Thankful is Sometimes a Progression

It has been a "hot minute" since I last wrote and posted anything.

Today's post is fueled by this sign that has been sitting in my laundry room for a week or two, waiting for the appropriate time to put it on the porch.

I am having back surgery next Wednesday, September 3rd.

It was supposed to be Tuesday, August 12th.

I got a phone call Monday, August 4th that it had to be rescheduled because my surgeon had a family emergency. 

(Everyone is ok now as far as I know because I didn't get a call this week saying it needed to be changed.)

I was thankful to have a few extra weeks to get some things done at the house. You know, those "hidden things that are easy to put off...

Thursday, August 13th, bright and early I received a phone call from the utility department that my meter was showing 14-15 gallons of water usage per hour, with no stoppage. 

Yikes!

I was thankful I was home, and not at my friend's recovering from surgery!

I called a friend and was able to get a plumber out to check on the leak that afternoon.

Thankful.

Who ever gets a great plumber the same day???

I went to church and worked on lessons for the children between the phone call and the plumber's arrival time.

I came home, opened the door and heard "drip, drop, plop, plop".

I smelled burnt something.

I walked into the laundry room and my hot water tank was leaking from the overflow valve.

The drip pan underneath was full.

The closer I got to the tank, the stronger the smell became.

I checked the breaker box, the fuse was tripped.

And the plumber was scheduled to be at my house in 30 minutes!

Praise Jesus for the way He works!
I thought I needed the plumber for the water leak, but now I am thinking it may have been for the water heater!

The plumber comes. 
If the breaker hadn't tripped I would have had a fire.

Thankful.

Also, if I'd had surgery on the original date my laundry room would have flooded.

Thankful.

(And I do have a water leak as well.)

My dryer has been out of commission for about 2 months.

I have been thankful the weather has been nice so I can hang my laundry  outside to dry.

When I went put in my first load of laundry on Friday, August 14th my washer threw an error code.

I was at the end of thankful.

I turned it off and restarted it.

It has been working fine since then.

Thankful restored.

(I also had a few moments with Jesus when He called me on the carpet, challenged me and reminded me of all the things I have to be thankful for. That made for an attitude adjustment that allowed my thankful to return.The things I have mentioned are "first world" problems.)

  Jonathan has been too covered up with work to look at my dryer until last week. He installed three different parts that should have fixed the problem...unless it was the board. 

it's the board.

Thankful that he was able to troubleshoot rather than calling a repairman.

Back to the sign-

since I am having surgery I put it in the laundry room so I could put it out at the end of September or beginning of October, once I return home from my first few weeks of recovery.

Thankful for my retired nurse friend who will be hosting me.

Since surgery is in 5 days I decided to clean today. 

I wanted to stay busy.

Too busy to stop and think.

Why?

Eleven years ago,

on Friday, August 29

Bill went home to live with Jesus.

While cleaning I had to move the sign.

And decided today was the perfect day to put out the sign.

Why?

Because I was privileged to spend August 1976-August 2014 with him.

Because he lived a life that leaves me no doubt about where he is now.

Because of the life I have and the person I am today because of the life we shared.

Because one day I will be where he is-

and he helped me learn how to live so that is possible.

Thankful for this beautiful sunset I saw out my back window.

Thankful for the reflection in the window, 

(if you look at the shed roof you might see it too.)

The reflection lured me to turn around and look out the window opposite.

Thankful to be able to walk.

Thankful for the means to take photos.

Thankful for technology.

Thankful for funds to pay for the repairs.

Thankful to have a good, good Father who ends days with beauty like this: