Thankful Thoughts

  • Thankful Thoughts

    Awhile ago, I read about a blogger who would write of the little things she is thankful for, because they are important and worth of recognition. I’m not sure if she still keeps up this practice, but I liked the idea, so every once in awhile, I take it out and dust it off, stopping and reflecting on the little things that have gone right lately. Here goes. I’m thankful that my brother & SIL came to visit. There was some shopping, a pumpkin was carved, yummy swordfish and Sees candy were consumed (not together, geez!), trick or treating was put behind us for another year, a lot of chatting…

  • My Grandma

    I am a very fortunate person, in that I still have both of my Grandmothers. I don’t know a lot of 40 year olds who can say that, and I suspect that most of those that do, count themselves as lucky as well. My Grandma Wells is the one I told you about last month, she of the cole slaw and turning 90 and all. She is my father’s mother. The beautiful woman in this picture is my Grandma Ward, who is my mother’s mother. This picture was taken at the time of her marriage, when she was only 18 years old. My Grandma Ward is much in my thoughts…

  • My Wise Child

    I’m sad, because I lost one of my favorite earrings the other day. They were little gold hoops, but with a delicate pattern etched into the gold. My bestest friend, Rosemary, gave them to me a few years ago. I’ve worn them pretty much every day. They had a little click attachment on the back. Well, on Sunday, I was wearing them, and I lay down to take a nap. I forgot to take off my earring when I did so. When I woke up, we went to the shops to get a few tops for our growing girl. We walked all over Old Navy and the mall. I came…

  • Happy Thanksgiving!

    Seeing as how Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, why not celebrate it twice a year? The second Monday in October is Thanksgiving Day in Canada, and, since Ted was born in Canada (Belleville, outside of Toronto), we decided to make a celebratory feast in his honor last year. This year will be no different, and I’ll make some turkey, stuffing, yams, veggies and cranberry sauce. I’ll be giving thanks for my Canadian born husband, my Canadian conceived daughter, and our neighbors to the north. I hope that next month, on Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., I’ll be giving thanks for good election results. Keep your fingers crossed. Since this post…

  • Autumn

    raindrops pattering cool crisp air in our faces first rain of the year That was my first attempt at a haiku. Sorry ’bout that. For those of you who live in green states, meaning states where it doesn’t turn brown and dry and brittle in the summer, where you get rain or snow all year round, you don’t know how refreshing it is to know that the green hills will be returning…it’s nice. Last night was our first rain this season…we went out for a walk in the drizzle, and listened to it pattering down on our umbrellas. We had to towel off the dog when we got home. We…

  • Thankful

    I have an idea for a post kind of percolating in my head, but it’s not fully formed, and it’s somewhat depressing, so I’m not ready to write it up yet. Maybe tomorrow. So, for today, I’ll mention a few of the little things that I’m thankful for in my life. I’m thankful that the combination of Oxy Clean and the new Bissell that Ted bought yesterday (yay Sears! This link isn’t to Sears…it’s to a post that I read about them) removed all traces of orange dog barf from our bedroom carpet. Also that Ted and the Bissell worked together to get some of the worst of the ‘high…

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  • Who Put the Labor in Labor Day?

    We did, that’s who. When I think of labor day, my mind first thinks of the end of summer…the crisp fall weather on the horizon, the cool weather clothes, school starting up again, the return of the good TV shows… Then there are the Labor Day celebrations…one last bbq of summer, maybe a trip to the beach, the lake, or the shore… For some people it is a chance to get caught up with some chores around the house, to enjoy a 3-day weekend by sleeping in one extra day, maybe see some friends. I agree with all of these things. Not a thing wrong with any of them. But…

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  • Ode to Forest Park

    When we go to Portland, Maya’s favorite thing to do is to hike in Forest Park. She told me that Forest Park is her favorite place on earth. This most recent trip was no exception, and happily, Ted was able to join us this time, and I think he may be hooked as well. For Maya and I to enjoy hiking is definitely saying something, because we are two girls who do NOT like to get hot and sweaty. Sadly, there is almost no way to hike around here without getting hot and sweaty, because there are simply not enough trees to keep you shaded. So the sun is beating…

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  • Double Thursday Thirteen (Thursday 26?)

    I was thinking the other day of things I would like to do if I had more money. Then I thought, that would be a good Thursday 13! So I daydreamed a bit, and started feeling kind of spoiled and selfish, and that I lead a pretty good life….so I thought of days when I had much less, and I decided to do a SECOND Thursday 13 of things I would do if I had less money. OK, so that’s TWO Thursday 13s. I considered using one this week, and saving one for next week, but next week, I’m on vacation (I know, Biff again) and I don’t know if…

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  • Friday Dog Blogging

    Samantha 1972 – 1988 Dear Samantha, my sweet doggy love, Thank you, for letting me come into your house and watch as you gave birth to your 13 puppies… for being my ambassador when we moved – I made so many friends while taking you for walks, because they wanted to know about my dog… for jumping over trash cans (upright, even!) when I pretended you were a horse… for letting me dress you up in long frilly dresses… for sleeping in my bed and keeping me company… for defending me from the creepy cable guy that one time… for forgiving me when I treated you badly… when I bit…

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  • Sweet Relief

    Take a peek at this…it’s the view toward San Francisco, from the Lawrence Hall of Science in the Berkeley Hills. Maybe I’ll pull this post later, when the view changes, but right now, it’s all foggy foggy sky, which is sweet relief, and bringing cooler breezes out our way.

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  • A Thankful Thursday 13

    It’s been awhile since I posted 13 things I’m thankful for, and after the last couple of posts, which were pretty heavy, I thought it might be time to lighten up a bit. So here we go…13 things I’m thankful for right now. (I chose this picture because it looked so cool and inviting…not like the brown dead stuff that surrounds us in the CA summertime.) 1. It seems that it is finally, albeit SLOWLY, cooling off around here. Saturday: 111 Sunday: 115 Monday: 109 Tuesday: 108 Wednesday: 98 Thursday Forecast: 93. We’re hoping for mid-80s by Saturday. (Look what the heat did to my poor roses…) 2. Ted and…

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  • Father Bob

    The other day, I mentioned a poem by ee cummings, that was introduced to me by a teacher of mine, and I said I would tell you a bit about him someday. Well, today is the day. That teacher’s name was Bob Hanlon, and he was my Latin teacher, as well as my Composition in Literature teacher in High School. My first day of 9th grade, when I first saw him, all I could think was of the Beatles’ line, “I am the Walrus”, because he was kind of pale, kind of roundish, and had this big, walrus-like mustache. But the more I got to know him, the more I…

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  • This Is Us*

    A few nights ago, I was up watching Sex and the City DVDs, and it was the episode where Miranda and Steve get married. Miranda was saying that she didn’t want the cookie cutter wedding, didn’t want someone else’s idea of a wedding, that what she wanted was a wedding that represented them, and who they were. I liked that. I liked it, because it resonated with me. I felt like we had that, a wedding that represented us, 13 years ago today. When faced with the idea of a big white dress and a long walk down the aisle, I thought, “Well, that’s nice for other folks, but not…

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  • Happy Father’s Day, Dado

    I thought that maybe I could have a guest blogger today, to wish her father a very happy Father’s Day. She’s not as verbose as I am, but she loves him VERY MUCH. So, with no further delay, here’s Maya. Happy Fathers Day, Dado! I love you! You are the best! Love, Monkey

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