Thankful Tuesday number trillion

Aloha!  From the sweltering heat in Texas, here is today's Thankful Tuesday list!

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Cupcakes
Claire came to me on Sunday and said that she wanted to make cupcakes.  I was happy to oblige and proud of her that with supervision, she made them herself.  We weren't making cupcakes, we were making memories.  (yes, that's cheesy, but true.)

2.  My granddad's jokes
Two weeks ago I asked my granddad to start writing down the punch line to all his favorite jokes.  Last week I returned with my computer to type them up.  He had a list of funnies, some of which were funny and others which were cryptic.  For all of them, he was laughing as he told me.  He was in better spirits that day than I've seen  him in a long time. 

3.  Okra
My paternal grandparents used to raise a large garden in their backyard.  Every year they would pickle and fry okra and do anything else with okra they could think of.  I remember several summers when I was a teacher, coming over to their house to help my grandmother, who was ill, to wash, cut, and prepare the okra.  She used to crack jokes the whole time.  Last week my granddad was waiting for me with his own batch of store-bought okra.  We carefully battered and fried it for a long time while we reminisced about my grandmother.  It was tasty fun.

4.  Golf courses with brown grass
I remember growing up during the hot Texas summers and noticing all the brown, dead grass.  I also remember passing golf courses with pristine green grass and thinking how unfair it was that most people couldn't afford the water bill to keep their grass green in the heat.  Last week I noticed at least one local golf course has brown grass, and oddly, that made me happy.  Suffering through the heat has been a great equalizer. 

5.  Yellow lights
Wouldn't it be terrible if we didn't have them?  If lights went straight from green to red, there would be countless wrecks, and I for one, would be receiving many, many tickets in the mail.  I appreciate the warning.  "If you don't stop soon, you'll get a ticket in the mail!"

6.  Hole in the wall restaurants
Nothing is more exciting to Adam and I than to find a new locally owned restaurant.  While the quality of a locally owned restaurant depends on the owner, each one overwhelms  you with character.

7.  Signs that make me laugh
There's a vaccuum store near our house that's having a "Summer Sucks Sale."  I laugh every time I think about it.

8.  Planned goodbyes
I have a dear friend who will die soon.  I value her friendship for countless reasons, one of which is that she's been preparing me for her death for years.  When Claire was a baby, she started liquidating her possessions and passing on items that others can use.  Even though I am sad about it, we know that each time we talk might be the last and therefore we appreciate each other all the more.  I am confident that she knows that I love her and I know she loves me.  It's a lot easier to let her go when I'm prepared.

9.  Listening friends
Yes, I made a list today, of issues I had. (Nerd Alert!)  Fortunately I found an empathetic pair of listening ears.  (Thank you, Nancy.)  People are so busy today that it's hard to find people that will just let you read off a list of your personal problems.  I am blessed to have a couple in my life.

10.  Storytime
Every Wednesday, for the last three years, with few exceptions, we have been found at the Wedgwood Branch of the Fort Worth Public Library at 10:30 a.m.  We started when Paul was firstborn and I took him in the Baby Bjorn.  Now Claire is about to head off to kindergarten and we're still going.  The librarians are just like family and I thank them for all the cute crafts, songs, and stories they have taught my children.