It’s Friday the 13th and Full Moon time, so there are going to be lots of memes and such about this day. I didn’t know what it was all about until maybe 3rd or 4th grade when we had to write a report about Friday the 13th. I think that I really did not understand what it was about, even then. I vaguely remember writing something about some kind of warrior god thingie.
Anyways. it’s time for the Ten Things of Thankful for Friday, September 13 or the week proceeding this date.
1. Good News for a close friend with health issues. One of my besties has severe headaches, similar to migraines, but caused by some more specific issues and she is going through some diagnostics, actually today, to see about a way to nip at least some of it in the bud. It makes my heart swell and my nerves are maybe a bit off as my hopes run high for relief. I know so many people with headaches that get to the point of being debilitating. I used to get them and am grateful that they don’t come as often as they used to.
2. Daughter is getting organized. A professional organizer has been helping my daughter with organizing her room. It looks leaps and bounds better and I am so grateful that this wonderful person has helped her. Shameless promo coming: If you know anybody in the area who needs an organizer who has the right kind of heart for the job, I can hook you up.
3. Jeffrey – My little brother would have been 60 on September 10 and I am grateful to have had him in my life and that he keeps letting me know he’s around.
4. Trekking poles – Some days I need these to get around and this has been one of those weeks. I am happy to have these.
5. Used Book Stores – I was looking for a specific book last weekend and hit a couple of the local used book stores. I didn’t find what I was looking for, but I found 2 books for super low prices, both of which serve my craft.
6. Family – For this weeks Six Sentence Story I wrote to the theme of “Cardinal” and it brought to mind the love of family and experience of loss. The responses to the story touched my heart and really brought to me the appreciation of having an intact family while growing up.
7. Unity – I am grateful for the unity of people who rally to support one another when the chips are down. I listen to “Tell Me Something Good” on the Bobby Bones Show and it always makes me smile.
8. Laugh-In – What a fun show about absolutely nothing but funny. Can we bring it back? I saw a remake of sorts, but it was nothing like the original. Still have your Go-Go Boots?
9. Tacos – Because I can.
10. And lastly, but not leastly this is your place at the table of thankfuls. Won’t you join in?
Good Morning! It’s that time again for TTOT and without further adieu, let’s get the party started.
It’s important to me to have an attitude of gratitude, but if that means I force myself to think positive all of the time, then that’s not my way. I have times when thinking one positive thought is a strain. What I do try to do is find ways around the muckedy muck of life and see there is something for which to be grateful. In light of the hurricane and lives lost, it’s hard to think this way. And then one of my good friends just lost her son of 29 years and that’s just so young to leave this world. Where’s the gratitude in that? Well, I can say this: I am grateful for Go Fund Me to help my dear friend pay for the funeral of her son as she did not have the funds to do so. And her agency put in a substantial amount of money to help. So, I guess that’s my #1 Thankful.
2. Resources for Hurricane survivors. It’s devastating to start over after losing everything. I am grateful for all the relief organizations along with the good neighbors who help in so many ways.
3. Swimming Lessons – Daughter started her swim lessons this week and I was able to attend and watch as she learned techniques to help her swim better.
4. Nerves – That’s right! I had to muster up my nerves to deal with a very delicate situation, advocating for someone else’s rights. It irked me, to put it simply, that someone would think they could treat somebody like a second class citizen and I hope I nipped it in the bud.
5. Poetry – Whenever I am perplexed about expression I turn to my most familiar friend of poetry. Here’s my latest For the Bahamas
6. Six Sentence Story – Denise is such a dear heart to keep us well supplied with word prompts and to provide a place for expression and I am so grateful for her. Here’s my latest: Zoned Out and In I hope my characters will be able to express gratitude from the outcome.
7. Poundage is still slipping off. I have lost 8.5 # this summer and an additional pound this week. I am most grateful for having the ability to lose. Not everybody is able to do so.
8. Challenges – I have a project I am working on and it officially starts on Tuesday. I passed the test yesterday and the materials are HARD! I am grateful for challenges to my brain even when it feels explodable.
9. Submission – I submitted my manuscript for my poetry book and it’s still hard to me to believe I did this. It’s been a long time in the making and it’s gone, now out of my hands and it just feels weird.
10. Volunteers – A good friend has volunteered to help with organizing daughter’s room and it’s looking much improved.
Now, it’s your turn to add to the list. What’s happening in your gratitude zone?
It’s the last day for an August posting of Ten Things of Thankful. We have one more day of the month, but we can start posting out thankfuls today. So, let’s get the party started.
In light of a looming hurricane, possibly affecting many people in my zone, and even if not, it affects us all as a world, I am thinking a hurricane focused thankful may be in order.
1. Gratitude for expressions. I wrote a haiku train in devotion to hurricane preps today. Here’s the post In the Storm’s Eye
2. Survival. As North Carolina residents, we have been through some storms, sometimes in the midst of them and other times on the outskirts. I am grateful for survival and pray for those coming into the face of these storms right now. Essential tools for survival: Toilet Paper and Kitty Litter, just saying… Trash bags and Paper Towels. Hand Sanitizer…you get it, right?
3. Batteries. What would we do without these creations? It used to be for having a flashlight. Now it also means we need them for communication. Home phones are usually on a digital line, meaning it all goes in a storm. So, besides batteries for flashlights, we need back up batteries for phones. Photo by mohamed Abdelgaffar on Pexels.com
4. Snacks. What is it about storms that call for Vienna sausages and all manner of junk foods? I think it has to do with stress and the thoughts that come about “why not have what we want and enjoy them!” For me, personally, I will make sure there are healthy snacks, as I have blood sugars to think about and heart health. If you can have those things that are crunchy and decadent, go for it! Celebrate however it brings your happy!! Note: you don’t need heat for smores…just nibble each ingredient and let your palate do the mixup. P.S. Don’t forget Fido and Kitty!! Photo by Muffin on Pexels.com
5. Clothes and Sleep gear. Gratitude abounds that I have comfy clothing. If you are going to hang out in the house during a storm, be sure and be comfy. No need for high fashion. I will rock my jammies if I can get away with it. We are inland. Those who are at risk of evacuating will want to be sure to be comfortable. Fortunately, you can rock jammies in public places, well for the most part 😉
If you have a rain coat, you might want it, just saying… And shoes. Have spares if you can. Do they still make galoshes? Blankets too and sleeping bags and pillows…
6. Fuel. How I remember those propane tanks and campstoves! We had delicious meals in under an hour 😀 If you have the ability, these are great. Just don’t forget to extra load a tank.
7. Thirst aid. That’s right! You gotta have something to quinch your thirst. If water sources are defunk, you wanna have safe beverages. Water is your bestie. If you want coffee, they do make those bottled up ones as well as other drinks. Alcohol, well it’s recommended to not use this in a storm. It may make it hard to navigate as well as dehydrate. Just saying… ’cause nothing but the LOVE here!!
8. Gas. This is part 2 of Fuel – UP THERE – Make sure the tank is tanked up just in case you need to evacuate. I am loading up tonight.
9. First Aid. Be sure to have a first aid kit of some kind on hand. I am not that well organized, but I have it all pretty much in one place. You just never know and aren’t we fortunate to have bandaids. I am thankful we have them because I stepped on glass yesterday and am thankful I am healing well.
10. Oh no!! I am not done!! Let’s jam it up!! Be sure to keep in touch with your loved ones. Even if you are not in touch all the time, it’s a great time to let them know you are safe or if you need something. It does take a village. And if you are on social media, you can shout it out and even declare yourself safe on Facebook. How awesome is that!! Kisses. I am grateful for kisses and hugs and glad when I know all is well and can kiss and hug in greeting and gratitude. This is why I am sending out a great big MUAH!! KISSSSSSS to all of you!!! I am sure I missed the boat on what else to do to prep, but here we are. Let’s hear what you do to prepare and your gratefuls. You can drop it like it’s hot in the link below!! Photo by Ana Francisconi on Pexels.com
It’s time for Ten Things of Thankful AKA TTOT and I’m gonna jump in!
Swimming Lessons for the kid! I found out that my daughter will start swimming lessons in September! YAY!!!
Completed Art projects. I have had a little character I have played around with for a long time and I decided to take a writing break and complete her. After all, she needed color and more character. The result was Fairy Cat. Here she is:
Haiku for Fairy Cat can be seen here: Fairy Cat I hope to take her on some more adventures.
Poundage is still falling off.
Goals – I have a writing goal to complete by month end and I like knowing there is something to meet.
Support – I am so grateful for the support I get in so many ways, between my family, friends, writing community and artist community, to just name a few.
Air Conditioning and Ceiling Fans – it’s been a long, hot summer and I am grateful to have these luxuries.
Six Sentence Story – keeping at it and this week I actually added to the prior week’s story as I was not pleased with leaving it open. Here is what I did: SSS
New Challenges. I have joined with another weekly challenge for haiku/senryu. Here’s this weeks: Yoga Dreams I am also trying to write one haiku per day. So far, so good. I go to my free photos and find random pics and write to them or come up with an idea.
Last – but not least – I have written a story inspired partly by real life, but in a fiction form. It was hard to write as it brought up many emotions, but it was waiting to be told. So, here it is and I am grateful to get it done. Blue Blanket
Because I can do more than 10 things as it’s my post to do what I want HAHAHAHA I want to invite you to join us in the opportunity to share your thankfuls. There a link down there to click and join in!
It’s time for the wonderful weekly wows of thankfulness! Let’s do this!
1. The Katzenjammer Kids – Not only is this fun to say, it’s a classic comic from looooong ago. They even made a postage stamp for them. It’s HERE Go and check this out on THIS SITE Comics, in general have always been my go to for entertainment. Back when I was a child I bought multiple packs of comics where you wouldn’t know what you got, except the one on top. It was always fun to see the reveal. Fortunately, I rarely found a comic I didn’t like and my brothers would find them interesting, otherwise. I think that was part of the fun. It was hoping I would find something to share with them. While I don’t subscribe to a newspaper anymore, I still look at the comics whenever I happen upon a paper.
2. Dogs I have known – I am in a reminiscent mood of late and I am thinking of the dogs who have influenced my life. Sport, who didn’t live long in our home and found a place on a farm, because he bit me. I cried when he left. Barney the beagle who lived in our hearts. I like how he always checked on my little brother, just making sure he was okay. And how he barked at toast. And ate my lunchmeat one too many times when I turned my back. And who played with Rowdy the neighbor dog, fighting over an old pillow while each had a end of it and would get in Barney’s house and run around and around with the darned pillow clenched in their mouths. Thump Thump Thump. Then Sam who preferred the outdoors much of the time. He was our watchdog. He was super laid back and some kind of mutt. Then there was Pee Wee, who was part peekapoo and part dachshund who got his name for the obvious. He was quite the dog and brave for his size. Then Patsy came along after Pee Wee died. Daddy suggested a beagle again and he was right on about Patsy. She was the sweetest. She rarely barked and was very simply a nice companion. Then there was Sandy, Maya, Hannah and Shakespeare. That’s enough dogs for this lifetime, doncha think? I won’t be having any more dogs, but I sure love when I can love on other’s doggies.
Pee Wee
3. Cuisine – I’ve been bored with my cooking lately and WARNING!! When you get older, your taste buds change. Some days I can barely taste what I’m eating other than to say it’s salty or sweet. I use more spices than maybe others do simply to try and put some flavor in there. A friend was making tacos yesterday and inspired me to try roasting peppers, onions a mushrooms. I could actually taste quite a bit of these, so that’s a win. I suppose that stronger tasting foods are going to be my choice. And I thought that if I could not taste so well that would mean apathy leading to weight loss. No, it does not work that way. You still try to find some things that taste good. No worries, though, because the weight is still becoming a loss. If you really want to see what I had you have to go to this LINK
4. Flea Market finds AND a friend who will pick them up and deliver them – welp – not really, but I saw these two chairs by the dumpster where I live and grabbed them. They are going to be picked up today by my friend and used on the patio of my daughter’s home. Aren’t they cute? I didn’t keep the ball.
5. Art – I’ve been in a creative funk of late when it comes to my art. Last Monday I got together with a dear friend and we did some artsy stuff before we did some writing stuff. I took a picture of the asphalt cracks a good while ago and from that I was able to create this image of what I will call Lady on the Bridge.
6. Six Sentence Story – I am working hard on story crafting and this group helps me to stretch my brain cells. Here this weeks story and I will warn you that it’s not a happy story, but I believe it will have a happy ending. You just gotta believe! Here is the STORY
7. Angel Card Project – We participate in the Angel Card Project and while the focus is on Christmas cards we expand to other cards when a need comes up. The leader/creator of the group has a Facebook page and if you would like to join, that would be awesome. Many of the card recipients are people who are lonely and need to know there are people who care about them, regardless of being strangers. After all, a friend is a stranger until you meet them. Here’s the link to the Angel Card Project page.
8. Errand Buddy – Each week when I run errands, mostly grocery shopping, I have a bestie who goes with me. While we are running about we solve most of the problems of the world. So, if you find that it’s a better place out there, you are welcome.
9. Messy Desk – Right now, I would not take a picture of my desk as it is very messy. That is something to be thankful for. A messy desk is a sign of production and I have been trying and it shows.
10. Invitations – You are invited to be a part of Ten Things of Thankful. Why not join in and share about your week? It is inspiring to hear about life and it’s challenges and overcoming adversities. Now, more than EVER we need the connection of love, caring, sharing to hold each other up. So my 10th thankful is that I am able to invite YOU to a place at the gratitude table. Come sup with us and leave feel satisfied. I may even cook some greens and cornbread for you.
Or do you need sweet tea?
