Friday, January 3, 2014

Grasping At Straws

Hello, 2014. So far, you suck.

Here's the deal: when life is a bowl of cherries, writing a Ten Things of Thankful post is easy as, uh, pie (which is a stupid saying, because making pie is HARD - rolling out crust, making sure it's flaky, making the filling, which can involve much peeling and slicing of fruit, etc.). Then there's the kind of post you write when you're grasping at straws, looking for something, anything, for which to be thankful. Like this one.

1. Friends I can telephone at an outrageous hour when I need some help.

2. Family. Enough said.

3. The awesome electric teakettle we (okay, my husband) got for Christmas and Good Earth English Breakfast Tea.

4. Warm, fuzzy socks.

5. My new Nook. It's a cross between a really big smart phone that doesn't make phone calls and a really small laptop that doesn't have a real keyboard, but I like it and actually plan to use it to read books, too....

6. Electric pencil sharpeners.

7. Reading tweets from Honest Toddler. They make me smile, no matter how crappy I feel.

8. Kittens. Goofy, bouncy, scampering, snuggly kittens. Thinking of one in particular....



9. My bread machine (a new one, since the one I had for about ten years finally laid down and died). I love to bake bread, but sometimes most of the time, I am so very lazy that I let the bread machine do the hard part; that is, I use my own recipe, throw all the ingredients in the machine, and set it to make dough. Mixed and kneaded for me, I just have to shape the dough, give it a final rise, and bake it. Boom! 

10. Wallflowers from Bath & Body Works. Spicy scents for fall and winter, fruity scents for spring and summer. 

How about you? How's 2014 treating you so far? Link up, below.






Ten Things of Thankful


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49 comments:

  1. Sorry that 2014 is being a bear, but I think you came up with a good list nevertheless. I have to admit, I read "Nook" as "look," and until I figured out my mistake, I was trying to figure out how a haircut could look like a smartphone!

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    1. If I ever get a haircut that looks like a smartphone, I hope somebody tells me.

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    2. lol

      (no, I think we all will, collectively, decide, 'hey, she looks cute and it's not like the kids at school will be traumatized by the square shapes cut into the side of her hairdo')

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  2. I'm glad you have good people around you. And things you can still be thankful for.

    Seems like this post is made of hero-pie. Huge respect to you for that *HUGS*

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    1. Thanks, Lizzi. May need you to sing for me....

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    2. Any time. I'll sing. And for you, today, I'll sing this to you, and pray hard and hug you and hope that in some small way, things are getting better for you.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-UAT0N4lo0

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    3. Good. Sending you my best 'cheering up' vibes. Or maybe even a Cheeryou Wup (for which you'll have to read my 7 Quick Takes, if you have time/inclination, but there's a Wup in it for ya, so it might at least make you smile)

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    4. Aw, I LOVE your Wups! Yes, yes, yes, send me a bundle of them!

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  3. Hoping 2014 decides to calm itself soon...I think its still trying to live up to lucky 13...love that kitty! She's gatting big fast!!! Long legs!

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    1. She's always had big ears and her tail is getting long, too. Sign of a good mouser. I don't have mice, so I'll just have to take the Old Wive's Tale (or Tail?) as it is.

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  4. A bread machine!! Cool beans. Handy start to 2014!!!

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  5. I love my bread machine. My old one died a couple years ago (it was a wedding present so yeah, I'd had it a while...) and my new one fills the need in my life for fresh bread (don't judge), but it's not the same. The old one was better. I'm really not whining...it just sounds that way.

    LOVE Honest Toddler...could it be any funnier? Or spot-on? Love it. :)

    Glad to see Ruby is still alive and well...after the tree incident, I wasn't quite sure. I'll trade her for Indy...let me know if you want to take me up on that. :)

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    1. I was thinking my old one worked better, too, so maybe it wasn't my imagination. Maybe it needs to be broken in. I had a near-disaster with it when I doubled my hot roll recipe. Did it all the time with the old one with no problems, but this time....

      Honest Toddler just did a review on rice cakes. Too funny.

      Ruby has not suffered much from the tree incident. She went through another life last night when my husband stepped on her, though. Down to 7. Not a good record when we've only had her for 3 months.

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  6. That is a FANTASTIC list! I've never been more open to trying to bake bread before now! I hate all the chemicals/additives, etc. in store-bought bread and realistically how many times can I take 2 little ones to the bakery, (when most days I have extra kids here, too, that I babysit.)
    I know exactly what you mean about the tougher weeks! My son (same age as yours) is going through some really tough stage right now. He just graduated high school and REALLY HATES his college classes. It's stressing us all out, like stomach pain and massive stress acne - on ME, not him! He may be taking a semester (or year) off to just work and how do they say, "find himself."
    Of course if he doesn't get another job soon, he'll FIND himself in a van down by the river! ;)
    Those are the weeks that I LOVE the challenge of the TToT, and trying to turn it around like "Well, my son blew off class this week, but he's alive and healthy" sometimes you really gotta dig DEEP!
    hahaha I love this hop and everyone that participates. I never even physically met you, but your lists make me happy and thankful. Thanks for that! Happy 2014!

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    1. Stress acne? My hair is falling out by the handful. Okay, maybe not that badly, but it does seem to be dropping off my head. We should compare notes.
      I enjoy baking my own bread. It's fun to experiment with throwing in different herbs and stuff and seeing how it tastes. I also use my Kitchen Aid mixer to make dough when I'm not quite as lazy. You should try it.
      Thank you so much for the compliment! You have no idea how much I needed to hear something positive like that!

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  7. My mother in law gave me her bread maker about a year ago. I think I'll make it a point to try it out this month.

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    1. My brother poo-poos that I use a bread machine, but I don't care. I don't use bread mixes; I use my own recipes, and everyone in my house is happy with the results, so there!

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  8. I made bread once... last fall. the only problem was that it wanted quantities of ingredients that made me think that someone at the breadmaker company was having fun with un-suspecting Owners, 1/4 cup of baking soda, 1/9 teaspoon sale (?!) 2 and 3/5 tablespoons of yeast (yeah, right)

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    1. Did you ever see the episode of Friends where Rachel made the trifle and the pages of the cookbook stuck together?

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  9. We had a breadmaker once. I rarely used it and gave it to Goodwill. I did that with several things in my younger, stupider, lazier days. I want it all back!
    Wow, after so long not growing, Ruby looks huge!
    I do not understand the fascination with electric pencil sharpeners. At all. How hard is it to sharpen a pencil? I prefer the smell and work of the old ones. Which we have in our mudroom. :)
    I'm sorry the new year isn't going well for you. Hope the days ahead are better.

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    1. You'd better start visiting Goodwill and get another bread machine. I'm such a cheater, I use mine to make pretty much all the dough for any breadish thing I make, with the exception of pizza dough.
      Ruby is getting a little bigger. Not sure that she weighs 3 lbs. yet.
      We have an old pencil sharpener in our basement, but it doesn't have a cover anymore, and even if it did, they still spill little shavings all over the floor. They do smell good, though; you're right about that.

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  10. I love fuzzy socks and electric pencil sharpeners. Two little things that bring great joy.

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    1. I left my fuzzy socks on when I went to the grocery store today, hoping no one noticed. Like anyone would, really, when so many are wandering around there in pajamas.

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  11. Your post reminds me of the simple things in life. Like family, reading tweets, warm fuzzy socks. I love that about this post. I think as I link up in the weeks to come, I will find that I am thankful for even these types of simple things in my life as well. Thanks for hosting such an awesome linkup!

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    1. We often overlook those little things for which to be thankful. The TToT exercises your mind to recognize those little things. I'm glad you've joined our link up and hope you enjoy blog life in our little community!

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  12. Sorry your new year is off to a rotten start. On another subject, I am a Frances devotee so I am embarrassed to admit this, but we never had Bargains... when I was a kid. Then my daughter got it as an Xmas present to build her collection, and I read it about 14 billion times over the holidays. Then I read your blog title today, and though, "Ooooooohhhhhhh." So sorry to catch on so late. But Frances is THE.BEST., isn't she?

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    1. Frances rocks! So do her parents. And Gloria. Can't forget Gloria. When my son was little, we had several of the Frances books on tape (yes, cassette tape) and would listen to them in the car while he sat in his car seat, looking at the pictures. I'm so happy to hear your daughter is a fan as well!

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  13. Boo to the first few days of 2014 being less than wonderful for you. Hope it looks up soon.

    You have, however, reminded me that I need to buy socks. The warm fuzzy ones sound wonderful!

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    1. All I asked for for Christmas was fuzzy socks, as my daughter (the 100 lb raccoon, as my husband calls her) has taken every last pair of mine. I got four pairs and I'm so happyyyyy!

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  14. I love your list and so the reason why we do this I suppose to even find the good in a not so great week sometimes. Seriously hope next week is better and Happy New Year now, too!! :)

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    1. It's a real struggle to find anything right now, but I'm trying.

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  15. My 2013 was absolutely craptastic which helps me appreciate this new year even more. I never understood "easy as pie" or cake walk for that matter. The heck is a cake walk? Electric tea kettles are awesome. Isn't it great when tweets can cheer us up?

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    1. Easy as pie was coined by someone who never made a pie before. Maybe it was supposed to be easy as EATING pie, which would be a horse of a different color.

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  16. I'm with you on grasping at thankful straws this week- hence why I was thankful for soup and calendars- the equivalent to socks and kettles :) Here's to a better upcoming week!

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  17. Ah, I know what you mean about some weeks feeling like you need to grasp at straws to make it to ten. I'm hoping that you saying that doesn't mean your week has been horrendous, but if it has, I'm sending you a big hug and loads of positive energy across the Pacific. I do love the idea of an electric pencil sharpener ... I think that just might have to go on my Christmas list this year!

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    1. Horrendous hardly covers it, so thank you for the hug and positive energy. If I decide to run away from home, I'm coming to your house, mmk?

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  18. I love electric kettles. That one made me smile.

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  19. Sorry to see you are having a hard time and "grasping at straws," but it's great to be able to find thanks then. You kitten is so cute.
    I hope things go better for you for the rest of 2014.

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    1. Thanks, Yvonne! And the kitten is adorable and a terror, all at the same time!

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  20. HEAR YOU!!! And yes to breadmakers (the old and the new), family (UGH and yeah!!!!), Bath & Body Works everything, and socks. I can get behind being thankful for that!!!

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    1. Especially grateful for fuzzy socks during a Polar Vortex.

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  21. I've never owned a bread machine, but I have friends who do and boy do their houses smell awesome. If I ever decide to sell my house, I think I will invest in one and bake bread as buyers are checking out my place. I just love bread so much, I can't imagine being able to bake it. I'd then eat it. All.

    Your kitten is adorable. I can see why you love all those things.
    And your electric pencil sharpener. I didn't know anyone else loved them as much as I do. A great thing to be thankful for. I just wish I had created them and received the royalties for every single sale. A girl can dream, can't she? Happy New Year to you and your family.

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    1. The bread machine is particularly great in the summer, when you want fresh bread but don't want to heat up the whole house.
      I have an electric pencil sharpener at preschool, and every year (usually) I have a responsible kiddo whom I can let use it to sharpen the colored pencils in the art center. They think they are all that when they get to use that sharpener!

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  22. Let me just start by saying that I sure do hope that 2014 improves quickly for you. I find it lovely that you still managed a list :) Booyah! for friends and family always, always and always!
    I'm a little jealous....I would love to have a bread machine. I love, love, love he smell of baking bread.I could have one, I suppose, if I wasn't too cheap to go out and buy one!
    Here's hoping next week finds you not grasping!

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    1. You need to hit some thrift stores for a bread machine. Ours was a hand-me-down from my husband's uncle, and they had had it for a few years before we had it for so long. This is my first new one. It's so shiny!

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