Three Things...Gratitude Thread

[leebee]

Sorry I missed yesterday. The resident 6 year old became the resident 7 year old, and even though I am still recovering from surgery, there was baking and cooking to be done; the requested birthday dinner was "Lee's macaroni and cheese!"

French things...

1. PARIS. J'adore Paris! I am a city mouse at heart (living in the willy-whacks of Maine) and I absolutely loved every minute of the 4 days I spent in Paris- even if I was there with 19 of my favorite teenagers!

2. Wine and the countryside wineries

3. Bread, cheese, pastries, and all manner and styles of French cooking!

Things received/given that were fun:
1. For our wedding, we received a sterling silver chafing dish. DEFINITELY not our style, but the friend who gave it to us is a traditional southern belle, and I am 100% certain she thought this to be the perfect and appropriate wedding gift. We kept it in its original gift box in our SF apartment and after moving back to Maine, we discovered that the dear friend who helped us move had written something very funny on the box (along the lines of, "My stars, Martha, you SHOULD"T have" or something like that). Made us laugh- but the funny part is when this guy got married, DH and I "regifted" the chafing dish to him!

2. The family fruitcake. There are about 10 of us in on this. One lucky person will find a fruitcake in their mail in the days leading up to Christmas. It is their responsibility to then mail it to another relative the following Christmas. The annual recipient usually updates us via email or FB so we know who got it this year. Sometimes this includes stories of how the cake spent its travel time or pictures of it dressed up or in interesting situations (think Flat Stanley).

3. As some of you know, I have been recuperating slowly from a total knee replacement on 6/21. The resident 7 year old (he turned 7 yesterday) has been making get well stickers, painting pictures, and bringing me special rocks to make me feel better. He touches my heart

 

[PollyannaMom]

A ceramic cat that was my maternal grandmother's. When we (all the grandkids) were young, she made us go around her house and pick something we'd like to have after she died. I found it morbid at the time, but now I love the idea that something that was in her house is continuing its "life" in mine.

Hand-me-down cloths. I have fond memories on both sides of this one - of going through boxes of surprises from an older cousin (who lived a little farther away) and of a younger cousin (who was local) peeking through my closet and picking out things she was excited to get next the season.

The things I've donated to the flea market at DH's lodge over the years. I feel so much better giving something to a good cause, where it can become someone else's exciting "find", than just throwing it away. (It's especially fun when I'm volunteering at the table and see this happen.)

 

[Tink-osophy]

GIVEN/GIVING ...I know I've said it before, but here it comes again... Thank you for keeping this thread going and for coming up with such interest subjects every day, @PollyannaMom

Birthdays -- Themed birthdays weren't a trend when my parents were young, so, in recent years, I've put together some themed, well-decorated (some years over-the-top!) celebrations for them. The best, I think, was Willy Wonka "Pure Imagination"; you could barely see the room!!! Giving them this has been so worthwhile. My Dad, especially, is very moved by it. Parents deserve to feel special, too, right?!

Teacher Gifts -- One year, when teaching Reception/Kindergarten, to say thank you a parent framed a Snoopy drawing (she did herself) for me. That was so thoughtful and took quite some effort. I've also been given various little, random gifts by kids (cards, friendship bracelets, one of their treasured chocolates etc. etc.) along the way. They're always special.

Smiles -- I love it when you exchange a smile with a passer-by on the street. And I always remember, when I was a student and working in retail, I smiled at a gentleman across the store as he walked up the stairs and he told me my smile got him up the last few steps. ...I'm soppy, I know!

Help -- It's always good to give and receive help. I think I mentioned, already, that a kind stranger helped me with my car, recently, and saved what was an important trip for me.

 

[Tink-osophy]

#3 - I’m grateful for the Dyson rechargeable stick vacuum my in-laws bought us for Christmas a few years ago - it’s one of the best gifts ever - I love this vacuum. Every day that I use it, to zip over the kitchen floor after dinner, I think how glad I am to have it.

They're fantastic, aren't they?! I love mine! Life-changing!

The things I've donated to the flea market at DH's lodge over the years. I feel so much better giving something to a good cause, where it can become someone else's exciting "find", than just throwing it away. (It's especially fun when I'm volunteering at the table and see this happen.)

Oh, good one! I'm slowly minimizing my belongings. The freedom is lovely and, like you say, it feels really good to donate stuff. ...Even better actually to see someone else's pleasure at finding something they need or like.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you indeed dear PollyannaMom for this thread and all of you kind friends for keeping it going! I LOVE your answer of smiles, Tink, Amen!

Other give aways

Love, I pray and witness to Christ, my Savior.
Sharing of Holy Communion
Kindness always along with honesty and compassion, care.
Stickers are sure a fun thing to share as are experiences in life.

Other donations. I, too, over the last few years have pared down a lot. To me, when anything becomes simply "stuff," that typically means I'm not actively using it. Therefore, it indeed has become "stuff," that is neither bringing me joy nor (to me worse) being used in good service to God. Time to share it on or toss

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I’m grateful for the few small items I have that were once my mothers - I had to steal & hide them to get them as my father gave everything to his 2nd wife who gave it all away as it meant nothing to her - I mainly kitchen items
I’m grateful for my old neighbors who loaned me table & chairs when I moved for as long as I needed it so I had a kitchen table
Always grateful for the Church who gave us food when I was a kid as we didn’t have any ! Meant a lot to me - when my kids did things like that at school I always went overboard my DH never understood I said because you never were on the receiving end - you have no idea what this means to the family receiving it - we can afford it I’m doing it !

 

[mumto3girls]

I am behind again—we were traveling for DD’s volleyball and now on vacation. Busy + bad (weak) cell service = not much time for disboarding.

SL Things: this one is tough for me so I will chime in on some others answers.
1. Sleep—I need a good bit of sleep and definitely prioritize it.
2. Slides—I still love a water slide and a good pool slide makes me happy.
3. Slices—cake, pie, pizza—love them all.

Animals:
1. Nala—the only dog I’ve had an an adult. She is a small shih tzu/bichon mix and could not have a better temperament.
2. Daisy/Casey/Mickey—childhood dogs, Daisy and Casey were mother and son beagle mixes and Mickey was a yorkie.
3. Animals at the Animal Kingdom Lodge—love sitting on the balcony watching the animals—especially the giraffes. We are not staying there this year, but we make sure to get there every few trips and always get a savanna view.

Stores/Restaurants:
1. Cape May Cafe: always a family favorite. DH and I are there with our families the night before I wedding so it holds a lot of memories.
2. Giovanni’s: a local pizza/pasta place that does catering. One of the few places that our whole family loves the food.
3. Tambellini’s: a local place that was our special occasion place when I was a kid. Good food. Nice atmosphere.

Bargains:
1. Thrift stores/estate sales/garage sales—I so enjoy looking for a bargain or getting an older item with lots of life left.
2. CVS—I do well there stacking extra bucks, store and manufacturer coupons although not as good as I used to do.
3. Amazon—I really wish I didn’t like Amazon as much as I do. I have definitely done well with prime days in the past. I didn’t see anything this year although admittedly it was one of the few days at home between trips and I was scrambling to get things done so less time to look. Might be a good thing!

Fandoms:
1. Disney—of course.
2. Department 56–I love the pretty villages and enjoy seeing pics of other people’s displays.
3. General Hospital—been watching for over 30 years. I DVR it so never miss an episode.

French Things:
I have never been although I would like to go one day. I will need to stick to good and drink:
1. Champagne—I am not a big drinker but there is some champagne I really enjoy.
2. Quiche—so versatile, filling and can be reasonably healthy.
3. Bouillabaisse

Gifts:
1. My sister gave me a beautiful photo of me and my mini me daughter at similar ages in similar places/outfits/poses.
2. Engagement ring—heart shaped and beautiful.
3. Birthday hat: I gifted oldest nephew a really cute hat with a one on the top for his first birthday. He lived across the country at the time, but my sister sent us photos and he was wearing that hat in almost every one. After that every one of the kids wore that hat on their first birthday. My oldest is the only 1 of my parents eight grandchildren who didn’t wear it as she is older than my nephew.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I am behind again—we were traveling for DD’s volleyball and now on vacation. Busy + bad (weak) cell service = not much time for disboarding.

SL Things: this one is tough for me so I will chime in on some others answers.
1. Sleep—I need a good bit of sleep and definitely prioritize it.
2. Slides—I still love a water slide and a good pool slide makes me happy.
3. Slices—cake, pie, pizza—love them all.

Animals:
1. Nala—the only dog I’ve had an an adult. She is a small shih tzu/bichon mix and could not have a better temperament.
2. Daisy/Casey/Mickey—childhood dogs, Daisy and Casey were mother and son beagle mixes and Mickey was a yorkie.
3. Animals at the Animal Kingdom Lodge—love sitting on the balcony watching the animals—especially the giraffes. We are not staying there this year, but we make sure to get there every few trips and always get a savanna view.

Stores/Restaurants:
1. Cape May Cafe: always a family favorite. DH and I are there with our families the night before I wedding so it holds a lot of memories.
2. Giovanni’s: a local pizza/pasta place that does catering. One of the few places that our whole family loves the food.
3. Tambellini’s: a local place that was our special occasion place when I was a kid. Good food. Nice atmosphere.

Bargains:
1. Thrift stores/estate sales/garage sales—I so enjoy looking for a bargain or getting an older item with lots of life left.
2. CVS—I do well there stacking extra bucks, store and manufacturer coupons although not as good as I used to do.
3. Amazon—I really wish I didn’t like Amazon as much as I do. I have definitely done well with prime days in the past. I didn’t see anything this year although admittedly it was one of the few days at home between trips and I was scrambling to get things done so less time to look. Might be a good thing!

Fandoms:
1. Disney—of course.
2. Department 56–I love the pretty villages and enjoy seeing pics of other people’s displays.
3. General Hospital—been watching for over 30 years. I DVR it so never miss an episode.

French Things:
I have never been although I would like to go one day. I will need to stick to good and drink:
1. Champagne—I am not a big drinker but there is some champagne I really enjoy.
2. Quiche—so versatile, filling and can be reasonably healthy.
3. Bouillabaisse

Gifts:
1. My sister gave me a beautiful photo of me and my mini me daughter at similar ages in similar places/outfits/poses.
2. Engagement ring—heart shaped and beautiful.
3. Birthday hat: I gifted oldest nephew a really cute hat with a one on the top for his first birthday. He lived across the country at the time, but my sister sent us photos and he was wearing that hat in almost every one. After that every one of the kids wore that hat on their first birthday. My oldest is the only 1 of my parents eight grandchildren who didn’t wear it as she is older than my nephew.

Really good to see you back here. Hope you're enjoying your vacation.

Can't believe I didn't think of champagne!

I love your hat tradition - long may it continue - and the mini me photo sounds like a brilliant gift.

 

[newski_mom]

Another great topic -

1. I received my grandma's piano - it sits in our living room now and I love it even thought I don't play too much any more.

2. The trip we were just given this summer. My mom paid for our family and my sisters family to all go on a trip together. We had such a great time and made many great memories!

3. One year we gave our kids all season tickets to Six Flags - they were running a great Memorial Day sale. They had so much fun that year going just spur of the moment or had no problems going when other people asked them too because they didn't have to worry about buying a one day ticket.

 

[newski_mom]

Birthdays -- Themed birthdays weren't a trend when my parents were young, so, in recent years, I've put together some themed, well-decorated (some years over-the-top!) celebrations for them. The best, I think, was Willy Wonka "Pure Imagination"; you could barely see the room!!! Giving them this has been so worthwhile. My Dad, especially, is very moved by it. Parents deserve to feel special, too, right?!

I love this - my mom is turning 80 next February and my sister and I want to do something special for her. I need to think about this to come up with some options. My mom always goes overboard for everyone's birthday, so I'd love to do something like this for her!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Today's Topic (Sat 7/15) - 3 Things You're Grateful For That Someone Gave You, or That You Had Fun Giving Away​

Our Babci had these two Delft Blue plates that were divided, and my DSis and I loved eating out of them when we were young. We each have one. So many memories and smiles when I look at it.

A friend gave me a Hummel of a boy as a postman. It reminds me of all the letters we wrote to each other for all the years we have been friends. Now cards are the only things we send in the mail. This friend and I were math majors in College together, and we both became math teachers/professors.

My Dzadzie put together a card table, probably in the 1930’s or 40’s and I have it to do my puzzles on.

Babci is Polish for Grandmother and I am Babci to my Grands.
Dzadzie means Grandfather. DH never called his grandfather that, so it’s not what he prefers to be called.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I love this - my mom is turning 80 next February and my sister and I want to do something special for her. I need to think about this to come up with some options. My mom always goes overboard for everyone's birthday, so I'd love to do something like this for her!

If you're anything like me, you'll enjoy creating it and it's sounds like your mom is 'a birthday person', so she'll love it.

Plus, you have plenty of time to work it all out. I always start with a theme of some kind - e.g., pure imagination; a hobby they like; a representation of everything they love, or everyone they love and who loves them; vacation memories; a location that's special to them or the family etc. etc. ...And, then, I get carried away!!! ETA: Or a favourite TV show, song or movie.

Have fun.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Happy National Ice Cream Day! (And yes, there was a National Chocolate Ice Cream Day back in June - apparently we need both. ) Anyway, inspired by the day...

Today's Topic (Sun, 7/16) - 3 cold things you're grateful for

 

[slo]

It’s National Ice Cream Day???
I see a DQ run in our future today

Being grateful for all things ice cream is a given for me

#1 - I’m grateful for ice cold milk - I drink it every day either in my morning cereal or my protein shake after I workout.

#2 - I’m grateful for my ice cold Root Beer - I drink it every Sunday with my pizza.

#3 - I’m grateful for slushies - I love to layer Coke, cherry, coke, cherry, coke - perfect on a hot day.

 

[Tink-osophy]

Every day is ice cream day!

COLD THINGS

The unmentionable white stuff that falls from the sky can be fun, but mainly, I think, because we rarely get it and usually only for a couple of days. I love the peace of it falling, the crunch of walking on it and the fun of building with it/sliding on it/throwing it!!

The relief of a fan when it's hot and of walking into an air-conditioned building (esp. at Disney! )

A splash of cold water on my face.

And, of course, ice cream.

 

[leebee]

ICE CREAM!!! It's my favorite dessert of all. Best flavors include pink peppermint stick, ginger, peanut butter, peach, and any kind of caramel swirl. I am not a huge fan of candy or baked goods in my ice cream, but love to add nuts!

Beer. We have 3 microbreweries within walking distance of my house, and we are "regulars" at all of them. No judging... one pint lasts a while, and it's nice to hang out someplace 'where everybody knows your name!'

My floor fan and ceiling fan. OK, while not technically "cold things," we don't have a/c and I am pretty much stuck on the 2nd floor (where the bathrooms are), rehabbing from total knee replacement surgery. I would have died of the heat during this ever so hot July if i didn't have my fans to keep me cool!

Runner up in this category is my water chiller/circulator. It's a system where we put frozen water bottles and water in a circulator unit. It pumps the chilled water through tubing to a cooling pad that wraps around my knee. It's super useful in controlling swelling, far easier to use than repeatedly replacing bags of frozen peas, and i'll tell ya- when it gets too hot up here, I've been known to put the pad, wrapped in a towel, behind my neck or on my chest for a quick cool-down!

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Slushy Drinks - love them !!!!
Banana splits - I’ve always love them. I spent close to 30 years looking for banana split boat dishes got lucky and found some this year. Now I can make my own banana splits at home and my fancy little dishes!
My two favorite ice cream‘s :
Chocolate and peanut butter
Coffee Ice cream!!!
I don’t eat ice cream a lot it comes in waves sometimes I’m in the mood for it and I’ll have it a little bit every day just a little and then I might go months to not have any but I always have some in the house.
Happy national ice cream day!!!

Just Say No - it’s like Drugs just say no -

 

[Tink-osophy]

ICE CREAM!!! It's my favorite dessert of all. Best flavors include pink peppermint stick, ginger, peanut butter, peach, and any kind of caramel swirl. I am not a huge fan of candy or baked goods in my ice cream, but love to add nuts!

Beer. We have 3 microbreweries within walking distance of my house, and we are "regulars" at all of them. No judging... one pint lasts a while, and it's nice to hang out someplace 'where everybody knows your name!'

My floor fan and ceiling fan. OK, while not technically "cold things," we don't have a/c and I am pretty much stuck on the 2nd floor (where the bathrooms are), rehabbing from total knee replacement surgery. I would have died of the heat during this ever so hot July if i didn't have my fans to keep me cool!

Runner up in this category is my water chiller/circulator. It's a system where we put frozen water bottles and water in a circulator unit. It pumps the chilled water through tubing to a cooling pad that wraps around my knee. It's super useful in controlling swelling, far easier to use than repeatedly replacing bags of frozen peas, and i'll tell ya- when it gets too hot up here, I've been known to put the pad, wrapped in a towel, behind my neck or on my chest for a quick cool-down!

Peach ice cream

No judgement from me about the microbreweries - it IS nice to have somewhere relaxing to hang out, especially 'where everybody knows your name'!

Hope you're recovering well, leebee.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Today's Topic (Sun, 7/16) - 3 cold things you're grateful for

Well made Chocolate Ice Cream sodas

Frosty Paws or equivalent things for Gus

I got an email today from Graeter’s ice cream ( Cincinnati based) that because of it being National Ice Cream Day, they have a 10% off shipping orders.

 

[nw6675]

Cold things

Super cold pineapple and watermelon on a hot day

Water

And my pat answer - PB and Chocolate Baskin Robbins