Friday, January 19, 2024

Friday's Fave Five #769



Welcome Friday and welcome everyone to Friday's Fave Five.  Developing the habit of looking for blessings in our ordinary everyday and being grateful and thankful is what we are about.  Hopefully if you've stuck around here a bit, together we've learned to move from a place of sitting once a week and pondering  and wracking our brains back over the week and trying to dig up blessings from our memory to actually becoming quicker at noticing some of those blessings right in the moment.  Yes, sometimes we don't realize something was a blessing until we see it hindsight with some context to it, but as we work on this discipline some blessings we can start to recognize right away and we can turn it into an attitude of gratefulness that we actually dwell in.  This is my goal.  Am I there all the time?  No, but I'm working on it!  Will you join me?

 
~ it's blooming ~ I received this fun Amaryllis plant from my son for Christmas.  At the time it wasn't even showing a leaf.  And now I've got my first bloom.  Craziest little thing it is.  It is covered in red wax and I don't even have to water it.  It's been kinda fun literally watching it grow as we look at it.  And so exciting to see the first bloom open up.




~ it's all relative ~ after spending the last week in absolutely frigid weather, some night's hitting in the -48*C range (-54.4*F), it was funny to hear so many people say how nice it warm it was when it moved up to -20*C (-4*F).  Comparatively speaking it did seem absolutely balmy but really it is still darn cold.  But we did get a real good dump of snow yesterday as it warmed and we're thankful for the moisture as we were desperate for it around these parts.  And just like that next week is predicted to be above the freezing mark.  In Southern Alberta, if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute.


~ pharmacy help ~ last Friday I was pretty sure I'd developed some kind of sinus infection.  Of course, it's a Friday.  My doctor's office closes early on Friday's and there was no guarantee I could get in.  The last thing I wanted to do was go sit in the ER for hours on end, the only walk in clinic around here is in the next town and I didn't have a sub available for my dayhome.  So I took a chance and phoned the pharmacy.  In Alberta, pharmacists are allowed to prescribe antibiotics and such for certain ailments.  I was very thankful that after asking me some symptom questions the pharmacist agreed that it sounded like what I thought it was and he was able to prescribe me antibiotics right over the phone.  Hubby picked them up and I was already starting to feel better by the next day.  Thankful for this service especially in a city that is extremely short of doctors and the ER is filled to the max at all hours because there are no walk in or out of hours clinics available.  


~ unexpected visit from a friend ~ this week a good friend who I haven' seen for a few months popped by for a quick hello after work.  It was so nice just to see her and have a quick chat.


~ baby shower ~ Saturday I attended the baby shower who's Mommy is my grand niece.  So this babe when it's born will make me a great-great Auntie?  My grand niece actually used to come to my dayhome when she was a babe.  How fun it is to watch her become a Mom and bless her as she begins this new journey.  


What have been blessings to you this last week?  


















13 comments:

Susan said...

Glad to hear you are doing better. Back in July of 22, I thought I had another sinus infection and it turned out to be Covid. It was a mild case and I took a test because I had been told I was exposed after going to craft camp. I only had a slight fever for 2 days. Had an appetite and was find after a few days. I need to go check out our public library. I have never been in minus degree weather. I think the coldest was in the 20's. Have a nice weekend, Susanne!

Schotzy said...

Wow, so glad you were able to get those antibiotics. I cannot even imagine such frigid temps! Ye…owwww!! How wonderful to be a great, great, aunt! What a week you’ve had! God is so good!

Faith said...

So what I'm hearing is to NOT visit Alberta in the winter months. Ok, got it!! :) Those are some COLD temps!! And here in eastern NY, we say that about New England....wait 5 min and the weather will change. hahaha I don't think we've gone below 12 F yet this winter and I'm ok with that. then again i no longer commute to work so that's a HUGE blessing!!

I love that your friend popped in for a visit AND that your pharmacies can prescribe meds!! NO WAY would that fly here in NYS.....but wow how much better would it be if we could have that option.

A great great aunt?! that's cool. I became a great aunt to our youngest niece's baby boy Callum this summer. his mom is dave's youngest sister's daughter and our youngest niece on his side of the family. Let's just say it was an oopsie pregnancy as she's only 21 and still living at home. But the dad is helping so i guess that's a good thing.

I hope you have a relaxing weekend and enjoy the warmer temps!


Melanie said...

Susanne, I love your advice in recognizing our blessings as they happen. I've begun making a list so that when Friday comes, I have them already and not wracking my brain when it's time to post.

Your low temps make me shiver! We've had temps near zero here in East TN and we're all whining. Not used to that!

The amaryllis is beautiful! I'm not good with plants so I enjoy those of others.

I saw the audio book by Patrick Steward on your side bar. I love to listen to his voice.

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

Susanne said...

Faith: LOL. Alberta is lovely in the winter and in our area this kind of cold is not the norm. Yes the -20's are more normal but this absolute crazy cold isn't. Happens every once in a while. And in Southern Alberta it usually lasts no more than a week as chinooks will blow in and can raise the temp 20 degrees within a couple of hours sometimes.

ellen b. said...

That is a nice service that the pharmacy can offer. Glad you got some relief quickly. Sweet to be able to see great great's! It is snowing here again and we aren't over freezing temps, yet. Have a good weekend.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

What a good idea it os to make a habit of counting your blessings.

Karen said...

I can't even imagine having temperatures that cold! It's a wonder everything doesn't freeze solid.
It would be nice to be able to get meds directly from the pharmacy occasionally. I'm glad you were able to find relief so quickly.
Oh, how nice to go to a baby shower! I can't remember the last time I did. Such a happy occasion:)

Willow said...

Weather temperatures and changes are relative. My husband reminded me that the difference between 10F and 30F is the same as 60F and 80F. True. But 60 is way more comfortable than 10! I hope your temperatures will indeed warm up soon.
Those amaryllis are beautiful!! What a sweet and thoughtful gift from your son.
Great great aunt-- yes I think that's what you will be. Crazy, huh? You're too young for that.
Stay warm and safe!

Wendy said...

So glad you were able to get antibiotics quickly and are feeling better. Your temperatures are toooo cold lol. Although my daughter told me that when she was in Alaska with similar temperatures it was a different cold to what we get here. We've been in the minus figures this week - the lake was frozen but set to warm up next week after another storm blows through. Hope you have a good weekend Susanne.

nikkipolani said...

Amaryllis are pretty things, aren't they? My cousin has had hers for a couple of decades and it faithfully blooms in winter.

I dunno, in no way do I consider anything below 50F to be "warm". Those are crazy temperatures. We have 78F coming up next Saturday.... just saying.

So glad you are already feeling better with the pharmacist assist. That's crazy that people have to resort to the ER for all kinds of needs.

With temperatures like you've listed, I'm amazed you got a visit and attended a baby shower! If we got snow here, the city would shut down.

Barbara H. said...

This is the first FFF I've missed in a while. the last two weeks have been like a black hole--cellulitis, Covid, atrial fibrillation, a dead how water heater, and icy cold temperatures. Not as cold as yours, thankfully, but cold for us. I'm dearly hoping we're on the mend.

That amaryllis is beautiful. That's neat that the pharmacy can prescribe antibiotics. That saves so much time from sitting in the doctor's office or ER.

How good to have an unexpected visit from a friend. And how fun to attend the shower of your grand niece.

Gattina said...

We had a lot of snow in some places up to 50 cm, they said that it hasn't happened since 11 years, and that's true I remember we had difficulties to drive to Amsterdam. Belgium is not at all equipped for snow and ice ! It happens so seldom.