July Gratitude

[fidgiegirl]

Coming back to health again. My DSiL has had yet another surgery on her endometriosis and is miserable. It always reminds me that no matter how crazy things get, we have our health. We are blessed in that regard.

[Florence]

I am grateful that I was able to retire and enjoy my time.

[razz]

Had to take a family member to emergency and they were swamped but he got the care needed and it awaiting release tomorrow once the tests say that it is OK to do so.
I was stewing about things and visited a neighbour who listened and shared and all of a sudden, things are not that bad.

[cdttmm]

Grateful that my dog did not need to have his toenail amputated yesterday. He split his toenail severely the other day while trail running, but the vet thinks with the proper care he will make a full recovery.

[Yppej]

Thankful for the past week of vacation as well as a paid holiday tomorrow. I feel so relaxed. Hopeful that a transfer to another department I have been waiting four months for should actually happen in another month or so. (My current boss is stalling on letting me go but the word is out to the managers that this will happen and one of them asked me about it).

[puglogic]

Grateful for my very first red, ripe strawberry of the season. I nibbled it standing right in the garden. Such a miracle, all of it.

[fidgiegirl]

It is encouraging to see all we have to be thankful for.

I am thankful today for the roof over my head. It may be small and it may feel lacking at times, but it's dry, warm, and safe. The mere thought of this movie makes me put it all into perspective: http://www.whichwayhome.net/about.html

[Yppej]

I heard more news on the new position - slow progress - so I was encouraged. Glad to my workplace is air conditioned - it has been brutally hot - and that the building has lots of hallways I can walk in at lunchtime so I can get my exercise without suffering from heatstroke.

[frugal-one]

I have been having heart difficulties that seem to have resolved itself! Every day I wake up thrilled to be retired! Life is good.

[puglogic]

Around here, we have been having fearsome rain, wind, and large hail for days (in pockets, in the afternoons) I'm so grateful that it hasn't destroyed our gardens this year!

[treehugger]

Today, July 14 (Bastille Day!), my DH and I celebrate 4 years of being Crazy Greyhound People. :) I am greatful every day for the joy, love, and laughter that my first hound, Mandy the CrazyGirl (see avatar) brings us. Our 2nd rescued racer, Enzo, adopted a year later, is a dear, sweet, gentle lovebug who completed our little family.

Coincidentally, 4 years ago this month was also the date of my DH's layoff that led to our own personal recession that's still going on. So, July has it's good and bad associations. But, the good far outweighs the bad, and for that, I want to voice my gratitude.

Kara

[larknm]

In the midst of wildfires, our New Mexico monsoon season has now started. It typically lasts July and August. It's been so dry this year we were afraid it might not come.
Our dogs and bird and DH and I are all alive and having pretty good times.
We have a roof, food, and clothes--for the time being at least.
DH's flower garden is breathtakingly beautiful.
We went to Santa Fe's annual Folk Arts Festival--vendors came from 50 countries, some of which's goverments hate each other. It is so magical to see them together. The closest thing to world peace we'll ever see.
A seriously lifelong addicted neighbor's girlfriend is here from across the country. She comes every summer, and while she's here, he looks clearer.
Running my dogs near dawn and at sunset--amazingly beautiful.
I learn all the time little ways to be nicer to DH, doggies, parrot.

[puglogic]

I was so happy that NM finally got some rain, lark, I just about cried. When we were there in May it was so dry and dangerous...

Grateful for the southwest monsoon season as well. I have not had to do any watering for going on two weeks now, saving lots of money. Plus, the plants just LOVE rainwater, and have been growing by leaps and bounds.

[Gardenarian]

I think it's cool how many people are grateful for their health. I have - well, I hate to say - poor health, but that's what it is. When I feel really well, once in a blue moon, it is such a gift.

I'm very grateful for those blue moons! And I'm grateful that I've learned to deal with pain and limitations and be joyful in spite of them!

[fidgiegirl]

Feeling really grateful overall today. I haven't been keeping up with this precious thread and that's a shame. But today I felt overwhelmingly grateful for two things:

1) The means, desire, health, ability, opportunity, etc. to travel. Headed to Costa Rica tomorrow for 2.5 weeks. I will spend most of the time at a school and about half in someone's home. Then DH will join me and we will be at a hotel, but still working with the school. I am not very sure entirely what the whole visit will look like, but it will be about giving their students a chance to learn cultural information from a native speaker as well as practice English. Also it is a networking trip to dream up new projects and connections for my students and theirs. I love this style of travel, which I feel is so much deeper than the typical tourist experience, which is all I've had for a while here. So very grateful for the chance.

2) Not sure where this came from, but in the middle of dinner I started thinking just how very lucky DH and I are. We have enough money, we have good health, we had safe and happy and abuse-free childhoods, we've had opportunities for education and careers, we've been lucky enough to never be victims of violent crime or abusive relationships or terrible car crashes or fires or military dictatorships or environmental catastrophe or any of the basically sh**ty things that happen to almost everyone and will likely touch us at some time. Maybe I'm tempting fate to even write it down. But I just feel so very, very grateful for all of this today.

[Gardenarian]

Today had maybe the most beautiful morning I ever experienced. The breeze smells like roses, the finches are singing.

Of course, I had to leave and go to work, but what an amazing day this is!

[Mighty Frugal]

Thankful for my cozy little home. For my two sons and darling dh who live in there with me and of course, for the triple chocolate explosion ice cream nestled in our freezer. Summer is grand and I am truly thankful

[Tenngal]

thankful for friends who give us some of their homegrown bounty. This week lots of tomatoes.......

[Lainey]

Grateful for a really fantastic vacation trip this summer which included seeing sibs I don't often get to see since we live across the country from each other.
I also decided to send an e-mail thank you to the manager of the hotel we stayed at, to Amtrak, and also to the airport I flew out of, because of all the small and large kindnesses they and their staff showed during my travels. I wanted to make sure they knew that their everyday courtesies to strangers are much appreciated and do not go un-noticed.
Garrison Keillor has a wonderful quote about "the campfires of gentle people" that really warms my heart and prompts me to be on the lookout for ways to acknowledge that.

[puglogic]

So grateful to be home from my stepmother's funeral. A really traumatic trip back East, in so many ways, and I'm grateful I'm back here in my own space again, with my dogs, my husband, my choices, my life.