Thankful Me

Photo: Two patio chairs with blue cushions sit on a nearly-completed brick patio in the middle of a wild hillside I feel a bit like an old lady in saying this, but really, where does the time go? It's definitely flying by, but I love all the months remaining in the year, so I'm not complaining. So much to look forward to (and be thankful for!) ("So much to which to look forward, and for which to be thankful," for the grammarians out there.)  Putting aside some syntax, because I'm going for "conversational" and not "stuffy," but already fearing that this glimpse into the angst of writing an introduction is now bordering on "off-kilter," I'd better just stop while I'm (hopefully) ahead and jump into the purpose of this post: to share Ten Things of Thankful! 1. I'm thankful for raspberries. Specifically, I'm thankful that my neighbor shared her discovery of a U-Pick raspberry farm not far from here.  2. I'm ...

Photo: Mountains show a dusting of snow under an overcast sky World Gratitude Day is tomorrow. I only recently learned about it, but it is definitely a celebration I endorse. When we focus our attention on something, that is what we will find. I choose to focus on things that make me feel thankful. Here's what I've found this week: 1. I'm thankful for the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop (started by Lizzi ), and for all the hosts, co-hosts, and participants through the years.  2. I'm thankful for (technically still) summer snow on the mountains behind our home. Today is a blustery, rainy day, and snow is falling at the higher elevations. Having grown up in rainy Oregon, there is just something homey about gloomy, cloudy days. 3. I'm thankful that yesterday was nice and sunny, and I spent time painting the back steps. I had started scraping old paint off months ago, but had procrastinated the fun part of the project. It's so nice to know that the wood is...

Caption: White letters on a black and grey background reads, "AMBASSADOR rootstech February 26-29, 2020 Salt Lake City, Utah Register at RootsTech.org I received an email last night with some great news: I have been accepted as an ambassador for RootsTech 2020, which will be held next February in Salt Lake City. Though I have attended RootsTech before, I've never been there in an official capacity, and I'm honored and excited to be able to be more involved. Stay tuned for more information. (A little heads-up: there will be a fantastic giveaway for one lucky reader in a future post!) In the meantime, mark your calendars for February 26-29, 2020. If you can make it to Salt Lake City to attend in person, that's great! If not, there are virtual passes available, so you can access videos of some of the classes.  RootsTech is the world's largest genealogical conference, and whether you are just beginning to explore your family history, or are a professional geneal...

Photo: A Minnie Mouse made of giant pumpkins smiles over the entrance to Disneyland Youngest daughter and I went on vacation last week, leaving behind chores and projects to spend some time together. John stayed home and so while we were off having fun, he saw to it that home projects got completed.  1. I'm thankful the wild, hilly part of our backyard now has sprinklers! Now that regular watering is possible, I can start planning where to put lilacs, raspberries, and other plants. The area is huge and the project will be ever-evolving, but I love gardening projects! 2. I'm thankful for some rain. I think the sprinkler installers were, too, because it made it easier to dig. Our soil is more rocks than dirt, and the installers quickly realized that trying to dig the trenches by hand would take forever. They left and returned with a trench-digger, and I think the recent rainfall made it at least a tiny bit easier. 3. I'm thankful for a mom-daughter vacation with you...

Photo: Roses and lavender grow in a bark-covered planting bed Because I published my last TToT on Monday, this week has gone very quickly, but I'm sure I can still find ten things to list! 1. I'm thankful for eyeglasses. It had been 2 years since my last eye exam, and I thought maybe my prescription had changed a bit. I didn't wear glasses until after turning 40, and even then I just used readers for several years until finally getting tired of having to constantly take glasses on and off. Then I broke down and got progressives, with just a very tiny distance prescription in the lenses. Every couple of years, the prescription got a little stronger (both in distance and close-up). This week, although my astigmatism is worse and the close-up prescription got stronger (and the doctor said that was to be expected "at each birthday"--I haven't even had my birthday yet this year; he just didn't want to say "as you age.")  my distance prescriptio...

Photo: A peek into the Hidden Garden at Ashton Gardens. A vine-covered archway leads to a shallow pool and water fountain. I'm a bit later than I usually am in linking up a TToT post, but I knew that I would have lots to say after the weekend, so I held off until now. Last week, as John and I were sitting at the table, we heard a big thud. I went out to the porch, expecting to see a dead (or at least stunned) bird outside the window, but the only bird I saw was a magpie, flying out of our maple tree. I didn't think too much about it, until a day or two later I was standing outside, looked at the window, and because the light was just right, noticed this: Photo: A dusty outline of a bird in flight appears on a window of my house. The side yard and neighbor's yard is reflected in the window. 1. I'm thankful the bird (and the window) survived the impact. 2. I'm thankful that a couple of friends from California were able to come visit for a few days. They...