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| Photo: A toddler boy, dressed in a sailor suit, circa 1944 |
I have lots to be thankful for this week:
1. I'm thankful for my dad (pictured above as that cute little sailor boy). He celebrated a birthday recently. Happy birthday, Dad! I'm sitting here listening to the Chad Mitchell Trio as I write this, and I have my dad to thank for influencing my taste in music, among other things.
2. I'm thankful for books. My dad always has a book he's reading. My mom read daily to us kids. I don't remember learning how to read; it just seemed a natural consequence of my childhood environment.
This past week, I received in the mail a book I had ordered. I remembered it from childhood, and every so often I thought about it, so I decided to look for it online. The main character is dissatisfied with where he lives, because he finds it boring. As he sits on the curb and complains, exciting things are happening behind him. I love the message that if we stop complaining and just look around us, we will find what we seek.
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| Photo: The front cover of the children's book, "Nothing Ever Happens on My Block," shows a grumpy little boy sitting on the curb, while behind him is a fireman and a masked man |
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| Photo: We and our friends wait for the taping of Studio C to begin |
5. I'm thankful for friends, and phones. Even though I'm miles away from many of my friends, I can talk to them (and without those old-school long-distance charges!)
6. I'm thankful for phones for calls to/from family, too. One time this week when I answered my phone, I heard sweet little voices asking excitedly, "Is this Grandma?" Why, yes, it is!
7. I'm thankful for pioneers. Pioneer Day is a state holiday here in Utah, and celebrates the arrival of the pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. It is hard to fathom how difficult that journey must have been, but there are resources available to help us understand.
8. I'm thankful for decisions made. As John and I talked after another test-drive this week, we both came to the same conclusion: why mess with a good thing? In last year's wet winter, there was only one day that we had to park the car at the end of the street and walk up the hill to the house. We've always held onto our vehicles until it was obviously time to replace them, so we're going to continue that tradition. We both feel good about our decision.
9. I'm thankful for health. I donated blood this week. Having been on the receiving end years ago, and having a baby who was also on the receiving end, it feels good to be able to give back. The phlebotomist admitted afterwards that he was 2 weeks new to the job, but he did a great job--I didn't bruise at all.
10. I'm thankful for John. Our marriage is like many of my weeks--full of "regular stuff," but definitely filled with joy and thanks.
What are you thankful for this week? Comment below, and feel free to link up your own Ten Things of Thankful!
Joining in this week:
The Prolific Pulse
Her Headache
A Season and a Time
MessyMimi's Meanderings
Lorraine's Frilly Freudian Slip
A Multitude of Musings
The Wakefield Doctrine
Viola's Daily Musings
9. I'm thankful for health. I donated blood this week. Having been on the receiving end years ago, and having a baby who was also on the receiving end, it feels good to be able to give back. The phlebotomist admitted afterwards that he was 2 weeks new to the job, but he did a great job--I didn't bruise at all.
10. I'm thankful for John. Our marriage is like many of my weeks--full of "regular stuff," but definitely filled with joy and thanks.
What are you thankful for this week? Comment below, and feel free to link up your own Ten Things of Thankful!
Joining in this week:
The Prolific Pulse
Her Headache
A Season and a Time
MessyMimi's Meanderings
Lorraine's Frilly Freudian Slip
A Multitude of Musings
The Wakefield Doctrine
Viola's Daily Musings
Such a beautiful week of thankfuls!! Great going to the gym! I need to get back to it, but going to hold out until pool season is over, that's my excuse ROFL I also like letting my cars go until they are just about to expire. I sold mine outright this past year and we are now a one car household. It's working out and we save.
ReplyDeleteSwimming is great exercise; I don't think it's an excuse at all to avoid the gym until after pool season!
DeleteWe could also probably get by with one running vehicle, but I think we'll stick with two. (Moving to UT from CA cut our insurance rates in half, though, so it's almost like we got rid of a car!)
Lots of good "regular stuff." It sounds like you are keeping your vehicles for the time being. It is nice to be able to make those decisions mutually.
ReplyDeleteI learned about another pioneer ancestor this week that I hadn't known about. The connection showed up on FamilySearch.
Now that I see the cover to that book, I remember it!
I might have gotten that same email from FamilySearch.
DeleteI love the book!
A beautiful week, and wish your father many happy returns for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHappy birthday to your Dad! That's awesome that he influenced your taste in music.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful for relative health too. Donating blood sounds like such a rewarding way to give back, especially since you've been on the receiving end of it.
Oh wow, the pioneers. I read a book as a chil about t he Sager children, who were on the trail to Oregon in 1844. I never knew about Utah's history. I'm not in the USA by the way, but I love reading about the American pioneers.
Have a good week.
I grew up in Oregon, so I also loved the stories of pioneers who arrived on the Oregon Trail. The Utah pioneers were a bit different, in that they were primarily members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They traveled over a thousand miles to escape persecution and find a place where they could live and practice their religion freely. If you are interested in pioneers, here's a link that gives more info about the Utah pioneers: https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/subsection/-mormon-pioneers-1847-today?lang=eng
DeleteCan identify with #2. Some of my earliest memories was going to the library with my mother. It was, for some reason, always on a Friday afternoon/evening. Very exciting to get a library card. (All About books seem to stick in the memory).
ReplyDeleteWho can argue with the benefit of enabling communication.
Music does seem to be one of the most enduring of childhood experiences.
Have a good week.
Oh, yes--the library! Our town built a new library when I was still in elementary school, and I remember both the old and new libraries fondly. (The old one had the huge, heavy doors, and the children's section was downstairs. The building smelled like books. The new library's notable feature was the reading pit, a circular space with lots of throw pillows, where patrons were encouraged to relax and read.)
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