Day 12: Rawhide Chewsticks

So today's title may have you thinking what? but today it is something simple. Today our puppy Coco was entertained by one of those rawhide chewsticks and it was such a blessing because she wasn't running around chasing the cat or chewing on stuff she shouldn't. She was just laying down chewing on something she was supposed to be chewing on. lol *sigh of relief* lol It gave me some time to relax and not run after her and so I was sooooo thankful for the chewstick because it kept her happy and when she is happy and not getting into trouble, I am happy. She isn't too bad and learning fast but she is a puppy and likes to chew.... Anyways it was nice to have some down time I guess you could call it. Plus it is so much fun watching her get so much joy out of something like a chewstick. lol Not only the chewstick but how she looks at everything, she gets so excited over us and so many things that seem insignificant to me like twigs/sticks. lol  Kind of neat to watch.

Day 11: Electricity

So I missed another day and trying to make up for it again! I don't want to make excuses but we have a new puppy and she has been top priorty and she is a bit of a handful but I expected that going into this and knew what was involved. So please bear with me!
As it gets darker earlier and earlier I am really reminded how thankful I am for something that is really quite amazing when you think about it-electricity!!! Of course we use electricity for many more things than just lights but having power/electricity to make those lights work that we don't have to use candles is what made me think about it. It is so common now to just flip a switch and the light comes on and I know that I often don't even think about it and just turn lights on and off. But it is something that I really notice when the power goes out and it is dark and I am fumbling around trying to find my way! We use lights to read and to light up a room so we can see where we are walking etc. Then there is the electricity that we use to power our clocks to help us know the time and not be late, and our computers to help us with work or play, our tv to keep us entertained and up to date on what's happening in the world, and on and on. But again not everyone in the world has access to power whether because of cost or they just don't have access to it and so we should really remember to be grateful for it even when we have to pay the bill. :) lol

Day 10: a new puppy

Hi again. Well today we got a new puppy and I am thankful for this because she already has us smiling so much and she is so funny and it is so fun to have someone so excited to see me. She sees me or anyone in my family and she starts wagging her tail so hard her whole body moves. lol The excitement and joy a new puppy brings and the wonderful memories that will be created as she grows is something to be very thankful for! Of course a new puppy isn't all fun and she needs to be trained and there are times we have to be firm and it is very hard but in the end it is all worth it I think. I say this even after a very exhausting day! I actually really haven't been thinking of much else other than her today so I thought the best blessing to write about today is her.

Day 9: Libraries

I would like to say that I think Libraries are absolutely amazing. I love to read and I can't afford to buy books really and so the Library is a wonderful place because it satisfies my thirst for reading while being affordable to me. Also if I had bought every book I have taken out of the Library, I would need such an incredibly large room to store them in! So Libraries help with space too because when you are finished the book you can bring it back and you don't have to find room to put it. I love how I can walk into the library and I am surrounded by thousands and thousands of books on pretty much any possible topic and I can take out which ever book I feel like reading. Sometimes a book I want to take out is being borrowed by someone else but I can wait. I choose another book! There is such a wealth of knowledge in a library and I wish more people took advantage of it. I wish that the government would cover the membership costs like they do in other provinces so that every single person who wants to read they can without worry of the cost of membership. I could go on and on about the benefits of Libraries but I am trying to keep these posts short and sweet. :) So thanks for taking the time to read my blog and I hope you enjoy it!

Day 8: Painkillers

Hi again. Yesterday I missed posting because my back was giving me an incredible amount of pain but I will make up for that posting twice today. Yesterday was quite a tough day to get through and was actually difficult to come up with as many ideas as other days. One thing I was thankful for so much was the ability to have painkillers when I need them. I am someone that only takes them when I really absolutely need to because they are hard on my system. But to have the choice to take them is quite a privilege that I don't have to suffer through the pain without anything at all.

Day 7: Hot Running Water

Wow already a week into this!! Time flies doesn't it? Well sometimes more than other times. Today I was reminded of something seemingly so simple but very big. Hot clean Running water when we want it right in our homes coming out of which ever tap we like. I think it is something we may or may not think about often because it is something we have easy access to but there are so many in the world that would consider this a luxury. Even with in 'developed' countries like Canada and the US there are people without access to running water/plumbing in their homes. Then there are countries that it is more common than not to not have running water even close by let alone clean water. I am thinking alot about this right now because of Haiti being in the news again with the Cholera outbreak. So I suppose this post isn't just about running water but also clean water to be thankful for. For me, I don't even think twice sometimes when I go to a tap to wash my hands or get a drink of water or wash my hair or what ever. I do however complain when the power goes out and we don't have access to water and that is usually just a few hrs and then it is back again. So I suppose in some ways I feel entitled to it even though I don't really like to admit it. But sometimes I pause and realize how privilaged we are to have running water that can be what ever temperature we like just by moving a lever and inside our house no less. Today is definitely one of those days.

Day 6: the first Snowfall?

Well today it snowed for the first time this season and my first reaction was this isn't something I will be considering to be thankful for. But then I started thinking about how in the Bible it says to be thankful in all circumstances and I thought that the first 5 days for this project I have picked things that I am naturally  thankful for and happy about but not anything I have to push myself to be thankful for. Let's face it, when it first snows I am not a happy camper! As time goes on, I start to enjoy the snow a bit because I accept that Fall is over and Winter is here and I can enjoy the snow... for awhile. As soon as March rolls around I am ready for Spring and sick of snow. lol Well... if I am honest-I am already itching for Spring a week after Christmas. lol Anyways the first snowfall does not even begin to evoke any kind of thankfulness because I want fall to stay and it is cold and people drive badly because they forget the roads are not good when it snows etc. I have seriously been thinking how the first snowfall can be positive and I can be thankful and it hasn't been easy but this is what I have come up with....
The first snowfall is only a taste of winter because it usually doesn't stay so we can ease into accepting that Winter is coming. Also it causes us to think that +10 is balmy so when it warms up again and we experience +10 we are not complaining it is cold. :) It can be somewhat magical when you are a child and you are not thinking of the roads being bad. If you imagine it as white sand-it is really pretty! Also even if you are not in denial and you look outside and see the snow, it can be pretty. You can build mini snowmen because it is usually sticky and that can be fun. The first snowfall usually disappears again so then I am thankful it is temporary! lol Last night it started as rain and then turned to snow and it can make for some pretty pictures of ice on the trees. Also when it is cold outside it is nice to sit by a warm fire! You can't do that in the summer!! lol unless it is cold which does happen I suppose. I suppose it isn't completely bad. So while there were other things that would have been much easier to write about that I am thankful for, I chose to try to be thankful for something I wasn't ecstatic about and realized it isn't so bad in the process! I am learning! lol I am not going to jump up and down or anything but I don't find it so negative either. I hope I have helped you see that it might be possible to see the bright side in some not so pleasant circumstances also.