25 Things I'm thankful for

Several fellow bloggers have challenged me to blogging about something I'm thankful for every day until Thanksgiving. At first thought, that seemed like it would easy. But then, I realized it would be hard to avoid being redundant. Plus, it will be really hard not to be boring or schmaltzy.

Well, so be it!

I worked for 17 years for a large insurance company before I retired. The job had it's ups and downs, but the thing I'm most grateful for is all the computer training I received. If I hadn't had the experience and confidence gained from that, I never would have become a blogger.

It's hard to conceive of life without my computer! Each morning I get up, feed the four cats, make coffee, read the newspaper and then sign on to my computer. That's when my day really begins. I check my emails, my Facebook page and then, my blog. I read all the updated blogs and worry a little over those that haven't been updated for a while.

I spend my morning at my computer leaving comments on the delightful blogs I follow and then writing my own blog. If I'm feeling down, I might just post something silly or blow it off altogether. My confidence comes and goes and so does the quality of my posts. But I tell myself there's nothing wrong with being eclectic or eccentric!

Fellow bloggers understand that, and that's why I love them!

Toddler Property Laws

You may have seen these before, but they are so laughably accurate it makes me smile.

1) If I like it, it's mine.
2) If it's in my hand, it's mine.
3) If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4) If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5) If it's mine, it must never appear in any way to be yours.
6) If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7) If it looks like mine, it's mine.
8) If I saw it first, it's mine.
9) If you play with it and put it down, it's mine.
10) If it's broken, it's yours.

Halloween is a done deal

We never get any Trick or Treaters in our building. I don't even bother to buy candy anymore (except for myself--I love candy corn!)

The place where I live is on a cul-de-sac that ends at a steep slope covered by trees. You can't see the building from the corner because of the dark wooded lot next door. To a kid, I suppose it would look pretty spooky. Having seen a lot of spooky movies, I can understand that feeling.

Have a nice Halloween and remember to Fall Back your clocks tomorrow!

Drunken Punkins

My cousin emailed this to me.
It's topical, if not funny.

There's so little time left to
display Jack-o-lanterns.

(FYI I don't drink.)

Bragging up my granddaughter

This is my lovely granddaughter, a very active young woman and mother of my three great-granddaughters. She graciously shares the girls with me and they spend a week here in the Cities with me every summer. It's great fun.

It makes me feel sad and a little guilty that I wasn't able to spend time with her when she was little. I was working my way through college 200 miles away at the time. I was broke and didn't even have a phone for a year. It was during that period that I resorted to using the Food Shelf. I remember getting large blocks of free commodity cheese and jugs of honey. Being so far away, I couldn't babysit her or give her much of anything.

I am so proud of the fine person she grew up to be. She has raised her girls to be polite yet warm, loving and delightful. So, I now buy gifts and spend time with her children, feeling a little wistful over those lost years when I couldn't do the same for her.

Awwww!

I don't know the story behind this picture, but I find it just too adorable.

Bringing in the Sheaves

Another Fall picture that brings back memories. Around 1954, I belonged to a Lutheran Church youth group. A member of the congregation offered to let us pick up the corn that had been missed by the cornpickers. He would then sell it and the money would be donated to missions.

And, so it was that the bunch of us were out in the cornfield on a frosty Saturday morning walking down the tangled, brown rows of harvested corn. I was surprised that there were lots of golden corncobs lying everywhere. The farmer pulled a farm wagon along beside us so all we had to do was toss it in. By noon, the wagon was filled.

At the edge of the field, some of the Moms had set up a folding table and served up hot chocolate and donuts. Then we got a ride back into town to the church. I only went gleaning that one time, but I'm so glad I got participate in this ancient tradition.

I don't know if farming methods today prevent such wastage, but there must be tons of food that escapes harvesting and rots in the field. I realize now that gleaning is a very noble environmental enterprise.