Thankful Me

I've been quiet on the blogging front, which might worry one reader.   (Mom, I'm OK.)   Even though I am struggling to get my blogging groove on, I am thankful for so many things--including the fact that the Ten Things of Thankful link-up is still live!  Before more time passes, I'm going to jump right in: 1. I'm thankful for rain.  Didn't think I'd forget this one, did you? Yes, it rained again this week.  I'm starting to get very excited about the anticipated wildflower display this year.  I'm hoping the poppies will be spectacular.  My apricot tree is already in bloom. Photo:  A branch of my apricot tree in bloom 2.  I'm thankful for the friends that I have gotten to know through the TToT.  We are a diverse group, yet it amazes me how much we have in common.   3.  I'm thankful for the trust that is given to me, as situations are shared and prayers are requested.   4.  I'm thankful for those who are willing to listen to me wh

Pretty soon, regular readers will not only know that I end each list expressing gratitude for John, they will also know that I begin each list expressing gratitude for the rain.  Granted, this is getting a little bit harder to do, as the rain in this area has become destructive and is now reported on the national news.  Despite the destruction (which I do not wish on anyone, and feel badly for those impacted), I am a stubborn woman, and will remain thankful. 1.  I am thankful for the rain.  I like listening to the pitter-patter on the roof.  I like the fact that we haven't had to turn our sprinklers on, and the plants are still alive.  We even have a green lawn now! 2.  I am thankful that we could travel safely in the rain, and for navigation apps that directed us around the many accidents that were on the freeway. 3.  I'm thankful that though it has rained every week for quite a while now, that the rain is interspersed by sunny days. 4.  I'm thankful that my g

I've been blog-negligent this week, but am procrastinating working on taxes to do some writing.  :-)  Linking up with Six Sentence Stories .  This week's prompt:  Sink. The children, undeterred by the grey skies, met in the "back back" yard, where the barbed wire and electric wire fence delineated the property line and the pasture.  Perhaps the pussy willows would be ready to pick, or perhaps the friendly cows would wrap their rough tongues around proffered greens.  One brave child conducted the time-honored experiment, touching a single blade of grass to the electric wire; all were relieved to know that the adventure was a "go."  The barbed wires were gingerly spread apart to allow the little explorers passage.  As the last child stepped forward to cross, her foot came, but her boot remained firmly stuck in the mud.  The exploration mission was aborted, and the rescue mission began.   Thanks for adventures!

This week's #52Stories project prompt is: "What have been the most important and valued friendships in your life?" While my husband is my best friend, and other family members are also important and valued friends, today I'll exclude those easy answers, and look back at early childhood friends.   Kurt was one of my first friends, because he was the son of my mom's good friend.   Kurt's family owned an apple orchard, and I remember the feeling of leaving behind the sight of the house and wandering to the far end of the apple orchard, knowing that as long as we headed back the same way we came, we would find the house again.  In retrospect, I'm sure we were in no danger of getting lost, but as a 3-year-old, I felt like I was on the ultimate adventure. Yvonne was, as Anne of Green Gables would say, a "kindred spirit."  We met on the first day of school, when I was arguing with my next-door-neighbor, Lonnie, about what the sign on the door said.

If you've been following my Ten Things of Thankful posts, you might realize that this is the 5th week in a row that I have mentioned: 1.  RAIN!  I am still thankful for rain.  2.  I am thankful that I have had my sprinklers off for so long.  3.  I am thankful the yard is greening up.  4.  I am also thankful that rain sometimes makes me laugh. One of the Christmas gifts I gave John last December was a calendar, with many of the weekends filled with different activities for date night.  Written on February 10 was an idea in which I took particular pride.  We have always talked about visiting Italy some day, but some day hasn't come yet, and won't this year.  I decided to create an Italian experience the weekend before Valentine's day.   The highlight of the date was to be a gondola ride in Huntington Harbor, on an authentic Italian gondola.  I had done my homework: February 10th was a full moon, and the reservation was made so that we could watch the sunset and moo

I find the process of writing a Six Sentence Story somewhat fascinating.  I read the prompt on Sunday.  Sometimes I know right away what I will write, but most often, the prompt just gets tucked away in my brain.  Thursday morning at 4 a.m., I wake up, turn over, and look at the clock.  Before I roll back over and go back to sleep, I usually have the thought of what direction to take with the prompt.  When I wake up for good on Thursday morning, I get my six sentences written.  This is probably why I won't be a novelist--I would have to wake up way too early!  :-) Anyway, today's Six Sentence Story prompt is "bread ." Instead of one specific incident, I tried to capture the memory of a recurring event: As the last of the kernels fell into the wheat-grinder, the low hum of the machine changed pitch, and the basset hound howled along, creating a somewhat-harmonious canine/appliance duet.  That song, together with flour that was poofing out and dusting the kitchen c

In July of 1985, my maternal grandmother had the foresight to fill out a book called "Grandmother Remembers."  Now that she is 100 years old and has Alzheimer's, she doesn't really remember much, but thanks in part to that book, I know some of the stories of her life.   This week's #52StoriesProject question is:  Do you know how your grandparents met and fell in love?  I will tell the story as I understand it, and will quote what I can directly from Grandma's words from "Grandmother Remembers." Grandma and Grandpa met when he was 23 years old and she was almost 19. They met on December 14, 1935 in Hanford, California at "the Elks Christmas Party for underprivileged people." She liked him because "he was nice looking and kind," and he liked her because "he thought I was cute and nice." On their first date, they "went to Giant Forest and played in the snow." On subsequent dates, they liked to go "

This month's visiting teaching message is all about love--not about valentines and chocolates, but about God's love.  Jesus Christ provided a perfect atonement and opened the door for us to return to our Heavenly Father again. We also have hope through his sacrifice that all things will eventually be made right, and that our sorrows will turn to joy.   I was impressed with the scriptural phrase in Isaiah 49:16 that says, ". . . I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. . ."   I decided to add that scripture to a  photo of the hand on a Christus statue .  Just as we are  " to retain the name [of Jesus Christ] written always in [our] hearts (Mosiah 5:12), Jesus remembers each one of us, individually.  Our names are written upon His hands and in His heart.  (I have some cute Valentine's Day pens that I plan on giving along with this handout, since the idea of writing goes along well with the message.)    Thanks for God's love.

Ever get to the end of the week and feel like you still have sooooo much to do, and you don't feel motivated to do any of it?  Me neither.   (Just kidding!)   Apparently P unxsutawney  Phil felt like that on Groundhog Day this year, at least according to the account I read. He put up quite the struggle before emerging from his den to tell us there would be six more weeks of winter. I don't think I'd like to be pulled out of my cave, either, but I do know something that helps me when I don't want to face the day. One of the best solutions I've found is to take a moment (not too long--I'm not trying to procrastinate here!) and count my many blessings.  There is so much for which to be thankful! 1.  I can't believe I am saying this, but it rained again this week!  I am so thankful for the moisture we've been getting, and for the fact the ground has been soaking it up nicely. 2.  I'm thankful for my visiting teachers, the women from the church th

Linking up with Ivy's Six Sentence Story prompt for this week. The cue is:  Share. Anticipation filled the stadium, as the visiting Minnesota Twins warmed up in Anaheim's Angel Stadium.  Kirby Puckett, Greg Gagne, Kent Hrbek, Dan Gladden--all of the favorites were on the field.  The young family settled into their seats, high up in the stands.  The mom handed out snacks to keep the baby occupied, then turned her attention back to the game.   A "No, thank you" alerted the mom to the soggy mess of a gummed graham cracker her blonde-haired cutie clutched in her outstretched hand. Fortunately, the person in the next seat didn't seem to mind, the damp snack was forgotten, and everyone went on to sing about peanuts and Cracker Jacks.