to put the trap. :-)

8. Being able to attend the temple with a friend. Since the temple is about 50 minutes away, depending on the traffic, it is a great time to visit. I enjoy these moments of conversation and reflection prior to and after the time serving in the temple. 

9. A long handwritten letter from a friend and former neighbor. It had been quite a while since I'd heard from this friend, so it was a delight to read a five-page letter from her. (Not everyone is computer savvy and able to keep in touch via social media, so a handwritten letter is to be treasured.)

10. My husband. We rely on each other in so many ways. I'm thankful that is here with me, and I with him to support one another.