Category Archives: Gratitude

Thankful Thursday

Posted in California, cancer, cooking, Gratitude, Myeloma, swimming, Uncategorized by

A good week overall. Sachi’s birthday was nice. I made a yellow cake with chocolate icing.

For a box mix, it was tasty.

I’m thankful for my daughter and all her talents. A published author, gardener extraordinaire, research librarian, and cat lover.

I’m very thankful the plumbing got fixed. Z helped his Dad and made the job much easier. Now the sill wood and beam need to be replaced because of the water damage but that will have to wait till we’re back from Tahoe.

I’m thankful that we live in California and not some horrible right-wing state like Florida. We live in a Red county but then you drive down to Roseville and Davis etc and it’s Blue!!!

I’m thankful that I have lived to be 70 and even though Myeloma is hanging over me, I’m hopeful my next course of treatment is successful. Despite having lived with cancer for almost 20 years, I’m fairly healthy.

I’m always thankful for the Roseville pool and even though it’s closed for 3 months, I can go over to the other pool. It’s an Olympic pool outside so I’m not sure how the temperature will be. It is heated though from what the lifeguards said. Most of the people I talked to like it a lot.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in budgets, Gratitude, Walking by

Our weather has been perfect. We sat outside last evening, had a fire, and enjoyed not being chased in by mosquitoes.

The truck’s AC is fixed and we’re picking it up this morning.

My VW’s AC works great and is original to the car ( 2000). I went into town yesterday to drop off the red Fiesta Ware and it was warmish out so I turned on the AC to check it out.

That we had a lovely walk this morning with no one there.

I made homemade yogurt and it came out great. I tried a new method that a You tuber showed with it being made in a ball jar. Heating up the milk to 180 took the longest. Then cooling to 115. Then put it in the oven with the light on. I didn’t think the oven would work but it stayed a nice warm temperature.

I’m thankful our SS came in as next month is a ??? Since that’s our only source of income it could be worrying but I’m not going to worry. It’s out of my control.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in California, camping, covid-19, Gratitude, Political things, Uncategorized by

Wow, I’m thankful I feel better today after the booster shot knocked me out. It was the Moderna booster whichI hadn’t had before and it felt like the flu or chemo, take your choice. Since I know both, I’m just glad it’s over. One day is plenty. Today I feel back to normal.

I’m thankful to go to the pool today but will take it easy and not overdo my muscles. since we’ll be in New Brighton next week it’ll be another week of not swimming:( We are planning to find an Anytime gym ( which we have the free membership to) and use it twice. It’s in Santa Cruz so it’ll be a good excuse to go walk the Lighthouse trail and find a coffee.

I’m grateful that the truck’s AC will be fixed but it won’t be done till we’re back so driving thru the valley will be hot probably. It is very weird that this is the 2nd time this same issue with the truck has come up. Supposedly they changed the compressor last time but why would it go out in 2 years( usually they don’t go out) that quick. Then the guy said it would take a week to get the part and I’m thinking from where? China? Slow boat?. Who can’t get parts overnight these days? It’s a dealership?? Oh well, I’m grateful it SHOULD be covered in our warranty.

I’m thankful that’s been some justice done to tRump. It probably doesn’t change his base any but at least it’s something. And also that Santos has been indicted. What a dick. Claiming unemployment while paying himself from his Ponzi scheme. What a low life.

I’m grateful the weather is so beautiful right now and next week looks even warmer. Capitola should be lovely.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in books, California, Gratitude by
  1. A beautiful sunny day with everything green and lush. The park is very pretty now with the trees coming out. We now have 3 Canada Geese families.
  2. That I have wonderful adult children that I get along with so well. My daughter and I hit up our local nursery, Green Acres, to get some pony packs of tomatoes and some other veggie starts. She had sprouted an entire tray of tomatoes but that last frost got them even in the greenhouse. She picked out a bird bath that was her early birthday present.
  3. For the lovely indoor pool that is kept so perfectly by the Roseville Parks and Rec staff. I’m sure it’s a lot of work to keep an indoor pool at the right temperature and chlorine level.
  4. Even though we have a ( relatively) low income, it’s still enough to take care of our needs even with a mortgage for now. I still have some concerns about when one of us dies and that lower SS will go. We need both to make it so that is going to take some adjusting. But I’m confident life will find a way.
  5. For books and libraries. In spite of my very bad end of working at the library experience, libraries have always been important to me. Starting from when I could read, which was around 5 yo, books have held magic for me. Books have transported me to places I’ll never see. It is abhorrent that there is book banning going on in this country. If you don’t want to read a certain book or don’t want your kids to, fine, that’s your choice but don’t tell other people what they should read. Most of these ‘Mothers for Liberty’ have their heads up their asses and are just pushing their far-right Christian views on others.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in California, Gratitude, Political things, Uncategorized by

I’m thankful I had the money to order the right Dyson vacuum part the other day since all 4 knock-off filters were defective and actually went flying off the top of my V 8 vacuum. The Dyson filter was $30 and only one as opposed to the knockoffs that were 4 in the package. Oh well, I can use Bender( the robotic vacuum) until it shows up.

I’m very thankful that our daughter is such a help around the yard and does most of the gardening. She’s a librarian and the author of many supernatural books involving gay werewolves and vampires. She’s always been one to make up stories even as a child. Now she’s paid, and pretty handsomely too, to write stories.

I’m grateful that our barn kitties are doing well in the house. They do get to go out to their yard which is fenced and protected from predators. My daughter totally spoils them and even bought a catio for them which attaches to her bedroom window. I also am grateful that Chester found his way here from( we think) the hoarder neighbor’s house. He’s a funny cat and has a big personality.

I’m thankful spring is here and everything is turning green and growing!! We would still like to drive up to Tahoe and see the snow pack but the timing just hasn’t been there. I’m guessing that snow will be around for a while. What a winter!!

Oh, let’s not forget, I am so grateful tRump is indicted and that DA Bragg is a brave man.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in California, camping, Gratitude, Uncategorized by

Photo by Sitraka on Unsplash

I love rock cairns. I’ve always been a rock collector and love doing this in our yard. These are lovely granite rocks.

I am thankful our woodstove is keeping us warm since it’s freezing out!! This whole week is cold and there’s been a north wind which makes it colder.

We may NOT go to Napa because it’s supposed to rain on Tuesday and we’re supposed to have snow here at home on Wednesday( that’s the day we’re supposed to come back). I’m not one for camping in the rain even though technically we’re in an RV with heat but still. It’s not quite my thing. We’ll decide by tomorrow.

I’m thankful I finished the taxes and it’s done. I guess I could have just waited to pay in April but since it was a small amount, I went ahead and did it. So Done!!!

We just found out our one neighbor who has lived here since the 1970s( we think late 70s.) was evicted. We were kind of shocked as we just figured she owned the house. It’s in terrible shape and she’s a classic hoarder. Around 10 years ago, we tried to help her when she was addicted to oxycodone but it didn’t go anywhere. I went into her house to see how/if I could clean up for her but it was too far gone for me and I was quite traumatized but the piles of boxes everywhere. Stuff everywhere. One room was so piled up with boxes you couldn’t get into it. A number of years ago, her father died and left her some money and she did put a new roof on since she had it covered in tarps for years. She also must have blown thru the money if she’s now evicted. I hope she is somewhere safe at least. I guess you never really know.

Because of that, I’m grateful that even though we still have a mortgage we can pay it with our SS. When one of us goes and we only have the higher SS it will be a different story but for now, we can manage. As long as our kids chipped in we’d be fine( whoever is left, I mean).

I’m grateful to be able to swim (as always). I love the water and gliding thru. Of course, I’m a slow swimmer but still, I’m grateful I can do it. I imagine a time will come when I’m not going to feel like driving to Roseville to swim. But it is not now.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in Gratitude, home stuff, Uncategorized by

Over on the Frugal Girl’s blog, she wrote a post the other day on 15 things she liked more about her new rental than her old house. She recently left a marriage of 25 years and is starting over in many ways. I admire her positive and generous voice and she is moving on from a challenging situation. Even though there are quite a bit of ‘God’, ‘prayers’, and Christian stuff from commenters, it doesn’t bother me because she, herself, is not proselytizing. Lots of her commentators do though and I just ignore those. She really does walk her talk and is genuinely a good person. Ok, enough, my point is I wanted to write down what I’m grateful for in this house even though it is old, small, and has some serious foundation issues, there’s still a lot of good here.

We moved here in 1995. My son was just 1 year old and my daughter 9. It really was a rundown house and we bought it as is which is probably why no one wanted it. Plus there was so much junk everywhere. It literally took years to clean it up and take down old buildings.

So what I’m thankful for here:

  1. The house sits on top of a small hill in our town and we have almost a 360 view even though there are still lots of trees. When I first came to look at this place what struck me was the light all around.

2. The house is at the end of our driveway so there are no houses behind us. I have issues with things behind me ( I absolutely hate people walking behind me). So this house has our one neighbor( Leo who is like a million years old but still alive( we think). But we don’t really see his house straight away. The jerk who built the garage is behind our barn but initially that was just an open field. Then we have the hoarder and while we can’t see his house but can see some of his junk and that’s where we’ve been putting up the fence. The newest neighbor’s ( around 3 years now), house sits at a diagonal and we only see the back of their house.

3. We have a lot of space outside. I need space around me and this house has lots of usable space.

4. The kitchen is small but functional and when we moved in we gutted the kitchen and replaced everything. So 28 years later it’s still in good shape but we do need to redo the counters. But it works for me and I have no clutter in there.

5. I love the sunporch and sit out there almost every day at 4pm for wine time. It’s the one space B built that actually has no problems and as you know, if you read my blog, we replaced the 4 windows last year and that was so worth it. I’m thankful for this lovely space with plants and sunlight streaming in.

6. There are only 2 bedrooms but they work and our bedroom is just the right size. The area where my office is and now the cat room too was used as a bedroom for my son at some point. He now sleeps in the Tuff shed studio. That was our homeschool classroom and is insulated and has electricity. I’m thankful we have that extra space for him.

7. Our floors are wood and I prefer that to any carpet. We have an area rug in the living space. I’m thankful I can vacuum the whole house in 10 minutes tops.

8. I’m thankful we were able to put a new roof on a while ago( maybe going on 5 years now). It was expensive even for such a small house but we were able to afford it.

9. I’m thankful we have a wood-burning stove that keeps us warm.

10. As we have become more minimalist and have gotten rid of any excesses our space feels more open. And I love my white Ikea couch. It’s showing some age now( it’s probably 10 years old) so I’m not sure what Ikea couch I’d replace it with but that’s not anytime soon.

11. Having one bathroom is a challenge but it’s still a bathroom. When we were in our trailer in Foresthill we had an outhouse so indoor plumbing is very nice. Of course, we were young then and it was all fun then. So I’m very thankful for a bathroom with a clawfoot tub!!

12. We have a big old barn that does hold things we don’t use all the time, mowers, weedeaters, tools, etc. It mostly has my son’s tools and hobby things. ( Way too much for me!) B’s Triumph is stored out there too and the prepper pantry is on one wall.

13. I love that I don’t need curtains on the windows as no one is close enough to see in. I do keep curtains in the bedroom but only to keep the cold out.

I’m sure there are lots of other things but that’s a start.

Imbolc

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, Gratitude, home stuff, husband, Uncategorized by


Imbolc or Imbolg, also called Saint Brigid’s Day, is a Gaelic traditional festival. It marks the beginning of spring, and for Christians it is the feast day of Saint Brigid, Ireland’s patroness saint. It is held on 1 February, which is about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Historically, its traditions were widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man… Wikipedia

· Imbolc is a pagan holiday celebrated from February 1 through sundown February 2. Based on a Celtic tradition, Imbolc was meant to mark the halfway point between the winter solstice.

February 2nd is cross-quarter. I always feel the earth slightly shifting. Perhaps it’s the sap starting to run in the trees or possibly the sun’s angle. Right now we’re getting light still in the afternoon at 5:45pm and walking in the morning, predawn is 6am. I love when this change happens.

I had a good Dr. appt. Nothing new to report. My increase of 3 points is still very low and he actually had gone back and looked at when my numbers started doubling. So at one point, it went from 90 to 180. So that’s what I won’t let happen again and he’s well aware of that. Still, he’s the medical oncologist and knows what he’s doing. But it was a good drive into Sacramento with not tons of traffic just the normal.

I had thought of going down to the pool this morning but will wait till tomorrow. Driving out 2 days in a row is a lot for me. So Friday will be my swim day. I’ll probably go to the gym on Sunday then.

The pantry challenge is winding down as I am running out of ideas. I will check the freezer this morning and see what I can cobble together. I still have plenty of shell stable meals so I may do a couple of them. I know I have some salad stuff to use up today.

Thankful Thursday:

That I have an oncologist who knows me and is attentive.

That it’s sunny out even though it’s cold.

My husband who does SO MUCH around here and is always willing to stop at the store or drop things off for me( returns).

That I feel good overall and love swimming and going to the gym and that I CAN do it.

That we get SS and that almost covers all our bills including still having a mortgage:( . Then I’m thankful our kids pay ‘rent’ and that covers the rest , food, misc, etc.

I’m so thankful they both have excellent jobs and love them. We never got the job thing right( not for lack of trying) but first, in the mid 70’s there were NO jobs that we could get( plus affirmative action knocked Barclay out of the job pools with the US Forest Service. and always we resorted to some kind of self employment. He did Shiatsu massage for years and I did the whole ‘spiritual’ healing/counseling mumbo jumbo. Later we opened the metaphysical bookstore in Old Town Auburn but that was in the late 80s.

Lastly, I’m thankful Barclay is healthy again!!

Thankful Thursday

Posted in Gratitude by

I am very thankful it is NOT raining today!!! We’ve just been inundated with rain and wind so this is a nice break.

I’m thankful that the pantry challenge going well especially using my shelf-stable canned goods. This has been interesting and fun so far. By the end of the month, I’ll see what I still want to try and use up. I’m definitely not spending lots on groceries although at Costco yesterday we did pick up lettuce, cucumbers, coffee, and a few other things but minimal.

I’m so thankful to LLS for funding my health coverage. Our premiums are not cheap so this is a big help. I have to reapply in March so I’ll have to see if funding is open for Myeloma. Last year I had to wait about 6 weeks for funding to reopen.