Thanks-giving

Along with myriads of other people, I've been taking stock today of the many things I am grateful for.  It would be so easy to just make a list.  And I often do just that.

I try, though, to have gratitude in my heart each and every day.  And I mentally try to pick something different to focus on.  If my heart is full of gratitude, there is still room in my heart for other good things and perhaps less room for the things that aren't quite such sought-after attributes.  And I'm fully cognizant I am a work in progress.

Tonight, I am grateful for a good day.  A day mostly free from stress, but punctuated with good food, some sunshine, some conversation, a few games, a bit of laughter and an enhanced awareness of all the good in our lives.  A day of reminders how precious life is, how blessed we are by our Heavenly Father and how beautiful the entire plan created for our joy and salvation.

A couple favorite guys enjoying some sunshine.

I am anxious to continue finding gratitude in each day, in new ways.

Tuesday That Feels Strange

Started off the morning with my walk.  How good it feels to get back into that routine.  Didn't particularly enjoy, though, the girl who flipped me off when she nearly drove into me because she was so determined to get out into traffic fast. (I was in the crosswalk and also had the right of way.  She was just w-a-y too anxious - at the risk and peril of whatever pedestrian was around.)  I'm still puzzled at people who think that's appropriate or even acceptable behavior.

A heretofore unseen sight in the church parking lot.

To brunch with some friends.  I fear I talked their ears right off.  Even looked for them (their ears) on the floor as we left the eatery.  (Still feeling a pang of disappointment in myself - saw a friend and I didn't - though I should have - invited her to sit with us.)

The apple cart has been upset.  We are not going to the kids' for Thanksgiving.  The Husband has been requested to speak at the funeral.  The time frame was too problematic.  Lucky for me I - on a whim - picked up a turkey last week.  Today saw me at the grocery for the rest of the goodies needed to fill our table though it won't be the full traditional feast.  Just a smaller one better suited for our smaller group.

Still smiling in my head at the young lady who out-of-the-blue told me how much she liked my Tiffany glasses.  She'd tried to get some herself but they were too small for her face.  I guess that's a rare benefit of having the teeny head that I do. How nice of her to voice the compliment.

Thinking there should be some sort of cosmic law that prevents mail from recently departed loved ones arriving in our box.  A thank you from our friend arrived today.  Made my shoulders (and my heart) just slump.

Wondering if I'll ever get the Christmas spirit this year.  Seems doubtful at this point.  Don't have a single idea of what to get anyone.  Not sure I even want to.  Everyone we gift has such abundance already it feels near impossible to find something meaningful.

Wowed myself by managing to return from vacation not a single pound heavier in spite of all the eating we did.  (Was disgustedly wowed by the sight of my body in the pictures The Husband took.  How he can love this fatness is a mystery.) Alas, the wowing has departed.  Stepped on the scales to a fresh, new, higher number.  :-(

Tonight's gratitude:  for comfy shoes.  And a husband who doesn't mind body-abundance.

Heavy Heart

We lost a friend yesterday.  A dear sweetheart of roughly 30 years acquaintance.  Her life, while filled with many health challenges, was characterized by humor, humility, selflessness and kindness - to name only a few.

I passed her house this morning on my walk.  Her empty, dark house.  And felt a pang in my heart that we will no longer hear her voice, see her smile, or hug her shoulders.  I have often left kisses on her forehead at the end of a visit and felt richer for having been in her company.

We will miss her.

Saturday

And I'm enjoying being home.  A get-a-way is a good thing.  Even though most people love to travel (and in a lot of respects, I do, too) I am a confirmed homebody at heart.  I love being here.

I've finally completely caught up on the laundry and sundry other chores.  The pine needles and leaves have had some raking from The Husband.  The larder is stocked.  We've managed to see 5 of our 9 grandchilluns.  Tomorrow we'll be back at church in our home ward.  Things are looking pretty good for the moment.

I had some interaction with someone.  A couple of someones actually.  Been thinking a lot about people and relationships and how it all works - or doesn't work.  It truly is important how we treat one another.  That we listen.  That we make eye contact.  That we proffer our hearts.  That we keep our disappointments/pain/disagreements/judgements to ourselves.  We never ever know what another is feeling or how we affect them.

I think about this because of the reaction I saw from other someones for me.  How heartwarming to round the corner of an aisle, see a familiar face and notice the immediate welcoming smile.  What balm to my soul to be received with a hug from someone who rarely evidences any regard for me.  What joy to have a younger someone run to me with outstretched arms.  What very teensy glimpses these are of the care and concern our Heavenly Father must have for us.  How much better for us to emulate Him to the best of our abilities.

Tonight's gratitude:  for the memory of the full moon sparkling on the breaking waves at the beach. Can't wait to see it again.  And for home.

Our Next Vacation

The usual reward from the dentist.

Next time, I'd like to try to figure out a way to take a vacation here at home.  One with my own shower, and my own bed and my own "stuff" around, minus the computers, work, chores, obligations - anything that doesn't feel like a vacation.  I've tried in the past to do that but somehow it never works out.  A project for the future.

I went with a fair amount of trepidation to the dentist for my semi-annual cleaning/check-up.  I've had a tooth that has been sensitive to cold.  Not sweet.  Just cold.  After a close scrutiny of both the x-rays and my actual mouth the verdict:  no cavities!  YAY for me! He says it appears to be just a sensitivity, gave me some instructions and sent me on my way with a grin.  (The grin was on both our faces!) No dental work for me again this time.  Whew!  Even though I know and like the man, visiting the dentist is always a painful experience for me.  I'd rather avoid him.

Spent some time at Costco.  Haven't been to Costco in a while.  Thus, my list was long.  And the receipt even longer since I succumbed to the temptations of good deals. Truly, though, I only came home with 2 small indulgences.  Ran into a friend and had a brief chat as the hordes of shoppers swirled around us.  Hard to carry on a conversation that way.

Still thinking about that older guy we saw from the car while we were driving in FL.  He was speeding down the sidewalk in his Jazzy-style cart.  Nothing really unusual about that.  What caught our attention and caused us some consternation/laughter:  he was pulling a small trailer.  Carrying what we presumed was his wife, standing there on the trailer like she was riding a Segway.  Really?  I'm still bemused by the whole thing; first of all that he would do such a thing and secondly that she would actually participate.

Today's gratitude:  it's difficult to refine those feelings so they'll fit into my ramblings here.  For good health.  For the wherewithal to stock our larders full.  For comfy clothes and socks to keep my tootsies warm.  And for no cavities!

Endings and Beginnings

Sadly, our vacation ended last night (rather early this morning).  Today begins the clean-up.  I've managed to get a haircut, reduce the mail stack by more than half, the newspapers by 3/4 and completed 5 loads of laundry.

I'm just going to go stream of consciousness here, try to get some thoughts down before they escape me completely, which most of them probably already have.

• You're never too old for Disney parks.

Amazingly Calm Water

• Don't go in November expecting it to be calm and sparsely attended.  Expect great loads of people - from strollers to jazzy-carts and everything in between - and noise levels to rival a rock concert.  (I quickly reached my saturation with the noise.) November attendees are also subjected to constant unending Christmas music - which seems so incongruous in the 83 degree sunshine.

Our traditional feet in water pic.

• While the exact origins of the "queue" are most likely lost somewhere in the mists of time, Disney has perfected it into an art form.  No one does queues like Disney.  Even when it appears the line is short, don't bet on it.  FastPasses are a fabulous invention.

I rarely get soda- easy to see which is mine.

• My admiration, respect and affection for caregivers of all ages and kinds was positively reinforced this trip.  There were many people attending the park with challenges and disabilities of all kinds, surrounded by loving companions.  Kudos to the caregivers everywhere for their patience, their concern and their unselfishness.  Christlike behavior that is an example to us all.

YAY!  The Beach!

• A woman's bra (including the straps) is by definition underwear. To me that means under the outer clothing.  Invisible.  Bra straps just hanging out there:  tacky.  Particularly when they're dingy and ragged.  Save me, please - wear underwear under, not outer.

• Disney Dining plans are great.  Use with caution, can result in excess weight gain.

• Still prefer the Atlantic coasts/beaches over the Pacific ones.

No signs like this in Utah.

• We covered a fair amount in our 2+ days on Daytona Beach Shores:  walked the beach,saw the manatees, walked the beach, spied on vultures and meandering badgers, found a sand dollar (and a half),  climbed 200+ stairs to the top of the lighthouse, walked the beach a bit, found the boardwalk and watched a young couple ride the human slingshot (looked w-a-y fun ~ but pricey) and walked the beach a tad more.

Almost the top of the lighthouse, looking down.

• Aunt Catfish's On The River:  YUM!

Don't Miss This Eatery

• Daytona Beach Walmart is just like every other Walmart I've been in.

Our last beach sunrise this trip.

• Thanks to someone special watching the house, we were able to relax and know that things were taken care of here, always a point of anxiety for me.

• Always take some sort of rain slicker when going to Florida.  We totally utilized ours.

• Together is always the very best place to be.  There is no place like home.  Together + Home = Heaven.

• My gratitude today includes: the luxury of being able to take a break from the everyday,  the blessing of traveling safely... and my own bed.  Which is calling to me.

Alone Again.

And after 43 years of marriage I am super-lonesome when The Husband is gone.  November is proving to be a challenge for me.  Gone...home...gone...home.  I'm not even sure if I'm coming or going.

Made the bottom of my foot cold.

I've started a new trend.  In the past, when I've found holes in my socks (such as this one) I've tossed the complete pair.  Now, I toss just the one.  And wear the remainder with another remainder. Generally it is just around the house; I've unshackled myself from the bonds of wearing only matching socks.  Life is more fun this way.

HuHot!  Loved it.

Treated ourselves to lunch at our new Mongolian Grill.  I so love this kind of food! Whenever I find myself craving a bunch of vegetables (which I often do) I'll prolly head over for lunch. IMO, all you can eat is not gluttony when it is veggies! (And what is going on today?  People keep asking me all kinds of personal questions and telling me more about their own lives than I had even considered asking.  I must not have my "in-a-surly-mood-don't-talk-to-me"block on today.)

I never tire of this view!

The Husband spent some time this a.m. gathering up the leaves I had raked, even the ones I had raked that the wind scattered.  The cottonwood trees are nearly done, but the honeylocusts in the front have barely begun to shed their summer finery.  I even love the way these trees look sans their leaves.

Even has a smiley face!

The Husband's employer partners with Virgin Health.  I happily jumped on board with the step-counter - after all I pretty much walk every day, why not get rewarded for all those steps I take?  Virgin has only supported one device - their own GoZone pedometer that has been fraught with issues.  Newsflash: now they do the the FitBit! I love it's eentsy size.  And the fact that I can get it in something other than black.  (Life is meant to be lived in full color!) Plus: it is wireless so with the iPad app I can just be in proximity to my iPad and it will automatically sync and keep track of all those steps I'm taking!  So far, no glitches!

I can come up with lots of reasons to be grateful tonight, but the one I most hope for (The Husband's presence) isn't going to happen.  Perhaps I'll head out later for a gelato.  I can be grateful for that.  Maybe instead, I'll just say I'm grateful that he'll be home the morning after tomorrow!  Yep, that works.

Is It Only Wednesday?

I raked for quite a bit of time.

The Husband is in the office in CA.  I didn't fill my days quite so full this trip.  Thus, I find myself wishing time would speed up - I've missed The Husband so.

Saw a couple deer up close and personal while on my walk this morning.  I still delight in seeing the wildlife around here.

Won't be throwing our leaves over the fence like this place.

Decided to spend some time outdoors.  It seems the raking will never end.  The cottonwood trees are mostly empty of their leaves; the maples are about half done.  The pines which-are-aka-evergreens are still carpeting the lawn with the no-longer-green needles.  These piles (above) of leaves aren't teeny - about ten feet long, knee high (my knees are roughly 19" high) and comprise only about 20-25% of the yard's leaves.  (oops, must have been shaking from all the hard work - one of these days I'll take a non-fuzzy picture.  I'd re-do it but it is now dark outside and I'm a'scared of the dark.) And I'm mindful of the fact that we have already raked several times and I think there'll be several times more.

It helps to be outdoors.  When it's cool outdoors it helps to clear my head - in spite of the incessant barking dogs that seem to always surround me.

Been thinking a lot about something I read recently.  Something along the lines of it being no small thing to understand.  I find this concept fascinating - if I truly do understand, it affects a lot of things: my reactions, my other behavior, my thinking, my approach to something.  That might be a good goal - to truly understand.

Weather

Morning snow

I guess it's true what they say about the weather in Utah:  if you don't like it, just wait a bit and it'll change.  Woke up this morning to snow - that sputtered and started and sputtered again.

Half an hour later...

Just before breakfast took the picture of the snow - it was too pretty out.  Half an hour later took a picture of the same scene - and sunshine!

Today's gratitude:  for working furnaces that make our home snug and warm.

Monday Again

Beautiful, isn't it?

And where does the time go?  Saturday was spent movie-ing, rake-ing, Home Depot-ing and clock set-ing.  Sunday was spent Church-ing, rest-ing, chatt-ing, and walk-ing.  I am so love-ing this weather.

Dawn this morning brought the departure of The Husband for his week at work.  Then he'll be off to the kids' for a quick Saturday/Sunday trip, then we are gone for 8 days, then home for a few, then off to Thanksgiving.  And I'm already tired from all that "-ing" stuff we did over the weekend.  :^)

Should have spent today raking some more.  Gonna run out of bags for the needles/leaves if I do.  I'll wait till after garbage pick-up.

Today's view of one of the cottonwood trees included the stunning blue sky.  Just the other day the tree was covered in leaves.  Now those leaves cover the yard.  It's as if the tree all of a sudden decided it was tired and just dropped all (or almost all) of the leaves at once.  Made for a lovely leaf-fall (rather than rain-fall).

Ran across this quote the other day that I so loved.  But no, still not fond of stripes and plaids worn together in the same outfit.  Uh-uh. Not even if you're a genius.

“Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.”

― Albert Einstein

And after today (and all those other days when The Husband is gone):  decided I don't like living alone.

Today's gratitude:  for my cellphone and all the convenience it affords me.

Spectacular Evening

Tonight was the first of our season tickets to the symphony.  Guest artist:  Brian Stokes Mitchell.  How can one body contain such abundance of talent?  It radiates from him!  We tried to decide our favorite song of the evening and couldn't - there were so many.  Rarely have I heard America The Beautiful sung (a cappella no less) with such power and emotion, yet so simply rendered.  Within the first couple notes from his mouth he captivated the entire building.  He owns the stage.

And if the zest for life he portrays isn't real, then he is one amazing actor!  I speculated to The Husband that Mr. Mitchell sleeps with a smile on his face.  He made certain that he ended the concert on a high note - not only literally - but with the expressed thought of hope and confidence in the future.  It was an amazing evening.

I picked up my latest cross stitch from the framer the other day.  This was such fun to do.  I haven't worked with silk floss before.  The picture is fairly small - the actual stitching only about 5 x 2 1/2 inches.

How could we function without such hope?  We mustn't lose it.