Thankful Thursday: Lucky enough

Ah, yes, I remember that wall hanging in the keepers’ kitchen.

"If you are Lucky enough to Live in a LiGHTHOUSE 

You are Lucky Enough"

And we got to live in THIS very one! 

I love to look at the photos of this place from all the different angles, but this one is cool because it shows our bedroom windows right under the chimney.

Those two weeks were such a fun adventure! I'm grateful that we had the privilege of doing that.

I love to look back over the little snippets I wrote about our time there not as "keepers of the light" but as welcomers and hosts to the history of the place.

On this Thankful Thursday, I tear up a bit to think of my good fortune. 

May I never take such blessings for granted.

One Magic Moment

Once upon a time we worked at a lighthouse with a team of six people.

One evening Bob and I found ourselves alone in the keepers’ quarters.

Alone in the whole place and the whole lonely shoreline.

I was just reminded of that evening and of how tired we were from the day’s work.

But I was also reminded that I paid attention to the potential of a magic moment and pushed myself just enough to get down the stairs and out the door to the beach - yes, in my PJs.  What a glorious memory.

How many times do I miss magical moments?

Maybe I’m too busy

Too tired

Maybe I don’t even notice the idea

Nor pause to consider the possibility

So now, today, I am reminding myself to watch for such magic.

To pause and consider the moment - and what could maybe happen.

To provide space to welcome magic moments.

Photo credit: Bob Sims

You can read more about that PJ sunset here. 

Thankful Thursday: seedless oranges

Thankful, yes - for SO many things.

Just now while peeling my orange I suddenly found myself once again remembering the orange groves around Fillmore, California.

I remember the neighbor who gave me oranges from her tree.

And she let me pick some of them!

I remember learning about the netting the growers put on the trees to keep out the birds - to produce seedless oranges… 

I do not understand all the details about cross-pollination 

but I do love seedless oranges.

And I am once again so dang grateful for those months in that place.

For those years and those places that we were able to call home for a minute 

A season 

A month

What an extraordinary thing 

A great privilege

I continue to be astonished

And grateful

Thankful today?

 In these hard days of fear and sadness and injustice and killing... yes, depression lurks and taunts us.  It can be hard to be thankful.  But there are still good things...

Beware Time Change Thursday

’Tis the Thursday after time change…

Remember how our friend Nick, the elementary school principal, told us about the infamous Thursday after time change? About how it was the busiest day of the year with kids being sent to the principal’s office?

Make that the busiest TWO DAYS of the year - once in the spring and once in the fall. He said it didn’t seem to matter whether we were springing forward or falling back. Both ways it was disruptive.  And well documented.

As I think about that disruptive biannual tradition once again, my heart goes out to the teachers and principals around the world… AND the students…. AND their moms and dads.  

So what is there to be thankful for?

Well, this might be a really good time to pause and put the idea of disruption into context. So… instead of grumping once again about this awful tradition, maybe I can think about a few other people around the world whose lives have been disrupted this week.  Like really disrupted!  With bombs and killing all around them. Like the Americans living and working around the world who suddenly find themselves trying to find flights to escape from danger.

Sure enough, I did it, didn’t I? I suddenly pulled the story back to being about Americans, didn’t I? How easy it is for us to see the world through our own rose-colored lenses.

So now what do I do with these thoughts and this disruption on this Thursday designated for thankfulness? I can hear myself thinking that I’m thankful that my major disruptions are pretty small compared to the rest of the world.  But even that can get a little cheesy and weird.

One of the purposes for this tradition was to remind myself that I have MUCH to be thankful for.  

And yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition.  

And yes, I want my heart to be tender toward those across my city and around the world.

Even though I don’t know how my tender heart can solve such dilemmas I want it to be tender.  

Kind. 

Compassionate. 

I wish to show empathy.

I wish to care - even when it hurts.

Daily celebration

Thankful Thursday it is.

Today I am thankful for Facebook Memories.

Because my joining Facebook back in 2008 coincided with a huge juncture in my life, these Memories offer me an incredible timeline of many of the changes large and small.

Taking some minutes to sit with those memories has become a cherished daily ritual for me - to gaze again at those favorite photos - in exotic or familiar places, too-cute shots of our grandkids as babies and then toddlers and now growing up so quickly.  What fun to read the stories and chuckle about the crazy experiences.

It has become a precious time of celebration and gratitude for me - as I shake my head in wonder at these amazing sights and stories - and I cherish the privilege of being able to live this phenomenal adventure - as well as this handy-dandy little way of pausing to remember it.

AND those Facebook Memories prompted - and assisted! - me in compiling and publishing my first book!   

Thankful Thursday Returns

It’s time!!!

Probably past time…

I think I’m a pretty thankful person.

It doesn’t take too much to get me to remember how good my life is.

I can quite readily admit that I am a person of privilege.

On the other hand, it also doesn’t take much for me to get all worried and fearful - or discouraged or grumpy -  about any number of things.  And yes, that seems to happen often these days.

I remind myself that I used to have a pretty solid Thankful Thursday practice where I would pause to think of at least one thing for which I am thankful.

It is time to do that again.

Today is Thursday and I pause to be thankful.

 

Today I am thankful that I have time to write.

And I am thankful for good health.

I hereby choose to resurrect this health-giving habit.

Thankful Thursday.

The vegetable truck - 10 years ago!

What a fun memory from 10 years ago when we were wintering in the Dominican Republic!

...

Ooh, ooh; the vegetable truck came today!

And I made it down the stairs and out to the street in time to catch them!!! Got some great stuff!

And now that they know I'm here and buy lots of stuff, I bet they'll make sure not to miss me next time. They come twice a week!!!

Thankful Thursday for sure!!!

...

Ah, yes; I love to pause and remember the vegetable truck.

'Twas a happy day indeed when they realized there was an American up there in that room about the garage - someone who was happy to buy their vegetables!

Sure enough; they DID come back...

And the lady started saving green beans for me!

That made my day!

Turkey Dinner

It had been a long time since we had 

our entire family around the table together 

for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner... 

so it was pretty important to me this year.  

What fun to pull out the brownstone dishes from 55 years ago...

I am terribly grateful for the opportunity and the fun.

I sure do love these people!

If all else fails, take a walk!

 

I was crabby

Grumpy

Nagging my dear man

Crying

Asking his forgiveness - which he kindly gives.

Sadness

Fear 

Meanness 

So many people hurting

Scared

Downright terrified

So much bad news

Gotta’ look for the good things

Thank goodness, there are also many of them

Good times with wonderful people

Wisdom

Insight

Perspective

Learning from each other

I want to be kind and forgiving

Patient and understanding

I want to forgive others

I want to forgive myself

I want to shed my grumpiness

Maybe go for a walk

So I did.

It worked!

54 years

 Hey Bob Sims, I'm so glad we found each other

...and that we decided to spend the rest of our lives together

... and build a family

But first you surprised me by building us a house!!!

And an amazing house it was!

We took some trips, did some hiking and camping.

Somewhere during those crazy wonderful years, 

we also planted a Christmas tree farm

But then came the day, much to our surprise, when we decided to walk away from that farm and live on the road, here and there, for awhile.

I'm glad we took the chance to collect some more memories in the Dominican Republic...

...but I'm also grateful for that little ole' fifth-wheel RV we found and for the years we lived in that amazing rig.

Thanks for listening to my heart when I realized I needed to get back to Michigan to be near the little guys.

And then I listened to YOUR heart when you felt like you were ready for a project... because you needed something to do with your hands.  It's pretty cool that we have learned to hear each other.

So...we bought a house with "a table big enough for us to all sit..." 

In the meantime, there was more camping and travel and fun with the kids.

Turns out the house project was so much fun that you decided to do another one across the street.  Sure enough you found something ELSE to do with your hands!

I am so terribly thankful for these years together.  

For the wonderful people in our lives

For the miles we have been privileged to travel

For the beaches we've discovered

For the amazing houses you have built and rescued and restored

What a guy!  

Bob the builder

Bob the re-builder

Bob the legend

And I am incredibly grateful that as the seasons come and go...

At the end of the day and the end of our energy...

And it's time for rocking and relaxing...

I'm so stinkin' glad it's still you and me, babe.