Three Things...Gratitude Thread

[clappyclaps]

Evening all,

I'm really not a fan of December for the most part, as winter is my least favourite time of year! However:

1. Peace & quiet at work - we don't have to work over Christmas if we have the holidays available to use, but I always work it as i don't have kids and working at this time is so quiet and peaceful. I can catch up on so many things and get so much work done that I can't during the normal working week.

2. Time off - despite the above, I do appreciate the extra time off work for the bank holidays to enjoy some rest and relaxation.

3. Food - December is always the month for overindulgence when it comes to food and eating out. I love it, well that is until January comes around and I realise how much I've overdone it

 

[bobbiwoz]

Celebrating Jesus’s birthday
Celebrating two grandchildren’s birthdays. We will drive up to Boston to see them in person!
Am grateful to be here a full year after being diagnosed with cancer, and am able to do those two things mentioned above.

 

[Summer2018]

I’m not a fan of winter except for December because I love the holiday season. I especially love Christmas…the true meaning as well as the secular. I love all of it, the decorations, twinkling lights, traditions, the music. “Oh Holy Night,” sung by Billy Porter. I am a Kindergarten teacher who teaches my students about all of the holidays, i.e., Hanukkah, St. Lucia Day in Sweden, Las Posadas, Christmas, and Kwanza. Lighting candles is central to each of these holidays bringing light into a dark world.

I don’t like the cold, but I do appreciate the beauty of the first snowfall.

I enjoy the time off from school after a challenging fall. After 25 years in early childhood education, I feel the need for a long break more than ever. These 2020 babies are a handful.

 

[bluecastle]

I love seeing the lights on houses, especially with it getting dark so early.

The music…I start with George Winston’s December CD and then just go through all my CD’s and song lists online. I save the more religious music for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The movies, also saving our favorites for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I second Christmas lights!!
and Christmas music
also grateful for my DH (specifically because his birthday is this month)

 

[PollyannaMom]

Today's Topic (Tues, 12/2) - if you have a dog you're grateful forplease tell us about them (photos welcome!) - otherwise, 3 things beginning with the letter D

 

[slo]

Happy Tuesday

My Otis is now 19 months old, he’s a Havanese and he’s given us so much joy. The Lord knew we needed this little guy to fill our empty nest house with fun and excitement. He is such a blessing and I’m grateful for him every day (even when he’s getting into stuff and is up to his shenanigans)

#1 - PUPPY HUGS - He loves to give them and I love to receive them

#2 - KEEPS US COMPANY - I’m always talking to him like he’s a person. Sometimes I feel like he’s doing this while I’m talking

#3 - PLAYFUL - He’s such a playful little guy. He’ll play until he’s exhausted. He’s a lot of fun

 

[Summer2018]

Sadly I have no dogs in my life right now. Dogs are my favorite. I have never been a cat person, and my DD and I are also very allergic to cats. Thank God we’re not allergic to dogs. That would break my heart.

My childhood dog, Snoopy, was a miniature schnauzer. He was a retired show dog named Prince Vanhanan, and he was up for adoption. We obviously changed his name. I loved him with my whole heart. When he passed, my DF took him to the vet for what I thought was a normal checkup. Snoopy never came home. I was devastated.

A few years later, we adopted a Lhasa Apso named, Nikki. He loved my immediate family and closest friends, but he was a true guard dog who would not hesitate to do damage to anyone he considered a threat.

My last dogs belonged to my brother and his family. An Irish Setter and Golden Retrievers. I adored them all.

We have been missing having a dog, but nobody’s ever home. DH and I both work two jobs, and DD has a very demanding career involving travel. She is also out of the country a lot visiting her BF in the UK and traveling around Europe with him. It would not be fair to a dog to be alone so much. My hope is to have a dog when I retire.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

God bless Otis, dear Slo! Great pictures that definitely brought me a Tuesday morning smile, thank you, my friend

Memories of my beloved Champ. Dad shared about seeing a cute dog a few days ago. We agreed that God-willing we are able to one day move somewhere with private outdoor space we would adopt a dog.

The letter D, of course, for my dear Dad!
My beloved late Grandma was a D.
Deliveries sure are a blessing.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Our current dog is named Voodoo and she'll be 7 next month. She's a lab/shepherd mix, she's going gray with age but used to be solid black, she was a rescue/shelter puppy who was part of a massive litter (one of 17), and she's a decent sized girl. She could stand to lose a few, but she was around 76 or 77 pounds on her last vet visit. We're grateful for her because...

1. She's an absolute potato. We prefer more sedentary breeds who are more content to lounge around vs. being a jogging buddy. Even as a puppy, she never really had that insane baby T-Rex phase. In fact, the only time she ever got destructive was if she was crated. She hated it so much and was smart enough to figure out how to escape her crate...even with carabiners and locks. We used to call her Voodini. Even when she'd 'punish' us for her confinement, it was usually just shredding of paper products. In any event, she's happiest just lounging on the couch, an ottoman, over some pillows, or sometimes even in her dog bed.

2. She's smart and obedient. She was a breeze to train and is my most obedient child. This may sound crazy, but when she gets excited, it sometimes even sounds like she's trying to form words. If she's in the driveway when I get home from the gym, I swear, it sounds like she's whining Hi Mom. If she had opposable thumbs, she'd be unstoppable. She even likes being bathed! I've never had that with a dog, and we've had a number of water dogs over the years. She's even giddy to have her collar put on her afterwards. She's a champ at the vet, even with shots and more invasive procedures. Nail trimming is the only major challenge.

3. I know it's all conditioning, but she has developed some interesting favorite treats over the years. We went through a phase where she'd sulk if she didn't get some pumpkin puree in the morning. It was tied to some medical treatment, but she just didn't want to give up the pumpkin once the treatment ended. Lately, her fave has been blueberries. I'll portion out a bowl for myself after the gym and the dog will literally be sitting there with massive streams of drool pouring from her jowls, in hopes that I'll give her a few. She was like that with carrots for a bit as well. She cracks me up.

I also tried to include one pic of her in camouflage mode. As a black dog, she can blend in really well. When she was a puppy, we had to keep a light on her if we let her outside in the dark because she just disappears into the darkness of night.

 

[WLWildlife]

D:
DISNEY! Disney World, Disney Movies, Disney Music, Walt Disney of course!

DAYLIGHT! DAWN! Always greatful for another day and daylight makes the hardness of life a little easier for me.

DATES with DH! Always happy for time with DH.