Sunday, August 3, 2014

Things Keep Going Wrong, but I'm Going to be Grateful! TToT week 59

No time for an intro this week.  Got to git to gittin'!

1.  I am thankful that the internet is working again.  I was just about done with my TToT post at 10:00 last night when the internet went down.  I went to bed.  This morning, the post is gone, which is probably a good thing.  I seem to have the same grouchy mood Zoe has, and my post was a bit whiney.

2.  We were able to go to the pool for the first time this summer!



(You can see the post with more photos here.)

3.  We are gathering lots of green peppers, potatoes, and zucchini from the garden.  Before surgery, the kids and I got that garden looking good.  We weeded and got more grass clippings down between the rows.  Between surgery and vacation, that meant 3 weeks until I was out there again.  I almost cried.  The green beans are shot.  So many beautiful green beans wasted since we weren't here to pick them.  The tomato plants have been overrun by morning glories and have all fallen down, cages and all.  There are lots of green tomatoes on the plants, but we'll see if they actually ripen well.

4.  Soccer season has started.  The high school practices have been going all summer, messing with our summer, but this week, club soccer started up.  The thankful part is that Star and Giant, who are the only two in club this season, have the exact same practice schedule.  Woohoo!

5.  Buttercup had freshman orientation on Saturday.  Before it started, she, her two best friends, and the moms went out for lunch.  It was a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.

6.  I've been kind of hiding some bad news from you all.  While we were on vacation, the dogs' collars stopped working.  Long story short, Roy got into the chicken run, got stuck in there, and all of our chickens died.  If we would have been home, it wouldn't have happened.  It makes me sick to even think about it.  The only thankful I can get from it is that it happened while it is still summertime.  We are getting new chicks the week of the 18th, which will give them enough time to grow before winter hits.

7.  The knee is healing.  I started physical therapy this week and managed to get a really good therapist.  She explains the whys and the hows perfectly, so I can properly do the exercises.  While it still hurts like the dickens, and I'm walking slower than molasses, I am walking and driving.

8.  With the healing of the knee, I'm also able to get back to doing a few things.  I've made dinner most days, and I even made some cookies for a soccer event.  The problem now is making sure I don't do too much.  I am walking the line of feeling lazy and not wanting to do anything because of the pain and stiffness and feeling all I want to get things done!, pushing myself farther than I should.  I really don't like that line, but it's better than not having the choice.

9.  The high school schedules came out, and Buttercup and Phoenix will be in the same math class.  They are actually happy about it.  It's a ridiculously hard class, and I'm hoping they will use their different strengths to help each other do well in it.  Phoenix is smart as a whip when it comes to math, but his lack of organization kills him.  Buttercup, while also very intelligent, has to work a bit harder on the math, but she is highly organized and hard working.  Can't wait to see how it goes.

10.  It's a beautiful morning, with a lovely sunrise.  It will be a nice day to spend outdoors.

How's your week been?  I'd love to hear about it!  Link up or tell me in the comments.


Last minute thankful addition!!!  I'm thankful for fun challenges.  I only had 2 minutes to do this one, but I'll spend more time in the future.  Lillian is a talented artist who is hosting a stickman challenge.  Today's prompt is pets.  How could I not make one??




Have a lovely day!




Ten Things of Thankful


 Your hosts

Join the Ten Things of Thankful Facebook Group






43 comments:

  1. FRIST! Again!! lol

    Sorry to hear about the chickens, it's horrible being on vacation and coming back to something which you know wouldn't have happened if you'd been there :(

    Glad the knee is healing and you're able to get about more and do more, even if it is slower than usual.

    A beautiful and lovely sunrise sounds good, I hope you're getting to spend the day outdoors. I always think it's too nice to stay in when the weather's good.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Goodness, does an alarm go off when I publish a post?!?! :)

      Thanks. It does make the situation worse, knowing it could have been prevented.

      Me, too!

      Our house goes downhill fast when we have a run of good weather. When it's nice out, inside is not the place to be. I was at a fun little soccer event yesterday. Lots of outside time. :)

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    2. 'Goodness, does an alarm go off when I publish a post?!?! :)'

      No, it's the time difference that does it :) Sometimes I think I should have a bright red flashing banner above some of my posts - 'Please comment on this post'. My last one has had 62 views today alone but not one single comment - maybe my readers don't like rabbits :(

      My house has been going downhill rapidly just recently, we've had a month of almost continuous hot sunny weather so I've been making the most of it - I can do the housework when it's raining :)

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  2. Awwww, I'm sorry about your chickens and your garden. So frustrating and disappointing. But in glad you found some thankfuls this week. It's a good list.

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  3. So sorry about the chickens.

    A neighbor once gave me a tip about green tomatoes: At the end of the season, pull up your plants and hang them upside-down inside a garage or outbuilding. The green tomatoes will continue to ripen. I had homegrown tomatoes in a Thanksgiving salad that year! (This is when we were living in Washington state, so this isn't some weird-California-weather thing.)

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    1. I have never heard of such a thing! (And that makes me smile that you had to make sure I knew it wasn't a California thing.) Thanks for the tip!

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  4. sorry about the chickens and your garden...you need to listen to your body if it hurts then do what you can ...love the post at the pool - looks like everyone had fun. the sunrise sounds wonderful - have a great day weekend and week ahead.

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    1. I will listen as best I can. It's pretty loud around here sometimes, so it's hard to hear much of anything.

      How can you not have fun at a pool with a bucket that dumps gallons of water on your head? :)

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  5. Sorry about the chickens. So sad.

    Do that physical therapy. It will work wonders on your range of motion. I know you already know this.

    We are on our boat and have been since last Thursday. Today we return home. We've had a most wonderful long weekend.

    Have a fabulous day. :)

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    1. Thanks. It is so sad.

      I am doing the therapy. Not as rigidly as I did before surgery, but I'm doing the exercises.

      Ah, spending all that time on a boat sounds wonderful.

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  6. Your stickman picture is lovely.
    I enjoyed reading your list, especially about the Math class.

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    1. :) Thanks.

      I'm looking forward to watching the two of them work through this math class.

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  7. I went to my blog and there in the little link box was this incredible drawing of pigs and roosters and farm stuff that looked a little familiar. I thought you were teasing me with this elaborate drawing in the stickman challenge, but I think you just linked your header to it. It made me laugh so hard because it was stickman, stickman, amazing pig drawing, stickman.

    I came to thank you for making me giggle. Then I saw your stick drawing and so I knew the pig was just an accident, but your stickman pig is awesome too! I hope you keep playing with us! It's so much fun and thank you again for making me laugh and think our stickmen were getting mocked for a few minutes. It made my day!

    I am sorry about your chickens. We got about 12 baby chicks one year and our dog killed them all. I was so mad. I almost took her to the pound, but I didn't. We found a way to keep the chickens safe. It's just so awful when it happens.

    I love this thankful series and I am so excited to be in it today!

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    1. Hahaha!!!! It didn't even cross my mind!! I was in a hurry and just linked up like I always do to links, not realizing it was people's stickmen that were in the thumbnail. I went back and looked at it. Hilarious!

      Oh, poor chicks! I know most farmers would have simply shot the dog by now, but I can't. He's 10 and arthritic. I'm shocked he could actually even get in the pen. We'll be fixing the pen before any chicks are allowed out.

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  8. HEYYYYYY.....I cant tell if you're calling me grouchy or whiney! !!!!

    Bummer about the girls....at least you know he will take care of preditors....

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    1. Or both? :)

      That's why he's been allowed to stay. No vermin last long around here.

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  9. I am very impressed (your having a predominate scottian worldview) and trying to find the balance of too much and just enough effort for proper recovery.Very impressive demonstration of the moderating effect of a (probable) secondary clarklike aspect.
    sounds like you are getting through a rather eventful Summer, quite well, even with the disappointments and such

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    1. I live to impress you, Clark. :)

      We are getting through this bizarre summer, and getting through mostly intact, too.

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  10. I'm sad about the chickens! That's terrible and I'm so sorry. I am glad to hear that you are still able to salvage some great stuff from the garden. I wondered when you had this surgery how long it was going to be before you started pushing yourself too hard. Be careful, please! I can't believe we are talking start of school and fall sports already....what happened to summer???
    I think you missed your calling as an artist.....

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    1. Me, too!
      It is so hard not to keep going through the pain. THERE IS STUFF TO DO!!! It seems like years ago that I could actually do what I wanted. I am managing to slow down and sit. For now.

      It's just now getting warm enough to call it summer around here. So annoying that the pools are having to close because kids are back at school. Arg.

      Ha!

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  11. *sadface for chickens*

    *sadface for beans*

    *happyface for pool and children and math class and cookies*

    Be CAREFUL of that knee, you! I'm glad it's healing and that you have a good physical therapist who's explaining things to you as you go along. And what a relief that you can drive! Ouf! You'll get there, just take it gently.

    LOVE your stick drawings, as ever :) Sounds like a fun competition - I wonder if it's too late to enter...I've not drawn my Considerer girl for a while now...I will have to investigate.

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    1. The many faces of Lizzi... :)

      That's exactly what the therapist said. Even with the exercises, proceed slowly. If you push it to the point it hurts, your body will compensate and things will not improve. I'm doing my best to continue to take it easy.

      Thanks. :) It's not too late at all! Jump in!

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  12. Oh nooooooooo......so sorry to hear about the chickens! :( I think I may have actually gasped!

    You my friend could never sound whiny. Cranky...perhaps. ;) but with good reason. Happy to hear the knee is on the mend. As frustrating as the healing process can be...do take care of yourself. A setback at your age could be disasterous. :P

    This comment....is what REAL cranky looks like. ;)

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    1. I knooooooooow. Awful.

      Ha! I know I can sound cranky. As do my kids. :) And HEY! "A setback at my age could be disasterous!?!?!" Not cool Robert Frost.

      Not even close.

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  13. I'm so sorry for your chickens. That is very sad. Happy the knee is coming along though. I'm sure it was GREAT to get to drive again! It's a bummer when we're on our backs for so long. I had back surgery in 1995 and thought I'd never regain strength, but I did. You will too - don't push it!!

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    1. I sometimes wonder if I will ever feel anywhere normal again. Thanks for the reminder that I will someday! The more people who tell me, the more I might believe it. :)

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  14. Sometimes all the cruddy things happening help us to find the thankful part of that event. Glad your knee is healing and you found a great therapist, after my recent hip therapy I started with a PT who didn't explain things and it took so much longer to heal then was necessary. Halfway through I switched to a good one. All better now! Since you share your tragedies with us (my favorite was when you were injecting the sick pigs) you will be able to totally relate to my post today, I hope you find a moment to stop by, I would love to give you a laugh and a tear at my expense :-)

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    1. Correction, that was 'after my recent hip SURGERY, I started therapy..."

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    2. I will head right over! I haven't had a chance to read any today. Lots of doctor and orthodontist and haircut appointments.

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  15. At least Roy ate well...right?
    Ah, gardens and dogs. Here's to next season.
    I bet your kids will really help each other out in math class--how cool that they get to take it together.

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    1. Did he ever.
      Not a good year on the farm, for sure. Here's to a fabulous 2015!

      I am glad they get to take the class together. They have become pretty good friends, and I think this will only help that friendship.

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  16. So sorry to hear ab out the chickens. But glad to hear your knee is healing. Hopefully, it will improve every day. I love your piggy, chick and person drawing. Nice work!

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    1. Thanks! The knee is getting better each day, thank goodness.

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  17. Oh my gosh, so sorry about the chickens! Better news is your knee healing well.
    A stick man competition? Awesome. That's about the only thing I can draw. Stick men, stick dogs, stick trees, stick sticks...

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    1. Funny, that's why she started the challenge. Everyone can draw a stickman!

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  18. A curse on the ancient Spanish explorers/conquistadors. I say chiles for all "peppers", for that is what they are, even the bells. Cimmy and I are harvesting bells mostly right now; I made Pati's (of Pati's Mexican Table) Mex-style mac-and-cheese again, and I just use bells to infuse the milk instead of poblanos. (We didn't grow zucchinis this year so I had to adjust that recipe.) I am growing jalapeños too but waiting until they are ripened red, so I can make spicy jelly and maybe Sriracha sauce.

    We did grow tomatoes... I decided not to mess with tomatillos this year. We are eating tomatoes every day as part of lunch now.

    Gardening is awesome :-)

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    1. Gardening is awesome. I have missed getting out there to weed and take care of ours every night.
      I had no idea about the peppers being chiles. Bells are the only chile we eat, as I don't have a high tolerance for heat.

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  19. What an awesome pool pic!! So sorry to hear about your chickens. Our dog got to our chickens a couple of years ago while we were on vacation. I cried harder than anyone, because I had watched them hatch from the eggs and grow so beautifully! Crazy dogs. Happy to hear that your knee is on the mend!

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    1. Thanks! While I am sorry to hear about your chickens, it makes me feel better. I felt like the worst chicken and dog owner in the world when I heard about what happened.
      I'm thrilled about the mending of the knee. A long way still to go, but it is definitely improving.

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  20. I'm so, so sorry to hear about the chickens. It must have been a shock coming back! But glad you still can get new little chicks before the winter. Please post pictures of the little fluffy-balls once you have them! How awesome that both your oldest kids got into this math class. I'm sure they'll do wonderfully! I hope your knee continues to heal fast! Glad everything went well with the surgery and the physical therapy is working! Have a great weekend, Christine!

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  21. 2. We have been to the pool exactly three times. My husband is keeping track and says so far, we have paid $100 per visit. While the mostly milder summer temps have been nice, it's not true when you have a $300 pool membership!
    3. Ohhh, I love fresh green beans! That would be such a loss, after all that work!
    4. How did you get so lucky?!
    5. Aw, we did something like that last year!
    6. I'm sorry about the chickens, but I guess Roy was well fed while he was trapped in the chicken coop. Glad you have time to get chickies going before winter.
    9. My kids would probably kill each other if they were in the same class.
    Hey, your stick person isn't wearing a dress?

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