This week I am thankful:
for the gorgeous weather that is here
We had a record low the other night, and it was chilly enough for me to want to wear a sweatshirt over my tank top and shorts. Yay!
surprised and pleased to break out a sweatshirt in August!
I opened the windows to let the lovely air in, and Chiquita was massively gratified. She loves to sit in the windows.
(Shelley is rather scared of the outdoors, so open windows hold less appeal for her. I’m sure she’s thinking things like, “What if I accidentally fall outside??” 😉 These types of things never occur to Chiquita because she would be pleased if she “fell” outdoors.)
for a fresh set of dishcloths from Sonia
When she stopped by to pick up her purple frames, she gifted me with a set of knitted purple dishcloths. It was a very purple exchange! Heh.
Since I’d just gotten my box of peaches, I gave her some and I also gave her the sour cream and onion Pringles from the Sam’s Club multi-pack I’d bought (Zoe doesn’t like the sour cream and onion ones, as it turns out. And I don’t really like potato chips! So no one here was going to eat them.)
that I feel a little better about school starting
I was feeling a little nervous about going back to school, so I sat down with the class calendar and figured out what my life will look like for the first few weeks. It’s gonna be busy, yes, but I feel a little better now that I mapped it out.
And I will feel MUCH better after the first week is done because day two of the semester is our math test (where you need to get 18/20 right or you’re out for the semester) and day three is our clinical competency testing in the sim lab (which we also have to pass to stay in the semester).
I’m pretty sure I will be ok on both fronts, but still, the high stakes are anxiety-provoking.
for my little house
I know I put this on my lists all the time, but it is true: every week I feel thankful for this little house. I am so grateful to have landed here!
And I am SO HAPPY to not be living in a split-foyer house anymore.
(Otherwise known as a bi-level house.)
I vastly prefer my rancher. 🙂
for summer peaches
Oh, so good.
that I figured out free downtown parking
In the very nice parts of downtown, you have to pay even for street parking. But I realized that if I park outside of the downtown area, it’s not that long of a walk to the nice historic parts.
So, I’ve been mixing up my trail walks with some historic downtown area walks.
I like how this tree is winning the fight against the brick sidewalk. 😉
It always makes me chuckle a little when nature pushes back against human development.
And I enjoy seeing the various flowers people have planted in their tiny plots of city ground.
for water views
I am always grateful to live in a place where water views are so plentiful.
I will feel so weird if I ever lived in a landlocked area in the future.
that I can get out of jury duty (hopefully!)
I got a summons for six months of being on call for jury duty, starting in October.
how I felt about the summons
I seriously cannot do that while in nursing school (way too many mandatory lectures and clinical hours!), so I looked it up, and it sounds like you can get excused if you are a full-time student.
I sent in all the paperwork, so hopefully they will approve my exemption.
I’m happy to do my civic duty after nursing school is over. 😉
Hawaii Planner
Thursday 22nd of August 2024
Let's see: 1) Thankful I got to chat with my dad on his birthday yesterday, and that I'm seeing him on Sunday for brunch. 2) Grateful that I'm going to Portland with DS18 today. Even though I won't be able to do the relay we originally signed up for (I'm injured), I will be there to help load up the fan, and I will see him when he's done on Saturday. In between, I will be spending time with my mom, and helping out my sister. Bonus family time. 3) I had a great workout yesterday, and my hip pain is minimal. 4) That DS18 is excited for his senior year. 5) That I felt helpful on my call with the student I'm volunteering with. I'm a college counselor "coach", and it's so related to what I'm doing with my own child (college application process) & I really do feel like I"m adding value & helping her have the best possible chance of getting into her preferred schools. She's an awesome candidate, and I'm glad she is getting additional support.
Andrea G / Midwest Andrea
Thursday 22nd of August 2024
I have a weird desire to be called for jury duty. I have time I guess LOL.
Kristen
Thursday 22nd of August 2024
You can come substitute for me. Ha.
mary ann
Thursday 22nd of August 2024
We are cooler in California, as well. Thank goodness.
I am thankful for my husband of 23 years. I married late in life as did he. We were two full grown people when we started this family. Our marriage counselor said she had never such polar opposites in a marriage: and English teacher and a farmer with a reading disability. But we have built commonalities on loyalty, faith, love of our son, and a great sense of humor. He has wonderful strengths that I have come to rely on such a fabulous head for business, old fashioned gumption and a specialty in motorized vehicles :) When he dropped my soon off at the airport yesterday to go back to college he call me up and said, "I am so thankful I have you to come home to." my man of few words would NEVER have said that ten years ago. Age makes life more precious I think.
Fru-gal Lisa
Thursday 22nd of August 2024
OK, Kristen, showing us your sweatshirt and talking about cool weather when it's 100+ degrees in the South is cruel and unusual punishment, LOL. Could you please send some of that nice cool air our way??? But even in a heatwave there are things to be grateful for: 1. I am thankful for Medicare! Yesterday I went for my annual checkup at my primary care physician's, and there was no copay. Medicare covered it all! But on the visits it doesn't cover 100%, PCP visits are only a $5 copay IIRC -- and specialist visits $35. My medications are usually free, as well, since I have Humana Medicare Advantage. I've been uninsured (and also insured by a horrible provider when working, so I usually ended up paying by credit card and not being reimbursed; I'm looking at you, Aetna) and I will never take health care for granted. 2. Getting to watch news events in their entirety via the internet. Instead of waiting until the network wants to start, I can get in on the beginning of a convention, in this case. Instead of having news anchors cutting in, or them going to commercial, I can listen to the speakers' entire speeches. (Or Stevie Wonder's entire song.) 3. Cool mornings. By afternoon, we're in the triple digits. Sweltering hot. Even at night, it's still in the upper 90s. Talk about hot August nights! 4. Air conditioning!!!! 5. My new Keurig. I splurged on myself and got a new (not used) mini-Keurig at Target the other day. It quickly and quietly brews me a cup of coffee and it doesn't take up much counterspace. (It's designed for dorm rooms, but useful elsewhere.) Unlike my previous ones, no grounds in the coffee, no loud grinding noises, no waiting several minutes for it to heat up, no trouble at all. Yes, it costs more, but the price is worth it. Hopefully, this one will last me for a long, long time.
Kristen
Thursday 22nd of August 2024
I would share if I could. Sweatshirts for all!
Geneva
Thursday 22nd of August 2024
This week I’m thankful:
The mom of one of my son’s teammates gave him a ride home from an event this week (which is enough to be thankful for) and called me later that night to let me know how kind my son was. Her youngest son made the lower team this year and was bummed at the news. My son let him know that he had also made the lower team in the past and told him everything he had to work on to move up AND that he’s a good player and will make the upper team again. She didn’t have to share, she could have kept that warm fuzzy for herself but she shared with me!
My bank refunded the fraudulent charges on my credit card without any hassle.
The weather has been just perfect for long walks, which has been giving me extra audiobook time! I love combining two activities!
School doesn’t start until after Labor Day so we still have a little summer left.