Thursday Thankfulness on Friday Morning! MAJOR UPDATE!!!

 UPDATE:  AT 2:30 P.M. BLACKIE FINALLY CAME HOME!! The little stinker didn't have one word to say about where he'd been or what he'd been doing. He just nonchalantly jumped up on the back porch when I called him (for the hundredth time today), and came inside and said "What's for dinner? I'm starved!"  So of course I fed him the whole can instead of just half (but he only ate half!) and now he is sitting in one of his favorite chairs (they are ALL his favorite, and he thinks he owns ALL of the chairs in the house), and it looks like he's going to take a nap!!  

King Blackie on his throne.  I said to him, 

"Pussycat pussycat, where have you been?

I've been up to London to visit the Queen.

Pussycat pussycat, what did you there?

I frightened a little mouse under her chair

MEOWW!"

Thanks for caring and praying for him! All's well that ends well!!

Original Post this morning:

I don't think I've done a Thursday Thankfulness post in a while. Certainly not because I haven't been thankful! Probably more because I've either been busy or preoccupied with other things  and just haven't taken the time to "count my blessings" on a Thursday! But I do count them all the time, I just don't always write about it on Thursday!  And guess what?  I started this post on Thursday evening, but I was too tired and preoccupied to keep writing, and now here it is Friday morning, so I guess this will be a "Thursday Thankfulness post on Friday!"  LOL.  I am thankful that I am awake and alive and well enough to sit here and write to you this morning!

Lamentations 3:22-26

"22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

“Therefore I hope in Him!”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.

26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the Lord."

This was the view from our back porch this morning (above)

And here's the view from the front porch before the sun came up:

I was out on the porches early because I was calling for Blackie.  He did not appear at the back door for breakfast as per his usual routine at 5:30 a.m. (sometimes earlier).  It is now 6:30 a.m., and he still has not appeared.  I think I know why.  We have these "Blink" cameras strategically placed around our property, and they showed an unusual amount of loose dog activity in the neighborhood during the night...with several dogs running through our yard.  Whenever that happens, Blackie goes into hiding and won't reappear until he feels safe enough to come back out.  I've been calling him and calling him (I'm sure the neighbors love hearing me calling in the early morning hours), but there's still no sign of him. Hubby says not to worry...he will show up when the sun comes up and he feels safe enough to come out of his hiding place.

I am thankful for the cameras, because they do give us an extra layer of "security" as we are able to see whatever is happening on our property even when we are not at home. 

We also have this "Ring" doorbell/camera at the front door, which not only shows us "who's there", but we can talk to them even when we aren't at home! I am thankful for this new technology and also for our "kids" Benton and Rose, who ordered them and set them up for us. It really helps to have smart and talented kids.

Now, you may wonder why I said I was too preoccupied and tired earlier in this post.  Well, it has to do with all this wonderful technology that we have and are indeed thankful for.  On Monday morning hubby and I had made a decision to change our WiFi provider to a different company, because they were offering a deal that we really couldn't pass up...a price for  WiFi service at less than half the cost of our current service, and that price was guaranteed for FIVE YEARS!  We were excited to discover that the new company had recently extended their fiber optic cables into our neighborhood so it was now available to us.

I don't know if any of you have ever gone through the process of changing from one system to another, which also included changing our cell phone provider to the new company, but if you have, you know that it is a time consuming (on the phone with technicians) process,  and not for the faint of heart or for those who are not too savvy when it comes to modern technology.  And you better not have anything else planned for a day or two, because there are so many details involved in this process that you won't be able to leave your phone or your house until everything is figured out!

New Modem

Let's just sum it all up by saying that I am thankful that it is now done...but let me tell you...it can be a real learning curve for those of us who are older and somewhat behind in the latest technology. I was shocked to discover that I would have to figure out how to switch from the old provider to the new on every piece of technological equipment we own:  Desktop computer, Laptop Computer, Smart TV, Printer, Cell Phones, and yes, also those wonderful Blink Cameras and also the Ring Doorbell Camera! Without physically going through the steps on each device, they would not work! Trust me, it was an ordeal, and I was on the phone with the technicians more than once while they walked me through it (especially for the cell phones, because hubby's phone is an older model and it required a new "SIM Card", which they mailed to us next day mail, and I had to figure out how to install that as well as make all the necessary transfers.)

Hubby sent this picture to me this morning from Facebook, because he said this was a good picture of how I looked this week! LOL!!!

I am very thankful that all of my "work" this week will be well worth the savings we are getting on our WiFi and Cell Phone systems.  When I figure it up for the five year period, we will be saving over $4000.!!!  I'd say that's worth all my trouble, wouldn't you?  And that doesn't account for the possibility that our old WiFi company might have continued to raise their rates each year, as they have done pretty consistently over the past few years.  They weren't happy with me when I called them to cancel the service, and they tried to offer me all kinds of discounts...but I told them they were too late! They should've offered them BEFORE I felt frustrated with their rising prices so much that I looked elsewhere.  

Well, friends, it's time to get a move on. Blackie still hasn't come home, but I expect he will show up when he gets hungry enough.

This is Blackie's favorite place to be.

Oh, and I got a slip cover for the new recliner this week at Ollie's (where you can buy "Good Stuff Cheap!")  That works better than all the other things we were trying to keep Blackie's sharp claws off the chair...

And since that cover was blue (the only one we could find that would fit), I decided to get a blue cover for the couch as well...

Okay, folks...Thank you for being here. I appreciate each and every one of you and your sweet comments.  I thank the Lord for this place where we can meet and visit throughout the week!  You are all very special friends!

Have a blessed and wonderful day and weekend. Don't forget to "spring ahead" on your clocks Saturday night!!  

"Aint nothing like the real thing, baby"

The following is a quote of my own comment to one of my blogging friends who had just written about whether or not she should get an Ipod to replace her Palm Pilot..."Our Journey Together" by my friend Susan

This is what I said regarding her dilemma...
"I don't have either one...I have a desktop computer. My husband has a refurbished laptop. I have an ordinary cell phone. I don't need anything else. I feel "over-connected" with this old world now as it is. What I really desire is real friends, real faces at my table and not in my computer, love and laughter with family and friends in person. Gadgets are nice, and I don't fault anyone for having them...but I just don't want them. I may have to write about this in my blog since this comment is too long already! Yes, save your $$ until you are ready to get whatever you feel you need at that time. Until then, just enjoy the real people and places surrounding you each day. That is what really matters."

My friend Susan is currently battling a very serious and aggressive cancer. She is a young mother of one very active 2 1/2 yr. old boy, as well as a counselor.  She tries to maintain her work, enjoy her family,and live a normal life as much as possible.  Perhaps an Ipod would help her. Her Mother seems to think so...and it might be the right thing for her to do.  I was not trying to be critical at all regarding her decision or choices. I was just speaking for my own self.

I've had friends tell me that I need to get a "Kindle" to read my books on...and I have no interest in that at all.  I know, I know, I've heard all the wonderful endorsements for having such a marvelous invention to carry a whole library of books at my instant disposal with me anywhere.  But why do I need to do that? I can only read one book at a time, and I like to do that in a comfortable chair, turning the paper pages, feeling each page as I turn it, and looking back at the previous page anytime I want to re-read what I just read in case I didn't quite get it the first time. I love to look at the cover of the book, read the fly-leaf, look at the copyright.  A lot of the books I read are very old, (from my blog-page "A Few of My Favorite Things")and sometimes the pages are stained, perhaps a little dog-eared...and I have often found other people's old  

bookmarks...an old grocery list, a small card with notes on it, the names of other people who have owned or read the book I am holding in my hand.  I love that. It helps me feel connected with the previous readers, or the author herself/himself!  Please don't take away my real books! You just can't do all of that with an electronic gadget that has to be recharged frequently or might easily get damaged or stolen. My books can be picked up anywhere, anytime, and I don't recall ever having to recharge them to be able to read them.  (I might have to recharge my OWN batteries sometimes to keep going...but that's a different story!)

I truly do enjoy connecting with many friends, old and new, through the medium of "Facebook".  I think that is a wonderful invention and I have embraced it whole-heartedly! I love to post pictures of my family and share a piece of my world with the rest of the world.  I do the same through this blog.  But one thing I have to remind myself of often...this should not ever take the place of "real-life" friends and family...those who are here with me in the flesh...or who may be wanting to share a part of my life in a more tangible way. You know, a "real" tea-party...a lunch date...a shopping trip...a ride in the country with my hubby...a card game with our kids or friends at our kitchen table...laughing and talking and experiencing real quality time together...face to face...hearing each other's voices and seeing the smiles on their faces...holding hands in a time of prayer for a meal shared together...a hug when we meet, and another when we part. 

Cell phones are a wonderful invention also...mine is rather archaic in that it doesn't do much except make phonecalls. I could add more to it, for a price...but why should I?  It does what I need it to do...and sometimes I wish I didn't need it at all.  It's hard to escape when people have my number...and I feel "naked" if I go out without it.  I don't like being that dependent on a technological gadget.

I refuse to get one of those GPS thingys for my car.  I have always prided myself on having a good sense of direction.  Also, I try to look up places  before I leave and if I need to, I print out the directions...or I do it the old fashioned way...I take an atlas (map) when traveling very far.  It got our forefathers where they were going (even though they hated to ask directions)...I can remember my father telling us on our vacation trips, when we had been driving around what seemed like circles for quite a while, "I'm not lost. I know exactly where I'm going. I'm just taking the scenic route!"  How many of you have ever heard (or said) that before?
Besides, everyone I know who has a GPS thingy in their car still can't find my house without calling me in the middle of the night after driving around for an hour on dark dirt roads...(I Love you, niece Debbie). Some places just aren't meant to be found with an electronic gizmo!!!

Come sit across my table and let's have a real visit...I'll even give you a piece of that apple pie (well, better give me some warning first so I can bake one!)

Well, speaking of "real people", my hubby is desiring my attention...so I need to bring this to a stopping place.  Yes, modern technology is wonderful and definitely has a place...but let's please not substitute the mirage for the real thing.  Let us constantly strive to embrace our "real friends" and loved ones with warm hugs and long audible and visible conversations.  (You know, eye to eye and giving our undivided attention).  Let us keep our mental faculties intact by exercising our sense of direction, handwriting skills (that's another subject to discuss since modern technology has made handwriting almost obsolete), mathematical skills (oops! I will NOT give up my calculator! I'm a bookkeeper by trade!!)

Let's think about these things...Good night dear friends, both near and far and through my open window of this computer.  I guess modern technology isn't ALL bad...otherwise, you wouldn't be reading this now (and I would never have been able to send it to you!!!)