We woke up at 4 a.m. to gunshots and sirens.
The night before last, there were sirens and three helicopters nearby for over an hour.
While we normally hear sirens going by and see helicopters passing by several times a week, we don’t usually hear them hanging out near here for what is obviously a crime issue. We definitely don’t hear gunshots.
I am grateful that we are safe this morning.
What are you thankful for today?
Today, I am thankful for daylight savings time. While I don’t always love this invention, in the fall on the day of the change and a few days to follow, they are more willing to go to bed at bedtime, because it feels later to them! It always makes for a few quieter evenings and…
I’m thankful for ripe lemons in the garden. I made lemonade tonight with our dinner. What are you thankful for?
Today I am very thankful to have a working refrigerator again! We have been a week without it working. It was expensive to have fixed (the electrical board went out) but it was still less expensive than getting a new refrigerator. What are you thankful for today?
My 14-year-old son decided to clean the kitchen before and after dinner. I am so glad he saw what needed to be done and did it! What are you thankful for today?
I am grateful for meaningful, understanding conversation, and many hidden vegetables in my garden! What are you thankful for today?
I’m thankful for the chance to speak with my son at college. I remember the expensive long-distance bills and the way we had to arrange to speak at a certain time when I was in college, dividing up the long-distance bill with roommates. While cell phones certainly cost more per month, I appreciate that with…
I, too, am thankful for peace and quiet. I often think, as I’m falling asleep in my cozy bed all tucked up in covers with my family and dogs quietly sleeping, how very fortunate I am. As a geopolitical historian whose studies centered on the 20th century, I realize that I could not study this period of time without peace in my life. I am beyond thankful everyday for that gift of peace.
I am thankful for all the people responsible for creating contact lenses, for the eye doctor who convinced my parents in 1967 that glasses were not good for me on several levels (no peripheral vision and they could not stop the detonation of my vision, among other things) and for my parents buying them for me, even though it cost $500 then ($4,061 in 2021) and 8 two hour round trips for them to fit perfectly. I can still remember seeing the straight edge of a corner of a wall and marveling at it and my 11 year old sister saying that the amazing thing is they are all like that. I know everyone in the family sacrificed so they could afford them. I was 13 at the time and could finally see the blackboard from the back of the room, individual leaves on trees, etc. My vision stopped deteriorating and I was able to get a driver’s license when I was 16, just like all the other kids. I’m still not sure what convinced my parents, especially dad, to buy them. It could have been the doctor using that black machine they use to measure your eyes and showing him what I could (not) see even with glasses or telling them that if they waited until I was 16, as dad suggested, it would be too late and even with correction, I would be legally blind and dependent on them for the rest of their lives. I LIKE to think it was knowing I couldn’t see, but as a parent… yes, I think I know what did the trick!
Wow! That is an amazing story.
I’m grateful that I can lie down for a moment while my youngest takes a nap. It might sound like a small thing, but I’m so thankful for it.
How scary! I hope the problem resolved itself in such a way that you still feel safe in your home. That is something I am grateful for today. One lovely summer afternoon a few months ago, a couple from Kentucky carjacked a grandma’s car as she was loading her and her grandkids’ luggage into its trunk from a hotel parking lot about 70 miles south of here. The stolen car was spotted in a rest area just south of our road’s exit off the interstate. Not the smartest pair of criminals ever, the carjackers took the first exit and speeded west towards the village. After hitting a car or two in their haste, they stopped (The car was not going any further.) in front of a house a mile or so west of here with an open garage door (The father, a veteran, was tending to their backyard chickens while the mother was in the shower and the kids just hanging out.) and ran inside to hide from the cops. They told the family to get out and they gladly did, running to the neighbors for refuge. All available officers from at least two counties (those from the county on other side of Detroit, those in our county north of Detroit, the state police, the village police, the state police helicopter, all hands on deck. The female member of the crime duo saw the dozens of police outside, did the math, and decided to surrender. The male did not. I think he shot through a window (What is there about testosterone?) and the police shot back. The police tried to communicate with him for hours but were met by silence. They feared he had snuck out and escaped into the woods. Theoretically, those are the same woods behind our house but there is a pretty soggy wetlands between us and the crime scene. The helicopter searched in ever increasing loops until it had to fly away to refuel. We barricaded our front door but thought it wouldn’t slow anybody down much given that we have our large living room window a few feet away from it. Eventually, the police sent a robot inside the house and soon knew the carjacker had not escaped. The family’s homeowners insurance housed and fed them for the few days that was needed to process the crime scene, clean it up, and repair their house. We live in the township that does not even have a local police department but I gave up counting emergency vehicles heading west when I hit the mid-twenties and many more came from the north, the south, and the west. The two crooks did not have a violent history although they were definitely known by law enforcement in Kentucky.
I am glad you are safe, and I hope there were no casualties! I have been thinking about this lately: I am thankful for the people who feel called to do the work that keeps me safe from situations I have no idea even exist. And I am thankful for those who work with healing those who are touched by violence.
My husband and I were blessed with the company of friends who attended our church today for the first time.
I am thankful today that you and your family are safe.
I am so thankful for God’s presence and blessings.
I am thankful to be the 3rd of 4 generations of my family to live where we do. It’s a five mile stretch of road with only 12 houses and three of those are my family. No neighbors on our side of road for 1/2 mile. I only wish it wasn’t a 17 mile trip to the grocery and library. And that we weren’t so far down the list for high speed internet.
I am so glad you are safe. It’s amazing how different a setting is – I hear helicopters frequently (we live in the flight path between a small hospital and a large one) and gunshots daily (we’re in the country and it’s hunting season). Just as I pray for those on the helicopters’ health, I pray for your peace to be restored.
today I am thankful for a body that works, albeit with some pain, to do what I need to do.
Yikes! I’m glad you’re all OK.
Today I’m grateful for God’s timing for our babies. This is our third child and the most unwell I have been in pregnancy, but every time somehow my husband’s work schedule has been in a slack period when I’ve most needed him and he’s been around to help out. On the one hand it has been so difficult for the whole family to have me unwell for basically the whole nine months (well, 37 and a bit weeks so far!) but on the other hand I have felt so richly blessed to have my husband by my side and my first two children to remind me it’ll all be worth it.
Thankful for my appliances! Life was so much harder before they came along.
My limping 25 yr old car got me to work today! Ha! Thank you for doing this, for the month! LDC
Oh my, what a way to wake up ;(. Glad you are all okay. I am glad for a husband who loves motorcycling and who introduced me to it 40 years ago. This morning we took an early morning ride up to a coffee shop and met a good friend…had muffins, coffee and a lovely ride home. Great start to the day!
Scaring. I am thankful my grandchildren.
I am thankful for the church I started attending when I was living in Alaska on my own, caring for a grandchild. My husband pastored a different church when he joined me. He retired this April annd we are back at our chosen church. Our much loved pastor is leaving for family reasons but God is still with the church and us. We can see her when we visit family in MN. Alaska Gram
I am grateful my daughter wanted to go at the last minute to see her two friends in their high school production of “Mama Mia” last night. The show was excellent and her friends were SO excited that she came – one catapulting herself into my daughter’s arms after the show in tears.
These girls are so close to my daughter and, now that they’re old enough to drive, have parents who “can’t be bothered” with their children’s activities. Having my daughter there meant the world!
Bonus:. We didn’t know one of the girls was a lead until we got there! That was FUN!
Lea
This brought tears to my eyes. Bless you — I imagine your presence at the production was meaningful to that girl. My parents were also pretty uninvolved in my teen years and having friends’ parents show up for me meant a lot to me.
Thank you, Cindi. I hadn’t even thought about my presence there – for me it was about my daughter wanting to go, so I went along.
As a parent, I totally understanding being unable to attend (work, health, family obligations, etc.). I don’t understand just not being interested in seeing what their children are doing. I’m more than happy to cheer my children’s friends on in their activities too. Every child needs enthusiastic grown-ups in their life!
I’ve known these girls since my daughter was 8. My daughter is now 16. It’s so much fun to see her and her friends grow up and thrive!
Lea
How truly scary! So thankful you all are safe and sound! This world is getting darker and darker, it keeps us on our knees!
I am thankful for our first church event other than worship service since March ‘20. We had a lovely Fall Festival at the park and it was so wonderful to see our dear friends.
I am glad that you are safe too!
I am grateful for the extra hour’s sleep last night (daylight saving’s time). I had forgotten about the time change but woke up at 7:00 this morning feeling refreshed and puzzled at how light it was outside! It took me a few minutes to remember. And so thankful to have a warm and comfortable bed to sleep in.
That must have been really worrying and a relief when it ended.
I’m grateful for an absolutely gorgeous day, a plant sale where we met a lot of nice people and found homes for quite a few plants. We may repeat this next Sunday because all the hard work of consolidating the plants and making the signs has been done.
Thankful today for getting to attend church this morning with family and family dinner this afternoon. And for our Pastor who just preached such a phenomenal message this morning.
So glad you and your family are safe Brandy!!
We often hear gunshots in the evening and at night and it is a big stressor for me. Calls to the police don’t elicit much interest, unfortunately. I, too, am thankful that so far we have not been directly affected. … We had a grandson (2 yo) for the weekend and thankful we all had a good time and got a lot of sleep, which we needed.
Grateful you and family are safe, Brandy. How scary!
Brandy I am so thankful that you and your family are safe 🙂 .
Today I am thankful we were able to build up our food storage some more and also that the bag I accidentally left in a trolley with my wallet and gift vouchers for groceries (a substantial amount), was there when we went back to the store and realised it was missing and it was still sitting in the same trolley in the car park 🙂 . Miraculously everything was still in the bag too.
OH WOW! I am happy for you!
Thank you Brandy 🙂 . My stomach sank as we had saved for a long time to build up our food stocks and the gift vouchers were all in that bag, I was so relieved when I found it still there.
There was a gentleman heading for the trolley when we got there and he quickly diverted when he saw me walking at pace to get the bag, phew. Thinking for both DH and myself for the last year and a bit while he recovered from surgery has worn my brain out lol .
I am grateful for my NHS dentist and not needing any treatment at today’s check up appointment.
I am grateful for our kitten who is sitting on my lap as I type. We found her in an abandoned house this summer and had tear apart a wall of the house to get her out. She is so loving, as are all of our cats, but I find I appreciate cats sitting on my lap more and more as my children are too big to fit anymore (though my youngest still tries, thankfully!) Have a blessed day, all!
I am thankful there are others in the world like you, Mountain Mama Dawn, who care about the creatures who so often need our help. 🙂 As a fellow cat lady, I always enjoy reading your comments.
We live in a downtown metro area and near a hospital district, so often hear gunshots and sirens. Most days when I am leaving my office, I walk out of the building to the sound of sirens. We also hear a lot of street racing and stunts (a huge problem here lately). I am thankful that we are safe and not involved in those situations.
I am very thankful for Hubby’s job. They are wonderful to their employees and families. Our best friend was let go from his job last week after being there 29 years. No severance, nothing. He saw the writing on the wall as his boss was let go 2 weeks prior and they have been getting rid of the older staff this last year. We went over to visit him for support and I brought a loaf of warm pumpkin bread. Hubby helped him put together a resume. I cannot image looking for a job at 60.
I am thankful for the contrast in our weather for our walk yesterday, very warm sun but cold enough to enjoy a jacket. I also loved seeing the many people appreciating a beautiful day by bringing their bicycles for a nice ride on the trail. All the greetings and smiles to each other was joyful.
I’m thankful for a sweet grand baby who waves her fist and says bu bu for bye bye.
I am grateful for a chance to spend some time in nature today.
I am thankful you are Safe.
I am thankful for each person that takes the time to comment
I am thankful for the 60 plus temperature today so I can wash all the bedding , furniture covers and throw blankets and use the clothes line.
I am thankful my freezers are full, my pantry shelves are full (except the space for the two jellies still to make this week.) and my fall garden will be filling the frigs when I harvest on Wed. As we have rain and a cold front coming in over Wed night.