Thankful Me

  Artwork depicting Mary meeting the resurrected Jesus outside the tomb When a child learns that she is going to be a big sister,  she might be able to verbalize that a baby is coming, but she can't really grasp prior to the birth how much that event will change her life. Similarly, while Christians all over the world celebrate Easter Sunday in commemoration of Jesus Christ's victory over the grave, I suspect that while we can verbalize facts, we will "stand all amazed" in wonder and gratitude when we personally experience what is to come after our own death.  Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane and in ways I don't know if I'll ever understand, took upon Himself all the sins of the world. In addition, He also took upon Himself all the heartaches, pains, sicknesses, inequalities, etc.--everything that is wrong in this world. He felt it all, and it caused Him to bleed from every pore. By suffering for our sins, He met the demands of ...

I'm holding a little goat kid, and he is nose-to-nose with me It's been a busy, fun week, and more fun is in store. I'm going to participate in the #AtoZChallenge  this year, and because I decided this with not a lot of time to prepare, I've been traveling here and there collecting blog fodder. My theme this year is "Fun to See." Each day, I'm going to feature another free place to visit in the southern California area. (I am allowing myself to go places that require a parking fee, though.) Might as well have fun with the challenge, right? After a day of driving around taking photos of three different places, I came home and played with my landlord's kids--goat kids, that is! I fed a bottle to the newborns and generally just had a great time.  I'm thankful this week: 1. for reliable transportation. 2. for cute kids. 3. for library storytime with my granddaughter. 4. for blue skies. 5. for the vast expanse of the ocean. 6. for blooming wildflowers....

  Two hummingbirds flit around a feeder Hummingbirds zip around, flying up, flying down, and any direction works for them. In human life, we sometimes say ups are good and downs are bad, but that isn't necessarily so. Some of my "thankfuls" demonstrate that this week: 1. I'm down a pint of blood this week, thanks to the American Red Cross. I'm thankful I can donate to help those in need. 2. The scale continues to go down. Though little losses aren't much, week after week they are beginning to add up. I'm thankful to be shrinking in size and increasing in health. 3. My tire pressure was low this morning (OK, this "down" isn't great), but when I asked the clerk at the service station to exchange my dimes and nickels for some quarters so I could add air, she told me not to worry about it and she would turn on the air machine for me. I'm thankful for free air.  4. I needed to bake some cookies this week to take to a church youth activity. The...

Little candy pots of gold at the end of rainbows The post title above captures what the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop is all about: finding those glimmers in life that bring a sense of gratitude. Whether rainbows (and their proverbial pots of gold) appear amidst dark ominous clouds or fluffy white ones, we take hope in them and our mood is lightened.  Here's a glimpse into my life this week: Last night, John and I watched our grandchildren in their home while their mom and dad had an evening out. I'm thankful we could spend time with them . When we first walked in the door, youngest granddaughter asked me excitedly, "You're going to take me to the library?" I'm thankful that we share a love of the library, even if we don't go there every time I visit. We did, however, read bedtime stories together. With St. Patrick's Day as an excuse, I looked online for  easy snack ideas that the kids might like. I found the pot of gold idea on The Typical Mom blog ...

  A bouquet of multi-colored tulips, with cast-iron bunnies in front It was another quiet week here, but quiet is good. Here's a list to prove it!  I'm thankful: 1. The plum tree in the yard is blooming. 2. Hummingbirds are visiting the feeders I recently cleaned and filled. 3. Colorful tulips brighten our space. 4. I found the cute little bunnies in the photo above at the thrift store, and decided they weren't really a "shoe scraper" as the tag said. (Although they would have made the cutest little shoe scraper ever!) 5. I made it through the 3rd week of the couch-to-5K program. I love how gently the program progresses. 6. The scale continues to move in the desired direction.  7. The temperatures here are pleasant. 8. The landlord's goats are going to have kids sometime soon. 9. Drexel loves the toy banana I got him earlier this year. He brings it to me nearly everyday. 10. John continues to love his job.  How was your week? Don't forget to set your clock...

  My cousin and I in a life-size kaleidoscope at RootsTech 2024 I just got back last night from fun-filled days at RootsTech, a large family history conference. Originally, I had not planned to attend this year, but my cousin contacted me to ask me if I was still going, even though I'm living in California for the year. Before she knew I was moving, she had told her husband she wanted to go to RootsTech for the first time, because she "knew" I would attend and we could visit. She didn't have to twist my arm! We quickly made plans to drive to Utah together, stay at my house there, attend RootsTech, and generally have a great time.  This cousin is not one that I spent a lot of time with growing up, as our families lived in different states and our age difference seemed greater as children. I enjoyed getting to know her these past few days, and am so glad she reached out to me about attending RootsTech together. Hopefully we have started a new tradition!  1. I'm than...