A sampling of my November Blessings

November Blessings :

Using my fall K bag: a way to carry on a legacy of others

Holding baby

Clean sheets

Rainy day cleaning on my paid day off ( Elec. Day)

Cedar trees (no raking required)

Breakfast with the Girls during the Estate sale

Thanksgiving kidnap

Pizza lunch at work the day before Thanksgiving.  Scraping together our change to eat during our
shortened lunch break.

Walk with Roseann

Paid night off from 2nd job= Chance to go to writing group

Sunday after Thanksgiving Turkey

A Sample of my October Blessings

A Sample of my October Blessings:

Oompah Bands

Facetime with a niece (who is wearing my sweatjacket that I left at her house)

Author Challenge Group

Paid Day off- Working the other job while getting paid

Per Diem opportunities

Celebrating birthdays from afar

Accidentally calling Ron

Name on work compliment board

Heated car seats

Long Conversations with my brothers (individually)

Adam Visit

Paying Bills

Compromise Blessing

Over the weekend, I traveled back to Philadelphia to attend two celebrations
My sweet daughter-in-law recently turned 30 years old, my great-nephew turns 1 year-old.
Each event warranted celebration with family and friends. It brought me back to the neighborhood that I grew up in to enjoy. 
My family shares my not so secret-secret that I am a quirky driver. Living in the city for many years with good public transportation and jobs close to home cemented that down. On my way up this weekend, I took a different route and quite frankly, it made me nervous. After that I got to drive to South Street in Philly and contend with parking (or lack there of)
It was especially nice to take my daughter along for the ride to South St. I picked her up in the neighborhood my children grew up in. As a compromise for taking the scenic route with me, I had the privilege of listening to her music choices on the way. We spent quality time together chatting and even got to listen to the strangle song twice.....or was it three times?
Today, I count as my blessing the ability to compromise.

Working with St Francis

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoBqK13Abkp/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

#countyourblessings
#myblessingsbasket
#kathswriting

Working the 2nd job isn't always fun but on a sunny day hanging out in the Garden Center with St Francis, the birds, and the flowers, who could ask for more?

Counting my blessings!

A Sample of My September Blessings

Burgers cooked by son

Time spent with my mother at the hospital

Friend staying over due to flood sirens

Get together with former co-workers from seasonal jobs

Schedule changes

Dinner made by son's fiance

Daughter helping her Grandmother

Visit from friends (Dave & Beth)

Hanging out with St Francis

Gift Card moments

Breakfast with Susquehanna friends

Leaving work *2nd job* early when it was slow

Library Magazine sale

A Sample of My August Blessings

August Blessings:
Going to a party for a friend
Getting a ride to the party with a friend

Dinner with  mom and brother

Pancake breakfast made by son and fiance

Car insurance when someone hits your car in the parking lot

Dinner at the outside in Wildwood

Morning swing with baby

Nicole's visit

Pizza treat by daughter

Family breakfast

Taco Saturday at the library

Swim in the campground pool

Baby's first dip in ocean

Concert with the 59 yr old club girls

Visit from Althea

2 stray dogs

Finding items in the closet

People enjoying my writing in the group

A Sample of my July Blessings from my Blessings Basket

July Blessings

Delicious Cherries

Asked to Cut hours by an hour and a half turns into a shopping trip

Come home to BBQ cooked by daughter and her boyfriend

Jersey Corn

Sitting on Deck

Engagement announcement

Breakfast at Farm with friends

Boardwalk walk and boardwalk food with a friend

Ferry Concert with former co-worker

Cousin luncheon

Container Garden

Smooth work flow

Self Care- Eye problem  Stayed home to care for self

Movie night with Brother in law

When brakes failed on truck -no one got hurt

Dryer Warranty Blessings

An expanded version of one of my blessings of May 2017

Dryer Warranty   Kathy Moore

My washer and dryer get much use.  We are a family of three but have three others staying with us.  Because we live near the seashore, often the spring brings visitors on weekends.  I consider this a privilege; this makes a house a home.

With all privileges comes responsibility.  Our washer and dryer incur frequent use.  At the time I bought them, I didn’t look for the best models, I purchased what I could afford.

On this rainy day, I switch the wash to the dryer and go to turn the knob and it doesn’t turn.  Wonderful! I have to be at work soon, there are loads of laundry waiting behind it.  I quickly throw some of the laundry on a clothes line in the garage and hang up a few items from the shower curtain bar. Off to work I go after texting my houseguest that the dryer won’t start.

I come home at lunch and take the knob off.  I consider looking for a wrench to try to force the knob but then quickly reconsider and start to rifle through my desk.  I pull out papers, papers, and more papers.  I keep looking through a stack while taking bites of my sandwich and sipping my iced tea.  Finally, I spy it, a warranty booklet.  I am almost afraid to look at the receipt.  When was it I bought my dryer?  I pull it out and my dryer is just under four years old.  I call the company listed on the paper and find out that I have two weeks to go before my warranty expires.  They take my information and say a repairman can come next Monday on my morning off.

After a few days of running large items to the laundromat before or after work and using every available space and hanger to dry items, the man comes to examine the dryer.  Yes, a new knob is required.  No, he doesn’t have one with him (even after I told the lady on the phone exactly what was wrong).  He will order the part and it will take a week to come in.

After spending another week waiting, he comes and he has that part and a spare because he said these break off pretty frequently.  My house becomes somewhat normal again.  I don’t have clothes hanging all over it.  

As I sit and drink my morning coffee, I am thankful for the resources that I needed to dry my clothing: the local laundromat, extra hangers and clothes line, and dryer warranties.

June Blessings

A Sample of  June Blessings from my blessings basket

Concert in the park with a sister-in-law

Steady work schedule at my primary job

Fairy Gardens

Lunch with family between two separate car issues

Garden Ctr

Relative Visiting

Warm weather

Coupons

Book Sale items

Skee Ball game with son

Babysitting my great nephew

Attending a Wedding

Finding good parking in Center City Philadelphia

Dinner at the campground

May Blessings

A Sample of the blessings from my blessings basket:

Breakfast visit from family

Rental cars

Picking up supplies for my daughter for her post-dental visit

Raining buckets but it stopped for my trip home from work

Binge watching Hallmark shows

A pocket-dial becomes a good conversation with a former co-worker

Treats at work on holiday weekends

Car sharing

New Toilets

Water Ice treat on a hot day when air conditioner is broke at the library

Dress shopping- Daughter helped pick out the dress via texts

Hair cut

The ability to take mom for  cataract surg/ watching a great-nephew on the same day

Early mother's day visit in Philly from son and daughter in law

Dinner with mom, niece, nephew and great nephew at mom's apartment

April Blessings

A sample of  April Blessings from my blessings basket

Direct deposit

Free  Coupons for goodies

Co-workers willing to switch schedules

Seasonal work opportunities

Prayerful friends

Falling and not getting hurt  (motrim, ice packs)

Helping a son get to an appointment when car breaks down

Nice Easter stroll in  Cape May with Mom

Planting Veggies

Family movie time

Mom's good check up

Not burning bridges

Day off- Morning appt with mom in Philly
Afternoon for me at home
Evening time to pick up son

Staff day gift card ( lol and later it not working)

Staff day mediation

Writers' meeting at Maria's

Lasagna platter  from Amanda

Swing set

Surprise wellness check in mail

Shoe Blessings

Shoe Blessings  by Kathleen Moore

Sipping on my coffee, I hear the trash truck coming down the street.  

Oh great, the trash is out but I didn’t put the old ham bone that was in the freezer in there and I don’t want it to wait until next week.

Barefoot, I traverse the steps to find something to throw on my feet.  I blindly shuffle under the bed and pull out a shoe, then a slipper, then a sneaker.

Wonderful, now I’ve missed the trashmen.  The old ham bone has to sit there another week.

Shaking off my temporary bad mood caused by this, I start to count my blessings

Dress shoe-  A shoe worn to parties and special occasions.  This pair of shoes was the gift from a sister-in-law and fit perfectly.  I am not one to wear heels anymore and this shoe is comfortable and yet classy.

Slipper-  A gift from my son at Christmas, they are warm and cozy.  My feet linger in them on cold winter nights.

Sneaker- Bought at Walmart because they have open backs.  They are a casual pair for wearing during yard work or to run errands

The other one to each of these is lurking under the bed, just a few inches away from where I pull these first three from.  I find my mind wandering.  

Aren’t I lucky to have such choices in a world where some people have no shoes?

Counting my blessing helps me to see the beauty in everyday life.

March Blessings from my Blessings Basket

A Sample of the everyday Blessings in March

Grumpy customer didn't spoil my day

Warm Towels

Not having to pump my gas in the cold  (yeah NJ)

Writing group invite

Lunch with Former Co-Worker

Knowing to rest when body is sick

Helpers when sick ( Tom- cooking and shopping   Ron- Ginger ale and wash)

Audio Books

On-Star

Cheeseburger Dinner with Chris

People tasking my crockpot corned beef and cabbage

The ability to help my mom during her cataract procedure time

Dinner at Red Rooster with Jeannie

Easter walk on Cape May mall with mom

Retirement party for boss with co-workers

A sneak peek at old neighborhood pizza place renovations

Zoo fun with family (Mel, Brian, Brayden, Pam and Steffen)

Invite to work some hours by an old boss

Crock Pot Clam Chowder

Count My Blessings      January 2017

Crock Pot Clam Chowder   By   Kathleen A. Moore

As I scoot to the mailbox, the January winds sting my face.  Clomping up the steps with the mail tucked under my arm, the warmth in the house beckons me. I peel off my red coat and flick my gloves near the heater.

My quick trip home at lunch provides a refreshing break from the workday routine.  Today, however, the gray skies of January preoccupy my thoughts.  I survey the fridge, then the freezer, thinking about dinner.  It’s in between pay periods, too frigid to run errands after work, I ponder what to make.

Opening the pantry surveying the choices, I find:

                Oatmeal?

                Spaghetti  (no sauce)

                Tuna (no mayonnaise)

                Minced clams……..hmm.

                Clam juice, vegetable broth,

This could be good.  Opening the fridge, I see celery and onions.

Yes, this may work.

I pull out the crockpot from under the microwave cart, I quickly throw in the ingredients and plug it in. My break time is over and the urge to call out for the afternoon overwhelms me but I resist.

In the afternoon, the clock tics slowly.  Blustery January days don’t draw out folks from their warm homes to come and get library books.  The darkening skies on the way home blacken my mood. The temperature dropped 5 degrees since lunchtime.  The wind holds the screen door open against my pull.

 As I enter the house, the smell catches me off guard.  The clam mixture wafts through the house instantly calming my restless spirit.  Soon a batch of biscuits are in the oven.  As I use the ladle to fill the blue corning ware bowl and slather butter on the biscuits, I am suddenly aware of the blessings of a cold day.

February Blessings

A sample of my February Blessings


Arriving at work early- 2 hours early

Washer moved to the inside of the house

Lenten book in the mail from a friend

Dinner with a friend - Cheeseburger night at Owens

Adult Children's friends who still call me "Momma"

Seeing Co-Workers assist others in a time of need

Eagles camaraderie (champs)  = Philly Pride

Observing situations from the "outside"

Facetime with great-nephew

Convenient Doctors office location

Hearing about the neighborhood Pizza shop remodeling

Clean Clothing

Surprise visit from Mountain Friends at my workplace

Coupon Savings

ATM cards

Girl Scout Cookies

Recycling

Nice Customers

Binge Watching Hallmark series

Book sale books

Celebrating mom's birthday

  

A Sample of my January Blessings

A Sample of my January Blessings from my basket:

The ability to be happy for someone else's good fortune

Playing with  doggie at 6:50am

Fresh laundry

Seeing younger generation of cousins interact and building memories

Cat getting snuggly

Good music and a friend

Eagles Enthusiasm

Ordering breakfast - suggestion at just the right time

Moving through the memories of a current loss

Guidance and answers through prayers

The ability to work

Being there for the little moments

Impromptu New Year's day lunch

Snow days are your days off - no need to call out or use sick time

Laundromats

US mail

Flushing toilets

The neighborhood you grew up in

Workers who go the extra mile

Double checking your schedule (you would have been late)

Girl Scout cookies

A Sample of my December Blessings

A Sample of my December Blessings

Online inspection appointments

Dental Insurance

Coming home to Sheppard's pie (without peas)

Daughter in laws who cook

Seeing Kindness in adult children

Finding the right gift

Winning prizes

Witnessing relationships mending

Space heaters

A wave from a stranger as you work

The comfort of animals

Warm, comfy clothing

Morning Coffee

Tasty treats

Fresh Veggies

Inviting Guests at holiday time

Being invited at holiday time

Random, funny texts

Stretching our capacity to give in meaningful ways