Ten Things of Thankful: With Help from Drexel

 

Drexel the yellow Labrador retriever looks at the camera. His tail is a blur because he is wagging it so quickly.

If your household is comprised of at least one pet and multiple humans, you probably already know the importance of communication, particularly: "Did you feed _______(insert pet's name here)?" Or, as we like to ask in our home, "Is Drexel telling the truth?" Drexel is a Labrador retriever, and imbedded deep within his DNA is the notion that if one breakfast is good, two has got to be better. He has a certain way of greeting us if he is wanting a meal: he has pep in his step and an intense stare, as if he is trying to telepathically tell us, "FOOD...FOOD...FOOD." Normally, I can figure out when he's trying to trick me into giving him an extra meal, but this week, he got elevensies at about 7 a.m. 

1. Drexel is thankful for food! (And I am thankful for Drexel, even when he tricks me.)

Now that we have what Drexel undoubtedly considers the most important of my list this week documented, let's continue:

On Monday, I taunted my little brother by completing my blood donation to the Red Cross in 4 minutes and 16 seconds. We have a friendly competition going on who can donate the quickest. His comment when I texted my time? "What size needle do you get them to use?!" LOL #raceyoutothecookies!

2. I'm thankful to be able to help others in need. Blood is one of those things that is easy to take for granted, but it is so appreciated when it is received. Every time I give, I think of the times that I and family members have been on the receiving end. It feels good to be able to do for others what anonymous donors did for us. If you are able (and I understand that not everyone can), consider donating blood.

Tuesday night, John and I went to Cinemark Theater's "Secret Movie." Once a month, they show a film without disclosing the title ahead of time. The rating is noted, but that's all. The film is one that hasn't been released yet, but will be soon. We first heard about the secret movie last month, and we ended up seeing Jurassic World before it was in general release. This time, the movie was Sketch, which I had seen previews for online and was curious about, as some of my grandchildren are very interested in drawing and art. The basic plot of the movie is that a young girl, whose mother has recently passed away, deals with her feelings by drawing monsters. The monsters end up coming to life, and the rest of the movie is spent figuring out how to return things to normal. I think that my older grandchildren would really enjoy watching Sketch, but I think it might be a bit too intense for the younger ones. To an adult, the monsters are not very scary, as they look just like a child's drawing, but to a young child, I imagine they could be frightening. Nevertheless, the message of the film was positive and I hope to be able to share it with my grandchildren as they are old enough (probably around 8, I'd say.)

3. I'm thankful for good films.

As you might remember, we have been playing musical chairs with some of our rooms. Although there is still aftermath to deal with (putting away the last miscellaneous items, hanging pictures, etc.), the basic framework is now in place. We purchased a new desk for the office, as the old one didn't fit the new space. I'm happy to report that we were able to follow the directions, which were mainly illustrations, with minimal mistakes. 

4. I'm thankful that the mistake we made was not too onerous to correct. 

We had taken our car into the shop to get an estimate on a long list of nice but not essential things, things like fixing electrical switches so the seat can be adjusted or the window can roll down (and then up again!) The shop owner called back with a reasonable number, given the length of the list, so we told him to go ahead. When we went to pick up the vehicle, he informed us that he had discovered parts on our car that he thought were adequate but actually weren't. The replacement parts totaled $110, which he added to the bill so that we would have documentation for warranty purposes, but he subtracted $110 in labor so that his quote to us didn't change. WOW. Mike's High Torque Auto Performance has our business from here on out!

5. I'm thankful for a fully functioning vehicle, and to have found our shop.

6. I'm thankful for a friend who made the recommendation to us. 

I browsed at a thrift store this week, and as I was walking through the book section, a hardback book caught my eye. When I opened the book up, I noticed it was autographed--by Dick Van Dyke! Of course I bought the book. 

A collage showing the cover of the book, Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest, and the introduction page signed by Dick Van Dyke

7. I'm thankful for unexpected finds.

Yesterday, the phone rang and it was a video call from our youngest granddaughter. We spent the next hour or so having her show us everything at her house, showing her the toys at our house she asked to see, talking and laughing and answering her frequent question ("Grandpa, are you falling asleep?!"). I read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and other books to her. 

8. I'm thankful for our grandchildren and technology that allows us to stay connected even when the miles between us are too many.

I've been able to walk with my friend all of our regular walking days this week! 

9. I'm thankful for my friend.

John and I hiked this week. We have a vacation coming up in the fall, and we have a particular hike in mind during that trip. John has been researching hikes near us that have similar elevation gains so we can be sure to be prepared. After our hike this week (and watching a video of the hike we will do this fall) I feel more confident in my ability to complete that hike. 

10. I'm thankful for John. 

Well, it's getting closer to the time for Drexel's evening meal, so I'd better wrap this up. With any luck on his part, Drexel will be able to convince John that he's starving and needs a second dinner!

What are you thankful for today? Drop a comment, and feel free to write your own post and link up with the Ten Things of Thankful Blog Hop!

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