It's that time of the week again, when i sit back and contemplate how blessed i truly am. My blessings often bring me much laughter, too.
For example, the good: the shelter got some food donated that they cannot use, and they gave me some, free. The better: it is lower calorie and healthier than what my cats usually get, so the plan was to mix it with their regular food and so use it to wean them onto a better food. The best and most funny part: they don't like it, and are pulling the pieces out one at a time and leaving them by the side of the bowls, eating only the bits of the old food they enjoy.
The good: Ms. GA and Mr. B (every Friday clients) are going to be gone for several days next week and want to pay me to do some stuff around the house. The better: their cats are starting to get used to me, and i hope that if i'm the only one feeding them for several days, some of them will warm up a bit more. The best and most funny part: i, the person with the blackest thumb i know of, am in charge of keeping all of their plants alive while they are gone.
The good: the window A/C units are in and working. The better: it didn't cost that much to get help installing them, and they aren't tripping the breakers even when we run the microwave at the same time so no need to get an electrician to rewire. The best and most funny part: the one at the front of the house has had to be disguised with a potted fake bush in front of it because some people in this neighborhood don't like to see window units.
The good: Little Girl got to go on a special training exercise for her military duty this month. The better: she got a lot of practice of her medic skills and was able to talk to a lot of more experienced medics and learn from them. The best and most funny part: i lost track of when she would be back and kept sending her support texts morning and night even after she'd been back for two days.
The good: i have my yearly check-up appointment scheduled. The better: it's next month, and in two appointments two weeks apart, so i have time to make sure i reschedule my work for afternoons those days. The best and most funny part: it was easier to schedule the cats for their exams than it was for me to find a time that the doctor had open and that coordinated with my work.
The good: mangoes are reasonably priced right now. The better: avocados are also, and i got organic ground flax seeds on clearance. The best and most funny part: i've become addicted to mango and avocado salad sprinkled with flax seeds, it's almost all i've eaten for over a week.
The good: Ms. C (every Tuesday client) has moved into her new house. The better: it's a bigger house to clean, so she gave me a raise. The best and most funny part: in helping her move in, i carried the safe that the movers forgot to pack, and learned i can still move a small safe, but she can't use it until she gets a locksmith to come reset it because she forgot the combination.
The good: i am almost caught up on the laundry. The better: i am keeping up with the litter boxes. The best and most funny part: the blessing of installing the A/Cs made me really look at our windows, which reminded me that i haven't cleaned the windows in forever, so they are now on the list.
The good: Grandpa went to the bulk store and made sure we have plenty of paper towels. The better: Grandpa went to the bulk store and made sure we have plenty of dish soap and laundry detergent. The best and most funny part: Grandpa went to the bulk store and bought so much toilet paper we can't find room to store it.
The good: the Jalopy seems to be running well and passed inspection. The better: Lunceford the Land Yacht seems to be running well and doesn't need inspecting until next year. The best and most funny part: Cicero seemed to have an expired tag, and i was planning to go up and renew it and pay the late fee when i found where Bigger Girl had just put the new sticker in the glove box and forgot about it, so Cicero seems to be running well, has a new registration sticker without me having to pay extra, and it does look like it will easily pass inspection when it's due next month.
There we have it. Things for which i am grateful, in part because they are simple blessings and in part because i can find things to laugh about in them.
List your own thankfuls if you want, even the very funny/silly ones, and link up with Ten Things of Thankful!
Today is:
Abolition Day -- Guadeloupe; Saint Martin
ARMAD: Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day -- US ("Ham it up for the troops!" is the motto of amateur ham radio operators on the Saturday before Memorial Day)
Buttercup Day -- an internet holiday that just sounds fun
Cellophane Tape Day -- patented this date in 1930
Children's Day -- Nigeria (a school holiday)
FindleFritter's Stoat-Wheedling Event -- Fairy Calendar
International Jazz Day -- date as originally set by the New Jersey Jazz Society, on the Saturday before US Memorial Day
Isle of Man Tourist Trophy -- Isle of Man (through June 9; two weeks of the finest road racing on earth)
Julia Pierpont Day -- US (she came up with Decoration Day, the precursor to US Memorial Day; prepare veterans' graves for Memorial Day today)
Mother's Day -- Bolivia
National Grape Popsicle Day
Pop-up Toaster Day -- Charles Strite applied for his patent on the first pop-up toaster on this day in 1919
St. Augustine of Canterbury's Day (Roman Catholic Church observance; Patron of England)
St. Melangell's Day (Patron of hares)
Suigo Itako Ayame Matsuri -- Maekawa Ayame-en, Itako, Japan (Iris Flower Festival, with over a million blooms of 500 species, special dance and demonstrations on weekends; through the end of June)
Sun Screen Protection Day -- an annual, and unsponsored, reminder to use that SPF protection, every day!
Taste of Cincinnati -- Cincinnati, OH, US (6 blocks of Downtown Cincinnati is turned into a big food extravaganza; through Monday)
Throw the B*st@rds Out Day -- originally directed at politicians, (and if you want to do that, too, great!), and celebrated on various days on various sites, but whomever is making your life miserable, toss them out! or at least, toss them out of your thoughts for today.
Utica Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Festival -- Utica, OH, US (local artisans, pony rides, antique gas engines, car show, motorcycle show, magic show, and more, plus tons of ice cream! through Monday)
War of Jenkin's Ear Living History Demonstrations -- Wormsloe State Historic Site, Savannah, GA, US (a colonial living-history event with musket demonstrations, military drills, tomahawk throwing and more; through Monday)
Birthdays Today:
Chris Colfer, 1990
André Benjamin, 1975
Jamie Oliver, 1975
Jack McBrayer, 1973
Joseph Fiennes, 1970
Jeremy Mayfield, 1969
Todd Bridges, 1965
Pat Cash, 1965
Adam Carolla, 1964
Peri Gilpin, 1961
Richard Schiff, 1955
Bruce Weitz, 1943
Louis Gossett, Jr., 1936
Ramsey Lewis, 1935
Lee Meriwether, 1935
John Barth, 1930
Henry Kissinger, 1923
Christopher Lee, 1922
Herman Wouk, 1915
Sam Snead, 1912
Hubert H. Humphrey, 1911
Vincent Price, 1911
Dolores Hope, 1909
Rachel Louise Carson, 1907
Dashiell Hammett, 1894
Isadora Duncan, 1878
Arnold Bennett, 1867
Wild Bill Hickock, 1837
Julia Ward Howe, 1819
Amelia Bloomer, 1818
Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1794
Debuting/Premiering Today
From Russia With Love(Film). 1964
"The Three Little Pigs"(Disney animated short), 1933
Today in History:
Habeaus Corpus Act, codifying how the writ of habeaus corpus is to be used, passes in UK, 1679
Peter the Great founds St. Petersburg, 1703
In Bolivia, the Battle of La Coronilla, in which the women from Cochabamba fight against the Spanish army, 1812
In Canada, American forces capture Fort George, 1813
Bubonic plague breaks out in San Francisco, California, 1907
The NC-4 aircraft arrives in Lisbon after completing the first transatlantic flight, 1919
The 1,046 feet (319 m) Chrysler Building in New York City, the tallest man-made structure at the time, opens to the public, 1930
Richard Gurley Drew receives a patent for his adhesive tape, later manufactured by 3M as Scotch tape, 1930
The Walt Disney Company releases the cartoon The Three Little Pigs, with its hit song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?", 1933
In California, the Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrian traffic, , 1937
Toronto's CHUM-AM, (1050 kHz) becomes Canada's first radio station to broadcast only top 40 Rock n' Roll music format, 1957
Australians vote in favor of a constitutional referendum granting the Australian government the power to make laws to benefit Indigenous Australians and to count them in the national census, 1967
In Culpeper, Virginia, actor Christopher Reeve is paralyzed from the neck down after falling from his horse in a riding competition, 1995
Russian President Boris Yeltsin meets with Chechnyan rebels for the first time and negotiates a cease-fire, 1996
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands indicts Slobodan Milosevic and four others for war crimes and crimes against humanity, 1999
The May 2006 Java earthquake strikes at 5:53:58 AM local time (22:53:58 UTC May 26) devastating Bantul and the city of Yogyakarta killing over 6,600, 2006
Scientists in Canada bring 400 year-old bryophyte specimens left behind by retreating glaciers during the Ice Age back to life, 2013
Mimi, I enjoyed your blog immensely especially about Grandpa and the toilet paper. Good for him. I have to make sure that there's enough toilet paper in my house. ha,ha,ha.
ReplyDeleteYou know my friend, life is so good if we can just look around us. Have fun with all of your toilet paper. I will. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
Sounds like you're having a red letter week. Excellent. I love it when things fall into place.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous weekend, my friend. ☺
Your list reminds me so much of what my mom (mother of ten) used to say fairly regularly---Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying! Attitude is everything, isn't it?!
ReplyDeleteyour post is really interesting and informative. Love from sunny europe
ReplyDeleteThis was just the delightful spirit lifter I needed today, Mimi! It is just awesome that you can always find a bit of humor in things!
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at your cats, mine have done exactly that, carefully sorting the "yummy" pieces from the "yucky ones", and if I put out just the healthier one, they will barely eat at all. I think they may have caught on to my dietary habits. :-)
I am glad for the kind, supportive people on your client's list, and that you got a bit of a pay increase, that always helps!
The fake potted plant is so funny, I will never cease to be amazed by what is required of living in a community. My daughter's Home Owner's Association sometimes borders on the ridiculous! People who have too much time on their hands.
I've never tasted mango, but I'm thinking I should if it's that good! I love avocados, haven't tasted flax seed either.
Sending a couple days of extra greeting notes to your daughter is definitely something I would do, and she would roll her eyes at! :-)
I join you in being thankful that your AC is in and working, no extra expenses needed, and that your vehicles are running strong. Little blessings that make a big difference!
I hope you'll have some feet up time this weekend, you've surely earned it! XOXO
I do need to return to that time of listing what I am thankful for. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhat would we do without toasters and tape? :-)
ReplyDeleteI could have remembered sun screen last weekend before I burned both my arms and my face. That sun sure is powerful. It sneaks up on you.
It's funny how even animals like what they like, what's familiar.
As one who has been known to get creative with the Listation of our Ten Things, I totally take off my hat to your 'good/better/funniest' format! very cool!
ReplyDeleteimho, one of the truly inspired elements to our little bloghop is the consensus that a list of 1-10 is good but anytime we get it into our heads to get all creative on that thing, we all benefit.
Have a good weekend!
I love how you've structured your post this week! That avocado/mango/flax seed salad is one I'm going to have to try soon--thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteCats are so astute. My cat has also been known to pick out the bits he didn't want. You can't fool them (a lot of the time!).
ReplyDeleteLots of wonderful things to be thankful for. I like avocados and mangos, but never thought to combine them-sounds good.
ReplyDeleteMimi, what a clever and fun way to write a Ten Things of Thankful post. Good, better, best and most funny. . . I love it.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! We're having litter box issues here, clean or not, and the good news is my downstairs is now very, very clean.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little, our cat had a tape worm and had to eat boiled rice and hamburger. He was SOOO unhappy that he would carefully pick out every bit of hamburger meat and leave the rice.
My dad bought so much tp in bulk that he has to store it under the bed.
I see that I am not the only one who loved the way you structured your thankfuls this time.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to keep the plants alive. :-)
That is funny that the air conditioner needs to be disguised by a fake bush.
My grocery list needs avocados written on it so I can try combining them with the mangos I have on the counter and the flax seeds I have.
Moving a small safe sounds like a difficult task.
Maybe you can put some fabric over a few stacks of toilet paper and make an end table or two. :-)