Sunday Stealing: Gratitude

Hi! Your host Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World". . Welcomes you to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

Stolen from Gratitude Journal on Pinterest

1. Name a highlight of your day. Seeing my daughter’s face light up when we pulled into the driveway of her group home on her birthday Saturday. She was waiting on the porch. When we parked she went back in the house so we could drop off her birthday gift and care package on her porch. No visitors allowed, but we can porch drop packages.

2. What made you smile today? Seeing my daughter’s face when she opened her birthday gift. We had to stay on the driveway and watch at a distance. Her gift was a Nikki Cross t-shirt (WWE Wrestling). [This thought just came to me. In a couple years when I look at any post from Coronavirus time U.S., will it seem odd to basically be on quarantine this time of the year? Or will it be the new normal? I’m praying it will seem odd.]

3. What made you laugh today? Probably something to do with dropping off my daughter’s care package.

4. Recall a time when you needed encouragement. I’m sure there were times, I can’t think of them now.

5. What is a luxury you are thankful for? Television and streaming services.

6. Favorite childhood memory?  So many. If I had to pick, it would be sitting on the couch with my Mom, her teaching me embroidery and talking. And talking. I miss that the most, talking to my Mom. My Mom passed away 36 years ago this June.

7. Favorite song–and why? I can’t think of one now.

8. Where is your favorite place?  Why? I have 2. Key West, the drive from Orlando to Key West. The beautiful scenery. Camping with my wife in Galena. It was only 1 night and it started out rushing to put up the tent in a torrential rain storm. In the morning we woke up to a beautiful rainbow and hot air balloons over the lake.

9. What is your favorite scent? Lilacs. My Mom had Lilac bushes in the backyard. I have them surrounding my front porch and I can’t wait for them to bloom.

10. What is your favorite topic to talk about? I enjoy talking about just about anything. I don’t get the opportunity to talk much to anyone outside my immediate family. Not just now because of the Coronavirus. For years I’ve had no friends. I don’t even chat with any social media friends. I sort of have friends now. My wife and I are couple friends with an older couple. We had been meeting them for coffee once or twice a month. Outside of coffee we don’t really hear from each other. We usually end up talking solely to the person in front of us. The husband is usually in front of me and I’m afraid the last time we met for coffee I wayyy over monopolized the conversation. I really hate that I do that. 

11. What do you like doing so much that you lose track of time? Hmm? 

12. If you had 5 minutes and the whole world was forced to listen, what would you say? The Emperor Has No Clothes. That is all.

13. Whose life do you envy the most, and why? I don’t really envy a particular person’s life. Like I don’t envy Oprah Winfrey (do I really need to include “Winfrey”? How many Oprah’s do we know?) I don’t envy Ellen. I would say what I envy is more wealth and lifestyle. Not incredible wealth, just enough to live comfortably (not excessive or enough to buy designer everything), in a nice home with extra bedrooms and space for a rec room, a She Shed. Able to handle unexpected expenses without panic and juggling. And have a nice vacation twice a year. (A lot of years to make up for.) Enough to have a camper. (Like tour buses, but not that large, what are those called?) Enough to be able to manage my family’s medical expenses and my pet’s veterinary expenses. Enough money put away for retirement. Enough to not have to pinch every penny and calculate the price per ounce on every grocery item.

14. What would you different with your education if you got a chance to start over? This is obvious. I would have completed my Bachelor’s Degree at De Paul, or just gone to UWM after high school and get it then. My entire working life I struggled because while I had the experience, I did not have a Bachelor’s Degree.

15. What would you do with your life if you had no fear? I can’t even imagine a life with no fear. I have terrible anxiety. About my health, my kids, my wife, my finances, my home. This has gone on for so long I don’t know how to answer this question.

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