Silver Linings, a Ten Things of Thankful Post

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There are times and seasons when it’s not quite as easy to be thankful.  That’s when you look harder for the silver linings.

My children grew up with Red-headed Alec as both a friend and a brother.  His biological mother had many problems, so his grandmother adopted him and his sisters.

Life with his grandmother was often not easy, and when there was trouble, he would move in with us.  He lived with us for months, and sometimes years, at a time.  He calls me mom, and i consider him my “foster son” and his little boy Lee to be my first grandchild (he calls me Gigi).

In the past few years, he and his sisters have reconciled with both his grandmother and his mother.  His mom, Ms. W, has been in their lives regularly.

Last week, Ms. W passed away from some of her underlying health complications.  Things have been hitting the fan ever since in that family (ex family members stealing, a fiancé locking them out of the house, etc.). 

Alec has been over here twice, and i’ve been thankful that he has someone outside his family to talk to.

When his sister’s cat got ill during all the madness, i’m thankful i was able to arrange for health care for the cat with Dr. Bea, and lend them a carrier big enough to hold it.  (Anubis is a huge cat, as big as Mikey was.)

They’ve decided on a private memorial for the family, and i am the only person who is not related by blood or marriage who is being invited to the service today (Ms. W considered me her “co-mom” and therefore family).

A Saturday service has complications for me, so i’m thankful i was able to move clients around and still get to everyone.

Grandma and Grandpa let me come on Friday instead of Saturday, for which i am thankful.

Did i mention Lunceford the Land Yacht landed back in the car hospital?  Kevin and Lenny, thankfully, had things well in hand so i didn’t miss any work having to deal with the car.  Also, both The Big Boss and Sweetie’s best friend came and got him when he couldn’t get to them, and i’m thankful.

By the end of Thursday, i’d gotten all my pay, including from the client who ran out of checks and the one who wasn’t home, all the bills have stayed on time and we’re always thankful for that.

Friday afternoon, on my way home, there was an accident on the freeway which slowed traffic to a crawl and reminded me to be thankful for a safe trip.

Thankfully Sweetie covered the cat shelter for me Friday evening, since the traffic made sure there was no way i was getting back into town early enough.

Today is a sad day, yet i am thankful i was able to free the day up to attend to nothing but being there for Alec.

Hold your loved ones close today and tell them how much you love them, you’ll be thankful you did.

Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Dyanne and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.   

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Today is:

Answer Your Cat's Questions Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; meditate on what your cat's question might be, then answer it

Celebration of Life Day

Come in From the Cold Day -- somebody at an ecard company decided today would be a good day to do that 

Day of Unity and Liberty of Ukraine -- Ukraine

Dia de la Fundacion del Estado Pluinacional de Bolivia -- Bolivia

National Blonde Brownie Day -- i thought these were just called "blondies."

Polka Dot Day -- looking up why they are called "polka dots" gives lots of stories, but no concrete evidence; they were probably named after the dance craze that became fashionable around the same time the pattern appeared

St. Vincent of Zaragoza's Day (Spanish martyr and Patron of vine dressers, vinegar makers, vintners; Lisbon, Portugal; Portugal; vicenza, Italy; Vilamalla, Catalonia, Spain)

     a sunny day today indicates a good wine crop next season

Wakakusa Yamayaki -- Nara, Japan (Grass Burning on Mt. Wakakusayama, and fireworks; an annual New Year tradition)

Birthdays Today:

Christopher Masterson, 1980

Balthazar Getty, 1975

Olivia D'Abo, 1967

Steven Adler, 1965

Diane Lane, 1965

Michael Kelland Hutchence, 1960

Linda Blair, 1959

Steve Perry, 1949

John Hurt, 1940

Joseph Wambaugh, 1937

Seymour Cassel, 1937

Sam Cooke, 1935

Bill Bixby, 1934

Piper Laurie, 1932

Ann Sothern, 1909

Robert E. Howard, 1906

George Balanchine, 1904

Rosa Melba Ponselle, 1897

D.W. Griffith, 1875

Grigori Rasputin, 1869

August Strindberg, 1849

Richard Upjohn, 1802

Nat Turner, 1800

Lord Byron, 1788

Andre Ampère, 1775

Sir Francis Bacon, 1561

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Emergency!"(TV), 1972

"Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In"(TV), 1968

"The Crucible"(Miller play), 1953

"Our Town"(Wilder play), 1938

"Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District"(Opera; Shostakovich Op.29), 1934

Today in History:

The first contingent of Swiss Guards arrive at the Vatican, 1506

Postal service between NYC and Boston is inaugurated, 1673

The Native American Iroquois tribes renew their allegiance to the British against the French, 1690

Spain ceded the Falkland Islands to Britain, 1771

A severe earthquake in southern Syria kills thousands, 1837

The Zulus attack the British Army camp in Isandhlwana, South Africa, 1879

The Ancient Egyptian obelisk "Cleopatra's Needle" is erected in Central Park, 1881

After 63 years, England stops the sale of Queen Victoria postage stamps series and begins King Edward VII series, 1901

First live radio commentary of a football match anywhere in the world, between Arsenal F.C. and Sheffield United at Highbury, 1927

KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, begins operation in Hollywood, California, 1947

Apollo 5 lifts off carrying the first Lunar module into space, 1968

The Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", enters commercial service, 1970

The Singapore Declaration, one of the two most important documents to the uncodified constitution of the Commonwealth of Nations, is issued, 1971

The Apple Macintosh, the first consumer computer to popularize the computer mouse and the graphical user interface, is introduced during Super Bowl XVIII with its famous "1984" television commercial, 1984

Robert Tappan Morris, Jr. is convicted of releasing the 1988 Internet Computer worm, 1990

Kmart becomes the largest retailer in United States history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, 2002

Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous president, 2006

Water vapour is detected on the dwarf planet Ceres, 2014

Winter storm conditions strand 500 motorists for 24 hours on the New Jersey turnpike in Pennsylvania, 2016

Netflix becomes the largest digital media and entertainment company in the world worth $100 billion, 2018