Thankfulness Thursday

Time for another posting of things I am thankful for:


The sun peeking through clouds, warming things enough to enjoy some time at the beach.

Fresh brewed unsweetened ice tea

A hubby willing to grill after a long day at work

A hubby happy to spend 45 mins with his wife while their daughters are at kyuki-do ; )

Good friends who trust me to watch their house and precious dogs (and will pay me well to do it)

Fuzzy cats who love me unconditionally

Daughters who get more beautiful everyday

Cheesecake on a stick that I can purchase at my grocery store, Yum! (used to only be able to get it at the Renaissance Faire!)

Cool summer breezes blowing in my windows

A God that I know will love me whether I go to church or not

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
~Epictetus~

Thankfulness Thursday

There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.
~ Author Unknown~

These are things I am thankful for today:

1. The sun making an appearance.

2. Laying in the sun and reading a book while my children swim.

3. Reading a good book that makes me think.

4. People who took the time to plant flowers in their yards that I can admire.

5. Children who help clean out the dishwasher.

6. Trucks driving slowly in front of me who suddenly turn off the road and out of my way.

7. Fresh strawberries from a local farm.

8. Homemade fudge from that same farm : )

9. Birds chirping and squirrels scurrying in my backyard.

10. A husband that calls me everyday on his way home from work.

If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.
~ Rabbi Harold Kushner~

Thankfulness Tuesday

A while back I started a Thankfulness Thursday posting. I probably posted for 3 or 4 Thursday's before it slipped my mind and I stopped doing it. I think it is a good habit to try and start again. I know it's only Tuesday, but I was feeling thankful about some things today and thought I would get a head start on Thursday.

My day started well enough, the sun was out and my daughters and I had planned on going to the pool. It opens at 11am. It was sunny at 9:30am. As it got closer to 11 it got cloudier and cloudier, but the girls still wanted to go. So off to the pool we went. It was freezing. I guess the water was warm, but the air was not. I huddled under a beach towel and tried to read a book while my girls swam about in the pool. Then it began to rain. They were already in the pool, already wet, so they just stayed in. I moved my chair to a building overhang so I could keep my book dry and yet still see my girls. My good mood from earlier in the day was slowly leaving.

After the girls were tired of the pool I dropped them off at home and left for the grocery store. I like to grocery shop, I know some hate it, but I find it to be pretty relaxing wandering around a grocery store. On my way home I saw "the homeless guy". We have a guy in our town who is obviously homeless and he just walks around town all day. I started seeing him over a year ago, and now I am seeing him again. We have an organization in our county that houses the homeless in churches overnight in the winter. The program only runs from October through May, which is probably why I have just begun to see this man again. He always has a fairly heavy coat on, even in the warm weather. And he has a backpack type bag that must hold his stuff. I always feel badly when I see him, but my fears (being a woman) keep me from stopping and offering any kind of help to a man. Plus, what can I offer him besides a little a money? I certainly can't offer him housing or a job. (I wrote another post about the homeless last year and covered most of this stuff in that post, if you're interested: The Homeless).

Anyway, seeing that man again today made me realize how truly thankful I am for the things I have. I have a home. Not a great home, but not a shack or a hut either. It has heat and air conditioning and a roof and furniture and tv's and kitchen appliances and a fridge full of food. I have a husband who I know cares deeply for me and his daughters. He goes to work everyday to provide for us and I am thankful for that. I have two beautiful daughters who amaze me everyday. The older they get the more I am in awe of who they are becoming. I have four furry babies that delight and irritate me at the same time, but I love having them in my home. I have a yard and a deck and a patio where I can go and sit and listen to the birds and watch the bats come out at night. I can look into the sky and see stars and contemplate the universe. I don't have any giant worries that consume me. I can sit and be at peace.

When I think about how a lot of people in the world live, I have no choice but to be thankful. It is so easy to gripe and complain everyday. I can complain about the government and bad drivers and sales clerks. Or I can look at the bigger picture and realize I have it pretty good. I have a car and can drive myself anywhere I want to go. I can wake up and take my girls to the beach or the pool. Or we can go to the library, or the grocery store. We have computers and can access all sorts of information in cyberspace. The world is at our fingertips. I live in a free land and have freedom to choose what I want to do each day and how I want to live my life.

I have realized I need to make an effort everyday to find the good in every situation. My life is not so bad, certainly not when I compare it to others. Of course there are people who it seems their lives are much better than mine, they have more money and better homes and grander lives, but comparing myself to them only hurts me. Thou shalt not covet (and all that). I need to look at what I have and be thankful for it because I really do have a lot. And I need to remember to give thanks for it everyday.

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
~Epictetus~

Thankfulness Thursday

It's been a while since I've posted a thankfulness Thursday.

Right now I am extremely thankful for a home and heat. It's been snowy and cold lately and I am so thankful for my cozy home and it's working heater. I am also thankful that I have a nice warm hubby who I can snuggle up with at night : )

I am thankful that this is the Christmas season, and that it seems to bring out the best in most people. Spirits seem generally high when I'm out and about, and that's a good thing.

I am thankful God sent his son, to be born of Mary, and that even though it might not be his actual birthday that we celebrate, that we get to put aside a day and remember what's been done for us.

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,

The gladness of Christmas give you hope,

The warmth of Christmas grant you love.

~Author Unknown~

Awww, isn't she cute?

Here's one of my four cats, being goofier than normal. Jersey, a muted calico (which is her color) Selkirk Rex, (which is her breed) decided today that hanging out in my DH's bathroom sink would be a good idea.

My eldest decided to take a bunch of pictures of her, like we don't have enough cat pictures!

She went the artsy route (black & white) with this one:

And below, looking very regal:

As I said on Thankfulness Thursday, "I just love kitties!"

Here are some cat quotes for your enjoyment:

"There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person." ~Dan Greenberg~

"It's really the cat's house - we just pay the mortgage." ~Author Unknown~

"Some people have cats and go on to lead normal lives." ~Author Unknown~

"If there were to be a universal sound depicting peace, I would surely vote for the purr." ~Barbara L. Diamond

It's Thankfulness Thursday

Everyday I really have so much to be thankful for, and while I try to think of those things daily, I'm only going to bore you with my list weekly : )

1. - My health. I had a scare earlier this week, really worked myself into a tizzy imagining what could be wrong with me. Seems it's just another sign of my aging body. I am thankful for this body, that can still get up out of bed in the morning, see my husband off to work, care for my home and kids. Thankful I have eyes to see and ears to hear and arms to hold and love with.

2. - I am thankful for the seasons. It was a bit warmer today than it has been the last few days, so I was able to get outside and rake some leaves (thankful for my body again). I like fall, everything is dying off, going into hibernation. It's a time to contemplate, the days are shorter, the leaves crinkle and fires burn in people's chimneys. I love the smell and sounds of fall.

3. - I am thankful for my cats. For all cats really. I just really love this animal. I have 4, 5 if you count the stray I feed, and they are each unique and bring different joys to my day. I am also thankful for the wildlife I see in my yard. I love to watch the birds and squirrels in my yard. Watch them scurry around and bury their nuts, see the birds swoop down and peck at the seed. All the animals are preparing for winter and it's such fun to watch them busily go about their day.

4. - I am thankful for my husband and children. My husband who carries so much stress, worrying about our family, and often doesn't show it. My children, who act like children most of the time, but I love them anyway : )

5. - For my country. I may not be happy with the state of affairs at the moment, but I am thankful to be an American. I am thankful to have been born in America and still believe this is the greatest country in the world.

"The sun was shining in my eyes, and I could barely see

To do the necessary task that was allotted me.

Resentment of the vivid glow, I started to complain

--When all at once upon the air

I heard the blind man's cane."

~ Earl Musselman ~

Thankfulness Thursday

My mood has been poor since Tuesday, so I thought maybe trying to see the positive things in my life would lift my spirit. Stephanie posted a few things she was thankful for yesterday, so I thought I would turn my Thursday's into "Thankfulness Thursday". Each Thursday I will try to take a few minutes and remember the truly important things in life.

1 - I have a home, a roof over my head, heat when I am cold, air conditioning when I am hot, running water and flushing toilets. I have a full refrigerator and food on my table. For that I am truly thankful.

2 - I have a loving husband that cares deeply for his family. He goes to work each day so that his wife and children can stay home together. For that I am truly thankful.

3 - I have two beautiful daughters who grow dearer to me each and every day. They are the biggest blessing God has ever given me. For that I am truly thankful.

4 - I have a savior, who laid down his life for me, so that I may live forever. For that I am most thankful of all.

Let us rise up and be thankful,

for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little,

and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick,

and if we got sick, at least we didn't die;

so, let us all be thankful.

~Buddha~