Thankful Thursday

I’m thankful for a rainy day. I just planted the garden and the seeds need to be kept moist in order to sprout. That’s a lot of work with days as hot and sunny as we’ve had lately, so clouds and rain are good gifts.

I’m thankful for stew in the crockpot and youngest daughter’s strawberry scones.

I’m thankful for my physical abilities. I can do everything I need to do, and that’s something to praise God for. 

I’m thankful that God’s timing is perfect, even though if we were in charge, we’d have done things differently. I’m thankful that God has good reasons for everything he does. I’m thankful that he formed our days and wrote every one of them in his book before we existed. I’m thankful that our heavenly Father is trustworthy. 

Throughout this year I’m planning to post a few thoughts of thanksgiving each Thursday along with Kim at the Upward Call and others.

Round the Sphere Again: Critters

Not Fuzzy or Friendly
Stinging Caterpillars of the United States (The Ark in Space). When it comes to caterpillers, here’s the guideline: If it looks “spiny, spiky or furry,” you’ll want to leave it alone, since it’s probably able to sting you. 

Not So Obvious
Do you know a rodent when you see one? Mice? Yes. Rats? Yes. Porcupines? I know this, too, because of last fall’s porcupine adventure. Raccoons? I’m not so sure. And while we’re at it, what common animal used to be classified as a rodent, but isn’t? The answers to these questions and more are in this piece from mental_floss Blog. 

Status Report: June

Sitting…in the living room, enjoying the summer breeze through the open windows. The afternoon sunlight is filtering through the bamboo shades pulled down to keep the heat out. I hear the sound of the mower in the front yard. Everything’s perfect as long as I ignore all the dog hair floating about.

Drinking…my afternoon cup of black coffee. I would be drinking iced tea had I made some this morning.

Reading…Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen. You probably already know that it’s the book for the next Reading Classics Together at Challies.com, right? What I’m not happy about is that so far I’ve had to read from a free PDF because the book I ordered three weeks ago from Amazon.ca has not been sent yet, even though, when I ordered, they said they had it in stock. 

Also Reading…40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law by Thomas Schreiner. It’s a challenging book on a difficult subject. I’ve got an interesting quote marked out to post here soon, maybe even this evening, because I’ve got to have something to keep me busy while I watch hockey.

Looking…out the window at the blooms on the May Day tree. Have I mentioned that the May Day tree blooming is the highlight of my year? 

Enjoying…a day to catch up on everything that I neglected while I was planting the garden. Youngest son and I finished this year’s planting when we finished seeding the potatoes at 9:45 last night. I’m glad that job is done.

Celebrating…the long daylight hours. It was daylight when I went to sleep at 11:30 last night and daylight when I let the pup out at 4:45 this morning. I love this time of year, although I’m not sure it makes up for the dark days of winter.

Planning…summer projects: sand the railings on the back deck and stain them again; stain the adirondack chair; finish painting the trim in the hallway and kitchen; paint the entryway and downstairs bathroom. And above all, keep the garden weeded!

Wondering…why the lines were so long at the supermarket this afternoon. It was a nightmare; every line (and most of them were open) was at least six carts long. Why did everyone in town decide to shop at 2:00pm on Wednesday? Was it really, as the store managers speculated, because the Stanley Cup finals start at 5:00pm? 

Feeling…more than a little disappointed in the Twinkies. They can’t seem to hold a lead for anything. Usually I love to watch baseball, but this year, not so much.

Anticipating…burgers done on the grill for supper tonight. Have I mentioned that I love summer food?

Thanking God…for his remarkable care over the past month. I can’t say more than that, but trust me, it’s been extraordinary.