Grateful

I visited a friend this summer, and as we were talking she asked me what is going on in my life.

Meaning, how are you...really?

And my answer was that I am really happy with my life. I was thinking about this today, and I am grateful for my life.

I am grateful for my family.

I am grateful for my church family.

I am grateful for my job, and for good friends at work.

I am grateful for the music in my life, because there certainly is a lot of it. :)

I'm grateful for the new furry family member in my life...Penny Lane. This is her napping:

I had lunch today with a good friend, and my family. I turn 45 tomorrow.

Life is good. I am grateful.

work

These are the roses in front of my house.

The lady I bought the house from last summer, Jennifer, had done amazing work on them and they looked and smelled WONDERFUL all last summer.

I am NOT a rose expert.

But, I am willing to put in some work to have nice roses. I like the colors, I like the smells, and I like how nice they look in my front yard.

But they do take work. I'm not sure I understood the amount of work that would be involved when this summer started. And, my mom actually did the trimming last fall and then trimmed them again in the spring so I haven't even done any of that work.

But I do stand out there every couple days and water them all. I trim the roses that have bloomed, and I cut off unproductive limbs so the other ones can produce more. I bought Rose Food, read the directions and made sure they were fed. When I went out of town I had to leave dad with instructions on watering them.

And all of this work is being done really by default. I "fell into" it, by starting to care for the roses before I had any clue about what was involved. Just jumped right in there. But now because of the work I have beautiful roses.

There is work to be done, for sure. But I think they are worth it.
Smelling pretty,
K

mittens

Well, it is winter for sure. I have shoveled the front of my house several times in the past few days.

And I have never been so grateful to have mittens.

This is the first time I have ever owned mittens. I never understood mittens at all - I just never had mittens in my life. Oh, I have had gloves - when I moved to Colorado, I quickly realized that it behooves you to have a pair of gloves in every coat pocket. It gets COLD here people! Especially to someone who grew up in northern California, and then lived in Georgia for 14 years.

But now I have mittens.

I guess mittens weren't a part of my life growing up, so I never realized how great they are.

A few weeks ago, a friend came to church wearing a fleece, no coat, and mittens. I told her that I liked her mittens. She said her husband bought them on Etsy. So that afternoon, I went on Etsy, and searched "fleece lined mittens". HOLY COW! Mittens can be cute too! Mine are made out of recycled sweaters, and the inside is fleece lined. Every time I've shoveled in the past couple weeks, I've worn my mittens. It's amazing - the only way you can feel like you are outside is on the face. Everything else is snuggly warm. Unbelievable!

I am grateful for mittens. And for warm hands.

And for spring, if it ever comes.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 30

Well this is it. Today I am thankful for rest.

I am home now, after being at the cabin with the WHOLE family, and I am glad to be at rest.
I'm paying bills, have a load in the laundry, and am intermittently watching Friends. Relaxing.

I am thankful for the breaks we get, and the chance to stop for a bit.

Oh, and I'm also thankful that I have all my Christmas shopping done! :)
Bring on the Christmas music!
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 24

Today I am thankful for the little bundles of joy that animals are in my life. I grew up with animals - Leroy was our first dog. Then there was Princess Pricilla (aka Prissy) the cat, who was with us for a long time. Then Toby the dog, and then I moved out and had kitties of my own.

Sam was my first cat, and we were by ourselves for about 6 years. Jenny, the little old lady cat was with us for about a year, and then Ed's cat Max came to live with me and Sam. Maxie Faxie made me laugh on a regular basis. When Sam was 13, he got sick and had to go to kitty heaven, and then about 6 months later, Max got sick and joined him.

I haven't had animals for a long time - like 5 or 6 years.

But now I have Callie.

This is Callie. This morning she was curled up keeping warm on her heating pad/bed.

This is Callie from a bit ago, right after she had her thrice-yearly shave-down:

Her hair gets really knotted, so she gets shaved about 3 times a year. Granted, she looks a little funny without much hair, but when you pet her she feels like VELVET! She is SOOOOO soft.

I am thankful for Callie, and for all the wonderful animals I've had in my life.
Thankful for the earthly kind of unconditional love.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 22

Oh man. Today I am thankful for extra time.

Last night at 10:30, I got a phone call that school was delayed for 2 hours this morning. I am still in my jammies, and all warm and toasty at home. At some point, I will take a shower and mosey in to work, but at this moment I am still reveling in the relaxed schedule of this morning.

I love the unexpected gift of time, and that leisurely 2nd cup of coffee!
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 21

Oh. My. Word.

Today I am SO thankful to be home safe.

This morning, my 15 minute drive to work took 45 minutes, was very sketchy and I slid on the ice. Twice.

This afternoon, it took about 35 minutes to get home, and I slid into my neighborhood.

I am thankful that I didn't wreck my car or myself in the process of driving in today's weather.

I am thankful my friend is OK - she had a car accident today and totaled her car.

I am NOT thankful that nobody called a snow delay...but that's another topic. :)

Right now, it is about 12 degrees outside, and I am warm and safe in my house.

And terribly thankful for that too. Tonight I'm pretty sure I will be thankful for the extra blanket on my bed.

And I think that Callie (the cat) will be thankful for the heating pad that is in her cat bed.

So much to be thankful for - God's blessings and mercies are everywhere.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 18

Today I am thankful for a simple thing: being in my jammies at 6:30. I am at home, warm and comfy. I can't think of a better thing to be thankful for!

It is the simple things in life...
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 16

Today I am thankful for friends. I had several friends over tonight, and it was great. I had a really fun time. I am grateful for friends from work - the fact that I work with some great people.

I know that often people don't have friends at work - work people are just work people.

I am far too blessed for that. Not only do I have a great job and a fun workplace, I am friends with lots of people at work.

Thankful for fun, and friends, and a great house to have them over to.
I am full.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 10

OK, let me play catch-up really quick here:

On Friday I was not feeling well, and stayed home from school in the morning. By the time I was finished for the day I came home, did one load of laundry and went to bed. I'm sure I was thankful, but I can't remember anything except feeling sick. I guess I'm thankful that I am in a place where I CAN take some time off if I need to.

ON Saturday, I did the usual Saturday errands and things that need to be done, but this Saturday I am VERY thankful for Dad. He worked in the garage for several hours.

My new house came with some nice built-in shelving in the garage. But, I kept us from using the space well, so Dad un-built the built-in shelving, and moved it to another wall. I helped with the putting back together, and the rearranging of stuff back onto the shelves. Dad worked HARD and did some awesome things. My garage looks (and functions) great - Thanks Dad!

Last night I went to Denver with a friend, and some of her friends to see a band. It was a great show, and a fun time, but we didn't get back home until 2am.

So, this morning I slept in. I am SO grateful for sleeping in. I am so grateful for rest, and a wonderful bed to rest in. Last night was fun, but I am POOPED! And evidently older, because in my 20's I did this kind of stuff ALL the time.

Not so much any more. :)
Much needed rest and peace and organized calm in a garage are good things.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 7

Today I am not feeling very well. In fact I am off to bed very shortly.

But before the snoring commences, I am going to be thankful for dinner.

Since Mom and Dad have moved into the new house, Mom makes dinner. She will usually text me and ask if I will be eating. Why, yes, thank you! You will cook for me? And have it ready when I get home? Of course I will eat!

So today, not feeling well, I slogged home and there was a wonderful soup and salad that Mom made for dinner. I am so grateful. If there was no dinner ready, there is NO TELLING what I would have dug out of the 'fridge to eat.

Thanks Mom!
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 5

Well Shoot. I wasn't thankful yesterday. Well I WAS thankful, but didn't write it down. I guess it goes to show my human-ness...

So today I am going to be thankful for the extra blanket last night. It stayed on my bed ALL NIGHT.

It has been COLD here. Today the high was in the 40's, and it was wet and windy. Just raw outside.

Actually, we were SUPPOSED to get snow last night (roll of the eyes) but alas there was NONE. Many of my students were very disappointed this morning. I, of course, was not disappointed at all. :)

So, last night it was very cold. And I am so very grateful for the extra blanket. Actually, I will add that I am grateful for he abundance of blankets I have. Last week I unpacked one of the last boxes, and now I have several blankets or quilts or comforters in each closet.

Here's hoping I get to use the extra blanket more in the coming weeks.
K

30 Thankful Days: Day 2

OK, since I spent today doing stuff around the house, today I will be thankful that I have a house.

And I LOVE it! Not the chores, particularly, but the house. :)

I moved into this house 9 days before school started. Anyone who has worked in a school knows how crazy the start of school is. So I did the best I could in 9 days. But now, that I have some time, I am doing the things I didn't get done at first. Over fall break I hung pictures up on the walls, and unpacked the last 10 boxes. I also did some organizing in my office, but there is still a little bit of that to go. Now it is just the things that I look around and think that I'd like to change, or rearrange a little. Nothing earthshaking, but just little things.

Today I was very productive, and got several chores done, so I am happy about having the house.

And also about being done with chores. :)
K

Callie

This is Callie.

I know it's hard to tell what is cat and what is bed. But she's there.

Right now she's sleeping, making little cat snoring noises. :)

And I do realize she probably looks naked to you. But, Callie's hair is very white, very fine, and very prone to matting up and knotting. So, a couple times a year she gets a "Lion Cut". There is a cute little ball of fur at the end of her tail, and cute tufts of fur around her cheeks. But the bonus to this "haircut" is that now when you pet her she feels like velvet. SO SOFT.

Anyway, I realized this morning that I enjoy having a cat again. It's been several years since I lost Sam and Max, and I didn't realize that I missed having a kitty. Even one who is as vocal as Callie.

Today she came downstairs and starting meowing at me VERY EMPHATICALLY. Since I had just fed her, I finally figured out that she didn't like the open window above her bed. There is a light rain falling and a cold wind, and she didn't like it. Once I come up and closed the window she went right back to bed.

But I was petting her this morning and as she purred at me (sounding like a tractor) I thought about how fulfilling it is to pet a cat. She purred, and I petted away.

It's good to be the (kitty) Queen. :)
K

weird

New house weirdness:

I now have a cat. Used to be Mom and Dad's cat, but now that they are back and forth between here and the mountains, the cat stays with me. She is sweet, but it is weird having a cat, 6 or 7 years after losing Sam and Max.

Things sound weird here. There are weird noises that I'm not used to, like creaking and such. Not to mention sleeping with the window open and the different neighbor noises. Huh.

I keep forgetting to lock the front door. I usually go in and out through the garage, but other people reliably come and go through the front door. And usually I forget to lock it again.

Laundry in the bowels of the earth. I got spoiled having the laundry 2 steps away from my bed. Now I (and my dirty clothes) are on the 2nd floor, and the laundry is in the basement. Huh.

Light switches. Half of the light switches DO NOT OPERATE ANYTHING! It is maddening...

Mail. I have the nicest mailman. He brings my mail to the door, because the post office can't seem to get me keys to the box. Hand delivery of the mail. Awesome.

Randomly driving to the other house, then realizing that I don't live there anymore. Huh.

SO many things to get used to.
K

waiting

Waiting is hard.

Today is Tuesday. On Friday I am supposed to buy a house.

I say "supposed to" because I haven't gotten word from the lender on how much the actual check should be for. This is the last step in this big, bad process of buying a house. Once I go get the check, I think everything will be good. Then I just have to go to the closing and sign my name a bajillion times.

For now, I'm waiting.

Since I sold my condo a couple weeks ago, when people ask where I am living I say "Camping in Mom and Dad's basement". And that is the truth. But really it is not a hardship. There is a kitchen down here, and a full bathroom, and a nice bed. And plenty of room to have some of my stuff. Not all of my stuff, but certainly enough to live for a couple weeks. As well as free laundry, offers of dinner, and a garage door opener. No, I am NOT roughing it.

But...

I am waiting.

I am ready to go to the closing.

I am ready to move in. I am even EXCITED about moving in. I am even excited about the actual MOVING!

I think the waiting is the hard part. Knowing what is coming, but having to wait.

...

As you MIGHT be able to tell, patience is NOT my strong suit.

So for now I will wait. And pray for patience.
K

even bigger

Well I thought things couldn't get bigger and more scarier...(scarier?) but they have.

...

I bought a house today.

Holy cow - this is HUGE.

Really I'm not sure how to feel. I'm excited, but I'm also scared, and a little overwhelmed, and still waking up in the middle of the night thinking about things I need to do.

Oh. My. Word.

But the bottom line is that it will be a great thing. I'm trusting God. I've prayed this WHOLE time that He would work out all things in this big endeavor. And He is good. All the time. Regardless of what is happening in my housing situation.

And that's exactly what I have right now - a housing "situation".

So, I'm off to pack. I've got to get all my stuff over to Mom and Dad's house, because next weekend I'm moving the furniture into a storage unit for awhile.
Here's to cardboard boxes.
K

firsts

This has been a couple weeks of firsts.

I sold my first house this week. Well, it's technically not sold yet - I signed the contract on Tuesday, but it won't be "officially sold" until mid-July. 

Today I met with a mortgage person (she was incredibly nice and unfailingly patient with my questions) and got pre-approved for a mortgage, so when it is time to buy a new house, I'll be ready.

I changed the bulbs in both my car headlights for the first time.
Let me be more specific - I've "been involved" in changing the bulb in the rear headlight before. I didn't *actually* do it, but my friend did it, and I got my head right down there and watched and asked a bunch of questions. The front ones were the same, but it was harder to get my hand under and around all the engine stuff. But I did it!

I called a plumber to fix a little water leak. OK, it's not the first time for that, but I'm proud of myself nonetheless.

I am getting ready to buy a house by myself (not first house, but first "buying experience"). Tomorrow is the first day that Mom and I will go out looking at actual houses with a Real Estate Agent. "Real Houses" as opposed to pictures on the internet. :)

This has all combined to make me feel pretty stinkin' self-sufficient! BUT, as we learned in last year's VBX, "no matter what, TRUST GOD!"

So I am trusting God to provide the right house, at the right price, and to work out all the little house-buying details that I don't even know about yet.

I'm not going to worry about it. I have a saying on my desk at work:
"Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere."
So, I will not worry. It's not productive, and besides: God's already got this worked out! (I just don't know how!)
From the old house,
K

houses

Yesterday I was driving around a neighborhood looking at houses. No, not stalking someone - I am selling my house, and looking to buy a different house, so the looking is OK.

As I was driving, looking at the differences in the houses, and noticing what they look like on the outside, the thought occurred to me: "I bet some of these houses are crazy dirty on the inside, even though they look good on the outside." I could not see any of the inside, of course, but I think it is likely that at least SOME of them had some mess going on inside.

And then it hit me: people are like that too.

We take a shower, do the hair, put on the smelly lotion, put on the mascara, and do our best to look good - to look like we have it all under control on the outside. Even though we may be a mess on the inside.

Lord please let my insides match my outside, and let them both be clean and pleasing to You.
K

old fashioned

I would like to take this moment to confess that I am old fashioned.

Now, I am not old fashioned in EVERYTHING...just in a few.

I like technology. I am willing to use technology. For some things, I embrace technology.

But today I sat down and paid bills - the old fashioned way. I took the bill, wrote out the check, marked it off on the sheet where I keep track of bills, put on the stamp, put on the return address label, and made a stack of said bills to drop off at the post office.

Now I realize that there are quicker and more electronically-savvy ways to do this task, but there is just something...tactile about paying bills with my hand and tongue and checkbook rather than with a mouse and keyboard. That way it feels like sending an email. My way I feel like I am *doing* something. Like my hands are actually doing it.

Yes, I pay some bills online. But it feels weird that way, and I much prefer the old-fashioned way.

I'm going to make it a point this summer to see where else I am old-fashioned, because I feel that I have equal parts "old-fashioned" and "forward-thinking".
K