Thankful!

It's one of those things, on Facebook in November, to post daily "thankful" posts.  This year, I decided I was GOING to do it, and try not to miss a day.  I even illustrated many of the posts.  This blog post is the grand finale - a summary of all of the previous 29 posts.   In a word-a-day, it's: memories, books, people, husband, sunshine, food, music, not snow, Hannaford, kids reading, veterans, work, friends, Mom, days, sewing, dentist, being Mom, calls, lazy days, stars, clients, belonging, laughter, internet, neighbors, friends, friends.  I think if you scroll through, you will see I'm most thankful for...  the people in my life!  So thank you, each of you, for reading this.  

1. Maybe this would be a good year to do 30 days of Thankful!

I'm thankful for Facebook memories. Little glimpses into the world as it was, back then. Reflecting on what's changed, and what hasn't. I think my snarky attitude hasn't changed much LOL!

2. I'm thankful for good books!

I've stopped playing mindless games on my phone, now I use it to read mindless books! But I think it's a step up. Some are better than others. I'm also thankful for Goodreads, so I can log what I've read, and see what others have been reading!

3. Thankful for... People who ask me questions! I love it when I can be helpful.

4. Wow. I WAS snarky about the thankful thing, wasn't I? LOL.

Today, I'm THANKFUL for my husband. I don't post about him, and especially no pics, out of respect for him and his dislike of social media. So today, I'll just post my favorite comment about him... When I married Mr Right, I didn't know his first name was Always!!!!

5. Have I done today's thankful? I don't think so. Might have to start numbering. #5 I'm thankful for SUNSHINE. (also lollipops and rainbows!) Today was a beautiful day!!!!

Thankful, day 6... Thankful for good food, good recipes, and family traditions like baked beans on Saturday Night, made in my grandmother's beanpot!

Thankful, day 7: I'm thankful for music!

I thank God for this day. For the sun in the sky.

For my mom and my dad. For my piece of apple pie.

For our home on the ground. For His love that's all around.

That's why I say thanks every day.

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart.

I'm glad for what I have. That's an easy way to start.

For the love that He shares, 'Cause He listens to my prayers.

That's why I say thanks every day.

Thankful, day 8. Thankful it's not snowing today! I really don't miss the wake up calls telling me I could have slept in....

Thankful day 9. Thankful for Hannaford Supermarkets , Hannaford to go, and my local Hannyford! So nice to sit at home and make my list, then just go have them bring it to my car. I'm sure I save more than the fee in not making impulse purchases!!! So it's another day I'm thankful for food. It may be a recurring theme...

Illustrated thankful post, day 10. Thankful for my kids and their love of reading. And my daughter's ability to quote an appropriate passage! (And her ability to find the right photo for a comment... Which I had to snag and put right into the post so everyone sees it!)

Thankful day 11. On 11/11 it seems appropriate to be thankful for veterans, in general and in particular!

Thankful day 12. Thankful for the opportunity to work the way I do! (Today was a long day but very productive!)

Thankful day 13... I am thankful for good friends! And thankful that I don't even dare to start tagging because the list would be so long!!!!!

Thankful (#14) Thankful for my MOM Joyce! Happy she's here tonight! 

Thankful Day 15: I'm THANKFUL that November has 30 days, so we're halfway through Thankful! Also thankful for each and every day. Every day above ground is a good one!

Thankful day 16... Thankful for the chance to use my sewing machine, and for my mom's help.

Thankful, Day 17 - Thankful for a good dentist, and good dental insurance!

Thankful, day 18.  Thankful for the name change 25 years ago, from Linda to Mom!

Thankful, Day 19... Thankful for friends who call, return calls, answer messages, call out of the blue, babble at me, listen to me babble ... you are all awesome! (I checked my phone... 8 different people, 11 different calls! LOL!!!!)

Thankful, day 20... Thankful for lazy days.... Like ones when i don't even post my daily thankful post on time LOL!!!

Thankful Day 21. Thankful for the stars in the sky! And with the time change, dark earlier, maybe I'll see the space station in the evening... My latest email from Spot The Station: "Time: Sun Nov 21 5:08 PM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 46°, Appears: 10° above SW, Disappears: 18° above ENE". Also thankful for my Mom, who encourages me to look up, in all senses of the phrase!

Thankful day 22: I'm thankful for all the folks who support me in my business! I have some great clients!!!  

Thankful day 23. Thankful for Belonging. I love being in Winthrop. I also love going "home" to Houlton!

Thankful, day 24. I'm thankful for laughter. The kind where you just can't stop laughing! I think Teresa Ellen Easterbrooks may have a picture of me laughing like that today...

Thankful, day 25... Thankful for lightning fast internet, as I upload pics from my camera to my GooglePhotos! ZING - and they are there! Pioneer Broadband fiber is FAST!

Thankful, day 27... Thankful for neighbors. Current and former. Stanley Road "Road Runners"that introduced me to the neighbors. And the ones with this light display!

Thankful #29... Thankful for all of you who did this for my daughter last year! She was so surprised!!!

Thankful #29... Thankful for friends who don't complain when I miss a day! LOL!

The Breadbox

For my anniversary, I got a breadbox.  

For the record, I love this breadbox!  It's similar to the one we used to have - metal, with a drop-down front that has wood for a cutting board.  It has a shelf, so I can put bread in the main compartment, and then goodies on the shelf.  When I was growing up, we had a bread box similar, and that's where my Mom's 9x12 glass pyrex pan lived.  Sometimes it was empty - but sometimes it was filled with date crumbles, blueberry squares, brownies, or some other deliciousness.

My husband got the breadbox for me.  Unfortunately, between ordering it and the arrival, he asked me about if I'd replaced the toaster oven we used to have.  I hadn't - and he wondered if it was because I didn't get to it, or if I chose not to.  I have to confess, I had a little meltdown over the question.  He had also shown me a couple of catalog items of things we'd had before, and I was just tired of seeing not-quite-right things like ones we'd lost. There may have been an angry, teary rant that if I NEVER hear the word "replace" again, it would not be too soon.  I didn't realize he'd ordered this breadbox already; he must have been regretting it at this point!

I'm just ready to move forward.  The process of listing every item that we could remember that we lost was phenomal.  (We listed 2,845 items, if you're curious.)  And then attempting to purchase replacements for those we wanted to replace (during a F***ING pandemic!), keeping all receipts to be able to submit to insurance, and just all the CHOICES that needed to be made.  I actually asked the insurance company if we could extend the purchase time, because of how difficult it was to purchase items, but was denied.  Frankly, it was better to have the time limit.  I consider it my statute of limitations on the recovery period.  We're now finished with that, and it's time to look forward.  

So the breadbox is a win - and I had to explain that to him when it arrived.  He cautiously gave it to me, afraid of my reaction to a "replacement" breadbox.  I opened it - and was NOT upset, I was appreciative.  I see it as a new breadbox - one I would NOW choose, because it is something I want, and it has the right features.  I put it on the counter, and it looks like it's always lived there.  Sometimes, a thing will just feel "right".  Today, it's a breadbox. 

    

    

Bookmarks

 

I saw this image on Facebook today, and I tried to decide where I land on this chart.

It's kind of a silly chart, because there is a time and a place for each of those methods.  Only catalogs get the Chaotic Evil method, since once I'm done with it, it will be headed for the trash.  Folding a page in a "real book" is definitely evil!  When I refill my coffee, I might use the face down method, but only for a short period of time - not long enough to have a permanent impact.  

Tucking anything in to mark a page is fine; I think that the item used is more a matter of proximity than of choice, good or bad.  I'd use a proper bookmark if I had one handy, but I'm more likely to find a scrap of paper!

What really got me thinking, though, was the Lawful Evil method.  I think I'm "lawful evil". but it's more complex than that.  Typically when I put a book down, I don't mark my place.  I've tried memorizing page numbers, but then I mix them up, and still have to search.  But really, the search is part of the process.

When I return to a book, it's actually a wonderful greeting to start at the beginning.  I flip through slowly, absorbing a sentence here and there, reminding myself of the characters and the places.  I see the happenings, and let them float through my memory.  Perhaps I know I read that section, but don't really remember - and I'll pick up there, rather than at the "proper bookmark" place.  Maybe I'll reread a page or so, just because I enjoyed that section, and then continue flipping forward.  

Eventually, I get to the place where I left off.  I resume reading, my memories refreshed, ready to see what happens next.  And when I finish the book, I'm likely to take one last stroll through, seeing how the pieces added up to get to the conclusion,  Reading a good book isn't a race to a finish line, it's a ramble though the paths of the characters lives, and the perspective of knowing how it turns out sometimes makes the earlier passages more meaningful.