30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 12: Gadget

Gadget, gadget, who has the best gadget? 

If I could invent a gadget that could do something spectacular, what would it do? 

After this morning's debacle, I'm thinking a smart coffee maker that knows when it needs to be cleaned or serviced and then actually walks you through the steps to correct the problem right on the unit's unique message center through voice commands or an instructional video so there is no question about what needs to be done. Perhaps there exists such a lovely beast already, however, the fancy-looking machine annoying me today does not have any such feature. I'm left to guess and wonder why it will not produce the black liquid I so desperately crave. I tried all the troubleshooting tips until I was finally furious enough I decided to throw in the filter and run to the nearest coffee shop for a fresh brewed cup without the hassle just to get my caffeine.

Just because a gadget or appliance looks high-tech or fancy, doesn't mean it's going to make your life any easier. Perhaps we need a gadget that will fix all the wonderful gadgets when they don't work properly or make life even more difficult.

I suppose you want to know if today's experience was as a result of operator error. As my daughter so lovingly questioned..."You had it plugged in, right??"

Yes, it was plugged in! Yes, there was water in the reservoir; and yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus...now if I could just get Santa to bring me a magical gadget for all my needs at any given time that would be Claus for thanks! LOL!

Despite today's frustrations, there are so many gadgets I am thankful for and appreciate on a daily basis...my smart phone, directional navigation devices, and my iPad just to name a few.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 11: Tradition

Today I am thankful that a tradition is something that can be made new every year. Repeating rituals again and again can be comforting and definitely something to look forward to as a child. However, as an adult, associating the memories of a lost loved one with a traditional event can be so painful. Due to that loved one's absence, creating a different ritual is sometimes necessary to get past the happier traditions of days gone by that are now just sad.

My mom loved every aspect of Thanksgiving dinner--the turkey and all the trimmings as well as family gathered at her table. Special recipes were reserved and only prepared for this November holiday. She looked forward to the lemon-lime gelatin salad and cranberry relish that complimented the flavor of the turkey and dressing so well.

Last year, as the Thanksgiving Day holiday came up so quickly following Mom's death, I couldn't bear to make her favorite dishes without her there to enjoy them, and thus a new plan was made.

We made reservations at a country club for their Thanksgiving buffet and enjoyed all the festive foods without the cooking and clean up. I watched the Thanksgiving Day parade on television for the first time ever, leisurely got ready to go, and had a most enjoyable time with my family. We had such a good time, that we are planning to do the same outing again this year, which now makes it a tradition.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 10: Time of Day

The following lyrics from a 1969 Chicago tune started playing in my head when I read the thankfulness challenge for today:

"As I was walking down the street one day

A man came up to me and asked me what the time was that was

on my watch,

And I said

Does anybody really know what time it is

Does anybody really care

If so I can't imagine why

We've all got time enough to cry..."

So many powerful, profound thoughts in one song.

My favorite times of day are probably sunrise (when I'm awake), sunset, breakfast, lunch, supper, and anytime that there is a latte in my hand. My least favorite times of day are those moments when overwhelming grief and depression set in keeping me from whatever the task at hand needs to be.

Regardless of the time of day and how I am being affected by it, the fact remains that I am breathing and here on this time-necessary planet able to act and react to whatever is happening. I am thankful for every minute, every fractional time of day that God allows me to remain here to enjoy family and friends.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 9: Blog/Website

There are more blogs and websites in the great milky way of cyber space then there are people in the world I would guess. I don't have a factual number or proof of that statement, but given that I, myself have eight blogs alone that I've created over the last seven years, this would make my hypothesis quite correct.

On day 9 of this 30 days of thankfulness challenge, I declare my gratitude for blogger being a free service on the Internet for my creative outlet. Someday I hope to have a blog that is helpful or so delightfully entertaining that it would be Goggled daily and read by the masses, but for now I am content with the self-serving purpose it provides for me to have an online journal I can access whenever the mood strikes. 

I do enjoy reading various blogs written by others, but sometimes that gets overwhelming. Like visiting the Smithsonian, I could spend months and even years reading, and still not devour mentally what everyone else is blogging about.

Admittedly, I selfishly enjoy re-reading my own blog posts because they are my oldest and dearest friends. They know me, and I know them. I get their humor and usually remember how they will end--like watching a favorite movie for the 100th time--it is comforting.

Blogging is better than hand-writing in a journal and sometimes even better than talking out loud because I can pause for just the right word or consult an online thesaurus when just the right word doesn't come to mind. I can backspace and choose my phrasing more carefully instead of getting tongue-tied or worse yet, saying something I shouldn't and regretting it forever. Blog posts can sit in draft mode and marinate where I can re-visit them and revise whole paragraphs before publishing. All these qualities appeal to the low self-confidence in me that screams to leave my mouth shut in social situations where I may come off sounding less intelligent than I have been told I am.

For my future reference, here are a list of all my blogs:

Life's Too Short to Fold Underwear

Casual Day Designs

Bedtime for Mary Children's Book

2013 Summer Vacation

2010 Trip to O'Fallon, MO

2009 Vacations

2008 Recap

I am thankful for each and every one and the therapeutic outlet they provide.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 8: Restaurant

There is a Mexican restaurant in my town that I frequent at least twice a week. The food is reasonably priced, ready in 15 minutes or less, and always satisfies my craving. I can't buy and prepare that kind of meal for the same price and time, so I am very thankful I have that option when I don't have the time or motivation to cook at home.

Early on in our marriage, we lived in a larger town with plenty of restaurant choices and delivery options. In fact, when we were opening wedding gifts (in front of several family members), and a cookbook was tucked inside one of the kitchen-themed presents, my husband exclaimed that I probably wouldn't know what to do with that if there were not food establishment speed dial numbers printed inside.

Nevertheless, three years later, we moved to a small rural bedroom community that not only didn't have delivery, it didn't even have a fast food place!! A corner greasy spoon for lunch and an only-open-a-couple-nights-a-week "supper club" were the ONLY out to eat options. 

Out of necessity, I HAD to learn to cook. I actually became quite good and have even prepared whole Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for extended family gatherings.

However, when Tequila's Mexican Bar & Grill opened a few years ago, I was ecstatic to say the least, and grateful that our tiny burg had moved into the 20th century!

All this talk about the restaurant I am thankful for has prompted me to order my favorite enchilada lunch...

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 7: Scent

Espresso!

Is there anything more heavenly than the scent of coffee?

Not for me!

Mom was an avid coffee drinker 'putting a pot on' first thing thing in the morning and keeping it going all day long. I don't know how many percolators she went through in her lifetime. She never wanted to try a drip unit. However, I did talk her into a one-cup Keurig system in her last few years as it didn't require being on her feet as long to get a cup.

My grandma always added cream and sugar to her coffee when she drank it which was usually reserved for special occasions only. Even though she and mom liked coffee, I didn't get on the caffeine-wagon at that time. That being said, I surely did think it smelled good while it was brewing-- even back then.

I was nearly 30 when I first acquired a genuine taste for the liquid gold, and then I would not discover my love of the rich and creamy espresso-based lattes for several years after that.

One of my favorite things to do now that I am a coffee snob is experience as many different coffeehouses as I can. I really should be writing a travel/coffeehouse review blog on all the places I have found and tried over the years. At one point, I had quite an extensive list of coffeehouse names. The Christian bookstore/coffeehouse pairing named Holy Grounds is one of the most clever names I have run across.

Nothing beats the aroma of the coffee brewing as you walk into one of those cozy establishments.

While atmosphere and the demeanor of the barista play important roles in the whole social experience, it really comes down to flavor. I am learning it's all in how the beans are roasted.

So very thankful for the scent of coffee.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 6: Pair of Shoes

I will forever be grateful that I do not have to wear wooden shoes!

The hard, solid clogs worn by the Dutch in days of old have no cushion and no comfort. Can you imagine the blisters and splinters bestowed upon the wearer as a result of this lacquered footwear faux pas?? It makes my toes curl just thinking about it! They must have served some specific purpose in their time, but I am so thankful for the myriad of choices in my closet that are practical, stylish, comfortable and NOT made of wood.

I am the first to admit that I probably own too many pairs of shoes, but that's just a woman thing, right?

Several pairs of shoes have been donated within the last couple years, but I still have at least 15 pairs in my closet. Again, I reiterate that none of those 15 pairs are wooden shoes which makes me extremely happy! 

That being said, I do own the above pair of wooden shoes, but those are purely for decoration and unfortunately, I can't seem to get rid of them. Oh, I have tried, but they found their way back. Wooden Shoe like to know why I can't get rid of them?? Well, we will just have to save that story for another post ;)