Skip to main content

Ten Things of Thankful: In Like a Lion Edition

Photo: A patio table and 4 chairs are covered in a dusting of snow
"In like a lion, and out like a lamb," is the motto for March, and so far, it seems to be holding true. The photo above was taken this morning; the yard has no bare spots now. While the snow swirls around outside, let's take a look back at this past week:

 1. I'm thankful to be feeling much better. The hacking-until-my-sides-ache-and-tears-roll-down-my-face has subsided to the occasional, not-so-alarming cough. I told the church choir director I'd even show up for practice tomorrow, and Monday, I plan to start exercising again. It's been so ridiculously long since I've run, I'm going to have to start with a couch-to-5K training program. Sadly, my recently-adopted fitness plan hasn't really done much for my stamina (nor my physique, either, to be honest!)

 2. I'm thankful for sweet new friends who have offered help over the past weeks. One offered to share a pot of soup she had made. (I doubt she realized I don't eat meat, so I thanked her, but declined.) Another sent a text checking in on me, and asked, "What can I do for you today?" Honestly, I think the simple gesture of asking was exactly what was needed. As I'm getting to know people in my new neighborhood, I'm feeling like they are getting an inaccurate portrayal of me. I rarely get sick, and when I do, it's certainly not for an entire month! I look forward to showing them that I'm really the "Let's go for a walk together!" person and not the "I'm just going to sit in bed in my jammies all day" person. 😊

 3. I'm thankful that I attended RootsTech this week. For those of you not familiar with it, it is a huge genealogy conference. Thousands of attendees gather from all over the world for four days to take classes, attend workshops, listen to keynote speakers, connect with cousins, visit a large expo, and just generally have a great time. 

 4. I'm thankful to have been able to hear Saroo Brierley tell his story. Saroo's book, A Long Way Home, was made into a movie, Lion. John and I watched the movie when it came out a few years ago, and really connected to it for several reasons. The following video contains a clip from his keynote address:


Photo: John and I meet Saroo Brierley at a book signing


5. I'm thankful to have made and renewed connections with cousins at RootsTech. Thanks to the "Relatives at RootsTech" app, I knew that over 3000 people at the conference were distant cousins of mine! Seriously, the theme of RootsTech, "Connect. Belong." came to life as we realized just how connected we are. (Now I know I have cousins in my own neighborhood!)

 6. I'm thankful for the feeling of connection that Martin Luther King III brought to the conference. I had no idea that he would be at RootsTech, and hearing him quote his famous father was like hearing the speech for the first time. He is introduced at minute 39. 

7. I'm thankful that connection begins with family. Patricia Heaton gave an excellent keynote address. Her introduction begins at minute 19. 


8. I'm thankful for media that support and encourage family connection. I've mentioned Relative Race  before on this blog. It's similar to The Amazing Race, but with a compelling aspect of discovering family members along the way. The new season starts March 10 on BYUtv, and I can't wait! Fortunately, Relative Race had a session at RootsTech, and I loved hearing a Q & A with some of last season's contestants. Joe, Jerica, Michael, and Austin were as delightful in person as they were on Relative Race. 
Photo: Jerica, Joe, Michael (and Austin, hidden behind the podium) sit for a panel discussion, while Dan stands and takes questions
9. I'm thankful for some ideas I gathered at RootsTech that hopefully will help me find some answers in my own family tree. Stay tuned for updates!

 10. I'm thankful for John. I'm glad he was able to attend RootsTech with me on Friday. It was fun to see John's interaction with Saroo, who joked about signing John's copy of his book, "To Dad." (Saroo's father's name is also John Brierley.) 

 Connect. Belong. 

 I'm thankful for each of you who take the time to connect with me, and with the Ten Things of Thankful community. 

 What are you thankful for this week? Please share! 

Inlinkz Link Party

Comments

  1. messymimiMarch 3, 2019 at 8:04 PM

    It sounds like a great conference. If i ever get interested enough and have time for genealogy, i think i would enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiMarch 4, 2019 at 9:05 AM

      I imagine you would. Discovering family, and the stories behind the names and dates, really is a fascinating hobby.

      Delete
  2. Lisa TomeyMarch 3, 2019 at 9:29 PM

    What an amazing experience! My daughter does genealogy. Bet she'd love this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pat BMarch 3, 2019 at 11:12 PM

    Thanks for sharing the videos! I'm going to be back visiting your post several times just to watch all the videos, but I love what I have seen so far.

    I'm a little concerned about how our March here came in like a lamb, so I hope that does mean we will be going out like a lion. LOL

    Can't wait to talk with you about your favorite classes, etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiMarch 4, 2019 at 9:07 AM

      The RootsTech video archive can be accessed at this link: https://www.rootstech.org/video-archive
      They have more videos there than just the ones I shared.

      Delete
  4. GirlieOnTheEdgeMarch 4, 2019 at 6:37 PM

    I'm glad you're feeling better. Several of my co-workers had the same chest congestion/cold/hacking that it sounds like you are getting over. It took them quite awhile to feel better too. Don't be so hard on yourself! You may have to "start with a couch-to-5K training program", but I bet once you've been back at it for a couple of weeks it will be as if you'd never stopped :D
    Genealogy is fascinating but I don't think I have the "sticktoitiveness" to be very good at it. What a tremendous feeling that must be knowing you have relatives all around you :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiMarch 5, 2019 at 2:51 PM

      I think this is a case of tone not coming through accurately. I'm not being hard on myself; I completely understand why I'm starting where I am in the training. That sentence about my recently-adopted fitness plan was a reference to my tongue-in-cheek post last week about how coughing really works the abs. :-)

      As for genealogy, it can be done in small segments of time. While it's true that it is easy to get lost in the research (we all have a LOT of ancestors!), it's not just all about gathering as many names of grandparents as we can. Being able to piece the stories together, seeing how ancestors tie into the history of the day, helps the past come to life.

      If you ever decide to look into it, I'd be happy to help you get started.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousMarch 4, 2019 at 7:33 PM

    increasing activity is surely the way to return to your sense of health. our winter has been most un-winter like...that said last night we got maybe 5 inches of pretty wet snow. (First workout of the year, shoveling and it's March!).
    Liking the no-snow winter.
    Feel better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiMarch 5, 2019 at 2:54 PM

      Weather is interesting. You are having a no-snow winter; here, our snow-pack levels are well over 100% of normal.

      I'm doing tons better, and it definitely feels better to start exercising again.

      Delete
  6. 1artsychickMarch 5, 2019 at 1:54 PM

    So glad you are feeling better and so nice new friends are helpful.
    you are really immersing yourself in family. Not just yours, but family in general. It's nice and so nice to read about.

    wendy from picnicwithants.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiMarch 5, 2019 at 3:00 PM

      Thank you for your kind words. Family is so important! If you enjoy hearing about family connections, you really should check out the TV show, Relative Race. It's such a positive show! The new season starts on March 10.

      Delete
  7. KerryMarch 5, 2019 at 4:17 PM

    I love snow and your photo to start this post. Whether it's a light dusting or a thick blanket, but easy to say. I don't usually do the shovelling.

    :-)

    Glad you're feeling better and ready to take on the world again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiMarch 5, 2019 at 4:21 PM

      I love the snow, too, which I guess is a good thing. :-) Like you, though, I'm not usually the one who does the shoveling.

      Delete

Post a Comment

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!

Popular posts from this blog

Ten Things of Thankful: Autumn Edition

It's autumn time, one of my favorite times of year.  I just couldn't leave this weekend as a one-post weekend.  
21 comments
Read more

Ten Things of Thankful: Last Two Weeks

  Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, as viewed from an overlook I apologize for not commenting on your blog posts this past week; John and I took a vacation to Yellowstone National Park, leaving behind our computers and, to a large extent, cell phone service. We escaped the outside world and just spent time in nature. Though we have friends near Yellowstone (who we love to visit) we made this trip just about us, so please forgive us if we were nearby and didn't stop by. The crowds were minimal (though we did mask up whenever we passed someone on the trails) and we spent our days hiking, taking photos, and watching geysers erupt. Today, we are back home and back to work, and, in the case of my computer, back to old shenanigans like not letting me import my photos. (I was able to add the above photo by using blogger on my phone, but that isn't my preferred method.) I want to write about Yellowstone and have photos I want to share, but will leave that for another...
10 comments
Read more

Monday Mentions: Equate Crutches

Have you ever needed crutches? I hadn't, until a week ago.  I'm pretty sure I strained a muscle while running a half-marathon.  (That sounds kind of cool, doesn't it? I'm not actually that cool; the last time I strained a muscle it was from carrying too many shopping bags at once.) In any case, I found myself in need of some crutches. I sent my husband to the store to get some. Photo: A pair of crutches leans against a wall  Not that crutches are all that complex, but because I hadn't used any before, I wondered if I could figure out how to adjust them to fit me properly. I shouldn't have worried. John came home from Walmart with their generic store brand of crutches, complete with instructions. First, I needed to take out a long bolt that went through the hand grip. Then I needed to find my height range, push down two metal pieces, and slide the crutches until the little metal pieces came up in the hole near my height range. (Having two people for this...
4 comments
Read more