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Ten Things of Thankful: August Arrives!

A wild sunflower shows its cheery yellow petals

My teacher friends are preparing to return to the classroom, whatever that looks like in their district. In any other year, I would be getting excited about BYU's Education Week. 2020 isn't like any other year, though, is it? Ed Week has been postponed to a date TBA and changed to an online format. While I am happy that I am getting projects done around the house, and I'm generally content to live the life of a hermit, I'm literally dreaming of going to Disneyland, which makes me think I must be getting a little case of cabin fever. (I'm not usually a big dreamer, or if I am, I don't usually remember my dreams. This one was particularly funny, I thought: I was in line to get into Disneyland. In front of me in line were the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Cook was having trouble and his ticket wasn't scanning. I said to the cast member, "He's OK. I can vouch for him." Elder Oaks, who was in front of Elder Cook and had just gotten through the turnstile, turned around and just chuckled. Yep, lil' ole me, acting like I owned Disneyland. LOL.)

Sometimes we just have to laugh at the absurdity of a situation, whether it is in a dream or in real life, and it's always a good idea to remember to be thankful. Gratitude makes everything better--whether that means making a challenging situation more bearable, or transforming a happy event to a "my heart is bursting"experience. 

So, what am I thankful for this week? I thought you'd never ask!

1. I'm thankful that my raspberry plants are producing enough that whenever I go outside, I can graze on a few berries. I suspect that next year will be the year I can pick bowlfuls at a time, but I'm content with this year's harvest for now.

2. I'm thankful for all the quail. The babies are so cute, and the grownups are adorable, too. I love seeing and hearing them.

3. I'm thankful for my treadmill. As I'm trying to work up to running 10Ks again, it's nice to be able to work out in an air-conditioned home, with the TV to distract me. 

4. I'm thankful for a seemingly never ending supply of summer squash, and an also seemingly endless supply of recipes. Thursday's dinner was Cream of Zucchini Soup, which was simple yet tasty. I used yellow squash rather than zucchini, because that's what I have growing in my garden. The variety of squash I planted is called "Cube of Butter," and John thought I should rename the soup, "Creamy Cube of Butter Soup." It's not quite that decadent! LOL.

5. I'm thankful for beautiful sunsets. Nearly every evening, either John or I will say to the other, "The sunset is really pretty tonight!" 

6. I'm thankful for pleasant evenings. The temperature has been nice, and we haven't been fighting pesky bugs. Although I did get one mosquito bite this year, I didn't even notice until the next morning. It seems like last year, it wasn't so pleasant to sit outside, but this year has been very enjoyable.

7. I'm thankful for the sound of crickets chirping. They might technically fall into the "pesky bugs" category, but I enjoy listening to their songs. 

8. I'm thankful for praying mantises, which do their part to keep the "pesky bugs" at bay. We've had lots of them (praying mantises) this year. (I had to do a quick Google search to figure out whether to type "mantises" or "manti." I knew "Manti" is a city in Utah, but didn't realize "manti" is a Turkish dish--and it has nothing to do with bugs.)

9. I'm thankful for books, music, and games that provide entertainment. Projects are great, but sometimes relaxing is good, too. 

10. I'm thankful for John, who knows the value of both work and play. He installed new carpet in the trailer this week, but still takes time to challenge me to a game of Splendor nearly daily. (Splendor is a great game, by the way. There's quite a bit of strategy involved, but a bit of chance ensures that each game is different than the last.)

That's my simple list for this week. I don't need to go to Disneyland to be happy. :-) What are you thankful for today? Let me know in a comment, and/or feel free to link up your own post! 

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Comments

  1. AstridAugust 7, 2020 at 3:07 PM

    Mmm, raspberries are so delicious!

    The treadmill sounds good. I wish I had one too. I do have an elliptical, but that's not the same.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiAugust 8, 2020 at 8:31 AM

      An elliptical is easy on the knees, though, isn't it?

      Raspberries are my favorite! :-)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. Pat BAugust 8, 2020 at 6:54 PM

    That dream! Totally believable. 😇
    I just went out and picked a bowl full of the wild blackberries, since they took over where the raspberries used to be.
    I haven't seen a single praying mantis yet this year which seems a little strange.
    Being challenged to play a game of Splendor daily sounds like a lofty goal especially given this year of 2020 and all that has been going on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiAugust 10, 2020 at 12:23 PM

      Wild blackberries are yummy, too--though of course you know raspberries are my favorite!

      Delete
  3. Lisa TomeyAugust 8, 2020 at 8:10 PM

    Yummy berries! Good luck with your running goals!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiAugust 10, 2020 at 12:24 PM

      Thank you. Having a date in mind for when the "big run" will be helps keep me on track.

      Delete
  4. Clark FarleyAugust 9, 2020 at 7:29 AM

    Thanks for Number 8 (I was thinking the same thing! Manti or Mantae, depending on gender*)

    The sunflower is most impressive. I've always wanted to grow them but the light and the soil seems not so good for such impressive plants.

    Have an excellent week.

    *which would surely involve another trip to Wikipedia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiAugust 10, 2020 at 12:27 PM

      Yes, you are right, I hadn't thought of the possibility of "mantae," but that looks more correct.

      The sunflowers here, at least that variety, are wild. Last year the entire backyard was covered in them; this year we've "tamed" more of the area, but let some grow. I'm thinking of purposefully planting the giant cultivated sunflower next year along the fence. You are right, they are an impressive plant.

      Delete
  5. Dyanne @ I Want BacksiesAugust 10, 2020 at 6:00 PM

    I miss Silver Dollar City. They did reopen, but we are rolling our passes over to next year. Not worth the risk. Your dream was so funny! "He's okay; he's with me."
    Raspberries. Mmmmm.
    I got eaten alive by mosquitoes when we sat by the fire pit at the lake house a week or so ago. Then one got in our house last week, I guess, because I got a big ol' bite on my fanny! It had to have flown up the leg of my shorts to accomplish this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiAugust 11, 2020 at 4:23 PM

      We had so much fun visiting Silver Dollar City; I can see why you miss it. Although I miss Disneyland, I probably won't rush to visit when it opens, either. Well, maybe if the vaccine is out. :-)
      Yikes on the mosquito bites! Hope you have some calamine lotion.

      Delete

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