Ten Things of Thankful: Coming Up on a Decade!

 

Photo shows a red sun setting over the Great Salt Lake

As I've been gathering my thoughts for my post (and that's an apt expression, because sometimes my thoughts are all over the place!), I realized that the beginning of next month will be the 10th anniversary of the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop! Put June 7th on your calendar as TTOT Day.  Invite your family, friends, and neighbors and have some cake. If there can be "Christmas in July" activities, there can certainly be "Thanksgiving in June!" 

In the meantime, you can gear up for the big party by thinking on the past week. What are you thankful for this week? Here's my list:

1. I'm thankful for a negative covid test and the end of isolation. As much as I love my bedroom, I'm glad to not be confined to it anymore.

2. I'm thankful that the isolation paid off and John didn't get sick.

3. I'm thankful for individuals and businesses that are generous to foster families. I had the chance on Tuesday to pick up a donation from a local clothing consignment store, sort through and bag up items of like sizes, and offer the bags to foster families. I was absolutely blown away by the number of items donated--the bags completely filled my big SUV! I plan on volunteering to pick up donations in the future, too, because I realize that most of the people who do the pick ups are current foster parents, and I am amazed that those parents would have the time, space, and/or energy to do that. It's an easy thing for me to do as an empty-nester, and the clothing is so much appreciated by the foster families. 

Me in the driver's seat of my SUV surrounded by bags of donated clothing

4. I'm thankful for the temple. John and I had the opportunity to go to the temple this week, and it's always such a peaceful experience.

5. I'm thankful for the chance to go on an overnight camping trip. We recently purchased a small camping trailer, and we wanted to test it out with a short trip close to home. Our first choice of campground canceled our reservation (something about "winter storm damage"), so I booked a place not in the mountains. We went to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. I should have read between the lines on the "No refunds given due to bugs" clause of the reservation. That meant "We have tons of bugs here! Be forewarned!" We did have our bug spray, though, and we were glad to be camping in a trailer rather than a tent. I think I escaped with only one mosquito bite. (Correction: I have now discovered two. Hopefully that will be all.) 

In the middle of the night, we awoke to the howling of coyotes. They sounded close, but I didn't look out the window. I wish I had, because the next morning, there were coyote-sized indentations in the grass just outside our door. 

6. I'm thankful for wildlife. In addition to the coyotes we heard, we saw buffalo, deer, and antelope. And though the bugs were aptly buggy, and it's hard to be thankful for biting bugs, the sheer numbers of them were amazing! Fortunately, we saw the largest amount as we were driving home the next morning. This video is not the best, partly due to the very dirty windshield I was filming through, but if you look closely, you can see the swarms of bugs. My dad said they were probably midges, and as he used to tie fishing flies professionally, I'm apt to believe that he knows his bugs. (I'm hoping the video shows up; I seem to be having technical difficulties loading it.)

7. I'm thankful for opportunities to gather together. I had the chance to attend a baby shower on Saturday, and it was nice to chat with women in my neighborhood. 

8. I'm thankful for how well most things are growing. I have columbine that is producing huge blossoms, my peonies are about to flower, the lilacs are spectacular, violets I grew from seed have colorful little blossoms, and overall it is a beautiful spring.

A palm-sized blue and white columbine blossom (with my hand for size comparison)

9. I'm thankful for a new garden feature. John built this arch out of cattle panel, and I'm planning on having it support the tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons. 

A arch made from a cattle panel spans the walkway between two garden boxes

10. I'm thankful for John. Whether we are working in the yard, swatting mosquitoes on a camping trip, attending the temple, or sitting down to watch Relative Race (and I highly recommend that show!), we  enjoy being together. 

Your turn! What are you thankful for today? Link up at The Ten Things of Thankful blog, and see what others are saying.