Today’s thankful: Window screens

This morning, before the heat began to rise, I opened the window by my chair and had my coffee as I listened to the world wake up. There is nothing like listening to myriad birds greeting the day.

Today’s thankful: The option to change one’s mind

On a regular day, I am all for the right to change one’s mind, but today I am extremely grateful for the opportunity. I work at a hospital in the medical records department. We have been bound as employees of the hospital since I began working there 10 years ago to follow the OSHA requirement that feet and legs be covered. The OSHA requirement specifies the rule for staff who have direct contact with patients and therefore may be exposed to bodily fluids. I agree with that rule completely. But the clinical people get to wear scrubs and comfy shoes. Those of us in the administrative offices do not have that luxury. We are left wearing dress pants or dresses with hose. I refuse to wear pantyhose, and have been wearing long skirts and boots for years. It is good in the winter, but in the summer, I keep the boots in my car and put them on just before I walk in the doors. Then my legs sweat the whole time I am there.

Today, administration sent out word that the hosiery rule has been repealed for all nonclinical personnel. Yippee skippee! I don’t have to wear boots in the summer anymore! My legs will be allowed to breathe! The only downside is now I will have to make sure my legs are properly shaved for work days. Not biggie. That only happens a few times a week. I am very thankful that humans have the capacity to change their minds.

Today’s thankful: No more packaged muffin mix for me, and Camp Dellwood

I have been trying to eat more local and less processed food. My two elder girls love those strawberry muffins from an envelope which don’t have a drop of strawberry in them. I decided to give them a treat today and made a few bags. I have always liked them. Today they just didn’t taste as good as I had remembered. The girls still love them. I, however, will never eat another one. See, they didn’t taste overly delicious, which I was okay with, but they didn’t stick around in my system more than about 20 minutes either. Not cool. So I guess I can be thankful that I no longer want packaged, berry free, strawberry muffins.

Another thing about which I can be thankful today is that I tried to make my own butter from heavy cream, and it worked! It was also as easy as I had remembered from Girl Scout camp many  years ago. I am thankful for the summers I spent at Camp Dellwood.

Today’s thankful: Clover and bees

From the title of today’s thankful, you might think that I am thankful for honey, the product of clover and bees. While I do enjoy a smackerel of honey on a regular basis, my thankful today has to do with my yard. Much to the disdain of my neighbors (there is a HOA), I don’t treat my yard for dandelions or clover. Oddly, I don’t have hardly any dandelions. I do, however, have a LOT of clover. The bunnies love it. The bees love it. I love it. While I was out mowing the grass this evening, I was pleasantly surprised to walk past several honey bees. I felt bad for cutting their clover, but I don’t want a nasty letter from the HOA. I am thankful that the clover will grow back in a few days and I will take my time cutting the grass again. I am also thankful for the honey bees busily gathering nectar. It is good to know they haven’t all disappeared into suburban oblivion.

Today’s thankful: Awesome editor, new friends, time to dream

I have a few thankfuls today, which in itself is cause for praise. First, when I awoke this morning at three-ish, it occurred to me that I had missed a newspaper deadline. I cannot put to print the thoughts that went through my head at that moment. See, I knew the deadline was approaching Thursday, as it does each week, but I got busy making strawberry jam and completely spaced it. My big thankful here is that my editor is wonderfully understanding and didn’t bust my balls for it.

Another thankful for today is Youngest and I were able to spend some quality time with some new friends who are on their way to becoming good friends. Too add more thankful on top of what was already a great day, it occurred to me that I currently don’t have any major life decisions looming. It is so nice to be unconflicted with time to dream.

Today’s thankful: My mom taught me how to can fruits and vegetables

Last Saturday I managed to catch the last day of strawberry season in Central Indiana. I bought three baskets, each holding about four quarts. The first two we ate on shortcake. The third one I prepared for the luscious berries’ lives as strawberry jam. As I was stirring and sweating over the pot, I started missing my mom. She always preserved foods during the summer, and though I didn’t think I remembered all of the steps, her trusty Ball blue book which I inherited guided me as gently as she would have. We shared a lot of happy hours in the kitchen, sweating and canning. The best part of the day, though, came at the end when the jars would make that telltale pop to let us know our efforts were successful. We cheered, arms raised high, for each and every one. When my first jar of jam popped today, I cheered. My kids thought I had gone mad. Maybe I have, but I am just carrying on a family tradition.

Today’s thankful: Being lazy

Yesterday I was just too darn lazy to go to the grocery store for hamburger buns. Most of the time when I am too lazy to do a grocery run, I think up something else for dinner. On this day, though, Spouse had asked for hamburgers for dinner. I decided to make homemade buns. You would think that baking them from scratch would be way more work, but with a bread machine set to dough, it is surprisingly easy. I took a one-pound recipe and made eight buns. OMG! They were delicious. I may never again purchase hamburger buns. The result of my attempt was a bun worthy of being labeled gourmet. Couple the bun with Moody meat and the result was nearly orgasmic. When the tomatoes come in from the garden, we may very well get there.