{"id":1599,"date":"2023-11-30T11:12:44","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T11:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/billyrhythm.com\/?p=1599"},"modified":"2023-11-30T11:12:44","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T11:12:44","slug":"30-days-of-thanks-2023-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billyrhythm.com\/?p=1599","title":{"rendered":"30 Days of Thanks, 2023 Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My theme for thankfulness in 2023 was based on the following: “If you have any money saved, a hobby that requires some equipment or supplies, a variety of clothes in your closet, two cars (in any condition), and live in your own home, you are in the top 5% of the world\u2019s wealthy.”*<\/a>
I began to think about the things I take for granted every day. I thought about Frank, the missionary in Africa, as he works in the slums of Uganda. If the people there saw how this very modest man of means (I have been on government assistance before, and I’m not very far from it even now) lives, they would think I’m a rich man. What do I have that I don’t even think about that would cause them to stare wide-eyed? Here’s my list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks\u00a0day 1. I\u2019m thankful for leftover pizza which made a fine lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks day two. Although we\u2019ve been flirting with it, today was the first walk below freezing: 26.6\u00b0. I\u2019m thankful for a little box called a thermostat. When it\u2019s cold outside, this little device turns my home heater on so I wake up at 4:30am to a toasty warm environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks day three. This little device is an oven igniter. Whenever I want chicken \u00a0nuggets or bacon or biscuits or a cake this little device causes my oven to turn on. Sometimes they go bad, and I have to replace it. I can get one for $20 on Amazon, and in 15 to 30 minutes I can have it swapped out and have my oven up and running again without having to call a repair person. I am thankful for these parts and for what an oven allows my family to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks day four. I\u2019m thankful for basic thick white comfy socks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day five. Olive Tree Bible<\/a> software is a free app that runs on my old iPad. The have lots of free resources and the software is easy to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day six. I\u2019m thankful for the Brita water pitcher at work. It makes the town water taste much better. I\u2019m not sure who bought it (Amy<\/a>?),  but I\u2019m thankful it\u2019s a available to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day seven. A week in. Have you noticed a theme? Today I\u2019m thankful for the Instant Pot. This device is so handy for us. I saut\u00e9ed some carrots and onions and celery in it, then set it to pressure cook a few minutes just to get the vegetable soft. Then I\u2019m going to set it to slow cook, and when Susan and I finally get home from busy days today we will be enjoying some chicken and rice soup. Saut\u00e9, pressure cook, and slow cook off from one device! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day eight. I\u2019m thankful for voting day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> installment nine. I\u2019m thankful for all manner of cheap paper products. I almost always have a tissue or a paper towel or a napkin in my pocket. Want to have a little snack but don\u2019t have a plate handy? Need to blow your nose or wipe up something nasty from the ground? Bang your hand on something and you\u2019ve got a little spot of blood? Maybe a loved one starts crying, or you need to discreetly get rid of a piece of gum. Cheap paper product to the rescue! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day ten. For my eyeglasses. It started of as a simple project today. I had a snare drum that needed some adjusting, so I went downstairs to the basement studio. I thought I would like to have a little music, but when I turned on the hifi there was no sound. Three hours and a repair to a speaker crossover later I finally was able to put some music on the turntable and hear it. Without my eyeglasses, my almost 52 year old eyes wouldn\u2019t be able to see the tiny screws and small wires that I needed to manipulate so that I could have music in the basement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> installment 11. Yesterday I was thankful for all manner of cheap paper products. Today I put the last roll of toilet paper on the holder. What to do? Run to Walmart for the second time today! I\u2019m thankful I\u2019m only 15 or so minutes from toilet paper, Columbian coffee, sweet potato puffs, salad mix, and paper plates. I\u2019m thankful for supermarkets and department stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 12. Gas stations. On the way to my gig I noticed I needed gas. I had literally seven gas stations along the way which were willing to sell me fuel. The one I chose also offered coffee (to which I obliged myself to a cub of dark roast Columbian), pizza, chips, chocolate, breakfast sammiches, Tylenol, tube meats of all varieties, and beer. (I picked up none of the latter items.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 13. I was making a recipe this morning when I realized we didn\u2019t have any apples. I sent a text to my neighbor cousin: \u201cAre you awake? Are you home? If the answer to both of these is yes, do you have two apples I can borrow?\u201c I\u2019m thankful for a neighbor close by with ample fruit stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 14. For my sink. It\u2019s not fancy, it\u2019s not new, it doesn\u2019t have \u201cfeatures,\u201d but it gets the job done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 15. I\u2019m thankful for plenty of clean shirts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 16. What do I have, close to double digits pairs of shoes? These \u201cHey Dude\u201d knock offs were $20 or something, and boy howdy aren\u2019t they just the comfiest! (Comfy white socks made the list earlier.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 17. I was walking this morning when I heard an unusual noise. It was the noise of a single leaf being blown across the road. And I could HEAR it. For those not aware, I had a growth on my eardrum removed a few years ago, and because of a couple surgeries, an eardrum rebuild, and a prosthetic “bone” in my ear, I don’t hear well on my left side. But I CAN still hear. And it’s all because of the medical system we have here in the US. And as messed up as it is, and as much as it gets poo-pooed, I’m thankful for access to that kind of medical care–the kind that lets some average citizen like me have a frickin’ tumor cut out of his ear and his hearing restored with a titanium prosthetic ear bone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 18. My weather station informs me how much clothing to wear on my winter walks. Is it 54\u00b0 or 34\u00b0? Is it 20\u00b0 with no wind, or does a 15mph wind make it FEEL like 20\u00b0? Depending on conditions I wear different clothes; my weather station helps me decide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 19. I’m thankful for freezers that allow me to buy food on sale today and enjoy it some time in the future. (Seems like it’s about time to enjoy that corned beef we bought on sale last March.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 20. I\u2019m thankful for indoor toilets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 21, three weeks in. Years ago my wife and daughter bought me some flannel lined jeans. It was 19\u00b0 this morning so I wore them today. They\u2019re a little big on me but that extra room and the warm lining make them the comfiest pants in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 22. I took a paid day off today. Consider that. I did NOT go to wotk today, but my employer paid me anyway. I\u2019m thankful for that and for my coworkers covering for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 23. Today is Thanksgiving, and I’m going to reveal my theme now. I think it makes more sense to do it today than wait for the last day of November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you have any money saved, a hobby that requires some equipment or supplies, a variety of clothes in your closet, two cars (in any condition), and live in your own home, you are in the top 5% of the world\u2019s wealthy.”*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We frequently say “I have so much to be thankful for, things I take for granted.” Using that, and knowing that I’m in the top 5% of the world, I began to think about those things that 95% of the world may not have. Clothing like thick white socks, plenty of clean shirts, comfy shoes. Not only do I have a house, but I have a thermostat that turns my heat on, clean water from a water filter, and an indoor toilet. I have ample food–abundant even, held in freezers, and leftovers that I get to eat for lunch. I have eyeglasses to help me see and a healthcare plan to help me hear. I have the right to vote. I have tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, and paper plates. These simple things, well, perhaps when compared to the rest of the world, they’re not so simple. May I be thankful for these simple things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 24. Today I\u2019ve watched Youtube on my iPad, a movie on my Roku, listened to podcasts on my iPhone, and browsed the web on my laptop. I\u2019m thankful all this entertainment is available to me, and that I have leisure time to enjoy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 25: I’m thankful for a washing machine and dryer that keep my ample supply of clothing clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 26th. I’m thankful for, um, I don’t know, five different kinds of leftover pie. (Chocolate, lemon, maple, raspberry, and pumpkin cheesecake.) And I’m happy to live very close to my mom who made them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 27. For our electrical grid. We lost power at the town office this morning. It was out 15 minutes or so. I\u2019m thankful our electricity is rarely unavailable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 28. I\u2019m thankful for aluminum sheet pans. Nachos, chicken nuggies, tater tots, roasted turkey, drip tray for pies, a carrying tray\u2014a sheet pan can do it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks<\/a> day 29. I\u2019m thankful for my pillow. Thanks Eben<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#30daysofthanks day 30. \u201cParise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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