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A to Z of Thankful Me: O and Ten Things of Thankful, Too

A to Z Challenge, Day 15: O


O is for Organized, which I strive to be.

O is also for Oregon, the childhood home for me.


The house my Dad built.



Realizing this isn't much of a segue, I'll jump right into this week's Ten Things of Thankful:

1.  I'm thankful to observe (again) people helping others.  The ward (church congregation) members are great about providing dinners. Whether the occasion is a new baby in the family, an illness, or something else, needs are always met.  

I also noticed service outside the church.  Yesterday, a man left his car and hurried to help push another man's broken-down vehicle out of traffic.  

Seeing the examples of others inspires me to do better at looking for opportunities to help.  

2.  I'm thankful I've had a chance to help raise Willow.  She will return next week to Guide Dogs for the Blind to begin formal training.  I'll miss her, but am excited for her.  


Photography by Dave and Lynn Mills

3.  I'm thankful for the chance to puppy sit other puppies occasionally.  Ecru was able to stay with us for a few days this week.  All the dogs got along very well. The dog bed apparently holds exactly the number of dogs in the house.  (Drexel is on the left, Ecru is on the right, and Willow is in the back.)



4.  I'm thankful for tumbleweeds, which always make me laugh. They are just so stereotypical of the wild west, and it cracks me up that my gardening chores include tumbleweed removal. 



5.  I'm thankful for friends whose actions help me out more than they might realize.  Thanks, friends!

6.  I'm thankful for good neighbors.  A house on our street was broken into last weekend.  This is not a common occurrence here; the people on our street know each other and are alert to suspicious behavior.  In fact, one of the neighbors saw the burglars hop over the fence, and had a call into the police before entry was even attempted.  Officers arrived and quickly captured the bad guys. 

7.  I'm thankful for artichokes.  'Tis the season, and my plant is not disappointing.  I love having plenty, and to spare.  Artichokes are more of a novelty than zucchini, and I don't feel like I'm imposing on others when I ask if they would like some.  

8.  I'm thankful for urgent care doctors and nurses, and pharmacies with extended hours.  Youngest daughter is (literally) breathing better now.  

9.  I'm thankful for the chance I had to be such a girl this week.  I'm not usually all that interested in shopping for clothes, but not only did I buy some new clothes and shoes this week, I even got my hair cut!  I enjoyed my little jaunt to the frivolous side.  

10.  I'm thankful for John, who supported my little shopping excursion, admired my purchases, and didn't bat an eye when I came home from my guide dog meeting with an extra puppy.  What a great guy!

What are you thankful for this week?




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Comments

  1. What does one do with a wayward tumbleweed? It looks to big to bag up, and I imagine burning is frowned upon in a drought area. But I know nothing, so...

    Helpful people are everywhere, but it's good to see them in action sometimes.

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    Replies
    1. We either fill up our yard waste containers with them, or set them free by tossing them over the fence into the empty field. A few years ago, the local baseball team offered a "Tumbleweed Tuesday" promotion: tickets were 2 for 1, as long as you brought along a tumbleweed! (I have no idea what they did with those tumbleweeds!)

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  2. Optimistic, Open-hearted and Open-minded is how you come across, always On the move and Outgoing.

    I had a haircut today also and boy, would I love to come home with a puppy.... Sadly enough, I don't think Henk will be as Open-minded as your John is....

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure what your cats would think, either. :-)

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  3. I like your smile in the photo with the dogs. :-)
    Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Romi. Hope you have a nice weekend, too!

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  4. Yes, I'd take artichokes with much more real pleasure than I'd take zucchini! I wish I could take some from you now, in fact! You know what's surprising to deal with in real life like tumbleweeds? Roadrunners. My parents deal with those. They do not say, "Meep, meep!" to my disappointment.

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    Replies
    1. I've seen a few roadrunners around, but the ubiquitous bird here is the raven.

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  5. It's always fun to be a girl and get some retail therapy. I love artichokes, but usually only get the canned kind. I don't think I've ever worked with a full artichoke, but I do have a recipe for stuffed artichokes which I never made. Pups in a home make it happy.

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    Replies
    1. I prepare artichokes very simply: steam and eat. A little salted butter never hurts, either, but often I even forego that.

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  6. My buddy Randy went home to Nebraska and brought me back a genuine tumbleweed... I was always talking about how they roll by in some movie we had just seen.... artichokes! and girlie moments! but really a dog bed that is kind of like "loaves and fishes!"

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    Replies
    1. I wonder if tumbleweeds could catch on like pet rocks?! I love artichokes; girlie moments are a bit foreign to me, but fun; but I'm with you about the dog bed! My favorite poem as a kid started: "If I had a hundred dollars to spend, or maybe a little more, I'd hurry as fast as my legs could run, straight to the animal store."

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  7. You know what I realized right now Kristi? I love reading your TToT's. They bring a smile to my face and in general make me feel good. Thanks :D

    I love #3 and so happy you were such a "girl". We need to do that every so often.

    Last but certainly not least, very glad to hear your daughter is better. Whatever happened, it sounds as if it was pretty darned scary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your comment is so sweet! You just made my day. :-)

      The vagueness of my thankful made things sound worse than they were, I guess. I think something in the air bothered my never-before-had-allergies daughter, and she started wheezing. Because we subscribe to the "breathing is good" philosophy, a trip to urgent care was warranted, but I never felt like her life was in danger.

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  8. Such beautiful dogs ... every one of them! I think I'll splurge and get a hair cut this week (I sure need one). It's nice to treat ourselves once in awhile. Love your thankful list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A trim usually puts the spring back in my curls, and in my step!

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  9. This week I am extra thankful that I live where I live. As my friends in Colorado get hit with another snow storm and people in Texas are trying to stay above water -- I love where I live. Doesn't hurt that Amara and her Mom & Dad are only 1 mile away. I have lots of Grandma friends struggling with the distance between them and their grandchildren. I am thankful to be me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My children are spread out all over. Right now my granddaughters live close enough, but when my other kids start having kids, I'll need to figure out the long-distance grandparenting thing. You are truly fortunate to have family so close!

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  10. hey! I saw tumbleweeds actually tumbling once! (On a roadtrip to Winslow AZ and on my way back, out of nowhere, the wind started blowing gale-force and the tumbleweeds were shooting across the highway as I headed towards Flagstaff. Only lasted about 10 minutes, then totally gone.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds familiar, except for the "only lasted about 10 minutes" part!

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    2. Did you stand on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, Clark?

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  11. It is a blessing to have good neighbors. We have a good group on folks on our cul-de-sac and we keep a look out for each other.

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  12. Driiiifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds.
    Great list! Great "O"! Glad you enjoyed your girly time!

    ReplyDelete

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