Thankful Me

Time just keeps on passing, and here we are again at the end of December. I find myself momentarily pausing, glancing backward over my shoulder to review the past twelve months, while simultaneously leaning forward, anxious to propel myself forward on both new and familiar paths in the upcoming year.  Much has happened in 2017--life and death, hellos and goodbyes, laughter and tears. Opposites add dimension to life, letting us appreciate the good times and assuring us that the bad times will not last. One thing that can endure, though, through all of the ups and downs, is thankfulness. Each week, I join with other bloggers to express thanks for things we are grateful for in our lives. As this is the last week of 2017, for this Ten Things of Thankful post, I look back not only on the past week, but on the past year.  The year started off with me attending a party in honor of my grandma's 100th birthday. I'm thankful (1) for her influence in my life. My memories of her sha...

Every week, Ivy at Uncharted gives a one-word prompt and invites everyone to write a six-sentence story based on that word. While my contribution this week might stretch the rules a bit, I suppose it's OK when the prompt is suspend. No work, no appointments, no meetings Only fun on the schedule today. Grown kids are home, and their friends have come To join with us for the holiday. We talk, laugh, eat, and play And suspend routine 'til after New Year's Day.

The darkness of the night slowly gives way to the light of day. Besides  the ticking of the clock, all is quiet. Multiple cars, with out-of-state license plates, fill the driveway--evidence that the home's usually-empty bedrooms are now occupied. Today's forecast calls for lots of laughter, good conversation, and shared activities. The anticipation does not demand a hurried approach to the day, however, and a peaceful mood envelopes the house.  In this calm moment, I reflect on the past week. The nearing of the closure of 2017 prompts my mind to go back further--to reflect not only on the week, but on the year, then back yet further to when the visiting adults were children, then back to when I was a child. More than a half-century's worth of Christmases mesh together. The details take back-stage to the warm feelings of contentment and joy.  Of course, some years were more challenging than others. No one is immune to illness, grief, tragedy, or pain. Everyone will pro...

As we are counting down the days until Christmas, I thought, "Why not do a countdown Ten Things of Thankful post--featuring numbers?" So pull up a seat, and get set to read! Photo: A much-younger me sits on my mom's lap as she sits on a child-sized chair and reads me a story. A Christmas tree, adorned with paper chains, tinsel, and glass balls, stands in the background. 10. I'm thankful for ten more days until Christmas to finish preparations. 9. I'm thankful for the nine different wards (church congregations) John and I have been in since we've been married. 8. I'm thankful for eight years spent in our last house. 7. I'm thankful for our seventh home purchase, the one we will be moving into sometime next year.  6. I'm thankful for Drexel, who, having recently turned five, has entered his sixth year of life. (I would say, "They grow up so fast," but he is still goofy and puppy-like.) 5. I'm thankful for five wonderful...

Ivy at Uncharted hosts a 6-Sentence Story challenge, with a new prompt each week. This week's prompt: tune . The congregation rose on cue from the chorister, while the organ started playing the hymn's introduction. The blonde-haired tot stood on the pew, glad to have an approved chance to wiggle. Her ears perked up as she recognized the familiar tune. She didn't seem to notice--or if she did, she didn't care--that everyone else was singing, "Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing," while she belted out, "Go tell Aunt Rhody the old grey goose is dead!"  Her mom blushed, while her older sister collapsed in a fit of giggles. From that time forward, whenever hymn #163 appeared on the program, the memory of their daughter and sister singing at the top of her lungs washed over them, and they struggled to maintain a composure of reverence. 

Last Monday, it snowed. I've been a bit surprised at how little snow we've had since moving here, and I'm beginning to think we won't have a white Christmas. But last week, it snowed. We had some come down here at the house we are renting, and even more at the house we bought.  Photo: A blanket of snow covers the front yard of my new house. 1. I'm thankful for the beauty of the snow.  2. I'm thankful that, at least this time, the driveway and roads remained clear. 3. I'm thankful for quail, and I'm happy that large numbers of them frequent both the yard of the house I'm in now, and the yard of the house I'm moving into. 4. I'm thankful for Snowy Day stamps. When I asked the postal worker what Christmas stamps were available, I didn't even listen past, "Snowy Day." I was instantly transported back to childhood and knew I would be purchasing those stamps. Photo: A book of stamps featuring illustrations of a littl...

Occasionally, I hear of the odd person who realized they were feeling weak because they forgot to eat something that day. Though I don't typically forget to eat, it is easy for me to understand that I function better when I take care of my physical needs.  Similarly, if I find myself feeling impatient, irritable, or generally down-in-the-dumps, I can sometimes trace those feelings back to a lack of spiritual nourishment. Perhaps I forgot to kneel before I hit the ground running that morning, or perhaps I failed to take time to read from the scriptures. I've heard it said that prayer is how we talk to God, and the scriptures are a way He responds to us. I know that often while I'm reading scriptures, thoughts and impressions come to my mind that have little or nothing to do with what I'm reading, but when I have followed those promptings, I feel happy and at peace.  Photo:    pair of eyeglasses resting on top of a Bible, which is opened to Acts chapter 27. (So...

I took a flight to California yesterday to see my grandchildren (and their parents, too, of course!) and am currently in a hotel room before my flight home. It was a quick trip, but a fun one.  1. I'm thankful for airplanes that make such quick trips possible.  2. I'm thankful that my laptop made it through the security check--twice! After I was through the TSA checkpoint and had put my shoes on and picked up my carry-on bag, I realized my bag was lighter than normal. My laptop (which I had taken out of my bag and put in its own bin) was missing! TSA officials told me that sometimes it takes a while to get the bins through, and to wait a few minutes. I waited, but couldn't imagine how the bin couldn't have gone through already. An overheard announcement was made to all waiting passengers to check to make sure they hadn't inadvertently picked up someone else's belongings. After more time went by, a TSA worker found my computer. I think someone (maybe even me...

Happy December! It's time to kick-off the #LightTheWorld campaign. Each day through Christmas, a scriptural verse is featured and the challenge is to find some way to implement the counsel in our own lives. It's not meant to be overwhelming; participate however you can. Today's verse, Matthew 10:8, sets the tone for the whole month: Freely ye have received, freely give.  I love the feeling that comes with giving, especially when the gift is truly appreciated--something needed or wanted.  Yesterday, I had the opportunity to drive to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the unveiling of some very unusual kiosks. Set in the lovely Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square, these vending machines allow visitors to donate to various charities. After inserting cash or credit card, the giver punches in the letter and number of one of the items displayed, and watches as the selected gift falls to the bottom of the machine. Unlike normal vending machines, there isn't a way for t...