Ten Things of Thankful

As you begin to browse this list of ten items, for which I am thankful, you will see how very eclectic it is. Hopefully, this will encourage you to try writing a list of your own and sharing it on the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop where you can link up. Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not is the Host of the blog hop.

A rosy checkermallow plant in bloom with a
yellow barestem biscuit root peeking out
below among the blades of grass 

1. The willingness of those who share with others their experiences and photos taken on a vacation some can only wish to take 

Some friends who had the opportunity to go on a trip to the Holy Land and see sites I have not seen in person prepared a fireside meeting for those who were interested in knowing more about their excursion and what they learned while they were there.

2. Being able to get the car serviced

Since I recently saw some signs that a mouse or mice had gotten into the interior of the car and I found and removed a large mouse nest in the spare tire well, having this appointment already scheduled was good timing in order to have the car thoroughly cleaned and checked for other areas the mice may have been. The good news was that they hadn’t destroyed any wiring.

3. Being able to schedule a day in June to attend the temple 

During the pandemic I have missed going to the temple and am looking forward to being able to go there again. It is such a peaceful quiet place to mediate and to serve.

4. Weather that cooperates with scheduled activities

There was a recent month when just about every day that we were scheduled to have the guy mow our property and do other yard care things, it was pouring down rain and made it impossible for the work to be done. I am thankful that although we have had frequent rain this month, more times than not, the days he has come have been mostly rain-free days.

5. The blessing of not having to return clothing ordered online

After carefully taking my measurements and comparing them with those on the company’s online chart, I placed my order in the hopes that the items would be true to the size on the chart.  While I know many do not mind having to return products, I do not like the hassle, so I was happy to find out it was a perfect fit.

6. Gopher snake

With underground rodents arousing from their winter hibernation, we were grateful to spot a Pacific gopher snake searching for its prey on our property. (They are harmless to humans.) 

7. A perfect day to burn some pruned and fallen limbs

There are only certain conditions when outdoor brush fires are allowed and when the wood has dried out enough for the flame to keep burning. The fire was completely out when by the designated time, but we were thankful for the return of rainfall the next morning just in case the site needing another good soaking.

8. Having the choice to take part in the election process

This week the results of the primary election in our state were announced. While it is nice now to not have our mailbox stuffed full of repetitive flyers about the various candidates, almost daily, having the opportunity to study the platforms and experience of the candidates via a plethora of information being spread by all kinds of media was at times both helpful and exhausting, but worth taking the time to do so.

9. Seeing a murmuration of three

One day this week as I was looking out the window, I noticed three juvenile starlings strutting across the grass, when all of a sudden they put on an air show for me. As if on command, they went skyward as if being drawn by some magnetic field that clicked them into a vee-shaped formation and then they dipped, soared, and turned at such a rapid pace it was hard to follow their path. It was fascinating to watch at such a close range. I have seen many large murmurations over the years, but never a *mini-murmuration.

10. Vic, from whom I have learned so much about native plants

A lone purple camas beginning to bloom among a
blanket of young collomia grandiflora plants
not yet in bloom

An evergreen huckleberry bush whose branches
are ladened with white blossoms tinged in pink

Yellow barestem biscuit root plant in bloom.
The blossom arrangements remind me of
bursts of yellow firecrackers exploding.

* This is what seems to best way to describe what I saw.

A big thankful for Vic, family and friends who bring laughter, joy, and ways to see this world in which we all live.

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Ten Things of Thankful

Here is hoping that you as consider this day or this past week, or your life, you are able to see the rays of light making their way through the clouds and storms you might be in at the moment. I am linking up my thankful list to the blog hop, Ten Things of Thankful hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not. Consider yourself invited to write your own post and link up.

Every life is filled with some sunshine and some storms

1. Newborn babies

Seeing videos of newborn animals taking their first steps makes me smile and sometimes laugh. To know that these animals will at some point produce more of their kind if we take care of them and the earth on which they live.

2. Forums

This week I watched a video of a forum that took place in March. Unfortunately it was just the speaker’s presentation and didn’t include the discussion that followed among the audience and the speaker which would have also been of interest to me.

3. Those who remember to look booth ways before crossing a street or turning into a lane of traffic

Drivers following the 35 mph speed limit certainly do not need someone forgetting this important rule. It was a close call, but no one was right behind me when I had to brake suddenly for the driver who almost forgot to turn and look.

4. Labels 

For many years I have used a certain topical cream on my back. When I recently tried to get some more of it, I picked up a couple of boxes of the containers which resembled the ones I had purchased in the past. It wasn’t until I got out to my car that I discovered that what I had just purchased was a cream for the feet, not my back. 😂 I returned them and got my money refunded. The humor of this situation is that when I got home, I discovered that the label on my almost empty container said it was also for use on the feet, and all this while I had been using it on my back. Thanks to online shopping I finally was able to order what I needed, as the two stores here were not going to be able to get any more until July.  Labels are only helpful if one reads the fine details.

5. Peppermint

The smell of peppermint has often reminded me of cookies, candy, gum, mints, or Christmas.  After recently discovering that once again a mouse, or mice had gained entry into our car and built a nest in the spare tire well, I needed to come up with a plan of action to avoid another entry in the dead of night. With some research, I discovered that there are some who vouch for the use of peppermint oil as a deterrent. Apparently mice hate the smell of peppermint. We will see if that is really going to work. (Years back I used bars of soap to hang in a mesh bag from a branch on a  tree or shrub to deter the deer from destroying them. It worked one year, but not the next!)

6. A different way of looking at the past

This week I watched a movie that was a documentary about the objects that were left in the house of the deceased grandmother of the film makers. I loved learning about the life of this woman who consented to being video taped as she responded to questions posed by her grandchildren in the years prior to her death. In addition, the creative approach the film makers took to share these items in the film were impressive.

7. Taking things one step at a time

Sometimes that is the only way to get through  the difficult moments.

8. Being able to mourn with those who mourn, even if it is via a live stream of the memorial service of their loved one and/or doing whatever else is possible to lessen their burden

9. A place to get help when you don’t know where to turn, whether it be for yourself or for someone you know

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

10. Vic, family and friends

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Ten Things of Thankful

With another week having slipped quickly away, there are some of us feeling thankful who are writing a post to link up to the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not. If you have your own list of things for which your are thankful, and have a blog, won't you consider posting it on your blog and linking up. The more the merrier.

A wild sweet pea seen on the Oregon coast

1. My mother whom I still miss, but know that I will be able to see again (RIP Mom.)

2. We enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous day at the coast one day this week, which to me meant it wasn’t windy, wasn’t raining, and while I needed a light jacket, it wasn’t too cold outside. It helped too that it was a sunny day, unlike the majority of the days have been in the valley so far this month, and almost all of last month. (We don’t complain too much about the rain, nor the snow falling in the mountains, because of the severe drought like conditions last year.)

3. Since the day trip to the coast was in the middle of the week, there were not the crowds like would be the case on a weekend, so we took a chance and had an early lunch in a restaurant with very few occupants, in hopes of lessening our risk of a possibility of a Covid exposure. The New England clam chowder served in a bread bowl was delicious!

4. A surprise gift bag of homemade muffins and cookies from a friend in the area one day this week, just because she was thinking of us

5. Being able to get our tractor serviced and repaired

6. Voters’ pamphlets and online interviews with candidates where each candidate responds to the same questions (Our state has a closed Primary election, so at this point in time I am just trying to understand the viewpoints of the candidates of my party, but I will consider both sides of the aisle at the next election just because I think there is value in doing so before deciding who you think will be the best candidate for the job.)

7. Being able to schedule an appointment to have the car serviced soon and have the driver’s side window checked out before on some really rainy day I am not able to get the window to go up and stay up (The trick so far has been to keep my finger on the button for a few seconds after the window has gone up and then release my finger from the button.)

8. That I was able to stream the graduation proceedings for one of our grandsons who received his Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Engineering this week at the University of Utah

9. A treadmill that let me give it a try again even though I had ignored it for quite some time, and that I didn’t spend so much time on it that I won't want to do it again 

10. That some family members who recently got Covid are getting better

Vic, family, extended family and friends 

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