Ten Things of Thankful

Here are a few of the things that came to mind as I experienced this past week. What about you? I am sharing mine in a post that I am linking to the blog hop Ten Things of Thankful hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not.

1. Church meetings

For most of the Pandemic I have watched church meetings via Zoom, but last Sunday I am thankful that I was able to attend in person.

2. Perfectly peeled hard- boiled eggs

For some reason the chance of me being able to peel a hard-boiled egg perfectly is often a catch-as-catch can result, but one day this week the shells slipped right off just as I hoped. The end result was a perfectly smooth oval egg instead of an egg looking like it had been scarred by chicken pox.

3. Christmas cactus taking time to bloom even though a couple of months late

White blossoms of Christmas Cactus

4. Another helpful customer service representative

Earlier in the month I shared an experience of talking with a helpful customer service representative after we had been victims of fraud. This week I received an email about some rewards earned at a pharmacy we use. There was just one thing wrong, I didn’t make the purchases, and the store where the purchases were made was almost 2,000 miles away and the purchases had been made that very morning I read the email. There was no scam or fraud involved, but instead there was an error made by an employee who merged two rewards accounts apparently assuming there had been an error on their part when a customer who had the same name as me made a purchase. The customer service representative unlinked the accounts while we talked and he contacted the manager at the store where the error had been made to let him know what had happened so the employee could receive further instruction.

5. Spring flowers beginning to bloom outside

Purple blossoms on a
Lithodora  plant clinging
to the stone wall

(The following five items are a continuation of the ABC thankfuls I have been doing this month.)

6. Oboe music 

Click here to listen to the beautiful piece, Gabriel's Oboe played by a renown oboist.

7. Peacemakers

8. Quilts

9. Roses

Even our dog used to enjoy our 
rose patch

10. Safety

This has been in my mind and heart this week as I have prayed daily for the safety and well being of those caught in the midst of conflict and war in other countries and for those trying to escape to a safer place.

Vic and family and friends 

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Ten Things of Thankful

There are so many things for which we can be grateful. Have you ever felt a little silly about expressing gratitude for such a little thing? Why is that? It isn't everyday that one is saved from a vehicle in a bad accident, or a doctor says there is no more sign of the cancer, or the boss tells you she wants to give you a raise. What then? Do we just think there isn't anything worth mentioning in a Ten Things of Thankful post? Well, some of the things in this post may make you feel better about sharing some of the little things. Dyanne, of Backsies Is What There Is Not, and the host of the blog hop, Ten Things of Thankful and the rest of the TTOT participants would love to read your list of 10 plus or minus a little.

1. Jobs that can be faster by just a push of a button or the turn of a knob, such as washing a load of dirty clothes

2. Two tools, such as two types of vacuums, that perform the same task, but each out performs the other when it comes to certain aspects of the job

It kind of reminds me of how in a family everyone is able to contribute in some way to doing household chores, but one may be better at doing a certain job than his sibling, but each one is a crucial member of the family and is wanted and needed.

3. Unexpected scenes

When I went to the post office the other day, I saw 10 wild turkeys strolling at the edge of the parking lot! By the time I got my mail, they were heading on to other places, and I missed being able to get the photo I wanted, but I still remember the scene.

4. Time management and being able to recognize when I am mismanaging the hours in my days

With the advent of some of the popular online games that have grabbed the attention of many, myself included, I too find them a fun exercise of the mind. I rationalized the time playing them helped improve my deductive reasoning skills, hone my observation skills, and some even were bringing me up to date with the names and locations of countries in the world. It quickly became apparent that in order to continue doing some other things I felt were more important, I would need to use some of the tried and true time management suggestions so these games don't eat up the hours of my day. Just so you know, I will still leave some room for relaxation and fun, but not let the games take over my life.

5. Lighter tapping

This time of the year the bluebirds show up on our property. The past few years one of more have decided that tapping on our windows was the thing to do. We have never been sure if it is just one bird that taps or if several do, since there only seems to be one bird tapping at a time. The first year that we heard tapping, it was very loud tapping, like LET ME IN OR I AM GOING TO TAP YOUR HOUSE DOWN tapping and it was really annoying. Last year the tapping wasn’t quite as loud as the year before, and this year it is lighter still. Western bluebirds live about six years, so maybe, if it is just one particular bluebird, she is chilling a bit and quieting down with age. We can only hope.

6. Asparagus season

The time is here when asparagus is in abundance in the produce section at the store, and it is available at a price that makes it more affordable. It seems this is one of those vegetables that either people really like it, or they just snub their noses at. I don’t remember having it often when I was growing up, except at Thanksgiving or Christmas, when Mom would buy a can of it to serve with our meal. My favorite way to eat it now is roasted with some parmesan cheese sprinkled over it.

The last four “thankfuls”  are a continuation of my ABC list on Ten Things of Thankful at the beginning of this month.

K. Knotty woodwork

When we got married a long time ago, we stayed in a lodge on our honeymoon that had an abundance of knotty pine in the woodwork in our cabin. The home we built where we now live, also has knotty woodwork. We like having the homey atmosphere.

L. Lotion

The label of a certain product that I use refers to it as a cream, but it looks and feel more like lotion. I think I am its biggest fan, because I have used it for many years and most likely will continue to use the remainder of my days because it help relieve pain I frequently have.

M. Marriage

It has been through the experience of being married and having children, that I have learned certain lessons that have proved invaluable for me to understand myself and my relationships with others. I know that there are people who have never married or who have had a marriage that ended in divorce and they have also learned some important lessons about themselves and their relationships with others. No doubt the slate of lessons to learn in life varies from one individual to another as well as the way life tests are administered. I am just very thankful for what has been my experience.

N. Naps

I remember not liking it when the first grade teacher asked us to put our head down on our desk and close our eyes for a while right after lunch. Perhaps there were some children who actually took a short nap, but I couldn’t relax that much to take a nap. Now, daytime naps on occasion are something to which I look forward, and actually falling asleep is no problem at all.

Vic, family and friends

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Six Sentence Stories - Rambunctious

Has anyone else been chomping at the bit waiting to get this show on the road this week at the Six Sentence Stories - Rambunctious blog hop? I know our host Denise, of Girlie On The Edge's Blog, may be wondering who has a story waiting in the wings to be published or perhaps still floating around in the mind, a thought here or a phrase there, etc. I am  hoping the writing juices begin to flow so you can link up.

The large-for-his-age young bull, which had known only an existence of roaming  whenever and wherever he wished on the chaparral-covered ranch land, was not the least bit happy about being rounded up by his owner and the ever obedient shepherds, and then being put into the back of a late model 40’s pickup edged with high sideboards.

To say he was a bit rambunctious was putting it mildly; furthermore, one would have thought he was in training for becoming a rodeo bull for what it felt like to the farmer and his kids riding up front in the cab. The thrashing and lurching was making such a ruckus that it was impossible to distract their minds from it as they tried to listen to the staticky radio with the sound turned as high as it could go. There was no time to casually hold onto the steering wheel, even momentarily, because one never knew when the next steer tantrum would  happen.

Apparently the ride back to their farm wasn’t enough to get rid of all his bullish anger, because as soon as he was unloaded, he broke free and ran toward the first resemblance of what he knew best, some trees and thickets he saw near the edge of the property where he just dared them to come after him.

He put up a brave front by snorting and digging his hooves into the ground whenever anyone tried to approach him deep within nature’s camouflage, but he finally succumbed when he realized there was just no way out for him.

*This is a rewrite from Six Sentence Stories -  Circle

Ten Things of Thankful

In a normal world there are ups and downs of life, and although there may be some people who seem to have been born with a Pollyanna attitude, most of us have to work at it. This is where an exercise of searching for something good in the midst of the whatever ails you, or whatever horrible news you have just heard, etc. comes in. This is a blog hop where other bloggers write a post of 10 things (give or take a few) for which they are thankful, and then link up to Ten Things of Thankful hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not. 

1. Opening an envelop this week which I almost didn’t

Usually the mail in our street address mail box is junk mail and when I saw the printing on the outside of the envelop my first thought was that it had to be some kind of a scam. For one thing the company name was one I recognized as one that didn’t even exist anymore, or so I thought. If I had just torn up the envelop before reading what was inside, my action would have led to results that would have been problematic.

2. A very helpful customer service representative

She calmly said we had been victims of a scam and reassured me I wouldn’t have to pay the bill on the statement that was inside the envelop mentioned in #1.  I was told the matter would be handled by the company’s fraud department. After she gave me the link to use to report the fraud to the federal government, as well as some other helpful information, I felt armed with the tools I needed to proceed.

3. The link was easy to navigate

For anyone who has had to fill out online forms, you probably have found a wide variance in the ease of navigating the sites and going through all the steps before submitting the forms. This site couldn’t have been any easier.

4. Wry humor

I saw a post about Jan. 31 - Feb 4, 2022 being Identity Theft Awareness Week.

5. Flatbread pizza

We had never eaten flatbread pizza until this week, and it was a hit! 

6. Discovering a new DNA match that cleared up a question as to the name of one of my maternal Great Grandfather’s sisters

7. Names that send me searching for the origin of the name

In this case it was the given name for the sister of my great grandfather. The name of the one-year-old female on the 1870 census was listed only as J P, and on the 1880 census was listed as what I thought was Fanna or Fannie. Her descendants believe her name was Peninaha or some variation of that spelling, but she went by Nina on the succeeding census records. In going back to that 1880 census page and finding a name that was Patsy, I noticed that the “P” in Patsy looked the same as the first letter in the name I had misread. Often with the swirls of the handwriting of the time, it takes a careful study and comparison to other records to discover the truth of the matter and in this case a DNA match to set the record straight.

BTW, I learned that in the Old Testament, in 1 Samuel 1:2 Penninah was the the name of Elkanah’s second wife, but as you have probably guessed, Penninah as a given name is uncommon in the United States.

8. Collection sites or businesses that will take recyclable materials that can't be put into our recyclables container, such as clean empty glass jars, used toner cartridges, old light bulbs, dead batteries and hard styrofoam pieces

9. A beautiful sunny afternoon to take a drive which took me all over town to where the above mentioned sites were located

10. Body joints

We have an impressive 360 joints in our bodies! The older I get, the more I appreciate my joints, especially when they are fully operational.

11. Vic, family and friends

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Six Sentence Stories - Redemption

Denise of Girlie On The Edge's Blog is the host of this blog hop, Six Sentence Stories - Redemption.  A story written in only six sentences with the inclusion of the prompt word for the week are the requirements for writing a Six Sentence Story on your blog. After that just click the link to add your story and also read the other stories people have shared. Come join in the fun.

A very peaceful karesansui
garden at the
Portland Japanese Gardens

If I hadn’t thought it was important I wouldn’t have mentioned it, but in retrospect maybe I should have presented it so he would have thought it was his idea and not something I was trying to cram down his throat. By the shocked look on his face, I knew I had hit the nail on the head by bringing up something I had placed figuratively into my broken heart.

You may be right about that since he may have thought what was done was done, and let’s just get on with life, not even knowing the extent of the harm that had been done.

Do you think I should apologize, like I was the one at fault, or shove the memories back into the recesses of my brain again like it was some kind of an aching treasure trove to keep forever?

Only you can answer that and only you can anticipate some of the harm or the good that might come from your response, but each relationship has its moments of seeing through the “glass, darkly.”* The roads of apology, forgiveness and redemption often converge again, leaving one humbled and a little wiser because the experience.

*1 Corinthians 13:12

Ten Things of Thankful - An ABC Approach

Today I am taking an alphabetical approach to making a list of ten to link to the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What Is There Is Not. 

I know there are many who are experiencing storms, whether it be weather related or life’s challenges. I invite you to think about what it is for which you are thankful. That may feel like a difficult thing to do, but the more one embraces this practice whether the thoughts are shared with others or not, the more one begins to recognize the value of this little exercise. You never know when a single thought you share might just put a smile on someone’s face.

1. Apples

We are blessed to live in an area where there are a wide variety of apples grown and sold in the stores. The one’s we are enjoying this week are some Fuji apples. They are so good and they were on sale for only 69 cents per pound this week.

2. Baptisms

A family member got baptized today. I am so happy that she made this choice to do so. 

3. Census records

As one who has helped index older census records that made it easier for others to find the information they were seeking, I am very excited about the 1950 US Federal Census records that will be available to research in April 2022. This will be the first federal census on which I will be listed, and not only that, but AI will aid in making it possible discover those enumerated. Click the link to read more about that.

4. Dog photos

Since February 3 was National Golden Retriever Day, a couple of our kids shared photos of their golden retrievers in their text messages with us this week. We are able to enjoy the personalities of these dogs thanks to videos and photos that are shared and that bring back memories of the dogs we have owned.

5. Egrets

The large number of egrets that have been in the area these past couple of weeks have caught the sight of many. We saw them dotting pasturelands and lining streams and lakes. Their white feathered bodies cannot help but be seen!

Egrets in a pasture

6. Family time

Whether doing something as a couple or messaging and zooming other family members, making time to be with family is important. Connections are so vital, whether it be with your family or with friends who feel like family.

7. Genesis in the Old Testament

Over the years, I preferred reading the writings found in the New Testament to that long journey of plowing through the Old Testament beginning with the book of Genesis. This year as I am attempting to study the Old Testament once again, my study is being greatly enhanced by watching and listening to videos on YouTube that include those who have studied the languages that were used when the scrolls where written and who have studied the geology, archeology, etc. of the peoples who inhabited the lands.

8. Hyacinths

We tried planting hyacinths many years ago, and learned very quickly that the deer liked to snack on them and the gophers and like-minded burrowers eat the bulbs, so I didn’t plant them after that. Seeing the potted hyacinths in bloom on stands outside many stores shows me that spring is on its way, or at least the nurseries are hoping so. 

A hyacinth which escaped the gophers and deer

9. Intuition

Being somewhat of an intuitive person I suspect can be a blessing at times and perhaps not so much at others. Learning to come to terms with one’s self is what I think of as one of life’s lessons and a huge blessing.

10. Jam and jelly

A little dab of sweetness on a homemade biscuit is a breakfast treat once in a while for me. It doesn’t have to be much, but just enough. 

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