I am thankful for my "drinking buddy" Carolyne who came and stayed for a couple of days and drank diet coke with me and ate chocolate. We had so much fun together and visited my new school, did some shopping for my classroom and stayed up late last night talking and sharing and exploring school websites together. Her younger son was dismayed that his mother would come and visit me without him being able to tag along so Carolyne promised that he could come next time, as well as his older sister. It was good!
P.S. Not that it matters, but in the photo I am sitting on a bar stool height and Carolyne is standing. :)
This morning, the post lady drove up in her van and handed me a package which was from my beautiful step-daughter, Liz. The first thing I pulled out of the box, was a gorgeous stuffed horse and since I'd been wishing I could go riding today, I cuddled it to my face and cried a little. She sent me photos and a box of chocolates that had photos of Spokane on the box so I'll need to keep the box as a souvenir. She sent me a lovely card with words to make me cry again. I feel homesick and I miss Dave the most, but miss my family and friends too.
As strange as it may seem, I am thankful that I found a hairdresser I liked and who did a good job on my hair. I had found the salon online without any recommendations and my first appointment was for a perm. Perms can be fickle although usually my perms last for more than a year which is unusual. But also going to an unknown means I didn't know if I'd get on well with the person working on my hair. It all turned out good and I found out, too, that some of the new friends I made from school here, also go there.
This morning, a friend dropped off a desk to my house as he noticed I didn't have one and his wife no longer needed the one they had. Since it didn't have any drawers, I went shopping for a bit and found a cheap set of drawers that fit perfectly in with the desk. I am thankful for my 'new' desk.
Today I am thankful for roses and other flowers. They look pretty and add beauty where ugliness may dominate. It's wonderful to go for a walk and find a small flower growing wildly, adding colour and beauty. Seeing a flower is a reminder that there will always be hope in situations where it seems hopeless. Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the flowers.
Today I am thankful for fresh bread. I walked to the bakery and bought a loaf of white sandwich bread and made a sandwich of cheese, tomato, lettuce and beetroot. To me, the bread in Australia is so much more delicious than the bread we ate in the States - but that's my own personal opinion. Mmmmm! Fresh bread!
I am thankful for the family I married in to. Even though this photo wasn't taken today, I still talked to Mom and Dad Flowers, Dan, Rhonda and Brent via Skype and/or Facebook. They have welcomed me into their family and if 'feelings' are anything to go by, they are my brothers and sisters. When I was staying with Dan and Rhonda in April last year, Brent puts his legs up on me and I pushed them off as sisters do. Dan is so much like Dave but such a brother to me that I wouldn't have it any other way. They're my family and I love them so much. We've all gotten closer since Dave passed away. No matter what, they are my family and will always be welcomed as such!
