Thankful after car accident

Poor old, low mileage faithful!

Wednesday was not my best day ever as you can also tell by Friday post put up on Wednesday!

I was headed to Pilates Wednesday morning and went to make a left turn at a rather blind corner and collided with a car coming down that street. I don't usually go that way but there was road construction on my usual route. We will certainly avoid that intersection from now on.

Thankful - 

- Neither of us was hurt and there were no passengers in either car.

- The other driver was calm.

- The police came in just a few minutes after I called which is an advantage of living in a small city, made sure we were ok, and clearly walked us through exchanging info and taking photos.

- We both were able to get our cars out of the busier street.

- He was able to drive away when the police were finished.

- Hubby didn't answer his phone so I called my son who was literally in his car close by, he reached Hubby & picked him up, and they came to help deal with our car. 

- I was only 1 1/2 blocks from home and we were able to drive our damaged car and park it at our house to be dealt with later. It is not worth fixing given the damage and age.

- Our son took hubby to a nearby Enterprise car rental and we now have a car to use as we are a single car family. So grocery shopping happened as usual!

- Our insurance agent is so calm, clear and helpful. He assured me I had now done everything I was supposed to do and made sure we had good coverage on the rental car.

- Woke up with no new aches or pains. I was driving very slowly thankfully.

- I'm the only one making myself feel bad about the situation! My loved one's just kept saying "I'm glad you weren't hurt" and checking on me.

I've been thinking we should get a new car, but this wasn't the strategy or timing I was going for!  I had hoped to keep the old car as a second car so neither of us was ever stranded. I am very thankful we have the money to buy a new car once we decide on one though. 

Feeling thankful today - Thriving Week 15

THANKFULLY LESS STRESSED

One part of my brain asks loudly “Why did it take a year to feel less stressed by this move!?” while another whimpers “I need to make friends here and find things I enjoy doing outside of reading” but the biggest part of my brain sighs happily and says quietly “Finally I am not feeling stressed or pressured to deal with house things all the time”.

So right now I am feeling thankful that - 

• I can find my way around my city, know where to go to get most things, and it is easy and pleasant to walk many places
• I like several of my neighbors on our little half block court a lot and the next few houses in the adjoining court - the others I haven’t gotten to know well yet
• My cortisol levels seem to have dropped (maybe I can lose the year’s stress weight now?)
• Our family still seems very happy that we moved near them and we are finding ways to spend time together that work for this season of their lives 💝
• The cold and rainy season is over - although consistent warmth isn’t here yet there are many days that it is nice to be outside
• My new county library system provides all the books I could possibly read every week - it helps that they participate in the statewide Link + system that lets me get books from other areas too
• Our house pretty much works well now - although there are still tweaks and improvements that are priorities they aren’t urgent
• We are managing the higher cost of living here with just a few lifestyle changes (fewer dinners/more lunches out, TV antenna in/cable TV out, etc.)
• The yard looks fabulous and flowery and we are maintaining it ourselves so far with just a little effort while the hardscape survived the winter storms
• The pup is thriving here - his little social party animal self gets to interact with lots of people and dogs, he loves being with the grandgirls and makes the baby laugh/squeal when he licks her hand, and he can run hard in our and our son’s back yards 
• The Pilates trainer I use has helped me get rid of nagging back and foot pain while moving on to strength and flexibility improvements (thanks to son for the referral)
• Being really intentional about what non-consumables I am buying and decluttering as I notice things is making a difference in discretionary spending and getting more to leave the house than comes in. 
• This week’s frugal win was stacking CVS coupons to buy the one thing we needed (allergy pills) saving $28.85 and getting another $10 Extrabucks coupon.

And so much more but these are top of mind. I’m curious what I will be feeling after 2 years here  🤔

Happy Thanksgiving

 I am thankful for so much including sharing thoughts and ideas with all of you.

Thankful November 23

Today I am thankful for all the great and loving memories I have and the anticipation of new opportunities to make more.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 22

 Kindness from loved ones and strangers makes me thankful for good people in the world.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 21

Happy 70th Birthday Hubby! I am thankful we met way back in grad school and have shared our lives and family ever since. 

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 19

 I’m grateful and yes, thankful, for the technology that enables me to know the weather forecast. Isn’t it amazing that we don’t have to wait and see if we will be warm or cold, wet or dry, wind blown or more?

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 17

Today I’m feeling thankful for easy access to healthy food. Despite food prices rising and supply chain issues, we can go to the store or farmers market and find a wide range of healthy food to eat.

What are you thankful for today?

November Half Gone - and we are gone too + thankful

Fun, Experiences and Giving 

By the time this is posted we will be in the car with the pup and starting our 7 hour drive to Berkeley for our granddaughter's 6th birthday party. Fingers crossed pup doesn't go wild in the car or at their house. I am very thankful that we can go visit our family so easily.

Speaking of the pup, we are working on taking him new places so he has new experiences. In October we took him around Old Town Camarillo past restaurant outdoor seating and so on. We also went to the local Cal State campus and walked him around the big fountain, grassy areas and up to the library entrance & he watched pickleball and bocce ball games at our rec center. This month we have taken him to the groomer and vet (I don't think those count although he is ecstatically happy to greet everyone at both places). He also went with me to the pet store to pick up his new ID tag and enjoyed walking the aisles.

Forward Motion

Decluttered by donating prior dog's crate, other smaller dog items, a lap quilt, small rug, shoes, book, guitar. Recycled or trashed papers from files, an old garage light fixture, other garage items.

A fabulous club meeting and 2 more new members! That makes 4 in the last month. All are high energy and very interested in active involvement. Two even jumped in and helped wash dishes after lunch (very old building so no dishwasher). Two very interested guests too so at least one more new member soon I would think. We also raised some money with our Holiday Boutique sale which moves on to the district meeting later this month.

Engaging Project

It looks like we can afford to move even with the future scenario of income decreasing due to death of one of us. So now the question is do we want to make the leap? We will take a couple of hours to drive by houses currently for sale while we are visiting so we can get a clearer idea about neighborhoods.

Prudent Spending 

The new dishwasher is installed and is working great.

A rush trip to the vet did get the bee stinger out of pup’s paw and medication into his system to forestall worse reactions than the 6 bouts of vomiting that took us to the vet. Pup was fine the next day.

Frugal Things  

I bought a sleeveless top and two scarves from ThredUp and a short sleeve top from Goodwill. 

And a Random Odd Event  

I just happened to look outside at the moment when a termite swarm was resting on our patio. Glad I had stocked up on bug spray as we used a lot to try to eliminate all of them. It was better than when a swarm came in through our kitchen skylight a few years ago lol.

 

Thankful - November 16

I am very thankful that my ophthalmologist quickly made an appointment for me when I developed problems driving at night. I’m also thankful that he seems to have diagnosed the problem and has a treatment plan.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 15

I am thankful that both Hubby and I know how to cook - with or without recipes. My sons also learned how to cook. I guess I should say that I am thankful that my Mom and 4-H taught me how to cook basics at a young age and that gave me the confidence to continue.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 14

My Hubby has been mentally agonizing over what tires to put on our 12 year old car to make it handle well, be as safe as possible and still be comfortable. I am thankful he is concerned about making sure all of those things happen for us. He is a very safe driver too. He made a good decision and checked the spare tire too so we are set for our trip.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 13

Today I am thankful for music! What an amazing variety of sounds we get to listen to.

What are your thankful for today?

Thankful - November 12

I came home from yesterday's club meeting on a real high of friendship and very thankful for friends new and old. The downside was it made me wonder if moving again was a good idea but those granddaughter childhood years are calling us.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 11

One of my neighbors has two hummingbird feeders that she keeps well stocked. When I walk by in the mornings there are often a group of hummingbirds zooming in to eat and away. I am thankful to her for feeding them and for the beauty and fun of seeing them.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 10

I've been thinking a lot about family lately and I am thankful that my immediate family is loving and wants to be together. I've also grown closer to a couple of East coast cousins during the pandemic as we have exchanged actual letters. So although we haven't seen each other in several years I feel our shared love.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 9

 I am very thankful for how easy California makes it for every registered voter to cast a ballot. Ballots and info mailed to each one. You can complete it on your own time and put it in a drop box, mail for free or take it to a polling station to turn it in. Or you can go to a polling station and vote the old fashioned way by getting and filling out you ballot there. Polls are open for early voting for days before Election Day too. Voting should be as accessible everywhere but it is here at least.

What are you thankful for today.

Thankful - November 8

After the pandemic and other world events understandably caused such disruption in supply chains, I am thankful when they work! I know a dishwasher is not a necessity or even common worldwide, still I am thankful that our new one arrived, was installed and is working.

Thinking about dishwashers makes me think about how happy my Mom was when they bought a dishwasher. It was the kind that had to be rolled over to the sink and hooked up to the faucet but it was a game changer. Miss my parents even though they lived long lives and have been gone a long time.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 7

Yesterday I finally took the longer walk that to me signals that my body has recovered from the muscle weakness caused by foot surgery. I do have a ways to go yet to get back my speed and endurance but this was a milestone in my mind. I am so thankful for the body's healing ability supported by modern medicine.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful - November 6

We don't get to see old friends often as we have moved around a lot. Last night we met up with two old friends from grad school days and had dinner and a good catch up. I am thankful for friendships that have endured over the years.

What are you thankful for today?