I Made It!

I totally missed last week's Ten Things of Thankful because I was on a mini vacay to Nashville, and in light of the heart wrenching shooting in Uvalde, Texas, I didn't think I could write anything positive with so much negative in our midst. Then I realized that's exactly why we have the TToT in the first place. There is always something for which to be thankful. Here is my list:

Due to Covid, it had been almost three years since I was able to go to Nashville and spend time with my Person, Terri, but I finally got to go week before last.

I'm thankful for the vaccines and boosters that have helped bring down the number of infected individuals. May we continue to see the numbers decrease.

Terri and I had lunch with our dear friend Larry. He was two days post-op from hernia surgery and rallied enough to meet us for an hour or so. 

There have been so many changes to Nashville since I lived there, one of them being the house I lived in was torn down so a high rise condo could be built, and I did cry when I saw it, but other places have remained the same, namely, my favorite place to eat, San Antonio Taco Company.

Terri and I talked and laughed and ate and it filled my friendship cup to overflowing.

I got to hit my very first golf ball! I am not a natural (and if you watch the video, below, you will see that for yourself), but I had SO MUCH FUN at Top Golf and am thankful I happened to be in Nashville at the right time to participate in this event.

It was hard to say goodbye and leave, especially now that we know things like pandemics can come along and throw a wrench in any and all plans, so to make myself feel better, I stopped at one of my favorite spots along the way, the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

My little nugs missed me when I was gone, and I missed them.

Pre-K graduation was Thursday night. It had been rescheduled to that day due to (what else?) Covid, I went home to change clothes and feed the cats and otherwise piddle around the house before driving back to the campus for the program. When I walked in the door a few minutes before 6:00 for the 6:30 ceremony, the only person I saw was my friend Julie. Imagine my surprise when I realized no one else was in the lobby because they were all seated inside the auditorium for the graduation that was to begin in two minutes. Guess I should read my emails a little more carefully, but I didn't miss the program, so all's well that ends well.

My husband, daughter and I are enjoying a relaxing Memorial Day weekend at the lake house with four cats and no air conditioning.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

When Unthankfuls Turn Into Thankfuls

My "puter is being persnickety. It's only two years old, but it acts as though a band of wild monkeys has been jabbing at the keys. TAME monkeys would never do that.... 

So, this week's Ten Things of Thankful are a little, well, odd, because they come from not-so-thankful events

First, there was the Covid exposure. That's not a thankful in itself, but it was the cause of some thankfuls:

--I had to quarantine for two days and miss work. I love my job, but missing work when you feel fine isn't exactly horrible.

--I have said it before and I will say it again: I hate, hate, HAAAAATE yard work of any kind, but I did a little in spite of it, and I was semi-pleased with the results.

--In my feeble attempt to do yard work, I discovered, to my pleasure, that our ginormous, overgrown holly bush with the thorns on every point of every single leaf is 90% dead, so I have a legit reason to cut it down.

--I am a weakling, plus I lack the correct tools to completely cut the holly bush down, but I made a pretty good dent in it, and I'm hoping to whittle away at it over the course of the summer. I'll figure out what to do when I get to the trunky part when I get there.

--I planted a couple of geraniums in two pots on either side of my front door, and they have lived for five days now. It's a good start.

--Covid test was negative!

A dear, dear family friend passed away this past winter. He was a second father to me growing up, as our families lived next door to each other from before I was born until I was 11. A Covid surge prevented the family from having a public memorial service for him, so it was postponed until this weekend. Funerals aren't usually on a thankful list, but this one is an exception:

--The last time I saw some of the people who attended this memorial service was at the one for my mom, six years ago (another bittersweet time). It's a shame that we sometimes don't see people we love except at funerals, but at least we DO get to be together then, and that's what makes losing a loved one a little more bearable.

--My very best friend growing up was Cherie (it was her dad who passed away). We were built-in best friends, since we were next door neighbors and our moms were best friends. Her sister and brothers were mine, and my brother, hers. Cherie and I shared our siblings, clothes, toys, parents, and memories, and seeing her made my heart happier than its been in a long time.

Wish I had gotten a better photo of us. Next time!

--My mom and Cherie's mom Earline had coffee together several times a week. There were two more coffee buddies on the block: Betty and Hazel. Guess who came to the memorial service Saturday? Both of them, along with Hazel's daughter. Another happy surge for my heart! 

--Of course, I got to visit with Earline, as well as Cherie's sister Lindy, who used to protect us by letting us snuggle up against her when we watched "Dark Shadows" on tv, her younger brother Craig, who we used to wake up from his naps just so we could play with him (sorry, Craig, if you have sleep issues to this day), and her older brother Doug, who owes me about a thousand dollars for unpaid back scratches from when we were kids and he promised us a quarter to scratch his back and NEVER PAID UP. It was so much fun!

--I got a surprise from Cherie's husband David, who I've known since junior high. He told me he was a huge fan of my blog and loved my writing. It may sound silly, but that comment meant the world to me. I have always written primarily for myself, starting my blog by documenting my breast cancer journey, and finding out that someone truly enjoys my storytelling is nothing short of delightful. Thank you, David!

--My dad and I stayed with my brother and sister in law all weekend. I always appreciate them letting me use their home as an airbnb, especially because the bed in the guest room is exceedingly comfortable and my brother cooks for us.

--I spenet some time with my daughter, who is recovering from two weeks of law school finals, and we attended the Bans Off Our Bodies rally.

Rally at Mill Creek Park

There you have it: thankfuls that could just have been unthankfuls! It's all in how you look at things.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Springy Spring

This is a week where I thought we might need to build an ark. Like 8 inches of rain or so in a week's time. Creeks and rivers out of their banks. Roads closed. Stupid people driving through water on a closed road and needing rescue. You know, normal life in the Ozarks. 

Today, though, the sun is shining. SHINING! I'm sitting on the couch at the lake house, and the morning sun is streaming in through the window with such intensity that I risk getting a migraine from it, but I hate to close the blinds to it. I WILL close them, because I hate migraines more than I hate blocking the sun, but you get the point.

Here are my Ten Things of Thankful for the week:

1. If our roof leaked through all this rain, it didn't do it enough to make it into the inner sanctum.

2. Basement stayed dry, too.

3. No severe weather - whew!

4. The number of ants in my kitchen has declined slightly. Not sure if this is the beginning of the end or if they are regrouping for another attack.

5. I upped my brownie game again. Forget the Hershey's Symphony bar inside the brownies, for I found a gigantic Heath bar that is wayyyyyy better tucked under the batter!

6. My friends Nikki and Julie have joined me at the lake house this weekend. We are doing a lot of eating and talking and laughing.

This is an indication of how much rain we've had. 
Seven of ten flood gates open. Lake levels 
rising. Makes a pretty pic, though!

7. My dad and husband are also at the lake house and are very patiently putting up with us.

8. My hair is finally long enough to put in a messy bun/ponytail and not look like a fluffy little knob on top of my head.

9. I have determined that I should leave the cutting of my hair to a professional. We'll see how long I adhere to that.

10. My body, my choice, and I will fight to continue that as long as I need to.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and like-a-moms out there! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

It's Over For Another Year!

 Without fanfare, here is my Ten Things of Thankful for this week:

1. The A to Z Challenge is over!

2. It's finally really SPRING!

3. I put away my winter clothes and got out the spring/summer stuff with high hopes that I have not accidentally alerted Mother Nature that I have done so and she, therefore, won't smite me with more wintery weather.

4. The A TO Z CHALLENGE is OVER!

5. I attended a lovely bridal shower for my sweet friend Emily on Saturday. 

6. I'm going to Nashville in a few weeks to visit my Person, and it's now close enough that I'm getting excited!

7. While cleaning my room, I found $50 in gift cards that I don't even remember receiving.

8. The ants in my kitchen seem to have taken up permanent residence here, so I've decided to name them and make them into pets.

9. I know my hair is badly in need of a trim, but I DID NOT PICK UP THE SCISSORS and do it myself. 

10. THE A TO Z CHALLENGE IS OVERRRRR*!!!

*until next year!

Join us every week for the Ten Things of Thankful! It's easy. You can cheat on the number, we don't care. You will meet new people.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter