Thankfulness to a T

 

Alphabetical gratitude month continues today with the letter T which leads to Thanksgiving, which is what started this whole gratitude month to begin with! It's terrific!

A = Autumn, Austins, Assumption
B = Ballots, Books, Book Club, Bible
C = Casey, Clay, Carter, Church, Creativity, Camera
D = Dad, Daughters, Deck Chair, Dar, Design
E = Eggs, Election, Energy, Empty Nest
F = Family, Friends, Faith, Flu Shot, FastForward
G = Games, Golf, Guilty pleasures
H = Hugs, Hurricanes, Humor
I = Ice cream, Impromptu Invitations
J = Jim, Jokes, Job, Java
K = Kindness, King Cone, Knock on Wood, Karma
L = Laughters, Love
M = Mom, Masters, Musicals
N = Nieces, Nephews, Neighbors, Norse Force
O = Outage
P = Pigging Out, Passport, Phone
Q = Quiet
R = R People
S = Scandi-hoovian-ism, Sisters, Sylvester

Thanksgiving: I love Christmas, but I really appreciate Thanksgiving and what it stands for, too. It's what this gratitude month is all about. Our acts of thanksgiving. Not lamenting what we don't have or can't do in 2020, but appreciating the blessings we do have and things we can still do – even in a pandemic. Thanksgiving is more than a holiday. It's a 365-day action of thankfulness. An attitude that goes a long way to positive, healthy thinking!

Tree: What tree? Oh, my family tree. I am grateful for my hubby for spurring my interest in family tree work. He started in high school and I started after Carter was born. So I missed out on a lot of time with living relatives who were the brain trust of our family history. My active interest and work on it goes in spurts. Usually more attention in winter months when there's not much else going on. Or in a pandemic year. My mysteries are many. And I continue to welcome clues. Jim could write a book on his but still, he was overjoyed tonight to learn two more names on his tree – grandparents that I think are 4 or 5 generations back. Totally awesome! I'm also thankful for technology, which has enabled me to search and find many answers and ancestors. Our history is at our finger tips. Just need to set aside time to tap into it.

Teachers: Just a shout out to teachers today, too. I can't imagine how you do what you in normal circumstances. Throw in social distancing, a virus, and virtual learning (and teaching), and it's crazy amazing. I know a lot of you are teaching to two audiences at once – half class in school and half class online – plus still trying to get to know your students, who've been hiding behind masks or a computer monitor. Bless you and all you do to keep our future on track.

Turkey: As excitement goes, I suppose turkeys are the lefse of meat. But I'm grateful to cook and deliver some turkey meals for isolated family on Thanksgiving. Plus thankful that tomorrow is my Friday so I have time to get things done. Thank you, Tuesday!

#gratitudemonth #gratitudealphabet

Senior Moments :: Teacher Time

Since kindergarten, we have been blessed to attend Parent-Teacher Conferences and hear mostly good things about our boy. I say mostly because he had his "chatty" moments now and then, but apparently his charm ultimately ruled the day.

Tonight was our last time to hear, "Carter is a pleasure to have in class." Yup, another senior moment. The last P-T Conferences.

Since we both had crazy schedules today – hubby shuffling vehicles at the garage and my going to the Dells for a work meeting – I completely forgot about the conferences. When I got a pop-up reminder on my phone, I wondered why I even logged it in there on my calendar. He has less than 3 months of high school left. Do we need to go? Should we?

Jim and I decided to go and at least see a few teachers to thank them for putting up with Carter. To a person, they said they'd miss him. And we believe them!

What I have enjoyed about his education at both Grant Elementary School and at Assumption Middle and High Schools is that they were small enough that his teachers could really get to know him. Not just a name or number, but really know him. Never accidentally calling him Austin instead of Carter. Knowing both of his parents so they see he is a good mix of both Jim and me. Caring enough to want him to succeed and helping him do it.

I probably should have stuck with thank-you notes instead of hugs because those did me in. I had all I could do to hold it together! I'm really going to miss some of his teachers!

But then again. Most of them will still be around. Carter's the one leaving.

Not that I need another reminder. Insert sad face here.

We just feel blessed he gives his teachers and us reasons to miss him!

Second Chance to Chill

Feeling pressure from my Mint constituents, I knew I better try one of those new Grasshopper Mousse Pie Blizzards this month.

While I had hoped to dip into one on Friday or Saturday, I wasn't in the vicinity of a Dairy Queen. On Sunday after church, I drove right by with all intentions to stop but even so close to noon, it wasn't open yet! By then I figured my diet gods had stronger will power than my mint network – or it just wasn't meant to be.

I'm a big fan of second chances, though.

Today I worked from the home office to accommodate an 11:30 church committee meeting. It just happened to get done before noon and my church just happens to be only 3 blocks from DQ. Just to make sure I didn't show up before noon, I stopped at the bank first. Then, as timing would have it, I got to DQ to see a neon OPEN sign.

I figured I better just order a small one – in case I didn't like it. (Eye Roll). Plus, I had worked out this morning and really didn't need to set myself back already. The "pie" was so light and fluffy, though, it couldn't have contained many calories, could it?

Glad I gave DQ a second chance to be open. While I enjoyed the new flavor – and wouldn't turn it down if one was purchased for me – I didn't fall in LOVE with it. I know, I know. I have high mint standards. Plus, I really prefer "hard" ice cream to soft serve. I feel like I'm getting some substance to the fat intake. Ha.

Between that and the open window in my office (60 degrees today), I was in a good mood.

Even after parent-teacher conferences! Nothing too bad. Carter is still "a joy to have in class" and charming and respectful. He just has some study habits he needs to hone sooner rather than later.

Good thing I am not the only one who believes in second chances!

Spring-Loaded

I don't suppose we can blame the extended winter on some sort of computer glitch. Perhaps a delayed Y2K?

Now I DO believe it! With lows around minus 20 to minus 25 in these here parts, I will believe anything. And, of course, continue to realize it is all out of our control. So I really should shut up about it, right?

As my twin sister put it today, winter is just wearing us down. And that I do believe!

One thing that did put a spring in our step today was parent-teacher conferences. We weren't too concerned since Carter made Honor Roll the first semester, but he does have his struggles. His teachers confirmed that.

While Carter's grades are not perfect, he did receive high praise for his behavior, attitude and charm. Now we just have to cure his test-taking woes, and we're on the right path.

It seriously is comforting and encouraging to hear -- and know that we as his parents can take at least half the credit. Right?

I'll guess we'll stick with what we can control. Somehow, though, I don't think we can control a teenager much more than Ol' Man Winter. One can give us a cold shoulder but the other can certainly make us chilled to the bone.

I prefer the short-lived cold shoulder. I've got lots of hoodies to wear for that!