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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Ten Things of Thankful

Today I decided to focus my Ten Things of Thankful post on things that begin with the letter P, the first letter of my first name. For those of you who have been following some of the posts for this blog hop, you already know that the format varies from one participant to another and the format may fluctuate from one week to the next. 

Thank you Dyanne for faithfully hosting this blog hop each week and for fellow co-hosts, and others who stop by to read.  Click the Ten Things of Thankful link to see what else Dyanne has to say and click on the images at the bottom of the page to read what the participants in this blog hop are thankful for this week. BTW, click Backsies Is What There Is Not to check out Dyanne's own blog.

1. Plants

Years ago a friend gave me some little lilac tree starts, and this little lilac has struggled just to live because the deer rarely leave it be, so I was so surprised to see this blossom this week. I wish I could capture its scent and share it with you. My earliest memories of lilac trees are from watching my paternal grandmother clipping some blossoms from the lilacs trees that grew beside the back steps of my grandparents' home.

A white lilac blossom emerging through
its foliage

2. Phones

Gone are the days, when you couldn't move any further from the phone than the length of its cord. Gone are the days of trying to carry on a conversation interrupted by static, or clicks from those lifting the receiver in their home so they could listen in on the conversation of someone on the party line. Now one rarely is anywhere without their phone.

3. Photos

When I was leaving the house Friday to go on an errand, this little alligator lizard was waiting at the end of the ramp for me. Since my phone was within reach and he was posed so very still, I just had to take his picture. I fear he is missing his mate. (I found a dead alligator lizard in the driveway Thursday which I think had a fatal injury incurred by a weed eater earlier this week.)

Alligator lizard hanging out on a doormat

4. Plans

If you like to try to have some say as to what happens in your life, better prepare to make some plans and post those plans on a calendar. This week I was thankful that we were able to find a date and a sunny day (at least as far as forecasted now) so we can do something beyond the usual for fun.

5. Prayers

Giving thanks daily for ones blessings are just as important as praying for those who are sick, or are mourning, or who have been injured, or who are distressed. There are often other ways to reach out and do something specific to be of help, but other times praying is the only thing one can do.

 

6. Pudding

During my life, I have noticed that it seems there are those who really love pudding and those who eat just about any dessert other than pudding. For me, pudding has always been a favorite, but I realized early on eating pudding on a consistent basis was a much too easy way to put on extra pounds.

My favorite pudding as a very young child was butterscotch pudding, followed by tapioca pudding. When I was a middle-aged adult I bought a very old cookbook called Mrs. Owen's Cook Book and Useful Hints for the Household by Mrs. Frances E. Owens. The first copyright was 1882. My book shows a copyright of 1883. In it I found a recipe called Thickened Rice that calls for cooking a cup of rice and using the rice to make a pudding on top of the stove instead of the rice pudding that one bakes in the oven. The contributor of the recipe was a Lizzie Hill of Maysville, Kentucky. I had to laugh at her concluding remark about the pudding. . ."and is much nicer than one would think."  

7. Piano

This week, I decided to see if I could play the piano 15 minutes. What do you know! The keys still worked and my back didn't seem to show any aggravation from the effort for that day and that time. After fumbling a bit with some of the keys, the hymns were harmonious rather than discordant.

8. Physicians and pharmacists

Considering how many ways and times that a person is touched by the knowledge and skills of these professionals making it possible to heal quicker or improve our quality of life, I am thankful for the ways our lives and the lives of those we care about have been blessed this week.

9. Pick-up sticks and picky-up tools (better known as grabbers and reachers)

A game I remember playing and enjoying in the early 1950's was Pick-up sticks. It required some careful concentration and strategy to remove one of the sticks from the pile without moving any of the other sticks. My brother and I played it on the floor. One day this week I spied a pencil that had fallen from the nightstand and rolled slightly under the bed in a place that wasn't going to be easy to reach, short of moving the stand and getting down on the floor in a very confined space, none of which I wanted to do. So I did what I often do these days. I got my picky-up tool and retrieved the pencil lickety-split. This picky-up tool is a prized possession.

My "when I can't, it does" tool

10. People

Vic, family, friends, and the many who have touched my life in one way or another

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Ten Things of Thankful - Retirement

Those who participate in the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not include people of all ages. Although I don't know for certain, I suspect I am among the older crowd of posters here. Today's thoughts address some of the things for which I am thankful that revolve around this period of time many just can't wait to reach. 

This patch of English Daisies blossoms remind
me of the the different stages of our lives
different stages of our lives

1. Relaxation

One day this week when taking a little time to relax from a task, I fell asleep while sitting in a rocking chair reading. When I awoke I discovered that where my head had been resting on my hand was now rosy red. Good thing I woke up when I did, or I might have had a hard time explaining a bruise on my cheek. 

2. Exercising body and mind

During retirement years, there is no denying that there have been changes in what I do for exercising my body, but at least I still know the importance of doing it even if I have to make some modifications.  Strange as it may seem there this is no end of the ways to continue exercising my mind. Whether it be finding solutions to our everyday challenges, or wanting to learn how to become more skilled or knowledgeable in order to develop a new talent or improve upon an existing one.

3. Time

Time is enigma and seemingly becomes even more so the older I get. Many have tried to explain it and understand it. Has this been true for you? “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace.

4. Information

The gathering of information for one’s own use or for the needs of others is something from which few can escape, and it certainly didn’t stop when I retired. Although it can be tiring at times, it can also be rewarding.

5. Rest

Some might think that once a person retires, it is just a time to sit back and rest. Like anything else, too much of what might seem to be a good thing, can have it’s draw backs just as not taking time to rest regularly can  also rear its ugly head in unexpected ways.

6. Entertainment

This can come in various forms such as a diversion or distraction from one’s daily routines. It could be exciting and fun and in the end leaving one renewed and invigorated. Some of the things we have done in the past for entertainment are not as easy to do now. My grandmother used to work crossword puzzles, play Solitaire, and listen to Art Linkletter’s  People Are Funny show on her floor model radio. I can still remember her laughter. Remembering and sharing the memories provides entertainment for the giver and the receiver. Although I rarely do a crossword puzzle, there is no end to the possible online games. Wordle anyone? Quordle?

7. Music

One of the things couples become aware of is how their backgrounds are similar while at other times can be quite different from that of their mate. Our musical tastes were very different from one another in the beginning. As the years have gone by our musical tastes have grown closer together and along the way we have added many other favorites. Who knew that I would ever grow to like some of the country, western, and Appalachian music when my beginnings included being introduced to the Big Band sounds.

8. Energy

Although the little energizer bunny seems to be taking a vacation or found someone more up to his speed, once in a while I feel he is coming closer to the neighborhood, and for that I am grateful.

9. Necessities

Life often begins with budgeting even to obtain the necessities and then getting to the point when it is possibly to splurge and get some of those things that seeming make life more enjoyable. Then sooner or later things spiral back to realizing that all one really needs and can maintain are the necessities. Life goes full circle.

10. Trips

During the retirement years when one hears the word trips, it can be met with an alarmed expression or with excitement and anticipation in a good way. We have experienced both during our retirement years, fortunately more of the latter. These days some of the trips have been being able to virtually enjoy the places our family has been able to go. There are just so many ways to feel included and so different from a hundred plus years ago when people moved or traveled and were never heard of again.

Vic and our family and friends have made the years enjoyable and I am thankful for them.

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Ten Things of Thankful

Hopefully, everyone is experiencing some thankful vibes in their lives. They can be felt sometimes when one least expects them and can happen in unexpected ways. This post to the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not may or may not make it in time to link up, but I still wanted to share my 10.

Is that weed trying to find better companions
among the flowers or just waiting for its time
and season to bloom?

1. Becoming reacquainted with my sewing machine and learning how to use features I hadn’t tried

2. Our National Parks films

3. Being able to get spiral binding on a much used book whose pages loosened from its spine after years of use

4. Opinions and suggestions regarding health  things to consider

5. Discovering how to fix those little annoying things, whether it be computer related, or a used paper cutter that appeared to be good as new, but was missing a needed part 

6. Thankful for the deer in the other lane who stood absolutely still as I drove past in my lane (HUGE Thankful!)

7. Pre-made pie dough for those times when  you are cutting corners

8. The feeling of wonder upon seeing a full moon and the stars  and remembering a conversation with an uncle many years ago as we gazed up at the celestial bodies and asking whether he believed there was life on on other planets

9. Easter and its significance

10. Vic and family to love and be loved by

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Ten Things of Thankful

There is much for which to be grateful one week before Easter Sunday, and really every day. Today the weather is more frightful than delightful, but with Spring there are ups and down and in life also. I appreciate the opportunities to see the bright side amidst the storms. I am posting this Ten Things of Thankful post to the blog hop by the same name hosted by Dyanne of Backsies Is What There Is Not.

Variegated pink and white
camelia blossoms

1. Adages

For those who have parents who lived during the depression and WWII, this adage may sound familiar. “Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do, or do without.”

2. Knowing that not everything can be fixed

An old microwave eventually can’t be counted on to do what is supposed to do.  I am thankful that I was able to find one the exact same size as our old one, although it isn’t the same brand.

3. Facing fears and the what ifs
Knowing that it was just a matter of time before my old iPad was going to need to be replaced was becoming more and more self evident, but the thought of tackling setting up a new one was mind boggling. When I had gotten my old one years back, there was a store here that did all that for me. That store is no longer here, so I bought it online and did all the research to try to figure it out on my own.  I’ll admit that  the completion of this task required a lot of patience on my part.

4. Scriptures
Ecclesiastes 3:6 “A time to get and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;”
This scripture has come to mind more than once the past couple of months.

5. General Conference
One wonders what it will take for conditions in the world to change. There is so much conflict in so many aspects of life and tackling all of them is overwhelming. I am thankful for this challenge President Russell M. Nelson shared in the recent General Conference. “I invite you to seek an end to a personal conflict that has weighed you down.”  What a difference this could make in the world if everyone was willing to do this, not once, but any and every time conflicts arise.

6. Calendars
Having a calendar that shows upcoming events, meetings, trips, etc. became a real necessity when I became a young college student. With the merging of responsibilities after I got married, I guess the ‘’household” calendar eventually became something I managed (meaning mostly adding appointments, meetings, birthdays and visits/trips to see family. While I have a calendar app which I use, we still have a paper calendar, just so we both know what is going to happen and when. (I have to laugh at that last sentence, because there are times when I wonder how well I am doing with that.)

7. A visit from one of our college-age granddaughters during her Spring Break

8. Receiving my second COVID booster shot 

9. In person church attendance
Although I am still inclined to wear a mask when in the presence of a lot of people, I am feeling a little more comfortable now that the number of cases of COVID are fewer in this state.

10. Camelias in bloom
They remind me of my mother and her beautiful camelia bushes. I am thankful for the reminders of her.

Vic and all the work he has been doing to colorize old photos of family and the extended family who enjoy seeing them. Photos have a way of uniting family.

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Six Sentence Stories - Canvas

Image by Alexander Lesnitsky from Pixabay 

Sue recognized the number of the incoming call as being one of the senior centers where she often helped out, so she answered suspecting that there was some kind of a need. The voice on the other end wasn’t one she recognized, but she was somewhat intrigued by what she heard when after a few introductory remarks, the man who identified himself as Steve Silver said, “It was brought to my attention that you have done some canvas work and I am kind of in a pinch. Would you be willing to meet with me at 10 a.m. in the Lake View Room at the south center on Thursday so I can go over the details to see if this is something you might want to take part in for a few weeks?"

 

Recently she had received a flyer from the center about some upcoming art classes and had been debating if she wanted to sign up for an oil painting class and maybe make use of one more of her unused canvases taking up space in her closet.

Thursday morning she grabbed a small miniature canvas done in pen and ink that she had finished last year of the fountain in the city square and stuck it in her tote, just in case. She felt a little silly, and disappointed when she learned that Steve was being encouraged to run for a local water district position, and he needed one more person to do some convassing to help him get some idea of how many voters would consider backing him.

Six Sentence Stories - Canvas
A blog hop hosted by 
Denise of
Girlie On The Edge's Blog 

Ten Things of Thankful

This is another Ten Things of Thankful blog hop post. I wanted to get this posted much sooner, but part of me wasn't cooperating. Hope you have felt thankful even on the days when you aren't able to write about them and that you will join in when you are able.

1. Toys and their many uses

A man who recently passed away had a great knowledge of different kinds of tractors and how to fix them. It was decided that tractors should be the centerpieces for the tables at the dinner for the family after the funeral.  I was glad I still had a  toy tractor share.

2. Sunshine instead of rain during the day when the funeral service and burial occurred

Sunshine in spite of a few darker clouds

3. Reprieve from pain one day so I could do something I really wanted to do for someone

4. Help extended to me

5. Because I had registered for RootsTech this year, I watched few classes this weekend and will be able to watch the other sessions whenever I want during the remainder of the year.

6. The many shapes of blossoms

Crocus

Daffodil

English Daisy

Budding abelia

Spring Star Flower

7. The significance of paths

It is interesting to me how the paths one takes in life often becomes a similar path of the descendants and the lessons one learns when that isn’t the case. Perhaps the herd of deer who made this trail determined this was the safest way to avoid close Interactions with humans, but it isn’t without some dangers (crossing a lane without encountering a vehicle). Depending on what the future holds, possibly there will be no more deer inhabiting this area and no more deer paths on the property because the herds have moved into others areas. 

Deer path

8. Enigmas that cause me to search for answers and the people who might be able to answer my question

I either overwatered a jade plant or didn’t give it enough water. One of the lower leaves was looking a bit squishy, so I removed the leaf which has a tiny little plant growing from the top side of the leaf. The leaves of the plant are so small, I am unable positively say that it is a little jade plant, but then what else could it be? The jade pot sits very near a small begonia plant, but that seems to be a highly unlikely propagator. 

9. New way to tackle opening a can

The easy-to-open cans are sometimes not that easy to open for those who have a bit of arthritis in their hands, so this what came to mind the other day and it works perfectly.

Using leverage provided by
 the spoon handle to lift up
the pull tab on a can

10. Vic, family and friends

Ten Things of Thankful
Blog hop hosted by
Dyanne of
Backsies Is What There Is Not

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