Thankful Thursday

I think it's about time I resurrected my "Thankful Thursday" edition of the ol' blog. It's really easy these days to find a lot of reasons to be bitter/frustrated/depressed/discouraged... but there are just as many, if not more reasons to be thankful. In case I haven't mentioned them lately, I'm going to do so now and then we can refer back to this post on the days that I feel compelled to compare myself to Job.

Old mailbox = new birdhouse thanks to the kid's creativity

I'm thankful that my Steel Magnolia survived another health scare over the weekend and made it through surgery to implant a pacemaker which will hopefully keep her ticker tickin' for many more years to come.

I'm thankful for my Aunt Claire, who is dealing with her own health struggles but yet was able to be there at Grandma's side when she needed her.

I'm thankful for my mom's willingness to make the trip down with Pop to visit Grandma yesterday. I know it's a long drive and I'm glad he didn't have to go alone this time.

I'm thankful to be right down stairs from my parents so that any time there's a family crisis/event I am among the first to know and therefore the able to quickly bring it before the Lord.

I'm thankful for my parents who are generous with their time, their talents and their funds to make our home a lovely place to be.

I'm thankful for the family connections that have grown stronger over the past year or two... being able to chat with my cousin Mandie about our similar circumstances... being able to see photos of cousins and second cousins and second cousins once removed... having grown from the same roots makes them more precious to me.

I'm thankful that some of the tension in our family has eased over the past week. I'm thankful that we have the ability to overlook each other's faults and embrace each other's strengths.

I'm thankful for all the time I've had over the past few years to really expand my mind - to research anything that interests me from travel to genealogy to Hollywood gossip. Everyday I spend a lot of time surfing the net but those days are not wasted.

I'm thankful for the visitors to my nest from geese to frogs to salamanders to nieces to my kids and my kids' friends. It's hard to take a nap here because there is always someone passing through but I'm glad there are always people passing through.

I'm thankful for my fur babies. They constantly amuse and comfort me.

I'm thankful for my view. If you spend a lot of time in one place, that place should be lovely and comfortable and mine is both.

I'm thankful for my porch swing (which has now been lowered to make it easier for me to get in and out of).

I'm thankful for the roses blooming beside my patio.

I'm thankful for the sounds that serenade Little Kitty and myself as we go out for our little "walks" twice a day... the hoot owl, the crow, the birds, the frogs... it's a real symphony of nature.

I'm thankful for the library, for the opportunity to borrow books and expand my mind.

I'm thankful for our scenic small town, especially during the week when there are fewer tourists. I'm thankful for small, friendly shops where people remember us and for the congenial conversations that take place among the villagers. You can tell when someone is a tourist because they don't smile when they pass by.

I'm thankful for my family and friends in Africa this week, living out the Great Commission. I'm proud to know them and grateful that those who can go, do.

I'm thankful that my oldest is smoke-free for the past nine days. All those nights I lay awake listening to him breathe when he was a baby with asthma, praying that his lungs would clear... and he grew up to be a smoker. I'm thankful that he's taking better care of himself.

I'm thankful for the success of my brothers and my kids.

I'm thankful for the career I had, that it sustained us for so many years.

I'm thankful that I don't have to go to work. I suffered for so many workdays before I finally gave it up. I'm thankful that I can say that I gave it my best shot.

I'm thankful for being able to baby my back, not having to do things very often that exacerbate the pain. I'm thankful to be able to rest when I need to.

I'm thankful for the Godly men and women who are leading my nieces at camp this week. I'm thankful that they have this opportunity and these wonderful experiences to remember.

I'm thankful for the buckets and buckets of blackberries that are just about ready to be picked outside.

I'm thankful for you, my blog-readers, for those who know me in real life and read to keep up with me and for those who don't know me in real life but care about me anyways.

I am blessed.

Love and hugs, y'all!