Ten Things of Thankful: Life is a Bowl Full of Thankfuls

Photo: Red ripe cherries peak through green leaves on the tree

Erma Bombeck once wrote a book titled, If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What am I Doing in the Pits? I think humor is a great tool for dealing with the challenges that come our way, but I also think it is good to remember that if there are pits, it is because we have cherries. Some of the things I am thankful for this week are not all that exciting, but remind me that my life is indeed (figuratively, of course) a bowl of cherries--and pits and all, I'm thankful.

1. I'm thankful for literal cherries. We have a little cherry tree that is a sucker from our neighbor's, and I noticed that it actually has cherries on it this year. Well, had. Before I got around to picking them, the birds enjoyed them. That's OK, though, because not too long ago, the neighbor on the other side of us brought over a huge bowl of cherries for us to enjoy. We ate some and froze the rest. Yum!

2. I'm thankful that with a new alternator, the van has decided it is unnecessary to display the brake and battery dashboard lights. We don't particularly like the fact that it has reached the age where things start to act up, but overall, it runs well.

3. I'm thankful that the tire store offers free repairs, and after the alternator got replaced, we could take the van in to get a slow leak fixed. 

Despite the fact that we are thankful that the van is still running, John and I also realize that at some point in the future, we will need to replace at least one of our vehicles. The other day, the very first friend I made in first grade posted a video on Facebook about her new car. Apparently cars of today have more bells and whistles than the cars we (and my friend) have been driving. Yvonne is a multi-talented, very bright woman--the sort of person who could easily intimidate you, but she's too nice to do that. (I'm totally impressed that she spent a winter in the Antarctic, for example!) Anyway, watch this video, and you'll realize why:

4. I'm thankful for friends, for humor, and for the reminder that no matter how many accolades we receive, we are all human.




5. Speaking of cars, I'm thankful that there are still older cars on the road, or in this case, in the parking lot of Lowe's.

Photo: A long, white, convertible car, the make, model, and year I don't remember, but probably in the 50's or early 60's

5. I'm thankful for the satisfaction that comes with canceling a service that is not needed. (And I'm thankful that we actually can get over-the-air TV reception here!)

6. I'm thankful for another productive phone call--our internet costs jumped quite a bit after the first year of service, but by making one call, I easily was able to lock in for 2 years nearly the same rate that we were paying--only $5 more per month, which seems reasonable.

7. I'm thankful for a surprise while I was sweeping the ceiling of my porch. (Anyone else have lots and lots of tiny little bugs swarming? I sweep inches of dead bugs nearly every day.) I think I found out where a past owner kept a spare key. As we changed the locks when we moved in, the key is useless. It sure surprised me when it fell down, though. 

Photo: A (presumably) house key on the concrete floor of the porch

8. I'm thankful for how a simple change can make a big difference. The pansies that had been in the planters on my porch rail did well in the spring, but in the heat of summer, they were done. I put in some geraniums instead, along with some upright blue-flowered plants that might be salvia, but I don't remember.

Photo: White planters filled with red geraniums, blue salvia (?) and trailing creeping Jenny decorate the porch rail

9. I'm thankful for exciting TToT news: Clark, Dyanne, and Pat have agreed to be co-hosts. Be sure to stop by their blogs and say thanks! (And stay tuned, as we have at least one more co-host joining us later this summer.) If you, too, would like to be a co-host, just let me know! 

10. I'm thankful for John. He listens to my family history discoveries, laughs at my bad puns, and together we figure out technology challenges (like how to block spam texts, for example.)

Bonus thankful: I'm thankful to live in a neighborhood where residents are quick to report fires, and for first responders who were able to quickly contain a mountainside brush fire. It wasn't directly behind us, but it was close enough that it could have been a problem had it grown bigger and gotten out of control. As it turned out, only 6 acres burned, no one had to evacuate, and no damage was done. 

(If there is one thing I learned from living in California, it is that every year has a bad fire season. During years of little rain, everything is super dry, and therefore, the fire season is a bad one. During the infrequent years where we received precipitation, shrubs and grasses would grow, thus providing fuel for fires, and therefore, the fire season is a bad one. If things work the same way here in Utah, this fire season will be a bad one of the second variety.)

Whether it was a cherry week or a pit week, what are you thankful for? Link up a post, and/or comment below! :-)

Linking up this week:
The Prolific Pulse
Messy Mimi's Meanderings
Backsies is What There is Not
Catch My Words
A Season and a Time
The Wakefield Doctrine
Girlie on the Edge
Viola's Daily Musings

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