Thankful Thursday

A few items jumped out at me for Thankful Thursday so I wrote a post and am linking up with Jennifer

1. This fiddleleaf tree sits where our Christmas tree does when the Christmas tree is displayed. So, during the Christmas season last year, we moved the fiddleleaf tree to a different room. The move (and I guess subsequent neglect though I do feel like I watered it?) was not a fortuitous one for the tree; when I moved it back to its normal spot in January, it was obvious that the move had taken a negative toll. I found this picture from October which would have been close to the time of its exile out of the family room and into the study. 

It is a little embarrassing to show how different the tree looks now compared to then.

I know, right? Bad things happened to it. However, I just noticed some positive signs- new growth. 

Thankful for the new growth and hoping we can get the tree back to its October glory!

2. As we approach the mid-way point through June, I can't help but be reminded that last year at this time, Abby and I spent the entirety of the month of June in New Jersey. I am so thankful to be spending this June in Ohio, as is Abby. Our time in New Jersey was eye opening, educational, lots of fun at times and adventurous at times and yet also... not good in the fundamental way that living in a locale where you'd rather not be is not good! Ohio is not an exciting place to be but it's home. 

A year ago today, we went to an Ed Sheeran concert in Met-Life Stadium- look at us Jersey girls being spontaneous (we just decided the day before to go)

3. Funny stories in the media- in some ways, I wish I liked pop culture more than I do. I would love to enjoy the escapism of a movie or TV show. But watching TV never sounds good to me if I am by myself with free time. I would rather read anything than watch a show. And so, I read novels, and political articles (goodness knows I wish that I didn't care at all about politics. My life would be less stressful!) and news articles online. As an avid reader of current events, I come across all sorts of headlines. Many human-interest type stories entail a human or more than one human behaving badly. That's just what makes the news, mostly. 

I was on a local new stations website and came across a funny story. Yes, it entails someone making a bad choice. A criminal choice. But the whole thing is kind of funny (I would definitely consider it a victimless crime) and the pictures that show the "crime" being committed are kind of funny. 

So here's the story:  On Tuesday, a nineteen-year-old runs out on the ballfield at a Cincinnati Reds ballgame. Ok, not so funny- just a bit unusual. Oh, it's also criminal. So he's committing a crime by being on the baseball field during a game. He's on the field and running and he's just wearing socks. Ok, so not only is he doing something unusual/ criminal in public in front of thousands of people, he's doing it in his socks. So then, on the field, he proceeds to do a back flip. Say what? That seems very unusual for a criminal trespasser on a ball field to do. And then after the backflip, he gets tasered by a cop. Not funny at all but just the sequence of events and the photos of it all are just kind of funny.

I'll show the photos but first I will explain what happened in court. The kid (legally a man) was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing and obstructing official business. He had a court appearance in Hamilton Country Municipal Court on Wednesday where the judge said during his arraignment "Everybody thinks you landed that backflip."  What?? Why would the judge say that? How odd. Why is the judge speaking for "everybody"? What does his landing have to do with anything? It sounds like the judge was impressed with the backflip?? Just so odd yet funny, especially when you see the photos of the events unfolding at the stadium. (And here I am praising living in Ohio!)

Here is on the field. He looks like the cat that caught the cannery!

He still has that look... It's gonna change!

I don't know about the landing, but mid air, he's flip is looking pretty good. Things are about to get real with that cop and the taser...

YIKES! It's all fun and games until the taser comes out...

The thankful point of this is just the comedic nature of the photos (except the last one, obviously) and the judge's comment about the landing of the flip 

4. I am an average-ish cook at best. That makes making something the kids or even a kid really likes extra special. We had guests over for a meal on Tuesday (really random- we don't normally entertain during the week!) and I was making a side dish that I had never made before. Alyssa tried some before our guests came over and expressed how much she liked it. It was so satisfying to make something new that she really liked! We all liked it so I will make it again (it was a corn salsa- supposed to be a Chipotle copy cat of their corn salsa). I forgot how nice it was to make, literally, a new discovery that tastes really good. 

5. My physical therapist Cecil (have never come across a Cecil before and every time I see the name written it reminds me of a seesaw that you sit on either end with someone) told me on Monday that the range of motion is improving in my Achilles. He had a way of measuring it. I've been doing stretches for it so it should be improving- it was nice to hear that it is!

6. Looks like we will be getting jalapenos from the garden. Last year, knowing that I would be in New Jersey in June, I just planted tomatoes (to make gardening easier for Donnie who had to work and do all the yard/ garden work). I found this guy emerging earlier this week. Hooray for veggies besides tomatoes in the garden!

Well, I am drawing a blank. I'm sure there are other things for which to be thankful, but these are the few that came to my mind quickly :).