Ten Things of Thankful

Although there has been plenty of news around the world this week, as there is every week, this is a time for me to reflect upon a few things for which I am thankful.  Kudos to Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not, for hosting this blog hop where we can share our list of ten (or fewer or more) each week. I am linking my post to Ten Things of Thankful.  

An abundance of fuchsia blossoms
like feelings of gratitude are beautiful
to behold

1. The thin cloud cover that kept the forecasted triple digit high temperatures for the past couple of days from being realized

2. The sound of very distant thunder claps early one evening

3. Waking up one morning and discovering that it rained during the night!

4. The smell that is in the air after it has rained after so many dry hot days

5. The discovery that the distant orange light seeming to flicker through the the trees off in the distance late one evening was not the beginning of a fire in the dry country neighborhood but instead was most likely a type of outdoor lighting

6. A couple of large slices of a delicious homemade peach pie delivered to us by someone we know in the neighborhood

7. An unexpected surprising experience while doing some watering of plants outside

8. A poem created from the above mentioned life experience

The vole wasn’t expecting the water

And she wasn’t expecting the vole

It was a surprise to them both

So the vermin leapt toward its goal

Like a miniature low-flying Hindenburg balloon

Trying to escape the vermin monsoon

9. Being able to share in the happiness loved ones are feeling upon hearing good news

10. Not having to coax the robot vacuum to its docking place when the battery was getting low (It is learning.)

Vic and being able to live out our lives together

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Six Sentence Stories - Distraction

The phone is ringing again as you try to ignore its insistence while you finish shampooing your baby’s silky blonD haIr.

The winnerS of the cake decorating contest you entered are beginning to be announced when you have to whisk away your crying toddler still holding Tightly to the now empty container of the spilled milkshake bought for the two of you to shaRe.

A line is loudly blurted out by your son in the preschool play when he Couldn’t remember his line, so he made one up.

While your friend is wearing his favorite hunting boots, it becomes The spot to mark by your pup.

The oldest Is going to tend the younger siblings and the house is neat and tidy when you leave for a meeting, but when an acquaintance who has never been in your house brings you home and helps take things in from the car, the scene greeting yOu both is your living room disguised as a fort built with all the creativity children can muster to delay checking the chore chart.

As you sing the lullaby and stare deeply into the eyes of your child you pause when for moment you feel you have seen into his soul and kNow his heart.

Denise of Girlie On The Edge's Blog is the host of the Six Sentence Stories-Distraction blog hop. Every Sunday there is a new cue that she reveals. On Wednesday at 6:00 pm ET the link goes live until late Saturday evening. Would you like to give this writing challenge a try? We hope you will.

Ten Things of Thankful

If one looks around, there are often things for which one could feel grateful, but the trouble is sometimes other things in life seem to push aside what is right there in front of us and blind our view of the minute as well as the stupendous rewards of being alive. If you are having one of those times when the blinders are keeping you from seeing and remembering, I hope that you will be blessed with those louvers being moved so that you can take in those scenes, perhaps even memories from your past, that will help you see and feel what is there to lift your spirits and bring a sense of gratitude. 

Thanks to Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not, for hosting the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop so we can have a way to quickly share with others our reflections on gratefulness this week.

Oregon swallowtail butterfly

1. Health issues for both of us are less alarming now and may actually put me on the right track for figuring out a puzzling health challenge I have had

2. Water for the thirsty creatures

Although this large tub of water draws a lot of birds to it, this time of the year, especially during these higher temperatures, we also have a steady stream of deer coming for fresh water. 

Doe and her spotted fawn

3. A neighbor’s offer of fresh vegetables from her abundant garden

Fresh chard from the garden is one of my favorite vegetables! Do you like to eat chard?

4. A friend dropping by to visit for a little while

5. Problem solving how to get a better night’s rest when wearing a CPAP mask

I found a way to quiet the sound of the hose rubbing  against the headboard and causing me to wake up at night numerous times. The hose now hangs over an extension on the pole lamp beside the bed. I wrapped an old washcloth over the extension so there is no sound if the hose moves.  It is so nice to have a good night’s rest.

6. A grown nephew who had chosen to not get the COVID vaccine was released from the hospital after having to spend five days there because he was diagnosed with COVID pneumonia is now able (fortunately) to continue healing at home.

Note: There is no need to comment on this one, as there are probably varying positions by readers about the importance of getting the vaccine or not getting it. 

7. How three or more sources are better than just one or two when it comes to discovering the truth of a matter

After wondering about what a census taker wrote for my grandfather’s occupation in 1910, I did some research and discovered a 1911 city directory that gave the correct information.  The census information gave his employment as being with the Federal Express Co. Just for further proof I found articles about the history of the Federal Express Company which showed that the company didn’t exist in 1910 or 1911. The United States Express Company did and was shown as my grandfather’s employer in the 1911 directory. In 1914 the United States Express Company ceased operation due to the Parcel Post Law. Scroll down to Automobiles in this link to see how packages began to be delivered in the United States after 1913.

8. Thanks to someone’s comment on FB, I too know how to make the curser on my computer screen appear larger long enough for me to find it. (In case you have been wondering how to do that, just shake the mouse.)

9. Oregon swallowtail butterfly poses

Every year I look forward to when our butterfly bush is in bloom, because that is when we see the return of the Oregon swallowtail butterflies. Often one of the tails has broken from all that flitting from one blossom to the another, but today was my lucky day, and this beautiful butterfly was willing to stick around long enough for me to get several photos of it in different positions.

Oregon swallowtail butterfly

Oregon swallowtail butterfly

10. Staying in touch with family and friends through the good news and the bad news  

Extra thankful that we could celebrate Vic's 80th birthday!!!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Ten Things of Thankful

This past week has passed quickly. It seems like I was just here, but maybe that is because life hasn't slowed down a bit. What are you thankful for this week? I am thankful for LIFE, so I will share a few of the thoughts that came to mind to post to the blog hop Ten Things of Thankful hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not.

1. A grandson’s timely arrival just in time to help me deal with a unanticipated error reading on our washing machine and the need for the late night removal of a whole load of suds and the task of hand wringing as many suds as possible from the load of wet towels

An out-of-focus image of
an off-balance washer 
filled with LOTS of suds

2. The EMTs who arrived quickly when I called 911 and were able to reassure us that my husband had not had a stroke and their advice that he be seen by a doctor and ophthalmologist as soon as possible in order to get answers as to why he suddenly loss all vision in one eye, only to have it return to normal in a few minutes (Note: Lab results are pending and and an ultra sound is scheduled for tomorrow.)

3. Little by little a lessening of the gopher population which will hopefully result in a less hole-filled terrain in front of our house (Thanks, Vic)

4. A splash of color, albeit on a weed, in front of an eyesore of debris left over from the ice storm earlier this year

Thistle blossom

5. Being able to watch a British drama film based on the life of Harry Hallowes

6. Perspective and the value of zooming in on something and other times zooming out in order to get a broader understanding

7. Finished listening to another partly listened to Audible book (I am sometimes guilty of starting a book and not completing it, because another one may seem more interesting at the time.)

8. Humor that comes from either not hearing correctly or hearing, but thinking the word said was something else (What was actually said was pariah when describing a character in a movie he’d watched, but what I heard was piranha! My very surprised look and the question that followed brought laughter for both of us. Laughter in the midst of trials is a welcomed thing!

9. Connecting with family near and far via phone calls, texts and emails

10. Vic and his presence in my life 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Ten Things of Thankful

 Last week I'd hoped to link up to this blog hop, Ten Things of Thankful, hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not, but with all my wishing it just didn't seem to be a possibility. There are times in life when we don't live up to the expectations of others or even ourselves, but that doesn't mean we have to give up trying, so here I am again. The good thing was I actually did make a list last week, so the thoughts were there, they just didn't get shared so others could read them. Perhaps you have done something similar. What does your Ten Things of Thankful list look like this week?

Oregon Swallowtail butterfly
on a butterfly bush

1. That I didn’t try to walk through a screen door again like I did the week before causing me to pop out the lens of my glasses and bending the frames

2. That the mechanics that removed some dead mice and the nests they made in our car during those incredibly hot days we had did a fantastic job of locating and removing them from areas I couldn’t access and then cleaned our car and disinfected it 

NOTE TO MICE: When it is 117° F outside, going inside a car that is parked in an unshaded area is a deadly decision to make.

3. An enjoyable visit with our son and his daughters at our home over the July 4th weekend

4. Granddaughters being willing to do some things for us that are difficult to do at this point in our lives (hand weeding and washing the solar panels)

5. Being able to play a game of Scrabble with our son, even though we both thought the letters we were getting were probably the worst we had ever drawn and was a Scrabble game not worth remembering

6. Being able to schedule an appointment sooner than later in order to try to get some answers

7. Vic’s out-patient surgery on one of his knees went well, so maybe he can put off the knee replacement surgery for a while and in the meantime be able to move around more freely and enjoy life more fully.

8. When all the medical supplies and kits on hand are missing the two items that you hadn’t even considered as items to have included in case of emergency and you remember a friend who is a nurse who is able to come at a moment’s notice

9. Anticipating a visit from one of our college age grandsons  who is coming tonight

10. Safe travel for loved ones especially when traveling in places with extreme heat

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter