Bluegrass, Band-aids, and Boom Boxes: Thankfuls Abound

I've got to get it together and get my Ten Things of Thankful post done earlier in the weekend, but until then (hah!), Sunday night it is!

1. I'm thankful for the unseasonably cool weather because maybe now I'll stop being bitten by bugs. I have been particularly tasty to ticks, mosquitos, chiggers, and wasps this fall, and my body has not reacted pleasantly to any of them. 

2. I only have one more parent teacher conference and I'm DONE.

3. We had a harvest party this week at school (i.e., Halloween party) and I got to dress up as anything I wanted. At my former job, we always had to dress the same. Every year, I said "Let's be scarecrows!" and every year, I got shot down. So guess what I dressed as....

4. Hair compliments. This letting my hair go curly AND silver was a big step. Or two big steps, actually, but there's nothing to perk you up like a total stranger stopping you to compliment your hair! 

5. I got two ginormous blisters, one on each heel, after wearing a new pair of shoes to work and not wearing socks. It's been two weeks and the skin is almost healed.

6. On that note, I am thankful for Band-aid blister bandages.

7. I've had a bit of bad luck with cd players at work. There was one in the classroom when I started my job in September, but it sounded crappy, so I bought a new one. Three weeks later, the new one quit working (I finally located the receipt and am going to give it a shot at returning it to Walmart). I pulled the old one back out and used it for a couple of weeks, then when I was trying to remove a cd on Friday, there was a crunch aaaaand broken. We REALLY NEED music in our classroom, especially at nap time, and I was in a pickle. Today, however, I found one at Goodwill for $6 AND IT WORKS (so far, but apparently I am Wreck-it Ralph lately, including, but not limited to, cd players and body parts, so I'd best be careful).

8. My brother invited us to a concert of one of his favorite bluegrass artists, and I'm really glad he did! We don't go out to hear live music very often (getting in free to anything we wanted to see when we were in the music biz spoiled us), and we should. If you like bluegrass and Becky Buller is in your area, go see her!

9. I've got a sick kitty. Poor Finn has been struggling with a UTI for several weeks. I thought he was pretty much over it, but Friday, he peed a little drop in the bathtub and it was bloody. I am very thankful for my veterinarian's office, who told me to bring him in immediately. He's been there all weekend, and my vet has kept in contact with me. Poor fella has had a catheter all weekend. He's showing signs of improvement, but he's not ready to come home yet.

10. In light of this vet visit, I am thankful that I get paid this week....

How about you? Thankful for fall weather? Band-aids? Deals at Goodwill? Write 'em down and link 'em up with us!

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Thankful Me!

Imma gonna be the last one to get my Ten Things of Thankful posted this week, and it's not for lack of thankfuls. On the contrary. I'm simply BURSTING with them! 

I've been waiting for months and months and MONTHS for this weekend, because I was going to become IRL friends with my blog friend of (six? seven?) years - Kristi of Thankful Me. We have been blog friends since the very beginning of Ten Things of Thankful, found out we are distant cousins through Kristi's genealogy research, and have had a lot of parallels in our lives, and WE WERE FINALLY GOING TO GET TO MEET when Kristi and her husband, John, vacationed in my area.

Kristi and her husband were going to spend several days in Branson, Missouri, and I was able to be a cruise director for them. There was a glaring similarity of one of their vacation experiences and one my husband and I had a few years earlier when Kristi and John road the Showboat Branson Belle, a replica steamboat on Table Rock Lake. This was my experience here; fortunately, Kristi's wasn't quite as crazy as mine was, and hopefully, she doesn't hold me accountable for the buckets of rain, thunderstorms, and inability of the ship to leave the dock.


In honor of Clark, we had cake. I ate 75% of it. Okay, 85% of it.

It's not a TToT party without cake!

Kristi presented me with a folder filled with articles and newspaper clippings about my family that she researched and she found for me. She found the notice of my grandparents' application for a wedding license from 1931, family obituaries, my engagement announcement, SO. MANY. FASCINATING. THINGS.

When Christine of In The Coop (which I desperately wish she would resurrect) and I met IRL around five years ago, we both wore the same shirt. Had to duplicate this by getting Kristi a shirt to match mine. We're cousins, after all, so we needed to show how we looked alike.

In our matching Missouri Southern t-shirts
on the dock at the lake house.

We got to spend nearly the entire day together on Saturday. 

I took Kristi and John to the Shepherd of the Hills fish hatchery. When we arrived, we were greeted by a committee of vultures. Not sure who or what they were waiting to devour, but it wasn't us.

Through the magic of Google and cell phones (thanks, John!), we found out that a group of vultures is called a committee. If they're flying, they're called a kettle. If they're eating dead things, it's called a wake. You're welcome.

The floodgates open on Table Rock Dam is not really a thankful, but the beautiful backdrop it made sure is.

John and Kristi in front of Table Rock Dam.
Don't let the photo fool you; the dam is
252 feet high.

The weather couldn't have been better! There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the air had just enough crispness that we wore sweatshirts and walked on a trail that followed the shore of Table Rock Lake. John was interested in the temperature of the water (still fairly warm) and, after I said Christine scampered onto rocks in precarious places several times when we have been together (including, but not limited to, at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and on top of nuclear waste site), Kristi joined him to feel the water. I am happy to say neither of them fell in, but I had the camera ready, just in case....

As sure-footed as a couple of mountain goats.

Besides walking for miles (quite literally) beside Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo, feeding fish, and feeding us, we talked and talked and talked. How lucky I feel to have met someone in person after all these years of knowing each other in the blog world and feeling we have known each our entire lives!

I hope Kristi and John come back this way again soon. I hope when that happens that my husband can join us (he had to work out of town and got back in time to meet them but that's all). I hope I can head to Utah some day. I also hope that Kristi and I can someday do our "girl trip" to the Pacific Northwest and visit her mom as well. I hope someday YOU will get to meet a favorite blog friend IRL, because there's nothing like it!

Because they're cousins, identical cousins and you'll find...

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Finally Fall And Other Thankfuls

My weeks are going by in a flash, a FLASH, I tell you! Sunday evening already? Time to be thankful!

1. It's fall, y'all! Really, truly, finally fall! Today was cool and rainy and utterly delightful.

2. I put fall decorations up in my house. They make me happy to see.

3. I have never had a job as physically demanding as the one I have now. This is a good thing. I spend a lot of the day doing squats as I pick up a little who is crying or just needs some love. I believe I'll be able to bounce a quarter off my ass by Christmas because of it.

4. We had a rainy morning one day this week just as we were about to go outside to play. Try to explain to one year olds that we have to take off their jackets and stay inside after telling them we would go out. Six little open mouths, crying tragically, and it's both funny and pitiful. I covered the table with butcher paper and gave them crayons, and they not only scribbled a masterpiece but NO ONE PUT CRAYONS IN THEIR MOUTH. We weren't so lucky the last time we tried this.

5. Last week, I wrote about a little spill I took where I bruised my left knee and sprained my right ankle. I'm happy to report that my knee is almost recovered and my ankle is improving. The ankle is still a little swollen and tender, but that's a HUGE improvement from this time last weekend.

6. My husband and I hopped on the Movie Pass craze two years ago and rode it until it crashed and burned. We moved to Cinemia next, got burned by that, and thought we were through with movie deals, then the Regal chain started their own unlimited movie pass recently, and we joined it, as Regal is the only movie theater we have in town (okay, locals, I know we have a tiny independent movie house, but you know what I mean). We have had it for less than a week and already seen two movies. Our theater is crappy, the floors are sticky, many of the seats are broken, and it smells like feet, but WE CAN SEE UNLIMITED MOVIES, MAN!

7. Lewis is a snuggly boy when the blankets come out! Refer to #1.

8. I had a long conversation with my Person this evening. It's hard to be 500 miles apart, and I'm thankful for cell phones and not having to wait to talk to someone long distance until nights or weekends when the rates were lower.

9. We went to the high school football game Friday night. Living in a small town may have its drawbacks, but you can't beat our Friday Night Lights!

10. Next weekend, I get to spend some time with our TToT hostest with the mostest, Kristi! Stay tuned!

Take time to be thankful!

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Coast: A Six Sentence Story

It was a summer Saturday morning, our family had just returned from a vacation the night before, and there was not much in the house to eat, so my mom made the decision to drive to Luke's Bakery and pick up some doughnuts for breakfast; 12 year old me decided to tag along.

"Is there enough gas in the car?" my mom asked, and my dad replied, "There's enough to get you there," and she and I climbed into our '72 avocado green Chevy Impala and headed the three miles down Blue Ridge Blvd. to the bakery, and my mom allowed me to get a custard-filled, chocolate covered long john (my favorite).

We took our doughnuts to the car and headed home, but as we turned into our subdivision, the car sputtered and died. My mom steered the car towards the curb as it coasted to a stop, the gas tank dry.

At that point, I knew my mom was madder than mad as she grabbed her purse and the doughnut box and started the three block walk to our house; the morning was hot and she was hotter, and I bounced along beside her, clutching the white bakery bag holding my custard-filled chocolate long john.

I remember my dad looking up as my mom threw the front door open and stomped into the house, saying through gritted teeth, "You said there was enough gas!" to which my dad grinned and replied, "I said there was enough to get you there, I never said there was enough to get you home."

Linking up with Denise at Girlie On The Edge's Blog for Six Sentence Stories with the prompt "coast"

Propping My Eyes Open To Write A List Of Thankfuls

You want to know what happens when you start working with one year olds? YOU ARE VERY TIRED BY THE END OF THE DAY AND EXHAUSTED BY THE WEEKEND AND YOU CAN'T MOVE YOUR FINGERS TO TYPE A BLOG POST.

I've missed two weeks of Ten Things of Thankful in a row and with this week's that would be 30 things. 

Relax. Not going to do that to you.

How about a highlight reel of the past couple of weeks of thankfuls? 

1. I'm really loving my new job! The kids are adorable (most of the time), and they love me and even when they are crying and snotty nosed, I love them, too.

2. The kiddos get fed breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack every day, and the staff gets to partake in it as well. This is very handy when I am going straight from the child development center to my job at the photo studio. It's not always the best food I've ever eaten, but it doesn't suck, either, and it's free.

3. My dad and I went to an auction two weeks ago, and I got this amazing gem:

It's enamelware. Flawless. Could be worth around $30.
I got it for $2 and, believe it or not, NO ONE
bid against me on it.

Thoroughly cleaned and repurposed!

4. It's going to be fall soon. 

5. I went to a sing-along version of "Grease" at the Alamo Drafthouse theater in Springfield, an hour's drive away. My friend Traci went with me, and we had a BALL! 

They gave us props at the Grease sing-along,
including bubbles, a comb, and candy cigarettes.

6. The Med School student got to come home for a whole 24 hours two weeks ago. My daughter came home, too, and all four of us got to watch the Chiefs game and eat game day snacks and all was good.

7. I found out I have to ride on a float in the MSSU homecoming parade with the rest of the staff at work and any kids and their parents who want to join us. My thankful is that by this time next week, it will be over.

8. We attended parent weekend at the University of Arkansas last weekend. It was also Dad's Day at my daughter's sorority. We stayed at her apartment (she gave us her room and slept in the room of a roommate who was gone), walked to nearby shops and restaurants, and walked MILES AND MILES to the game and back.

9. I fell down yesterday. Fell. Down.  Wiped out. Ate it. The last time I fell down was 12 years ago when I was a camp counselor. (I won a contest earlier this year, sponsored by the university where I am now employed, ironically enough, by writing the story of that fall, and you can read it here.)  I can promise you that falling down at 59 is worse than falling down at (59-12=47) 47, and I can also promise you that I have no intention of it happening again. I am thankful that I wasn't hurt worse than a sprained ankle, and hard whack to the knee (opposite leg, naturally, so both legs hurt), and aches EVERYWHERE. Hey, I'm tall and it's a long way down to the ground from up here. Lots of ibuprofen and ice bags, and I will hopefully be at least close to good as new by Monday....

10.  Indoor plumbing. Which I am going to visit right now.

How was your week? Or weeks? Link up your thankfuls with us. We would love to have you join in!

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Thankful For That Helicopter!

There's an old joke about a man who was caught in a flood, and he had to climb onto his roof to escape the rising water. A man in a rowboat came by and told him to get in, but the man declined, saying, "I have faith in the Lord that He will save me." As the water continued to rise, a man in a speedboat appeared and told him to get in, but again, he declined, saying, "I have faith in the Lord that He will save me." The water rose higher, and a helicopter appeared above him. The pilot called out that he would lower a rope and pull him up, but the man refused and said, "I have faith in the Lord that He will save me."  Eventually, the waters rose so high that the man was swept off his roof and he drowned. When he arrived in Heaven, he said to God, "I had complete faith in you, and I prayed that you would save me, but you did nothing. Why?" And God replied, "I sent you two boats and a helicopter! What more did you expect?!"

As many of you know, I have taught pre-kindergarten for 18 years at a preschool that is held at my church. Enrollment has been declining for years, starting during the recession, and it has not improved. A little over a month ago, I learned that the enrollment was low enough that some classes might have to be combined. Two weeks ago, that became a reality, and my five mornings a week job was going to be reduced to two mornings a week.The rainfall that was the initial decline in enrollment had continued steadily and had now become a flood. 

I was sad and angry and hurt as I climbed up onto my roof. In the past few years, I had been visited by a rowboat and by a speedboat, but I didn't get in either of them. Angry with myself for that and for the unfairness of life, my tears mixed with the floodwaters as I clung to the roof.

Then a helicopter flew over and dropped me a rope the very same day that I got the news about my job: I saw an ad for a teacher at the child care center at our local university. I submitted my resume, took a deep breath, and hit send. The next day, they called me for an interview. A few days after the interview, they called and asked me if I would like to join their work family, and I did not hesitate; I grabbed that rope and climbed into the helicopter.

As you might imagine, my thankfuls this week are plentiful! 

1. I'm thankful I didn't wave that helicopter on!

2. I haven't interviewed for a job since 1993 when I got my job at Warner Bros. in Burbank, and I am thankful that I didn't muff it up.

3. I am very thankful for the kindness of my references. You know who you are....

4. I am thankful for all the wonderful relationships I made over 18 years at the preschool. The kids I taught there will always be "my" kids.

5. My new job is not teaching pre-kindergarten, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do something different. I am working with the littlest littles at the school - one year olds. One. Year. Olds.

6. I've always said I wanted to be a professional baby holder. Now I am! They need a lot of holds and hugs, and there is nothing sweeter than being greeted by one of my littles with a sweet smile behind upheld arms. My heart!

7. The child care center recently moved to a new location, and the building has lots of windows and is bright and cheery.

8. There are student workers who help throughout the day and who currently know more about my job than I do, and I am VERY grateful for them!

9. I am now an employee of the university, and I get benefits.

10. My job is basically the same hours as my old job, so I am still able to do my afternoon gig at the photo studio.

Change can be good, even when we think it wasn't something we wanted.

Thanks for posting this, Wendy! Your timing was perfect!

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Anticipating Some Thankfuls

I've been in a state of flux for the past month or so, and I'm anticipating stability after this week (finger's crossed, y'all). As a result, I have decided that for this week's Ten Things of Thankful, I'm going to give you a list of ten things for which I am thankful to anticipate in the upcoming weeks: 

1. Cool enough weather to wear flannel shirts. I love flannel shirts.

2. And cool enough weather to sleep with the windows open. Ahhh! The BEST sleep ever! Reminds me of when we lived at the beach in Ventura and had the windows open 24/7 (unless the Santa Ana winds were blowing).

3. My son, the med school student, might, MIGHT get a chance to come home next weekend. This means I have to clean out his room, which has been used as a large closet lately (not by me, I'd like to add), but it will be worth it if I actually get to have him HOME for a couple of days.

4. Going to a Grease sing-along in September with my friend Traci. Yes, we're dorks. Yes, we might even dress up (although Traci doesn't know this yet...).

5. Dad's Day at my daughter's sorority and Parents Weekend are at one and the same time in September. The real scam here is that I get to be part of Dad's Day festivities (which is mostly a brunch at the sorority house), but when Mom's Weekend rolls along in the spring, no dads. So I get TWO yummy brunches 

6. My blog friend Kristi of Thankful Me is going to become my IRL friend Kristi when we get to meet LIVE AND IN PERSON in October. With husbands and everything!

7. A lunch date with my friend Ellen and her granddaughter. It's going to be a hoot!

8. It will be pumpkin pie season soon! I KNOW you can eat it any time of year, but it just tastes better in the fall!

9. Our kittens won't officially be kittens much longer, as they will turn a year old the first of October. I never wrote about how we got them, so that will be a good time to tell the story.

Lewis napping on top of a bookcase.

Finn letting me know that he lost a
toy mouse under the stove
and wants me to fish it out
for the hundredth time.

10. By next week, I will be able to tell you what I've been soul searching and praying about regarding work. I'll just say all's well that ends well!

What are you looking forward to?

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