This week, I am thankful:
that I got a walk in yesterday before it rained
I was so happy that it was still partly sunny yesterday morning; plenty of time to get in a walk before the clouds and rain moved in.
for the needed rain
I do not love rainy days per se, but I recognize that we need rain! Rain is better than a drought, so I am gonna be thankful.
for the ability to hike hills
I’ve been going for walks on some hilly trails in the woods here, and I was thinking about how glad I am I can do this.
For part of January, I wasn’t able to do this because of recovering from the plague (!) and then in February, I twisted my knee and wasn’t able to do much walking for a few weeks.
But right now, nothing on my body is messed up and I am able to walk basically as far as I want to. Yay!
for beauty in the woods
I am happy to walk on neighborhood roads, of course. But I am especially happy to walk on paths in the woods; there are so many interesting things to see!
that Lisey likes her job
She’s back in the garage, doing tire and battery installations, and she’s loving it. And so far, all the dudes she’s working with have been respectful.
(This is not a thing that is a given by any stretch of the imagination! If you want to know whether sexism is alive and well, just be a woman and go work in a male-dominated field. You will not be confused on this topic for more than a minute.)
for less-expensive gas this week
Still high? Yup. But this is better than last time I filled up.
for a fun cleaning session with my niece
I have a niece who is right around Lisey’s age, and between school and work, her room had gotten a bit overwhelmingly messy.
This was driving her nuts, but she was having trouble getting started on it, so I offered to help.
And this week she texted me, “Aunt Kristen, can you come help me clean?”
I spent half a day with her and then she finished up all the rest of it after I left. We had a fun time together and now her room feels way better to her. Yay!
for the way “boring” skills can still bless others
Cleaning and organizing are not particularly flashy skills.
But despite their boring, ordinary nature, I have been able to use those skills so many times over the years to help other people (for instance, when I helped my aunt for a couple of years.)
This train of thought always reminds me about how everyone has something to offer to others. It could be a meal, a listening ear, childcare, errand-running, handyman jobs, paperwork help*, or any number of other things.
(*our dear Alaskan reader here, Lindsey, voluntarily helps people navigate medial insurance!)
Isn’t it so wonderful that we can help in such a wide variety of ways? No one needs to feel useless.
for how much it blesses us when we bless others
I was listening to a podcast this week in which an expert was talking about how important it is for humans to be able to give love to others and have that love received.
He talked about how even little toddlers really want to share their Cheerios or goldfish with you, and they are SO delighted when you happily receive these gifts.
As I was helping my niece this week, she was really appreciative, and it made me so happy to be able to do something valuable for her. What a lovely symbiotic situation this helping-others thing is.
Becca
Sunday 27th of March 2022
For cousins and family. My kids had their cousins over for make your own pizzas and a play date and they all had a really nice time, even stuck inside in the cold.
For a couple days of warm weather last week. It only lasted a day or two but it was really nice to get outside and enjoy some nice weather.
For modern medicines. We were over to my brother & sister in laws for a birthday party and I am so allergic to dogs, they have two. But I was able to take some Zyrtec and use my albuterol inhaler and I feel almost 100%. What a relief that is!
For our house. The housing market is crazy by us right now and I feel bad for people trying to buy right now. We bought ours back when the market was low and we have a very manageable mortgage. Our house is old and full of things that need updating so it is easy for me to get caught up in the negative things. But really such low housing costs are a huge blessing.
Grateful for my son’s enthusiasm for mushroom hunting. I have recently gotten into it and my older son seems to really enjoy it too! It is a fun free activity to do together.
Beth
Sunday 27th of March 2022
When I was in my mid-twenties (many years ago ;)) I worked at a tile dealership. We sold ceramic tile to tile contractors, who mostly worked for building contractors, installing tile in new construction homes. We had a showroom of sorts where people could choose their tile. It was nothing like tile showrooms today. And we had a warehouse in the back where we wheeled around on a forklift, loading massive pallets of tile onto contractor's trucks. I've always been interested in home building and found the job overall really interesting, but I was the only female there -- all my coworkers were men, all the contractors were men, all their helpers were men. It was a WHOLE THING. And something tells me that sexism in that kind of environment hasn't gone away in the last 25 years. Props to Lisey for doing something she loves and props to her current coworkers for behaving as people should.
And this week, I'm thankful for lots of things, but especially for you, Kristen. Yours is a unique and welcomed and loved voice in the blogging space and I'm grateful for your willingness to share your kind heart and your vulnerability.
Kristen
Monday 28th of March 2022
Aww, that is such a sweet compliment. Thank you!!
And I will tell Lisey about your work story. :)
Jem
Friday 25th of March 2022
I’m thankful to be on spring break! I’m thankful my crafting girls are coming for the day. It’s my side hustle, and we’ll spend the day creating and having fun. I’m thankful for our new kitten! We lost all three of our furry family members in the past year and a half, which has been rough. But this little guy is funny and sweet and filling a hole in our hearts. I’m thankful for light into the evening. It’s been a long, hard winter (for everyone, I think), and this feels exceedingly welcome. I’m thankful for a city filled with blossoming trees. It’s still pretty cold, but they are doing their level best to remind us it’s spring and surround us with beauty.
Isa
Friday 25th of March 2022
* Enjoy your cheap gasoline! Here in Canada, I pay (equivalent) 6.97$/gallon at the moment. Yuck
My 5 TT: * Having a car and the means to pay for it (insurances, gas, permit, etc) * Seems like hubby will be getting a good chunk of money for a legal settlement * Having finished both end-of-trimester papers * A good mariage * Great kids :)
Cassandra
Thursday 24th of March 2022
I am thankful my husband took the day off with me to bring our son into the city for a doctors appointment. Navigating that alone in the rain would have been nerve-wracking for me. I am thankful for good medical care close to home. Our school is donating money to a children’s hospital in Ukraine. I am thankful I work at school that teaches children to care for others. I am thankful that my first graders love to sing and dance. School would be boring if we didn’t sing and dance. Despite, the typical cold and flu, my children have stayed healthy without masks at school.