Thankful for School Newspapers

Jillian, a high school student who edits the The Panther Press did an interview with me for her school paper. How cool is that? You can read that interview here.

Thankful for...Warranties

I'm especially thankful for warranties that I didn't know I had.

Specifically for the ones on my son's glasses frames. The frames that snapped in half when he was cleaning his lenses at school today.

The warranty that means the glasses will be replaced at no expense to me.

It will be a few days before the replacements are available, and he has to wear his old ones until they are, but at least the situation is as positive as it can be... considering it started with a pair of glasses that snapped in half.

Thank You, Veterans

Really. That sums it up. Thank you to the men and women who are willing to make the supreme sacrifice so that we may live free.

"Thank You" doesn't even seem sufficient. But it's what I've got.

So on Veteran's Day - the anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I - I join with others throughout the country and world to say Thank You, Veterans.

Thankful for ...

Hmmm, this is a little tough today. The broken microwave is on my mind. And the leaky washing machine. I'm not particularly thankful for either of those things. I mean, I'm thankful for the things, I'm not thankful they are not working properly.

But how can I turn that around in my head? How can I be thankful in light of things that don't make it easy?

1. I'm thankful I have a washing machine and a dryer. Even if it leaks water, it still washes my clothes, and I'm very glad about that.

2. I'm thankful that the microwave is a convenience, not a necessity in my life. I can function without a microwave until we get a new one. It will force me to finish my tea while it's still hot as opposed to constantly re-heating the same cup of tea during the course of the morning - but I really should be able to drink a cup of tea in less than an hour - so it shouldn't be a problem.

3. I'm thankful that if necessary we can replace these appliances. It will not mean less food on the table or some other sacrifice if we have to go out and buy something new. We may not be wealthy, but we don't have to do without. And for that I really am thankful.

What are you thankful for?

Blankets to Give

Today I'm thankful that I have a skill I can use to help others.These blankets were all made to be donated through our church's Prayer Shawl Ministry.
Mostly they were made with donated yard. And will probably be given to the local Ronald McDonald House.

Thankful for Rainy Days

It's rainy today - and although I need to go out to the store and get some milk and orange juice, it's pretty much going to be a hang around the house and relax kind of day.

We all need those kind of days. The kids have off from school this week, and while many people in our town take off for exotic locations (mainly Disney World) we stay home. Everyone likes some days when you don't have any obligations hanging over your head.

And rainy days seem to be giving you permission to watch a movie in the middle of the day or curl up with a good book.

So, I'm thankful for rainy days.

Thankful for Health and Family

Today we are going to the funeral for my husband's uncle. It's difficult to be thankful under these circumstances. But I am thankful that our uncle is now at peace, because he endured a lengthy illness and had not known peace in quite some time.

I am thankful for family that gathers around in time of adversity.

And I am thankful for our own health. It is not something that should be taken for granted.

It's Election Day

Day Two of Thirty Days of Thanksgiving.

Today, I'm thankful that we live in a country where we have the opportunity - not to mention the responsibility - to vote for the people who represent us in government.

For the most part, when you go to vote today you don't have to worry about bombs or armed mobs blocking your way. There are places in this world where those are the obstacles votes must face on election day. I'm thankful those are not my obstacles.

Also, when the voting is over and the votes have been counted, if a new person is chosen to fill a position, on the appointed day, the former official will pack up his personal belongings and vacate the office so that the new person can take over.

There may be hard feelings. But there will most likely be no bloodshed.

And for that I am very thankful.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day 1

A couple of years ago I did this and I want to try again.

There's got to be at least something I'm thankful for on each of these thirty days of November.

Today I'm thankful for sunny skies and cool temperatures that really make me realize that Fall is here. I'm thankful that the kids have the week off from school and we can relax a bit - and start our NaNoWriMo projects. That's right - both kids and I are all participating in National Novel Writing Months. My husband figures he'll read a novel and leave the writing to us,

What are you thankful for?

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day 11

I'm thankful for our veterans: people who are willing to put their lives on the line to help preserve our way of life. Even if they never saw combat, they were still willing and that makes them special.

Ninety-one years ago, at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month the armistice was signed that ended the "War to end all Wars." Would that it had really ended all wars, but I'm not sure anything will actually do that. And because war continues, we continue to have veterans.

And I will continue to be grateful to them and their service to this country.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day 6

I'm thankful that it's Friday.

Is that corny and trite? Who cares. I'm still thankful that tomorrow is the weekend and my husband won't be at work and everyone will be healthy and things can get back to normal.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day 5

It's not that I wasn't thankful for things on the 3rd and 4th of this month, but I find myself much more open to being thankful now that my fever is gone (and I'm able to stay awake past 8 pm), and my son's fever seems to be on the way out.

So, what am I thankful for? Recuperation. I'm thankful for returned health. And I'm also thankful for the fact that the biggest worries we tend to have health-wise are the occasional bad cold and other run of the mill sicknesses - even if that does sometimes knock me for a loop.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day 2

I am thankful that my kids still enjoy playing with toys we've owned for going on seven years. On their day off today, after doing the computer thing and x-box thing they opted to get out the trains and play with that. I love to see their imaginations at work when they play with this.

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving - Day 1

A couple of years ago I did a post a day for the month of November, highlighting something I was thankful for.

I'll see if I can do it again.

I have lots to be thankful for - but sometimes it just gets a little lost in the day to day craziness of life.

So, today - November 1, I'm thankful for kids who love to read.

When they're caught up in a book, nothing else matters. And they quote from books, and like to share parts of books with each other, and share book recommendations with each other. It's a great thing!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have to end my Thirty Days of Thanksgiving posts a day early, because I will be away enjoying the holiday for the next few days. I've learned though that there is a lot to be thankful for in life - even on days when the washing machine over flows or the weather is really nasty. So, have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone - and remember to count your blessings - I'm sure there are plenty.

Thankful for Traditions

A little more than twenty years ago, my grandfather announced to his gathered clan on Thanksgiving Day, that he wanted to start a new tradition. He thought that it would be nice if we sang a song for our grace before eating dinner.

He had a song all picked out and he had even made copies of the words for everyone, and had put them at all the places.

The words were:
Fill my house unto the fullest
Eat my bread and drink my wine
The love I bear I hold from no one
All I have and all I do, I give to you.

He sang the song himself so that we could all become familiar with the tune and then he led his children and grandchildren in singing the grace. Some of us were probably a little less graceful about it than others - public singing, even among family, can be a bit embarrassing. But it was Grandpa - and we were fairly used to him leading us in song at various events. So we sang.

The following year, Grandpa announced that we were starting a tradition and he led us in the song again.

The year after that the announcement was "We have a tradition in the family".

And thus a tradition was solidly embedded in our family.

I asked Grandpa to sing that song for the grace at my wedding. It was beautiful.

A few years ago my grandfather passed away. When Thanksgiving rolled around, we knew we had to sing his song. I don't think anyone managed to sing it without tears, but we sang it. And we sing it at every gathering of the clan.

We'll be singing it again on Thanksgiving. My son never knew his great-grandfather. But he knows the tradition of singing Fill My House before Thanksgiving dinner.

My grandfather got his wish - a tradition that would live on in the family, even after he was gone.

Thankful that Thanksgiving is almost here

Because it's one of my favorite holidays. So many other holidays get bogged down in the commercial aspects. And there always seems to be some long to-do list associated with other holidays. Now, I will admit, going out of town for Thanksgiving does mean I don't have to worry about preparing a meal - or having guests - but going away for several days does require a certain amount of organization on my end. But for some reason it's not stressful.

And then we spend a couple of days with cousins we see once or twice a year. There is fun and fellowship and of course good food. Our holiday is of the multi-part variety. There are the snacks, the meal, and the sandwiches later. And the next day we have a second gathering (even bigger than Thanksgiving) with casual food and more fun and fellowship - including singing Christmas songs around the player piano while a fire roars in the fireplace (very Currier and Ives or Norman Rockwell).

You know, it's very interesting. Last year, when I taught fourth grade religious education, my students had 'get to know you' forms to fill out. One of the questions was "What's your favorite holiday." Of the six children in my class, four said that Thanksgiving was their favorite. The reason: getting together with family. Kids may clamor for the latest gadget - but what they really like is what we all like: gathering together as family and friends.

Thankful for a Cozy House...

.... on a cold rainy day.

It's horribly nasty outside today. And other than church, and Harry's postponed guitar lesson (which is usually on Saturday), I stayed inside. Inside it was cozy and warm and I was grateful for that.

I am blessed to have a cozy and warm place to snuggle into when the weather is nasty.

Thankful for Teachable Moments

Today, as part of the Junior Catholic Daughters of America, my daughter helped pack boxes with food for our parish to give away to needy families.

Later, as we wandered through Wegman's picking up a few things like milk and eggs and she told me that she was glad she had helped out today, and that it made her realize how lucky we were. We may not be the richest people she knows - in fact we most certainly are not - but she knows that we are lucky, because we don't have to rely on other people to provide us with our food. And we are very lucky. And even luckier because we can help other people too.

Thankful for Warm Clothes

It got cold around here. Yesterday morning it was close to 60 degrees. Today it didn't get out of the low 40s. And yes, we still walked to school (when it dips below freezing we drive, we're intrepid, but not that intrepid).

As I was walking to pick the kids up I was thinking about the fact that I need a new winter coat. Mine is several years older than our oldest child. Time for a change. (But, I like the coat - hence the reason I still have it after all these years). And as I was thinking that I wanted a new coat, I thought how wonderful it was that I had a coat at all (and the means to get a new one, when I find one I like). How many people are there who don't have the proper clothes to keep them warm when the weather gets cold? Too many, I'm sure.

So, I'm blessed, because although my coat may be faded - it does keep me warm - and after all, that is its purpose.