#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 20: Health Workers

 

The covid pandemic has made all of us more aware of Health Workers than ever before. Unless you've had first hand experience, as we have. In the past year, sheriff deputies, EMTs, nurses, and doctors have cared for Hubs. At two different times, home health workers--nurse, physical, occupational, and speech therapists--treated him in our home. 

I can't say enough good things about the care Hubs got in, before, and after the hospital. If not for the health workers and their quick thinking, he wouldn't be with us. I am so grateful for those who put their lives on the line to care for us.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

Join in the fun! Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 19: Life Lessons

 

I've learned more from failures (or what I perceived as failures) than I have from successes. Getting up after life has knocked me down means I haven't given up. 

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

Join in the fun! Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 17: Opportunities

 We all have opportunities. It's what we do with them that counts. It's easy to let opportunities to slip by without recognizing them. 

I've mentioned we moved frequently, following Hubs' job. The first time was exciting, an adventure. I met a lady who'd been in the town about a year before me. She said she cried the first six months, didn't want to go out of the house. My first thought was how sad. My second was why didn't she get out and see what the town had to offer. She was missing opportunities to enrich her life. 

I understood better how she felt when our 4th move was pending. I didn't want to leave. I cried, I yelled at Hubs. I was angry. Finally, he said he'd get an apartment in the new city and come home on weekends. (I still remember exactly where we were when he said I could stay.) What was my response? That wasn't going to work. We weren't going to live in separate cities. When I had the choice, I accepted the move. 

It turned out that it was a good move, many opportunities that I took advantage of. Accepting opportunities, even going after them, can make life easier.

I'm grateful for all the opportunities our moves have given me. And I'm glad I took advantage of them. 

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 16: Fond Memories

Lunch with Mom. Gram taking me to a Cardinal's baseball game. Our wedding. The birth of our children. Picnics in my folks' backyard. Baseball games with my uncles. Trips with my girlfriends and sister. Tigers' baseball games with my sibs. Vacations with our kids.

So many wonderful memories.

Now, I'm creating memories for my grandchildren. Making up stories. Reading to them. Hugs. Playing dress up. Snuggles. Attending recitals, sports games, school special events, Girl & Boy Scout award ceremonies.

I'm grateful for my memories. More importantly, I'm grateful that Hubs and I can make memories for our grandkids. 

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 14: Love

 Yesterday, I talked about my eyes and how much better they are post cataract surgery. What I didn't say was sometimes I misread things and that's what happened. Day 13 was supposed to be love; Day 14 was books. Oh, well. Today, I get to talk about love.

We all know there are different kinds of love--romantic love, platonic love, familial love, and so on. So far on the list of Gratitude Days, I've talked about love of friends, love of family, love of music and books, love of pets.

Romantic love seems appropriate today. My best friend--the one who texts--and I taught school together. She and a woman who subbed for us decided to fix me up with a guy the sub's husband worked with. My first blind date. He called and we talked for over an hour. We went out for "just" a drink and ended up having dinner then going to a movie. After dating three times, I told my dad this guy was really special. That was Father's Day. We got engaged in August, married on Thanksgiving Day. Fast, huh?

We were both older. We knew what we wanted out of life. And we knew we wanted the other in our lives. This Thanksgiving, we'll celebrate 48 years of marriage. We raised two terrific kids and have 5 brilliant grandchildren. (Doesn't everyone think their offspring are brilliant?) I guess we done good.  😊 

As I mention in the acknowledgement in my books, I'm so glad our friends arranged that blind date. More than that I'm grateful to share my life with a wonderful husband. And we have many more years ahead.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 13: Books

If I said all I want about books, you would be reading this post until tomorrow. LOL So, I'll make it much shorter. Books are essential to my life. They entertain, educate, and help me escape from life's nastiness, like the pandemic and the division in our country. I'd rather read than watch TV.

Several years ago, my eye doctor told me I had cataracts. I dreaded what I knew was coming--eye surgery. No way! What if I lost my sight? I wouldn't be able to read. I knew I could listen to audio books, which I've done on long commutes. But my fear of losing my sight overwhelmed me. Eventually, cataracts dulled my sight enough that I had to face the inevitable. 

I am so grateful for the surgeon who returned my sight and made it better. Since I had severe astigmatism, I had an optional type of lens that took away most of the astigmatism. I could see well without glasses for the first time since I was 3 years old. For small print and the computer, I still need glasses. I can handle that. I have my sight. I can read.

Whether you love to hold a physical book or read on an electronic reader (like me), books enrich our lives. We give thanks for the people who write those wonderful books.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 12: Protectors

What would we do without the First Responders? Police, fire fighters, emergency responders, the military. Without them, we would have chaos. One common element of dystopian fiction is the lack of protection for the inhabitants when bullies take over. We've all seen mobs rampaging on television. Thank goodness, I've never seen their violence in person. 

We depend on our law enforcers to protect us. 

I never had the occasion to call 911, until last October. My husband was panting, couldn't catch his breath. When I called 911, the operator calmly took our info then said help was on its way and I should stay on the line. I responded that I needed to unlock the front door. I had to put down the landline. By the time I opened the door, a sheriff deputy was walking up to our door. Talk about fast. I'm sure that doesn't always happen so fast. He began triage until the EMTs got here. I'm sure they saved my husband's life.

I'm so grateful for the First Responders, especially now during the pandemic.

credit: Amazon

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 11: Music

 I love music. Most kinds of music--country, easy listening, classical, stage and screen, some jazz. I'm not fond of heavy metal or rap. My favorite is rock & roll, esp. the oldies. Listening to the music of my youth brings back good memories. Simon & Garfunkel songs remind me of driving home from my first teaching job. "American Pie" reminds me of a guy I dated. (Shh, don't tell Hubs. LOL) Listening to Broadway tunes, especially Andrew Lloyd Webber, reminds me of the shows I saw in person.

My dad loved opera. Every Saturday, before the Metropolitan (NYC) Opera came on the radio, he had me read a synopsis of the featured performance. I used to think how lazy that was. He could read it himself. As a parent, I realized what he was doing, making me learn about the story behind the opera, broadening my knowledge. I can't say I appreciated his sneakiness. Because he had the opera on, we couldn't listen to (or watch) Tiger baseball games. You can tell my priorities. 😊 

 When I write, I can't listen to music with lyrics. The words mess with my brain. Light classical or songs in a foreign language (Andrea Bocelli) are easier to listen--and write--to.

As I age, I recognize that my hearing is diminishing. I'm grateful I can still listen to music.

What's your favorite music?

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day 10: Food

When my mother got married, she didn't know how to cook. Better Homes & Gardens and Betty Crocker cookbooks were well-used as I was growing up. Mom was determined that her daughters knew how to cook. Back in the day before instant pudding, I stood on a stepstool and stirred so it wouldn't stick. I learned to make  white sauce the same way because, according to Mom, some vegetables (like peas, parsnips, and turnips) tasted better in a sauce. About a year ago, my son the chef informed me that what I knew as a "white sauce" was really béchamel. 

Mom cooked according to a recipe. No winging it for her, no experimentation. Not me. I guess learning how to cook simple things at a young age gave me the courage to try different ingredients. I took cooking classes in ethnic foods, like Mexican, German, and Chinese. 

When my kids were nine or ten, my sister gave them Betty Crocker Junior cookbooks. They became good cooks at a young age. Now, my daughter is passing that on to her children. This spring break--the one where no one could go anywhere--her kids (ages 10 and 13) "visited" a different country each day and took turns preparing an appropriate dish. My son has been a chef since he graduated college. I can't wait to see what he teaches his kids when they're a little older. 

In her later years, Mom found shortcuts for totally delicious foods. Like her streusel coffee cake. 

 

Streusel Coffee Cake

 1 package yellow cake mix

1/4 cup firm butter

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups (12 oz) sour cream

 Heat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9x2 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray (or grease and flour the pan). Measure 2/3 cup dry cake mix into small bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Mix in brown sugar and walnuts. This will be the topping. Set aside.

 In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly with fork; stir in sour cream. Blend in remaining dry cake mix, scraping bowl often. (Batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.) Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle half the topping over the batter. Spoon and gently spread remaining batter in pan, top with remaining topping mix. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350°.

I'm grateful my mother insisted I learn to cook. Not only could I feed my family, I could pass on my own love of cooking to my children, as they are passing it on to theirs.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day Nine: Favorite Thing About Me

 That is a hard question. I'm a reader. I've read as long as I can remember. When I was in fourth or fifth grade, a teacher who caught me reading when I was supposed to be doing school work (which was done, though she didn't ask me) said, "Quit wasting your time reading." 

As a former teacher, I'm appalled that anyone would tell a reader to stop reading. Because I'm such an avid reader, I often can't find what I want to read. What can I do about that? 

Write my own stories.

And that's what I've done.

#30 Days of Gratitude - Day Eight: Job

 For several years I was a teacher of elementary school--full time or as a substitute. I enjoyed helping kids learn or how to learn. The best part was watching their eyes light up. "I found it." Those words were music to my ears. Unfortunately, not all kids wanted to learn. Or they never experienced that "Eureka!" moment. 

I always read aloud to my students, even the 6th graders (when that grade was elementary school). The Hobbit, A Wrinkle in Time. I hoped the kids looked for the next books in the series. If I did nothing more than helping kids enjoy reading, I consider it a success.

When our kids were young, I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom. But when Hubs' job was downsized or terminated, I was able to find temporary jobs--an inventory clerk for a flute store with a thriving mail order business (I once talked to James Galway <squeal>); data entry clerk for a Girl Scout council; an administrative assistant in an oil and gas exploration company. The last job lasted four years until I retired. All of those "temporary" jobs came about because of my computer skills. Those skills were developed by writing fiction. When I look back at the variety I'm grateful for the experiences.

Retirement has given me time to write, for which I am very grateful. 

 Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day Seven: Pets

Over the years, we opened our home to three dogs, Whiskey, Bear, and Cody. I'm grateful for the joy those pets have brought into our lives.

Whiskey was my first dog. A boy in the 6th grade class I taught brought him in to school at lunchtime. His intent was to take the puppy around to the classrooms and tell the kids if they wanted a puppy, they had to bring a note from their parent. My friend (the one I wrote about on Friday, the one who texts) saw the puppy and said "That puppy is for Mrs. Burton." The janitor found a box and some old towels and the puppy stayed in my room for the rest of the day. By the way, all the puppies in the litter were named after alcohol.

When my husband came home from work, he said "I thought we were going to wait until school was out." We-ell, that was the plan. LOL I couldn't resist that cute, red dog.

Whiskey, we kept the name, lived with us for over 16 years. Our kids grew up with him. He was a great companion.

Our next dog was Bear, a black Lab mix. Stubborn and a runner. I wanted to name him Max but was outvoted.  When I started writing, he lay on my feet under my desk. When Hubs had to go out of town on business, Bear was a fierce defender. He lived with us for 15 years.

After 31 years of dogs, we decided that was enough. Then Son's friend had to give up one of his pets. Cody spent 2 years in the boys' college apartment, so Son knew Cody well and took her. After three years, circumstances necessitated he give up the dog, and we took her. What a well-behaved pet. She came when called. LOL She lived her last 4 years with us. I cried more for her when she was gone than I did for the other two dogs. 

So, will we get another pet? I've loved the freedom of being able to leave on vacation without having to make arrangements for the dog. Yet, I miss the companionship. Pets bring so much to our lives. That wagging tail and cheerful bark when I walked in the house always made me smile. I think another dog might be in our future.

 

  Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day Five: Special Events

 What special events are in your lives? 

The special events in mine revolve (or used to before covid) around my grandkids. Dance recitals, sports games, birthdays, Christmas pageants, Girl/Boy Scout advancements. 

Hubs and I sometimes reminisce about our own childhoods. Neither of us remember our parents attending our games or events. Parents didn't do that back in the "old" days. Graduations, of course. But rarely, if ever, anything else. So we made certain we were involved in our kids' activities. Whether it was as a Girl Scout leader, Boy Scout parent committee, Odyssey of the Mind coach, religious education teacher, baseball coach, we wanted to be involved. 

Now, as grandparents, we get to enjoy the kids' activities without the responsibilities. LOL We get to sit in the stands or audience and watch during those special events. I'm so grateful we live close enough to do that.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day Four: Distant Friends

 I'm fortunate that I have many people I'm friends with. At the same time, I don't have many best friends. I'm sure that's probably true for most people. We've moved several times because of Hubs' job. While that's given us many wonderful experiences, it also has meant leaving friends behind. 

With technology, even distant friends are able to stay connected. FaceBook has many detractors and can be abused. I love FB for being able to connect (or reconnect) with friends we left behind when we moved. 

Sometimes, it's the friends who've moved. For a while, I felt bereft until we were able to connect. 

My best friend introduced Hubs and I by conniving with another friend and set us up on a blind date--my one and only blind date. She and I taught together for several years. We had our kids together. We cried together over disappointments and celebrated successes.

Unfortunately, she and technology do not get along. Email is beyond her. Something always goes wrong. But she has mastered texting. Though we live several hundred miles apart, we often text "how are you guys?" and engage in conversation or sharing pictures of grandkids. We've found a way to stay connected.

How do you stay connected with your distant friends?

 Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day Three: Close Friends

 What would we do without friends? 

 One of the consequences of the covid pandemic is not seeing friends. We've stayed hunkered down for the past seven months. No going out to lunch with friends. We stay connected via social media, checking up on each other, encouraging one another to stay safe, yet missing that face-to-face connection.

It's the same with my family. Thank goodness for technology--for FaceTime and Zoom, email and text messages. Still, not the same as being together in person.

One thing the pandemic has taught me is not to take friends for granted. To stay in touch.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day Two: Sunny Days

"Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away..." I always loved the intro theme for Sesame Street. 

Nothing depresses me more than gray skies. Winter in Michigan, especially November and February, is filled with gray skies. I didn't realize how accustomed I was to the gray until we moved to Missouri. I wrote my mom, "It's January and the sun is shining! All the time!" 

When the sun is out, I have all kinds of energy. I'm eager to get things done. I want to write.

For several years, we would visit our son in the winter when he lived in Arizona. What a difference in my mental health. All that sunshine! As much as we love that he and his family now live a short distance away, I do miss going to AZ or anywhere south. With covid, we didn't travel south this year. Again, I noticed the difference in my energy and creative level. Zilch.

 Living near around the Great Lakes is wonderful in the summer, spring, and fall. But winter is not good. 

Vitamin D supplements help a little. Our daughter gave me a "happy" lamp, one that's supposed to replicate the benefits of sunshine, especially for those who have SAD (seasonal affective disorder). I guess I'm ready for the gray days ahead.

I've learned to appreciate and be grateful for the sunny days.

Do sunny days affect you? What about the gray ones?

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

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#30 Days of Gratitude - Day One: Family

 I'm happy to join Tara Tyler in her/our Countdown to Thanksgiving with 30 Days of Gratitude. With all that's gone on this year, in our country as well as in our home, I need to focus on being grateful.

My husband, my partner, my love has gone through a lot of medical issues this year. I'm so grateful he is still here and that he's recovering well. 

Our children have been so supportive with all that's gone on with their dad. We now live close to each other--for the first time since they graduated college--over twenty years ago. So grateful we & they can easily drop in to visit.

Our grandchildren bring so much joy into our lives. Little kid giggles, big kid jokes, sports, recitals, and Boy & Girl Scout advances. As the saying goes, if I'd known grandchildren were so much fun, I would've had them first. They are our reward for raising their parents well.

I can't tell you how much I love my family and am so grateful for them.

In the comments, please tell me about your family.

Here's info about the #30 Days of Gratitude.

Join in the fun! Here's the Form: 30 Days of Gratitude 2020 Blog Hop

Stop by others participating... Elizabeth Seckman & Tara Tyler

  

Happy Thanksgiving

It's appropriate this week to remember we have much to be thankful for. And not just on Thursday as we in the U.S. celebrate Thanksgiving. Making a list (and checking more than twice) is helpful. I know once I hit "publish" to put this on my blog, I'll think of something or someone to add.

I am so thankful for many things, mostly people.

My wonderful husband to whom I've been married for forty-five years this Thanksgiving Day. He's so patient and caring, a terrific husband and a wonderful father. 

My daughter who is a wonderful mother herself. She takes on so many responsibilities and handles all effortlessly (or lets us think it's effortless).

My son who is a great daddy. His eyes light up when his daughter runs to him, and he hasn't stopped smiling when holding his newborn twins. He's caring and loving, attitributes he learned from his dad.

My son-in-law who is as patient with my daughter as my husband is with me. His love for his children shows in all he does.

My daughter-in-law who has become a great friend. She's a caring and protective mother.

My grandkiddies, five delightful children. Their smiles light up my day and their giggles are contagious.

My siblings and their spouses who are always supportive, caring, and loving.

My friends, who are patient and supportive.

My home, shelter, an oasis of calm in a crazy world.

My faith, shaky at times, solid at others. Knowing our God is forgiving and loving bolsters me in times of need.

My parents, now enjoying their final rewards, who taught me strong values, responsibility, and how to work hard to succeed.

My career as a writer and my lovely readers, especially those who tell me they enjoy my stories.

Music, books, movies, the arts, without which my life would be boring.

What are you thankful for?

I hope you and your family enjoy Thanksgiving. Safe travels, all.

Happy Thanksgiving

It’s too bad many of us only think about what we’re grateful for at Thanksgiving. We should be thankful every day. We live in a land of plenty when people in other parts of the world go hungry, have no homes, no freedoms, and live with fear every day.

As we sit around a table laden with enough food to feed two or three times as many people, we give thanks for our many blessings. Here are a few of mine.

Grandchildren who make me laugh and fill me with good cheer.

Children who’ve grown into responsible, caring adults.

My husband who’s a quiet presence in our home, always supportive, a good man.

A family who takes care of each other.

Friends who love us and care about us.

Our house that shelters us, in a neighborhood of genuinely nice people.

My talent as a writer where I can entertain readers by giving life to the characters in my head.

Supportive writing friends.

Fans who are enjoy my books.

Books that have always been my friends.

My list could go on and on. Even though I mentioned him above, I am most grateful for the man I married 44 years ago on Thanksgiving.

Safe travels to all who will be on the road this week. 

What are you grateful for?

Out with the Old, In with the New

Have things slowed down at your house? They have here . . . a bit. In this lull, my thoughts turn backward then forward. Backward to reflect on 2014, a year that had its low points and high points. I’d rather not have a repeat of the health issues that dominated the first quarter. The high points were so much better. Many small and one huge—our son married a terrific woman and we gained a wonderful new daughter.

I have so much to be thankful for.

Family, of course. Living close to our daughter and her husband, seeing them on a more casual basis than a planned two-hour trip. Playing with the grandkiddies. Visiting son and his wife in Arizona. Seeing extended family at son’s wedding. Most of all an indulgent husband who gives me the space I need to write. Who “forces” me to exercise. And who isn’t buying snack foods anymore because he knows I can’t resist.

Friends near and far. Keeping in touch through Facebook and telephone. Meeting for the occasional lunch or dinner. Getting together with friends to celebrate New Year’s Eve as we’ve done for the past fifteen years.

Readers. I am very grateful that people enjoy my books. Writing is a solitary endeavor. We may share our work-in-progress for critique or brainstorming, but in the end we write alone. How wonderful it is to see that work appreciated by others.

What lies ahead for 2015? Foremost, my son and his wife are expecting their first child in the late spring. I’m over the moon about this. Hubs jokes (as he did when we were expecting our first grandchild) that he’ll have to hide my credit cards. When our children were little (and our money a lot tighter), I was very thrifty. No brand-name clothes. In fact, I sewed their clothes. Now it’s so much fun to buy those cute little outfits. Isn’t that a grandmother’s prerogative?

On the writing front, I plan to release three books this year. The third book in the Outer Rim series. Remember Rissa the tavern owner? She finally gets her own story. Human trafficking, kidnapping, and of course a hunky guy. I’m still agonizing over a title. Then, there will be a second Alex O’Hara mystery. She’s up to her eyeballs in trouble again.

Last year at this time, I planned to expand the short story I wrote for the Roses of Prose blog, “Christmas in Space” and release it as a novella this year. Didn’t happen, obviously. It will in time for Christmas 2015.

Goals give us something to aim for, to focus on. By the end of a year, I don’t always complete the goals I planned. But if I didn’t have some goals I wouldn’t accomplish anything. It is so easy to let time slip away. So I’ll make a list of what I want to achieve. I’ll break each goal down into manageable pieces then check off each item as I finish.

How about you? What lies ahead?