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Ten Things of Thankful: August 3, 2013

It's time again for another Ten Things of Thankful blog hop.  Thanks for stopping by, and please do consider linking up your own post!


1.  I'm thankful for observant friends like Lizzi, who informed me that my blog button was coded incorrectly. Not only that, but she also walked me through correcting the error.  

2.  I'm thankful for the belief I hold that this life is not the end.  A friend died this week, and while I am sad and miss her, my heart is also at peace.  I know she is free from the health problems that plagued her, and I know she lives on.



3.  I'm thankful for firefighters, who extinguished a nearby wild fire in about an hour.  Thanks to their efforts, no homes were damaged.

4.  I'm thankful for church buildings, in which I could attend a funeral in the morning and a wedding reception in the evening.   

5.  I'm thankful for friends with whom I could cry in the morning, and rejoice in the evening.  

6.  I'm thankful for the happy bride.  I've taught her in church, and was her "Ma" during a pioneer trek years ago.  There's nothing quite like pushing a handcart together for miles to draw people together.  The bride introduced John and I to her husband by calling us "Pa and Ma."  
 
7.  I'm thankful for the chance I had (between the funeral and the wedding reception) to spend time with another friend.  We visited, laughed, and made a mess of her kitchen while canning applesauce. 

8.  I'm thankful for the good example of friendship that oldest daughter sets.  She has a friend who recently had surgery, and my daughter spent the weeks before combing thrift stores and collecting books for her friend to read during her recuperation.  Oh, and she is watching her friend's hairless, one-eyed cat.  (So now we have 2 hairless, one-eyed cats in the house.  What are the odds?)

9.  I'm thankful for Dr. Scholl's inserts, which have helped me run without as much pain on the ball of my foot.  Less than a month remains until my first 10K race!

10.  I'm thankful for John, who (among other things) took care of miscellaneous car tasks this week.  Now we are back to 2 working headlights and an intact windshield wiper blade.  (And last week he had the a/c repaired!)




Ten Things of Thankful


 Your hosts


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Thanks for this blog hop, and the chance to read so many thankful posts.

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Comments

  1. I am thankful too.....can I find 10 this morning I think so....Thank you and Good Luck!!!

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    1. Feel free to write your 10 and link up with us!

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  2. A great list - life must be very difficult for those who cannot see blessings in their daily activities.

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    1. I agree. There's always the proverbial silver lining.

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  3. Beautiful post Kristi. Must have been a difficult day with a funeral and a wedding, but I love the way you talk about it, seeing the good things in hard situations.
    Have a wonderful weekend with loved ones surrounding you.
    xxx

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    1. Thanks. Four baby blessings at church today completed the "circle of life" theme I've had this week. I've just had time to think and appreciate life and our relationships here.

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  4. 10K race? as in 'running'? you realize that that is like, either 5 or 45 miles, don't you?

    lol
    I find people who run those endurance-length races (i.e. more than the distance to the car in the parking lot when it's raining).. pretty darn incredible.
    and not just for the obvious physical conditioning thing, but for the self-discipline that seems, to me, to be essential to finding such an activity rewarding.

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    1. Here's a bit of a secret (to anyone who doesn't know me well): I am not really a runner, but I do like the idea of exercise, and I love Disneyland. The 10K is at Disneyland. I will get to see backstage areas of the park that normally aren't open to park visitors. I will be so distracted by all the new sites, and Mickey and friends cheering me (and thousands of others) on, that I will not notice that I'm running--at least that's my hope. I don't know if I could bring myself to run a non-Disney 10K, but the thought of running at Disneyland motivated me enough to work up to the distance.

      (Most of my training has been on my treadmill, though, with the TV on to distract me. And I'm pretty sure Lizzi's walks are faster than my "runs." I train at a 13-minute mile.)

      However, now that I've poo-pooed the praise, thank you. I am actually pretty pleased with myself, as I've never run this far before in my life. I've always admired those who found new talents/hobbies/interests at an older age. If I want to be that kind of person, it's time I started.

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    2. I'm with Clark. It might as well be 145 miles.

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  5. awesome list! Sorry about your loss but what a lovely way to see it and experience the whole thing...I have to say, most of all...I want to see a photo of the cats!

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  6. So sorry to hear about your friend. Even when (intellectually) we know that the person is in a better place, viscerally, it's still so painful. I'm glad that you had the wedding to distract you (though I hope it provided some balance rather than further emotional turmoil).

    Kudos to your daughter for going out of her way to help her friend. What wonderful acts of kindness and compassion.

    And good for John - what a star.

    You have some lovely things this week, as well as some heartbreak. Well done for managing a list alongside your continued 10k training. I'm very impressed.

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    1. Some of the same people were at both the wedding reception and the funeral, which lent a sense of "we're all in this together" to the day. I think that momentous occasions help remind us of just how wonderful it is to have the relationships we do.

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    2. You're absolutely right. Nice to be able to share both the sadness and elation with some of the same people - that unity of feeling is very healing, in a way.

      We are social beings, and it's wonderful (even in times of sadness) to look across at someone and have that solidarity.

      Your 10k training is AWESOME! I'd never even think to enter such a thing! I did a 5k a few years ago and it was unbelievably exhausting, and yet...I guess the goodness of a cause can be a great motivator. Might have to give that one a little more thought. Be a good way of raising some awareness and helping out a bit more.

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    3. Oh, dear. I wish I could say that my run has a noble cause, but unfortunately, that's not the case. I was motivated to train for the opportunity to run at Disneyland. It's a self-reward for getting in shape enough to participate.

      Maybe I'll have to see if Guide Dogs for the Blind ever has a run!

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    4. Noble cause of just being able to accomplish it is pretty darn huge in my book! Such dedication!

      And yeah - GO for it - that would be awesome. Or you could just do it yourself I guess...set a challenge, raise sponsorship, achieve challenge kinda thing.

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  7. Lots to definitely be thankful for and glad to hear all the wonderful things that did indeed go on in your life this past week!!

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  8. Two hairless one-eyed cats? WOW. What are the odds, indeed? Sorry to hear about your friend but so happy that you were able to celebrate the wedding of a special person in your life on the same day. That's pretty awesome.

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    1. Yes, Leela and Phillip are quite the sight (no pun intended.) My daughter had Leela first, then when my daughter's friend saw the ad for Phillip, she took it as a sign he was to be her's. That's how best friends ended up with matching cats.

      It's been quite the circle-of-life kind of week.

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    2. OK. Wednesday's post will feature a photo or two.

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  9. Please tell me you don't jog in the street ... please! :) Fixing cars is one of those tasks that men always put off, simply because we usually don't know what we're doing, even though it's expected of us. I can change a headlight and wiper blade, but let's not go much further. lol I'll always end up with some extra screws left over if I do. Yes, life goes on. From funeral to wedding demonstrates that completely. I don't wish people to be sad when I pass, but to look back at some of my posts and smile. That was their purpose, and will remain their purpose. Really a nice post.

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    1. 99% of my training has been on the treadmill. When I was visiting my parents' rural home, I did jog on the road--but a sidewalk wasn't an option--and I ran against traffic, as I should. I saw a grand total of 3 cars during the run.

      My husband is actually pretty handy. He's currently working on restoring a Ford Anglia (the Harry Potter car). I don't mind when tasks take a while, because I have plenty of unfinished projects of my own at any given time!

      I think with a death, there is bound to be both tears of sadness and smiles of remembrance of the happy times.

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  10. Sorry to her about your friend, but it is amazing that you are at peace with it. Amazing as in wonderful, not amazing as in "WTF already?!" It's sometimes extremely hard for people to be at peace and to know that their loved one is still with the (or still existing in some fashion). We may have varying degrees of what we believe in, but belief in something after death is congruent.

    It's great to have friends and family there to help work through the mourning process. Hopefully some of this was offset by the wedding and/or interactions with the bride you spoke of.

    Not even sure what to say about your dual one-eyed, hairless cats! ACK!

    Have a great week, Kristi!

    Jak at The Cryton Chronicles & Dreams in the Shade of Ink

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    1. My faith and beliefs shape my perspective and outlook, and they provide comfort during trying times. Family and friends help, too, of course.

      Oh the cats are lovely (cough, cough!) Fortunately, my daughter's cat at least has a sweet personality. Her friend's cat isn't quite as friendly. I really need to post a photo!

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  11. It is so wonderful to be in a church community made of friends turned family, isn't it? To share both death and beginnings all in one day, surrounded by many of the same people, just makes life better.

    As for the cats, all I can picture is someone walking into your house who does not know the situation. So many hilarious scenarios!! Perhaps, "Did Drexel's training not go so well, and the cats bore the brunt?" or "Kristi, I think you may have a chemical leak in your house. It's time to go and get it checked." The memes people could come up with to go with a photo of them...Viral in no time.

    I was amazed that your daughter took that "cat" in. The fact that there are two people who would do so just blows my mind.

    Great list, as always.

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    1. We have a running joke around here about pirate eye-patches.

      I do think I need to take a photo of the two of them together.

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  12. I feel sad for people who don't believe in eternal life. Where do they receive their peace?

    I love that your friend introduced you to her groom as "Ma and Pa."

    Dr. Scholl's inserts would not be sufficient to get me to run. Jet pack inserts, maybe?

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    1. It was actually the second wedding this summer where John and I were introduced to the groom as "Pa and Ma." :-)

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