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| Tall red poppies bloom against the brick remains of an old homestead |
A couple of weeks ago, John and I hiked in Alpine, Utah, to see the poppy gardens near the old Lambert homestead. We knew if we waited, we would miss the peak of the flowers. One minute, flowers are blooming, and the next minute, that particular floral show is over until next year.
The Ten Things of Thankful blog hop runs every week, but sometimes I miss the boat and don't get a post composed. I find, though, that those weeks that I do join in, I'm more apt to look for (and find!) the good in life--regardless of whether it was a "good" week or a "bad" week. Just as taking time to hike pays off with a beautiful view, taking the time to share ten things I'm thankful for pays off with a feeling of peace, satisfaction, and gratitude.
The past three weeks have been spent at home. It's been so nice to catch up on things here. The air conditioner cools the house again, we've taken cars into the shop, sprinkler heads have been replaced, bathrooms have been cleaned, and even the laundry is done.
1. I'm thankful for a chance to breathe a bit. As Dorothy would say, "There's no place like home."
I've resumed walking with my friend, I've visited with a couple of friends, I've gone to lunch with another friend and ended up chatting for hours, I Zoomed (is that even a verb?) with a group of friends, I took dinner to another friend, and I went to a women's meeting at church where I enjoyed a long conversation with yet another friend. I have plans to get together with more friends this upcoming week.
2. I'm thankful for friends.
My brother and I continued our sibling rivalry, as we both donated blood and noted the length of time our donation took. I'm proud to say I won with a time of 4 minutes, 29 seconds, though my little brother was close on my heels with his donation taking 4 minutes, 34 seconds. He's a good competitor.
3. I'm thankful for the ability to donate blood. I know it's not something that everyone can do, and I'm always amazed that 5 minutes every 8 weeks can make a major difference to someone. The Red Cross blood donation app allows me to see my blood's journey. My latest donation is currently in storage waiting to be used. My previous donation ended up in Pontiac, Michigan!
John and I have been up to visit his parents several times, and they have sent us home with folders of old photos and papers to digitize. It has been so much fun! I've used the app Photomyne which allows me to take photos of the photos with my phone, and then the app enhances the photos and allows me to add context to the photos, including who is in the photos, date, location and other details. Once I am done, I will be able to easily create folders for each individual and share the images with other family members. My in-laws have answered so many of my "Who is this?" questions. I can now tell the difference between Grandma Ada and Grandma Priscilla, even though they were both white haired old ladies who dressed in long white dresses (at least in black and white photos!).
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| A collage: Grandma Ada sits in a chair on the left, Grandma Priscilla sits on a chair on the right |
4. I'm thankful for old photos that give a glimpse into the past, the technology that exists to help us preserve those photos, and the people who remember the details regarding the photos.
I got my hair cut! I'm on an every six months schedule, which works for me, but I'm definitely ready for a trim by the time half a year goes by.
5. I'm thankful to have found a stylist who understands my curls and my wash and go lifestyle. She's able to give me a haircut that allows my hair to do whatever it wants to do and yet look intentional.
John and I reserved a lantern tour at Mt. Timpanogos Cave. It had been 24 years since we had visited the caves, and we had never taken the lantern tour. We booked it with the excuse that we could see whether the hike would be a good one to take our grandchildren on this year. The hike up to the cave entrance is a mile and a half, and the trail gains over 1000 feet in elevation over that distance. We decided against taking the grandchildren this year; we don't want to end up carrying anyone who might get too tired. We'll plan some other interesting hikes that don't involve such a long uphill hike before the real hike begins. Anyway, the lantern tour itself was fascinating! Our guide, Ranger Rob, seemed so familiar to me. When I got home and did some internet sleuthing, I figured out that he is one of my favorite BYU Education Week presenters, who happens to volunteer with the Park Service during the summer months!
6. I'm thankful for beautiful places.
Utah Foster Care receives clothing donations from a couple of consignment stores--clothes that haven't sold or clothes that don't quite fit what the consignment store is accepting at the time. Volunteers pick up the bags of clothing, sort through them and organize them into sizes, then offer them to the foster care community. It's really a great help to foster families. Though it takes longer than donating blood, it's something I enjoy doing. I can't imagine trying to sort through so many clothes with a house full of children, so while I don't have children living with me, I like to volunteer to pick up the donations when I am home. I was able to sort through donations last week.
7. I'm thankful for volunteer opportunities that fit my life and benefit causes that are important to me.
For Christmas, my son and his wife gifted us with a glass-blowing class. We were finally able to take the class, and we had so much fun!
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| The three glasses we made in the class. Each is a variation of a blue/green/teal swirl pattern. |
8. I'm thankful to my son and his wife, and for the chance to try a fun art form!
I've been a responsible adult and have completed yearly preventative medical visits. Results say I'm good for another year.
9. I'm thankful for a physical body that, though aging, is still behaving.
We got together with some of our kids this week for dinner and game night. It's always fun to spend time together, even when I don't win Settlers of Catan.
10. I'm thankful for John and our kids (including those who live too far away to join us regularly.)
And, as it is Father's Day today, I want to make sure to give a shout-out to my dad. He's a genuinely nice guy (as so many dads are), but he's also really unique, and he taught me that it's OK to be different. (I was so proud of my "most unusual pet" ribbon from the library's pet show when he let me bring one of the boa constrictors, for example.)
What are you thankful for today? Be sure to visit the other participant's blogs, and feel free to comment and link up your own post.
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Conversations are so much nicer when more than one person does the talking. :-) Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts; I'd love to hear from you!