Thankful Thursday

It's that time of the week again, time to list some of the things I am thankful for this week.

I am thankful...

... for Aleve Back & Muscle formula. Tim started using it and told me about it and it helps so much more than ibuprofen or Tylenol.

... the client I told you about last week continues to grow and do well. Today the fire alarms went off. Loud sounds like that really bother him, but he covered his ears and stayed right with me while we evacuated. Outside he stayed with me and didn't make any attempt to run away...even when the fire trucks arrived with sirens blaring. Later he asked me to play specific songs and he danced and sang. Then this afternoon he suggested the group play bingo on the deck. (By the way, it was a false alarm.)

... Colton is having a great first week of school and is loving it. Leah starts tomorrow and is very excited.

... we had a great family day at Lake Erie.

... for the upcoming 3-day weekend. I am woefully behind on household chores and am looking forward to getting caught up.

... there is no rain in the forecast for at least a week. We've been trying to get the pool water clear for at least two weeks and the heavy rains we've had have made it impossible. Hopefully, we will be able to get the green cleared out in time to use it next week as it's supposed to be 85-90 degrees all week.

... our daughter is beginning therapy sessions for herself next Tuesday. I'm praying she sticks with it.

... my mom continues to feel better after having a pretty bad case of Lyme disease.

... as always for my relationship with Jesus Christ, my husband and family, friends, and my church and church family.

... for all of you!

Currently...

... 3:30 on Sunday afternoon. The weather is sunny and humid with the temperature at 76 degrees.

... the grands have gone home after being here with Pappy for a few hours while I was not home. I staffed the church nursery this morning and then went to Walmart afterward, which was a big mistake. Since tomorrow is the first day of school around here, the store and parking lot were as packed and crazy as the day before Christmas.

... Daisy and I are sitting here in the recliner enjoying a moment of peace and quiet and a couple of the new pumpkin spice flavored Oreos. You should try them...sooooo good!

Reading... still working on Tides of Fire. The past week wasn't good for reading.

Watching... not really watching, but Tim went out and left the TV tuned to some show about WWII. It's his standard Sunday viewing.

Listening to... the 70's on 7. My new vehicle has Sirius.

Loving... my new vehicle, even though I don't know what half of the buttons do.

Feeling... a bit stressed, not by anything in my own life, but because our daughter is feeling completely overwhelmed and stressed, is talking about divorce, and comes over here to vent but is not receptive to any advice and no matter how I react/don't react or what I say/don't say...it's wrong. I hate seeing her so unhappy, but I also hate what it's doing to the kids.

Celebrating... nothing at the moment. We had the big picnic for the consumers on Friday. I had thought it was a picnic for the company at large. Nope. Well, staff got to eat the food and we each got an Amazon gift card, but we had to set up and tear down, man the games, attend the consumers who didn't have staff or family to bring them, and in a final insult...the big boss decided production needed to go on until we went to the picnic ground. So, all the staff was put to work making metal s-hooks. I personally made over 600 of them. Most everyone else was probably in the same ballpark. 

(We also learned that the big boss says if we don't have enough consumers at work on any given day, staff will now be put to work making the hooks. Most of the staff is older and many have issues with sight or pain. The excitement level caused by this announcement is non-existent. We are already short-handed because they can't get any workers due to paying less than any other agency...do they really think this is going to improve the situation?)

Grateful... we had a safe trip to Erie, PA yesterday with our daughter's family. We did end up going in two vehicles rather than riding together since we couldn't get two coolers, all the chairs and beach paraphernalia into her vehicle with all three rows of seats in play. It was a good day and Tim's oldest sister met us there with her two grandsons. It was nice to see her and the kids had a ball playing with their cousins.

Tim and his sister.

Cousins playing.

Colt and Leah by pretty flowers.

Saturday 9: My Sharona

Saturday 9: My Sharona (1979)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

1) The Knack's lead singer Doug Fieger wrote this song for his girlfriend, Sharona Alperin. That's Sharona on the record sleeve shown here. Who took the most recent photo of you?  That would be the administrative assistant of the Blind Association's director. We had the big annual picnic for the clients today and she took a picture of me with a couple of them.

2) Today Sharona Alperin is a realtor in Southern California. (The photo on her website is more demure than the record sleeve.) She specializes in high-end properties. Have you ever attended an open house, not because you were interested in purchasing the property but because you were curious about the inside?  Yes, I loved doing that years ago when we lived in Florida. At that time there were always lots of open houses on the weekends and we'd just see the signs for one and stop and check it out.

3) Doug Fieger's brother is Geoffrey Fieger, a prominent attorney in Detroit. Have you ever consulted a lawyer?  Yes, a few times.

 

4) The Knack's record producer was Jimmy Miller, who also worked with The Rolling Stones. What's your favorite Rolling Stones song?  I guess Start Me Up because that's the song that introduced me to them, but once I started listening to them I liked most of what I heard.

 

5) In 1994, more than a decade after its initial release, "My Sharona" became popular with a new audience because it was included on the soundtrack of the movie Reality Bites. What's the most recent movie you watched?  My husband watched the stupid comedy We Are the Millers tonight (Friday) and though I loathe it, it was on so I couldn't help but hear it.

6) President George W. Bush said he loved listening to "My Sharona" on his headphones while riding his bike. Do you often have music on when you exercise?  Always.

 
7) In 1979, when this song was popular, the CBS TV show Alice was a hit. It was about a widowed mom who made ends meet working in a diner. Have you ever worked at a restaurant?  No. I volunteered once at the hospital's cafe and that killed any thoughts I may have ever had of doing so. People can be nasty and rude when it comes to their food.

 

8) Also in 1979, the Voyager spacecraft sent back photos of Jupiter and its rings. Without looking it up, can you name all the planets in our solar system?  Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and then there is the possibility of another planet beyond Neptune and while they changed Pluto's designation to that of a "dwarf planet" which is not a real planet...I heard a little while back that maybe they've changed their minds about that again. (No, I didn't look that up. I studied astronomy a good bit back in the day and considered it as a college major.)

9) Random question: If you could erase your most painful day from your memory, would you do it?  I'd be tempted if I knew it would change certain things that came after it, but as a person of faith I believe in God's sovereignty and that all things happen because He either put it in motion or allowed it to try and help me grow to be a better person. Who am I to say God's way is wrong?

Thankful Thursday

It's been a bit of a crazy week around here, but there is still so much to be thankful for. Here's just a sampling.

This week I am thankful...

... for my new vehicle. I was able to take care of my expired license (a major senior moment on my part) quickly and we went last night to pick up the vehicle. It's a 2020 Buick Encore, not brand new but only one owner and very low mileage. I've only had one day with it, but so far I am loving it. I still say it looks black most of the time, but once in a while in the right light you can just catch a hint of the "dark moon blue" it is supposed to be. Sorry, I haven't taken a photo yet.

... our grandson had his back to school night last evening. He got to meet his teacher and see who will be in his class. He is actually excited about going back to school. That is a very big deal!

... our granddaughter rode along with us last night to pick up my car and we had so much fun with her. She was so good and patient during the business part of it and then she had us laughing all the way home. She has such a BIG personality and has a pretty advanced sense of humor for a 4 year old.

... for a very good day with one of my people today. The young man rates pretty high on the autism scale which means he typically doesn't like change, too much noise/confusion/stimulation, or being touched and he doesn't communicate very much, just the basics, or show much emotion. When he first started with us my boss made (in the opinion of most) a poor decision and took him out to eat at a restaurant with a big group. When they returned and were unloading the van he bolted toward traffic and my boss had to tackle him and they landed right near the edge of the road with traffic flying by no more than a foot from their heads. They weren't hit, thank goodness, but it did mess up my boss's artificial hip for a while.

Anyway, since then my boss has repeatedly said that my boy would not go out again as long as he was in charge. It has upset me and a few others who work with him because he was new and not used to any of the staff yet and then thrust into a new, over stimulating environment. Since then he has bonded with a couple of us and has an especially close relationship with me.

Today, while my boss was out with another group I took a chance and took my boy out on the new deck for lunch. As I suspected, he was perfectly well behaved and loved it out there so much we spent 2 hours sitting out there because he didn't want to go back inside. He never got upset or acted up. He was calm and happy. When I told my boss he actually listened without shutting it down and admitted that maybe it was time to try taking him out to a park with me and one or two of the other staff he trusts. I am so excited! That is a major win. 

My boy doesn't know all the backstory, but he had a good day and I know this because while we were on the deck a bug bit me and I scratched at my arm and mentioned it. He very gently rubbed my arm and looked closely at it. I asked him if he was worried about me and he said "yes." Emotion and compassion from him is HUGE!! Then when I was leaving this afternoon I gave him the one-armed hug I usually give him and he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a big bear hug. I left work feeling like I'd won the Nobel prize or something. God is so good to help me help these folks.

... my daughter and I were able to find everything the kiddos needed for back to school. We had a great shopping trip this past Sunday.

... our daughter was home on Tuesday and caught the split in the hose to the pool pump before it totally flooded the yard. It's fixed now so we are back on schedule with the multi-day process to un-green the water. We've had awful luck with that this year.

... that while tomorrow is a work day it will be a fun day. My employer throws a big picnic for the clients every August. Most will be brought by the staff from their group homes or family. The few who have no one will be watched over by staff as they enjoy the picnic, games, and DJ with dancing. Staff also mans the games and does set up and tear down, but we leave right from the park at the end of the day.

... for my husband's patience this week.

... a good weather forecast for this Saturday as we plan to drive to Erie again, this time with our daughter, her husband, and the grandchildren to enjoy a day at the beach. It will be a long day, but a good one.

... for God's mercies and strength that see me through each day.

... of course, for each one of you!

Currently

I am...

Reading... Tides of Fire: A Sigma Force Novel by James Rollins

Watching... reruns of The Big Bang Theory

Listening to... 70's AM radio hits

Loving... how easy it was to get my driver's license renewed at our new DMV facility

Feeling... tired and in pain. It was a rough day on my feet at work.

Celebrating... I get my "new" car tomorrow night, a 2020 Buick Encore with very low mileage. So excited, I've had my Camry since 2015. It's been a good car, but it's time.

Grateful... for my life, my family, my friends, and my work.

Enjoying... the start of pumpkin spice season!

The weather... clear and 64 degrees. Cloudy and 78 degrees tomorrow with thunderstorms in the evening.

Giggling at...

 

Sunday Stealing: Name Your Favorite

Stolen from Ned the Duck

Name Your Favorite…

    Place:  Chincoteague Island, VA

    Color:  I can't pick just one. I like the whole family of autumn colors.

 

    Smell:  Again...just one? Some of my favorites are the beach, bread baking in the oven, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, babies, puppies, and ripe concord grapes.

    Magazine:  Country Sampler, though I absolutely loathe how much they now charge for magazines. Ten dollars is a cheap one!

 

    Texture:  Soft fuzzy acrylic blankets and socks.

    Thing to do when bored:  Play around on the laptop or read.

    Precious stone:  Blue tourmaline or diamonds.

    Animal:  Dogs

    Time in history:  I remember the 1970s - 1980s pretty fondly.

    Font:  I guess Verdana since it's what I use here on the blog.

    Sound:  The laughter of children or those with special needs.

    Fruit:  Peaches

    Vegetable:  Zucchini

    Store/shop:  Amazon

 

    Quote:  "Not my circus. Not my monkeys." It reminds me not to fret over things that are not mine to worry about.

    Historical figure:  Teddy Roosevelt and Ernest Hemmingway fascinate me. Both lived such adventurous lives.

    Letter:  I've never given it any thought, but I gave both of my kids "M" names so maybe it's M?

    Memory:  Sitting around the kitchen table one Thanksgiving Eve with my mom, dad and Tim...all of us working together to make the stuffing and prepare some of the other dishes.

    Dessert:  Pineapple Upside-down Cake

    Candy:  Lindor chocolate truffles

    Restaurant:  Probably China Garden, the neighborhood Chinese place. We get food from there more than anywhere.

    Language:  I'm going to go with English since it's the only one I'm fluent in, but I think Italian sounds lovely when I hear it.

    Thing to learn about:  All things from history.

 

    Thing about yourself:  I am able to forgive even those who have hurt me terribly and I am stronger than I usually think I am. 

Thanks to Bev for finding the questions.

Play along here.

Saturday 9: Michelle

Saturday 9: Michelle (1965)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

1) In this song, Paul McCartney sings to Michelle in French, "Sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble." Can you say anything else in French?  I can say a few things after 3 years of French class, but it's nothing useful, just trite practice phrases...and I'm sure I can't spell them!

2) Paul admits he that, as a teenager, he'd perform the first few bars at parties to impress girls. It was John Lennon who encouraged him to "turn it into a proper song." Tell us about a time you were glad you took advice from a friend or coworker.  Years ago I had a supervisor tell me not to tell my coworkers anything personal. His words "these people are not your friends" proved true. I have never worked with a group of people who were more petty and back-stabbing.

 

3) A big Elvis fan, Paul is proud to own the bass that was played on the 1954 recording of "That's Alright, Mama." Tell us about one of your prized possessions.  I have a little celluloid horse that was my grandmother's. One year during the Depression it was the only Christmas gift she received. Her brother Sylvester had a job in a shoe store and bought it for her. One leg is glued on and came to her that way...and now there is a hole in one side because it fell to the floor a couple of years ago when I was cleaning and that's what happened. It's terribly brittle, but I was still upset.

4) John was also an Elvis fan and honored The King by naming one of his cats Elvis. Do you share your home with any pets? If so, let us know their names.  These days the only pet in the house is my Toy Poodle, Daisy. We did have a Beagle/Basset mix when our daughter was still at home and his name was...Elvis, because he wasn't nothin' but a hound dog.

5) John was a heavy smoker who often attempted to quit. He tried hypnosis but that didn't work. Have you ever been hypnotized?  Nope. I've tried but it's never worked.

6) George Harrison fell in love with Hawaii and bought a 63-acre estate. If you could take off tomorrow for a vacation to any of our 50 states, which one would you choose?  I don't know. I'd have to narrow it down from Maine, South Dakota, Tennessee, and New Mexico.

6) While Ringo Starr quit signing autographs for fans in 2008, he will donate autographed memorabilia to charity for auction. Have you ever bid on an item at auction? Did you win?  I've been going to auctions since I was a kid and I started bidding on things in my teens so, yes, I've won a lot of bids at this point. I pretty much furnished our first home with things from auctions and flea markets.

 
7) As a young boy, Ringo had a severe case of appendicitis and his appendix was removed. Do you still have your appendix?  Yes, I do.

 

8) In 1965 -- before Advil and Tylenol and Aleve -- Americans took aspirin to relieve pain. If we peered into your medicine chest, would we find aspirin?  No. You'd find some Walmart brand ibuprofen and Aleve's back and muscle formula.

9) Random question: You're at dinner with a married couple who begins to argue. Would you intercede and try to make peace? Or would you just sit back and mind your own business?  I might make a joking comment to try and diffuse the situation and/or change the topic, but I would not get involved in their business.

Thanks to Crazy Sam for the music and questions!

Play along here.