Thankful Me

I've always been fascinated by time and perspective. As a child, I was awed that adults could remember what year a particular event happened. As an adult, I've realized that it wasn't just matching a numerical year to an event; it was remembering all the peripheral situations (Which house was I living in at the time? Which children were born then? What music was playing?) and triangulating all the data to come up with the year.  This past week has provided one reminder after another that time is passing. In writing that, I realize that my sentence will be read through the experiences of my readers. For those with more years than me, it might be internalized with a imagined pat on my head and a "just wait until you reach my age." For those younger, it might just seem the ramblings of an old woman. No matter how you interpret it, though, the fact is that another week has gone, and I am thankful: not just for the week, but for the months and years, as well.  I...

I missed writing a Ten Things of Thankful post last week, not due to lack of gratitude, but rather because I was spending time with my grandchildren and didn't pack my computer. This post will span the last two weeks, and I'm going to skip the numbering system this time. I promise there are at least 10 things! :-) • I'm thankful that the snowy conditions only lasted for a small portion of the drive to California. The day before I left was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. The morning I headed out, however, was a different story. The flowers outside my front door wore a blanket of snow. The roads initially were clear, then started to accumulate snow. Fortunately, the storm was short-lived. Photo: One lone red tulip amid a bed of yellow tulips pokes its head out from under a blanket of snow. Photo: (Taken by my daughter from the passenger side of the car) Snow falls from a white sky to a snow-covered ground, as cars drive slowly on the freeway. • I'm thankful t...

Twice a year, in April and October, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gather together across the world to watch General Conference . I always look forward to conference weekend: the words of counsel given, the beautiful music performed, and the spirit felt. General Conference this year fell on Easter weekend, which enhanced both. It also happened to be the first General Conference since the passing of President Thomas S. Monson and the first with President Russell M. Nelson as prophet. As if that wasn't enough, last weekend's General Conference brought plenty of changes and announcements which sent ripples of excitement--and even applause, in some cases (which is practically unheard of in Mormon meetings!)--throughout the church.  For this week's Ten Things of Thankful post , come with me as I revisit some of the highlights of General Conference: 1. I'm thankful for Easter Sunday and the happy hope it offers to everyone. 2. I'm th...

Denise at Girlie on the Edge is the gracious host of the Six Sentence Stories link-up. Go check out the other entries, and feel free to join in with your own story. This week's cue: Limb. Though of course she wished no harm on anyone, she thrilled at each gust of wind in this storm. She had been bedridden for weeks, and the view out the window of violently swaying evergreen trees provided much-appreciated entertainment. Suddenly, a loud bang was followed by the rushing of water. Gingerly ignoring doctor's orders, and anticipating a broken water pipe, she stood up and went outside to survey the damage. Once in the backyard, she laughed with relief and amazement: a limb had broken off of a Douglas fir, sailed across the yard, and hit the water faucet perfectly, and with enough force, to turn on the spigot! She quickly turned off the running water, then headed back inside to continue resting and watching the Inauguration Day Storm of 1993.