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| A wild sunflower shows its cheery yellow petals |
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!
Joining me this week:
Mmm, raspberries are so delicious!
ReplyDeleteThe treadmill sounds good. I wish I had one too. I do have an elliptical, but that's not the same.
An elliptical is easy on the knees, though, isn't it?
DeleteRaspberries are my favorite! :-)
Thanks for stopping by!
That dream! Totally believable. 😇
ReplyDeleteI 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.
Wild blackberries are yummy, too--though of course you know raspberries are my favorite!
DeleteYummy berries! Good luck with your running goals!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Having a date in mind for when the "big run" will be helps keep me on track.
DeleteThanks for Number 8 (I was thinking the same thing! Manti or Mantae, depending on gender*)
ReplyDeleteThe 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
Yes, you are right, I hadn't thought of the possibility of "mantae," but that looks more correct.
DeleteThe 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.
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."
ReplyDeleteRaspberries. 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!
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. :-)
DeleteYikes on the mosquito bites! Hope you have some calamine lotion.