So many good answers already. I’ll go with my stove. We were recently without a microwave or oven (electrical problem, since fixed) and we could get by because we could heat things on the stove. I could still cook in the way that only heat and contact with metal provide. Steamed in a microwave isn’t the same. If I had to do without one or the other I’d keep the stove and drop the microwave even if it does mean cold coffee.
Today after experiencing this huge blizzard I am grateful for power. Without it we may have been able to light our propane stoves but nothing else. There would have been no water. A lot of roads are still not plowed, two states are coming to help us dig out. I am also grateful that I could work from home this week. My car was stuck on ice in the driveway which I finally got loose today.
Robin, you just reminded me of a snowstorm in the Twin Cities on the last day of March 2023 into April. Powerlines were damaged, and I lost power for a couple days. It drew Ngoc, my parents, and I closer. It felt like a relief when that returned a couple days later. Life resumed to normal.
My first husband and I,
with our little rat terrier,
Twyla,
rode up the coast of Maine
on a bicycle built for two.when we were just newlyweds.
About a mile out of Tenants Harbor
the front tire collapsed,
and all of our worldly belongings
lay strewn along the road.
There was a house nearby,
and we asked if we could use their bathroom . . .
we were directed to a shed a few feet away,
and inside,
discovered it was an outhouse . . .
a two-holer at that,
with newspapers folded up between the two holes..
We ended up
making our home in Port Clyde on the peninsula
a few miles further down the road,
in an old fish camp right on the bay for about four years.
There were no amenities to speak of,
but we were happy.
We had a kerosene stove,
lamps,
cold, running water in the summer time,
and a chemical toilet.
The chemicals
were so foul smelling
that we just used sea water
and emptied in the bay every day.
(I’m sorry).
Later,
we moved up to Camden,
and I am sure
that we had the last out house in town,
which was situated in a shed in the back yard . . .
freezing cold in the winter,
hot and smelly in the summer.
We lived there
and used that outhouse for years
before we broke up
and the world tilted sideways on its axis.
Now
I live in a house that has a real,
working toilet,
with a flush handle
and soft toilet paper on a roll.
I love my porcelain bowl,
and although I’ll always have a slightly soft spot in my heart
for memories of the old privies I’ve used in the past,
I am truly grateful
for my sparkling, shiny white throne.♥
I am grateful for porcelain thrones, too! Not being able to flush a toilet was the reason we left the mountains after Helene. There was nowhere to “go” and nowhere to put what would have been left behind (pun intended!). We are blessed to have flushing toilets!
Two of the things that top my gratitude list are my car and my condo. My 2014 car has been in 2 accidents and many dent occasions. It still keeps goin’ TG! I travel 45 minutes out of state to my job twice a week. It gets me there. I always say thank you with my heart!
My clothing. I own nothing designer or expensive, but without clothes I would be very cold and I’m pretty sure my town would frown upon me running around naked, so yeah… definitely my clothes.
My car…it’s old but its in good shape and allows me the freedom to go places in my town where I am comfortable to still drive. I no longer drive in Kansas City. I have to pay the Council on Aging to take me to necessary medical appointments and I give thanks that they have a transportation service I can afford to get me there. I am very thankful for the freedom that my sixteen year old car gives me!
I have an old car too,
dear Carol Ann . . .
not as old as the last one,
but 19 years old now,
and so far
I don’t have to hold my breath
when I start it.
I’m grateful for you,
also
that you have alternative transportation when you need it. ♥
Gosh! So many! My first thought was water. So many ways we use water every day without even thinking. Washing, drinking, watering the garden/yard/indoor plants, cooking, ice, flushing, coffee/tea, cooling/heating. I am so very grateful for clean water.
This phone that I’m typing on, has become an everyday item. I was late to this technology. I used to wonder how people could spend so much time on these things. Now I’m one of them.
If I didn’t have one of these things, I’m old enough have lived a whole life before cell phones and the internet. I could manage just fine. I started a business, planned thing with friends, bought and sold stuff, and stayed informed. Bulletin boards, news papers, classified ads, phone books, leaflets, zine’s, and flyers posted on telephone poles.
People hanging out in coffee shops and having deep discussions. Groups meeting for a shared purpose.
OMG! And libraries! Note books, wall calendars, Rolodex, alarm clocks, paper maps, and on and on and on.
I resisted the new technology, until I decided “what’s the point?” Why am I resisting this thing? So I embraced it. And here I am. I am grateful for it. It has changes how I operate in the world. But it hasn’t changed who I am. It hasn’t changed my world view.
My coffee mug. Without it, my hot drinks would quickly lose heat. I’d be in a race against time to finish them, and would not be able to savor each sip.
I use a big insulated mug, and pour it into a smaller ceramic mug. The big mug keeps things very hot, and the ceramic one cools down at just the right pace.
Nooo you must tepid-coffee-proof yourself! The insulated mugs these days are really good. I often use a travel mug to keep the coffee hot, then pour into my “house” mug from there. That way, I can use the travel mug when I go to coffee shops too! It’s worth spending a few extra dollars on a fancy one, they really do work.
2
Charlie T
1 month ago
Yes! I have a new coffee cup, and it’s amazing!
My coffee stays so warm. I didn’t use it this morning, and the difference was very noticeable. Such a simple, but life enhancing thing. 😁
My tooth brush. I love the feeling of a fresh mouth and thinking that I am keeping the gums healthy to hold my teeth in. My teeth are necessary to enjoy food.
Clean water is so important and I frequently feel grateful to have it. Not having it would be hugely inconvenient and could expose me to serious disease.
My paper calendar and writing tools, especially my pencils. I use them everyday to plan as well as reflect. Being a kinesthetic learner, I love the tactile approach to learning. I have tried creating and using a digital calendar and it just doesn’t do it for me. Without those tools, I think I would feel ungrounded for awhile, and I know I could adapt to another way. That is a wonderful quality of human beings, adaptability.
I kinda hate to be grateful for my phone, but I am. Unlike phones of the past, we can now text, send photos, have GPS maps readily available, and can jump on the internet to find something quickly. I’m especially grateful for the photos of my young nephews in California and all the other littles in my family who I don’t get to see in person a lot. And while I really love to talk, I’m grateful for texting because sometimes you just need to send a short quick message. I’d much rather talk in person than on the phone anyway 🙂
Sunnypatti, because the US is rooted in productivity, we remember more of what we do than what we had. It’s easy to forget the days of landlines, writing letters, and kids having to play more outside. If dad said “Get off the computer!”, there were no ifs, ands, or buts with him.
the computer – I use it for work among many other things. I will be tracking my son’s flight – he leaves today for Japan – he will be competing in the Tokyo marathon. His gf is going as well, her 1st international trip. Safe travels for them would be appreciated 🙂
I’m grateful for the basics of having food, with all its varieties. I know without it, though I’d loose weight quicker, I’d become pretty crabby after a few days and loose my stamina. May we enjoy the abundance of the gifts we’ve received. Peace to all this Wednesday ☮️☀️
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So many good answers already. I’ll go with my stove. We were recently without a microwave or oven (electrical problem, since fixed) and we could get by because we could heat things on the stove. I could still cook in the way that only heat and contact with metal provide. Steamed in a microwave isn’t the same. If I had to do without one or the other I’d keep the stove and drop the microwave even if it does mean cold coffee.
Today after experiencing this huge blizzard I am grateful for power. Without it we may have been able to light our propane stoves but nothing else. There would have been no water. A lot of roads are still not plowed, two states are coming to help us dig out. I am also grateful that I could work from home this week. My car was stuck on ice in the driveway which I finally got loose today.
I’m glad you didn’t lose your power. I can’t imagine being up there! Hope everything gets cleaned up soon, but at least you are safe.
Thanks Sunnypatti, we had some melting today thank goodness!
Robin, you just reminded me of a snowstorm in the Twin Cities on the last day of March 2023 into April. Powerlines were damaged, and I lost power for a couple days. It drew Ngoc, my parents, and I closer. It felt like a relief when that returned a couple days later. Life resumed to normal.
My first husband and I,
with our little rat terrier,
Twyla,
rode up the coast of Maine
on a bicycle built for two.when we were just newlyweds.
About a mile out of Tenants Harbor
the front tire collapsed,
and all of our worldly belongings
lay strewn along the road.
There was a house nearby,
and we asked if we could use their bathroom . . .
we were directed to a shed a few feet away,
and inside,
discovered it was an outhouse . . .
a two-holer at that,
with newspapers folded up between the two holes..
We ended up
making our home in Port Clyde on the peninsula
a few miles further down the road,
in an old fish camp right on the bay for about four years.
There were no amenities to speak of,
but we were happy.
We had a kerosene stove,
lamps,
cold, running water in the summer time,
and a chemical toilet.
The chemicals
were so foul smelling
that we just used sea water
and emptied in the bay every day.
(I’m sorry).
Later,
we moved up to Camden,
and I am sure
that we had the last out house in town,
which was situated in a shed in the back yard . . .
freezing cold in the winter,
hot and smelly in the summer.
We lived there
and used that outhouse for years
before we broke up
and the world tilted sideways on its axis.
Now
I live in a house that has a real,
working toilet,
with a flush handle
and soft toilet paper on a roll.
I love my porcelain bowl,
and although I’ll always have a slightly soft spot in my heart
for memories of the old privies I’ve used in the past,
I am truly grateful
for my sparkling, shiny white throne.♥
My brother’s cabin has an outhouse – it does make one grateful for our porcelain thrones, LOL
Doesn’t it,
dear Michele? 🙂
I am grateful for porcelain thrones, too! Not being able to flush a toilet was the reason we left the mountains after Helene. There was nowhere to “go” and nowhere to put what would have been left behind (pun intended!). We are blessed to have flushing toilets!
This convenience
gets really important
when we don’t have it,
doesn’t it,
dear SunnyPatti? 🙂
Hi Sparrow! This is a classic! TG for our thrones! Boy do we miss them when they’re out of commission, which I deal with a lot!
It’s important,
dear Christina,
to have a good plunger. 🙂
Two of the things that top my gratitude list are my car and my condo. My 2014 car has been in 2 accidents and many dent occasions. It still keeps goin’ TG! I travel 45 minutes out of state to my job twice a week. It gets me there. I always say thank you with my heart!
My clothing. I own nothing designer or expensive, but without clothes I would be very cold and I’m pretty sure my town would frown upon me running around naked, so yeah… definitely my clothes.
🙂
My car…it’s old but its in good shape and allows me the freedom to go places in my town where I am comfortable to still drive. I no longer drive in Kansas City. I have to pay the Council on Aging to take me to necessary medical appointments and I give thanks that they have a transportation service I can afford to get me there. I am very thankful for the freedom that my sixteen year old car gives me!
I have an old car too,
dear Carol Ann . . .
not as old as the last one,
but 19 years old now,
and so far
I don’t have to hold my breath
when I start it.
I’m grateful for you,
also
that you have alternative transportation when you need it. ♥
Gosh! So many! My first thought was water. So many ways we use water every day without even thinking. Washing, drinking, watering the garden/yard/indoor plants, cooking, ice, flushing, coffee/tea, cooling/heating. I am so very grateful for clean water.
This phone that I’m typing on, has become an everyday item. I was late to this technology. I used to wonder how people could spend so much time on these things. Now I’m one of them.
If I didn’t have one of these things, I’m old enough have lived a whole life before cell phones and the internet. I could manage just fine. I started a business, planned thing with friends, bought and sold stuff, and stayed informed. Bulletin boards, news papers, classified ads, phone books, leaflets, zine’s, and flyers posted on telephone poles.
People hanging out in coffee shops and having deep discussions. Groups meeting for a shared purpose.
OMG! And libraries! Note books, wall calendars, Rolodex, alarm clocks, paper maps, and on and on and on.
I resisted the new technology, until I decided “what’s the point?” Why am I resisting this thing? So I embraced it. And here I am. I am grateful for it. It has changes how I operate in the world. But it hasn’t changed who I am. It hasn’t changed my world view.
Charlie, the public library is a regular stop for me and my old but trustworthy car!
My coffee mug. Without it, my hot drinks would quickly lose heat. I’d be in a race against time to finish them, and would not be able to savor each sip.
Are you using one that sits on a heated coaster?
I use a big insulated mug, and pour it into a smaller ceramic mug. The big mug keeps things very hot, and the ceramic one cools down at just the right pace.
Smart. I may try that. As I am writing this I am drinking tepid coffee that needs to go into the microwave 🫤 🥰
Nooo you must tepid-coffee-proof yourself! The insulated mugs these days are really good. I often use a travel mug to keep the coffee hot, then pour into my “house” mug from there. That way, I can use the travel mug when I go to coffee shops too! It’s worth spending a few extra dollars on a fancy one, they really do work.
Yes! I have a new coffee cup, and it’s amazing!
My coffee stays so warm. I didn’t use it this morning, and the difference was very noticeable. Such a simple, but life enhancing thing. 😁
As I also asked Drea, how does your new cup keep your coffee hot, Charlie? Is it heated?
My tooth brush. I love the feeling of a fresh mouth and thinking that I am keeping the gums healthy to hold my teeth in. My teeth are necessary to enjoy food.
Clean water is so important and I frequently feel grateful to have it. Not having it would be hugely inconvenient and could expose me to serious disease.
My paper calendar and writing tools, especially my pencils. I use them everyday to plan as well as reflect. Being a kinesthetic learner, I love the tactile approach to learning. I have tried creating and using a digital calendar and it just doesn’t do it for me. Without those tools, I think I would feel ungrounded for awhile, and I know I could adapt to another way. That is a wonderful quality of human beings, adaptability.
I kinda hate to be grateful for my phone, but I am. Unlike phones of the past, we can now text, send photos, have GPS maps readily available, and can jump on the internet to find something quickly. I’m especially grateful for the photos of my young nephews in California and all the other littles in my family who I don’t get to see in person a lot. And while I really love to talk, I’m grateful for texting because sometimes you just need to send a short quick message. I’d much rather talk in person than on the phone anyway 🙂
Sunnypatti, because the US is rooted in productivity, we remember more of what we do than what we had. It’s easy to forget the days of landlines, writing letters, and kids having to play more outside. If dad said “Get off the computer!”, there were no ifs, ands, or buts with him.
the computer – I use it for work among many other things. I will be tracking my son’s flight – he leaves today for Japan – he will be competing in the Tokyo marathon. His gf is going as well, her 1st international trip. Safe travels for them would be appreciated 🙂
Thank you so much everyone – they arrived safely 🙂
♥
May they enjoy calm and peaceful skies.
How exciting about your son competing in Tokyo marathon- safe travel of course for them both!
Loving energy surrounding them on their big adventure!
Thinking about a safe and fun trip for the. 🙏
Good luck to your son! That will be an amazing experience.
Safe Journey to them both, in their comings and their goings, and all activities while there.
Wishing them safe travels, Michele.
I would love to go to Japan.
What a great opportunity for your son,
dear Michele!
Safe travels
for your son and his girlfriend. ♥
Oh, how fun for them! Prayers for safe travels 🙏🏼
I’m grateful for the basics of having food, with all its varieties. I know without it, though I’d loose weight quicker, I’d become pretty crabby after a few days and loose my stamina. May we enjoy the abundance of the gifts we’ve received. Peace to all this Wednesday ☮️☀️