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| The full moon, with a halo, in the sky above the Mt. Timpanogos Temple early in the morning on February 2, 2026 |
With a few (notable) exceptions here and there, I've been reliving Groundhog Day over and over again this month. John's parents have moved out of their house and in with his sister, so John and I have spent nearly every day since February 2nd at his parents' house: sorting, packing, and cleaning. Each of his siblings is contributing in their own way, and this is the best way for us to help right now. We're happy to be doing it, though it has been a long time since we have experienced this level of routine to our days.
1. I'm thankful for John's parents. We see evidence of their kindness and love of family all over their home.
2. I'm thankful for John's siblings. Everyone has their own responsibilities and challenges, yet all are willing to do what they can for their parents.
3. I'm thankful (for many reasons) for our son and his girlfriend who live in our basement apartment, in particular because every day when we realize we aren't going to be home by 5 p.m. (which Drexel knows is his dinner time), we can text them and they will come up and feed the hungry puppy.
4. I'm thankful for our other children as well. We've come across so many photos and mementos from their younger days, and it's so fun to remember those busy times.
5. I'm thankful for strength. I'm at the age where strength training is really recommended, but I'm pretty sure I don't need to hit the gym on the days I am lifting boxes and carrying things up from John's parents' basement. (As an aside, I am not a superstitous person, but what builder thought the flight of stairs from the main house to the basement should have 13 steps?!)
Now for the notable exceptions to my otherwise routine days:
I spent one weekend in Oregon with just my parents, my siblings, and me. It had been years since we had done that, and it was a lot of fun. I might or might not have picked on my little brother a bit--which of course is practically an oldest-child requirement--but I didn't get in trouble, so I think I behaved well enough.
6. I'm thankful for the family I grew up in. In all the important ways, it was a stereotypical traditional upbringing. We benefited from a safe and loving family. In all the ways that don't matter, we weren't traditional at all. (Most kids I knew didn't have pet boa constrictors nor live in a passive-solar earth-sheltered home, for example.) I love the uniqueness of our family.
I spent a couple of hours with some friends from California who, like me, have moved to Utah. It's always so good to get together.
7. I'm thankful for friends.
The author Orson Scott Card had a book signing event on February 13th in a nearby Barnes and Noble, so John and I thought we'd show up a little bit early, get our books signed, then go out for dinner and call it a night. The best laid plans. . . . We did show up around 4:30 p.m. for a 5:00 signing. Each group was given a wristband with a number on it. We were number 140. I heard later that some groups had numbers over 500. People with babies in arms or children in strollers were given priority, regardless of wristband number. No problem; that makes sense--although we joked we should have borrowed a baby. Finally numbers were called: "1-10" and about a half hour later, "10-20." At around 8:30, it was announced that only those with wristbands numbered up to 150 would be able to be accommodated. Whew! We grabbed a bite to eat at the in store cafe and waited. I decided to start reading "Ender's Game." (Had I started reading it at the beginning of our wait, I probably would have finished it before getting it signed!) Valentine's Day rolled around, so we played the daily Wordle, Sudoku, etc. Finally, at 1:30 a.m., it was our turn! Orson Scott Card was gracious, personable, and took time to talk to each person individually (obviously). Even though what we thought might take an hour or so ended up taking nine hours (!), John and I had a fun, memorable date.
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| John and I with Orson Scott Card at his book signing at 1:30 in the morning on February 14, 2026 |
8. I'm thankful for those who share their talents and give encouragement to others. While we were waiting for our turn, I overheard Orson Scott Card ask another man if he was a writer. The man hemmed and hawed a bit, and Mr. Card asked him if he put words on paper, and explained to him that if he did, regardless of whether the words were as eloquent as he would like, he was a writer.
9. I'm thankful for our grandchildren. We've had some video calls in the past couple of weeks, and it's always good to see and hear from them.
10. I'm thankful for John. Whether we are off exploring new and exciting places, or our days are all pretty much the same, or we're on an unintended 9 hour date into the wee hours of the morning, I'm thankful to have him by my side.
What are you thankful for this week? Leave a comment and be sure to check out the other Ten Things of Thankful posts!
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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!