Weekend Gratitude: Abbreviated But Heartfelt

Weekend Gratitude: Abbreviated But Heartfelt

Dear friends,

I don’t have the time for an extended Weekend Gratitude post tonight, but I did want to briefly list a few things that come to mind…

I am grateful that my sister Barb’s PFO heart surgery appears to have been effective in nearly eliminating the chronic horrible migraines she has suffered from for several years.  Yay!  I am grateful, too, for my sister’s sweet affection and concern for me.

I am grateful for the Jewett Orthopedic walk-in clinic.  Two days after another urgent care clinic treated me for a broken elbow, Jewett gave me better x-rays, a more complete diagnosis and a more comfortable removable cast for a lower price.  In case you are wondering what happened, I hit my elbow pretty hard on a metal closet door.  I chipped the tip of my elbow bone, burst the bursa fluid sac, and fractured the radial head, but the pain is manageable and all should be better in a couple of weeks.  The main complication is that it is my left elbow and I am left-handed!  I am also grateful that my husband and children have pitched in so well on the extra housework.

I am grateful that only four of caught the stomach flu this week and that it didn’t last long.  I was having flashbacks of last year when 10 of us had it over a two week stretch and our clothes washer was broken for the entire time so we had to go to the Laundromat to clean the yucky stuff!  But I am also grateful that Sears finally had mercy and gave us a brand-new washer after the third repair attempt failed.

I am grateful that my daughters Rachel and Joanna are having such a wonderful three month adventure in Italy.  This picture is from Portofino. They took a train to Rome yesterday and so far have visited the Pantheon, Coliseum, Roman Forum, Vatican, and Trevi fountain. I expect pictures of this weekend trip on their blog, www.abbondanzadivita.blogspot.com soon. I’m sure they’ll see more tomorrow before they go “home” to Chiavari to resume teaching English for another 5 weeks until they come HOME to Florida.  I guess after all those years of teaching them about world history and geography, this is the ultimate field trip.   Who knew?

I am grateful for the public library, which provides so many of our home school resources.  I checked out a pile yesterday on the Reconstruction era, George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell.  I am also so thankful for the continued opportunity to home school my five younger ones (Andrew, Micah, Naomi, Ben and Melody) this year.  I don’t take it for granted.  I am also grateful for the public high school that my teenage daughter Lydia attends, because it has been such a positive experience for her and she has excelled with diligence.

I am grateful for my other adult daughters, Mary and Julia, who, like their younger sisters, have turned out to be such lovely and capable young ladies with a heart to serve others!  I admire how Mary and her husband Ryan are so conscientious and nurturing with baby Jacob.

I am grateful for a church that wants to be a blessing to the city of Orlando and beyond, that the pastors are responsive to questions and concerns, and that three of my kids have an inspiring and fun youth group to attend on Sunday nights.  Oh, and for someone who added hot chocolate packets to the coffee table this week! I love you, whomever you are!  (Coffee, no...  Chocolate, always!) 

I am grateful for our friend Donovan who brought some goodies and fresh veggies to church for us, extras that she couldn't use from the bounty someone else had shared with her.  Also, for our next door neighbor Marianne, who brought over some clothes that some of her house cleaning clients gave her to pass along to others.  These ladies are always so amazing at sharing their blessings and their friendship.

I know I can think of many other things to add to my gratitude list, but this is already way beyond abbreviated, and a new week awaits!  

Do say a prayer for us if you can.  Life is challenging.  Gratitude sweetens it up.

You can read the rest of the Weekend Gratitude series here.

One last note for you...

Calvin Miller, in the Preface to his book Loving God Up Close, writes, "Books should provide a meeting place for hungry souls to sit at a common table.  The writer is expected to bring the main course, but the reader must bring the bread and wine or there will be no meal.  Let us all contribute then - writer and readers - so that, when we have said grace, we may freely invite God to join us, and our simple feast may properly begin."  The same goes for blogs!  Thanks for coming to my little feast!

Grateful for you who read this, 

Virginia Knowles

www.virginiaknowles.blogspot.com