Today, I am thankful for...

Kiseta, you garden is so lovely, is that a current photo or from summer? Have you ever checked into Vonage phone service? It is unlimited calling 24/7 and they are advertising a 14.99 per month cost for all of the US and most International calls. You do need a modem, as the calls go through your computer, but you still use your actual telephones in the same manner as 'normal'.

Kiseta, What a totally adorable,beautiful yard and garden. You've been at it awhile. Welcome! Welcome! I can be thankful for your low fences, mine are see thru.
Debra, I've got a special thankfulness tonight. There is going to be free computer classes startng next week, so i'll be able to more injoy and be more thankful for the puter you gave me.
Kwanjin, I have miss Isis twin sister, miss Kitty. She thinks i can't go outside without her.All three of my cats make a bee line for the door when i open it.Am thankful they don't spend alot of time outside.
Did i say i was thankful to get to take some computer lessons.
everyone chime in on our other threads. You will be welcome.
Vickie

Vickie, Isis LOVES to go outside in the snow. She's my gardening buddy, too.

I have to ask.......Does she get right under your hands like she,s showing you how to do it?

Goodness, Isis has not missed catching many mice (or cheese cubes)! No worries about her getting too cold. Just saying...

I am thankful our kitty MoMo is getting better. For reasons unknown, he lost a lot of weight and almost lost his meow, but after getting canned food on demand he is buffing up some and can meow now. Funds too tight for the vet, so at 15, hope he continues to get better.

This shot is actualyl 7 years old.

She does! LOL And under my feet and in the dirt.

Funny story. She was having troubles with 'going' in her box indoors. She was 9 years old and we had to retrain her to the box. Spring 2009 this was. We were all outdoors putting together the greenhouse and had the frame sitting in the grass. Isis was supervising and had to 'go'. She got up, went into the frame 'box', went and came back to lay down. DH was laughing too hard to do anything else but I had to stop long enought to praise her for going in the box.

Ohhhh! He's beautiful! And no worries about Isis's weight. She's like a human girl. Her weight goes up and down like a yoyo. Vet doesn't know why. She's healthy and thats what counts.

quiltygirl, thanks for compliment. I usualy call my sister and she calls me back on Skype, it is amazing, for one hour talk she only pays $1.00. I am in this country 41 years, and the first 20 years we only kept in touch with letters. That is why I love to call and send pictures on computer. I learned to get on the computer 8 years ago, and it opened a whole new worl for me. I can practice my Hungarian and Serbien languge by reading the home town newspapers. It is great.

I hear you kwanjin, One of my cats, Prissy would go outside to play then come in to use the litter box. Thank Heaven they all go outside to do their business now. Definately something to be thankful for.
Vickie

Kiseta - I used to have a 'boyfriend' who came to this country from Budapest during the Revolution in the 50's. His ex-wife, who was quite the linguist - speaking 5 or 6 languages - tried to learn Hungarian and ended up throwing her books out the window saying it was 'impossible'! After 30 years here and in Singapore, he still had a heavy Hungarian accent. Did you live there or have a parent from there?

Today,

I am thankful and truly awed by the strength of my sister.

I am thankful that my brother is no longer in pain.

I am thankful that this year has come to an end with more for which to feel joyous than for which to feel sad.

quiltygirl, Happy New Year, I am one of those Hungarians that never lived in Hungary. My home town, Novi Sad is in Northeast Serbia, the old Yugoslavia. When I was born it use to be about 40% Hungarian after ww2, but lots of Hungarians left, and it is now a very different situation then when I left in 1969. Speeking about the Hungarian language, it is standing by it self, not an eazy language. I still have a Hungarian accent, bot not worst then any South Georgia accent. People ask me "are you German" no, I am a Hungarian, " and they eyes glaze over.Languages are great, but in USA it is not important enough, because if you go abroad, everybody speaks some English. I am thankful that my father , who only had 3 years of education, believed in books and education for his children. Be well in 2011.

Today, I'm thankful for Kiseta's post. I learn something everyday here! I worked with a fellow who spent 2 years in Hungary. At 19, he learned the language and went. He loved his time there and wishes to go back.

I'm thankful for the people you meet in this world.

Happy New Year, Everyone!
That is interesting, Kiseta. My wife is encouraging me to learn a new language. She believes learning a new language helps to keep you mentally sharper as you age. I understand the Ugric languages even spark debates among professional linguist. They don’t agree on exactly how it fits in with the world’s other languages. I THINK Hungarian belongs to the Ugric language group. (?) DW says it is easier to learn than German, but then she is Scandinavian-Ugric so she would think so.
It would be nice to have a second language and not to be the object of that joke I’ve so often heard while abroad.
“The name for people who speak three languages is ‘tri-lingual.’ The name for people who speak two languages is ‘bi-lingual. The name for people who speak only one language is ‘American’.”
Yes, you can travel easily knowing only American English, but by doing so we’ve gotten quite a reputation throughout the world for being arrogant. I don’t think that is really true. Most people just don’t bother to learn a skill unless they NEED that skill to survive and do the things they want to do.
Today I am thankful to be a native speaker of American English because non-native speakers tell me English is incredibly difficult to master English as a second language. :-) (Jim)

I am thankful to be 'naturally good at languages;' I love to learn new ones. So far I am bad at German and French, and I am learning to be bad at Spanish, too. I wish I could travel more.

And DG friends are the best!!!!

Today, I am thankful the weather was still warm enough to hang linens outside.

I am thankful my black-eyed peas turned out okay, so maybe I will have rewarding luck this year. :-)

I am thankful for the new cotton blanket a coworker gave me--since I keep mine old one at the office for naptime and it's going to be coooooooold tonight. LOL

Hi Jim, thank you for even being interested about the Hungarian language. We learned in school back in Novi Sad, Serbia, that Hungarian is a Finn-ugrik language, that the Finns are our closest relatives. In Serbia we where aloud to have our schools, but had to learn Serbien az second language. Then at 5th grade, we had to choose German, English or Russian and I chose German. I did't know I will end up in USA. I am grateful that when I first came, I had to learn English, I heard now they are offering the drivers test about 8-9 different languages. I still have a trouble in spelling, but lot's of Americans are not shure about it eather. I told my friend , after we talked about old age, when I get old and go crazy, I probobly will talk all this languages at the same time.Hope you and your family will have a Happy New Year and continue to be thankful (myself included) that you live in the best country in the world. You don't hear news about people sneeking into Russia or even China.

Kiseta, I studied French in high school and German in college, but to keep up my French skills I tried to sit at the French-speaking lunch table every day. So in my brain I had French and German all mixed up together - I don't think I said a word. I pretty much gave up on French, minored in German (and the German boyfriend), and never thought about French again until 20 years later my oldest daughter (and later, my second daughter) had the option of being in French-immersion in public school from first grade! Of course, I chose the French-Immersion track. But I know what you mean about having so many words in your head you can't pick any....

I can’t decide, Debra. Which one do you like? lol.
Hyvaa syntymapaivaa! (ugric)
Allmecht lich wensch dir aan guuadn gebuardsdooch! (Frankonian-German)
Until I decide, you’ll have to settle for.
Happy Birthday! (American-English)
:-)Jim

I'll take any or all. Thank you, Jim. :-)

Today,

I am thankful that TCM is showing "Fate is the Hunter." One of my favorites. Isn't available on DVD and haven't seen it in years, so Happy Birthday to me!

Thankful for today's sunshine. Be happy if we could skip from here right to the end of February with no ice storms. LOL

Thankful the cold that started on Friday night met it's match in Nyquil and 7-UP. Mondays are stressful enough...

I did'nt take any language in HS. I learned a little turkish when we lived there. I learned a smile,a grin and a handshake and a hug is the same in any language. We always had friends, Even hugged a russian once.
I am really thankful we humans are all the same and belong to the same family.
Yep! I'd even give Bin Laden a hug. Poor baby he probably needs one.LOL
Happy Birthday, Debra.

Maybe, that's his problem. He didn't get enough of those when he was young.
I'm thankful for hugs, especially when I'm at my least huggable. ~N~

I read this:

The Whale... you may have read about a female humpback whale that had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines offshore near San Francisco. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as she was thanking them. Some said it was
the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude. I pass this on to you in the same spirit.

Today I am thankful for my friend Debra!

Today I am thankful that I only ALMOST forgot to post what I am thankful for

I am thankful my littlest dog seems to be no worse.

I am thankful that we live in a world with instant communication. My sister relies heavily on cell phones to keep track of four teenage grandchildren and one long-haul trucking husband. Her life would be much more difficult without them.

Today, I am thankful to whoever invented the recipe for applesauce cookies. A low-sugar cookie that actually taste good. ~Nadine~

Today, I am thankful for hot coffee(again), and that I didn't hurt my kitty when I sat on her this morning.

Today , I am grateful for my job. I work only 3 days as a cook in a church. Somedays , it is not easy to deal with people, but this morning I thaked God for my job where I can do what I like the most, is cooking and still make enough money on it to support my self. Also, thank God for a son, who askes me every time he calles if I need money, instead the other way around. I tell him, save it for the days I get realy old.
So many of our kids having a hard time making from week to week, but God blessed me with one good one.

Ouch, poor kitty! I am also thankful for instant communication, although it does have its downsides. (Mommy, can you drop off my dfrtyiuyu? And then, half an hour after I drop it off, whatever critical dfrtyiuyu she needed, Mom, I forgot, I need $20 and your signature on a form. Ai-yi-yi!)

Sounds like whales even know how to show gratitude. Can't be outdone by a whale. ;-)
Today I am thankful just to be alive. There is so much beauty out there. A lot of ugliness to, but that makes me appreciate the beauty all the more. (Jim)

I am thankful the real (for Texas) winter cold has held off long enough to let the late perennials dig in and settle. Expecting 'teens and 20s next week, with highs only in the low 30s. Traditionally, our coldest time is the second week of January and it is predicted to prove out again this year.

I am thankful for the car I am provided. $10 in gasoline every two weeks sure beats $60 *every* week. (Prius v. Expedition)

It's been a long, hectic day and I am thankful to be home, and warm, and fed, and dry. :-)



(Tree Peony Shima Nishiki, taken this morning.)

I am thankful that my friend Debra takes such fabulous pictures!

I spent a long time last night pretending to apply for jobs as a SAT, GRE and SSAT test prep teacher - I am grateful for this measly job at DG that lets me hold my head up and say "of course I work."

Today, I'm thankful the sun came out.

Think it's time for thread #2, this one looks a bit long for dial-up users. :-) Here it is.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1147940/