As of 8:30 this morning, I will be 50 years old. For the last few weeks, I've been trying to figure out what to post today. I finally decided to list 50 things I'm grateful for. The main reason is that life has felt really negative and discouraging lately, and counting blessings is always a good counter balance to that. (Please note that these are not in order of priority.)
1. the love of God
2. Michael
3. Smokey
4. the community we have found in our church
5. our own house
6. a career I find meaningful
7. being self-employed
8. basically good health (with some issues)
9. my brothers
10. beauty
11. flowers
12. creativity
13. friends from former churches
14. friends from my old job
15. friends from Internet forums
16. friends from blogging
17. freedom of religion
18. freedom of speech
19. the right to vote
20. a college education
21. still having my mom alive
22. having a good treadmill here at home
23. rediscovering my bicycle
24. poetry
25. novels
26. digital cameras
27. knitting (it's a great stress relief)
28. the Bible
29. the Internet (what did we do without it)
30. a winning Cubs team (I never said these had to be profound)
31. my pastors (who are a married couple)
32. nieces and nephews
33. grand-nieces and grand-nephews
34. my cousin Chris
35. my in-laws
36. the Chicago Bears (see #30)
37. writers I admire like Tolkien, L'Engle, and Greene
38. art
39. color
40. sunsets
41. the ocean
42. the Kankakee River (I grew up blocks from there and played on its banks often)
43. birds
44. butterflies
45. hymns
46. classical music
47. contemporary music
48. good movies
49. improvement to my allergies
50. my recent weight loss
Those are the 50 blessings I'm thankful for today. And I'm thankful for each person who is reading this too.
P.S. It is also Grandmère Mimi's birthday today too. She is a very, very cool blogger who lives in Louisiana. Go wish her a happy day.
61 comments:
Am I the first to wish you happy 50th!!!!
Happy 50th!!!
Happy Birthday!!! Come on over when you can and see what my blog has to say about you!!!
I must admit that at first I only knew it was the birthday of another lovely blogger, but updates have been applied!
Happy Happy birthday to you! Though it's you giving us the gifts with your wonderful blog.
Happy Birthday, Ruth!
It's Friday already and I'm just nor reading this....but happy belated birthday to you Ruth! I love making and reading lists like the one you made. Gratitude is a beautiful quality.
Happy Birthday my Dear Friend! It is a great gift to ME that you were born.
Ruth, I hafta tell you that I love being in my fiftys!
xoxoxo
Happy birthday, Youngster. I enjoyed and could relate to your list of blessings, esp. the socks.
Happy birthday Ruth! I'm lovin' those socks...
Thanks. I forgot to put a caption--I made those socks.
:-)
Oh, Ruth.....good for you.....you're 50!! Happy, happy birthday! God's blessing always!
And, what a wonderful idea to post 50 blessings you're thankful for! The photos are lovely.....Michael looks like the most pleasant person, and your mom and you together is beautiful! So is the baby photo.!
Enjoy every minute of your special day!
Happy Birthday Ruth! Today I am thankful for you! I hope your day is filled with love, happiness, lots of joy and laughter.
~Jaime
Happy Birthday!
I love those socks.
Happy Birthday, dear Ruth. I also like the socks, but the bluebonnets remind me of pictures I've taken of my babies in them! Great list.
I do hope you celebrate all day and experience lots of joy.
Happy birthday, Ruth! I'm so glad to have found you - and I love the idea of making this kind of list. My birthday is in January.. and I just might copy you. :)
~*
I love those socks - I can't believe you made them. The colors are gorgeous.
And Happy Birthday! I loved reading the 50 things you are grateful for - in honor of your birthday I'm going to come with my own list of 50, because I need to look on the bright side too.
I hope you do something really special today.
love,
fiwa
Many happy returns, Ruth! May your blessing continue and multiply.
Pax,
Doxy
Happy Birthday!!! How's it feel to be at the half-way mark, lol? I LOVE L'Engle too... Hope you have a really special day.
Happy Birthday Ruth!
Great socks, young 'un...
All possible blessings
Mike
What a great way to celebrate your fiftieth -- in thankfulness.
I am doing my reading homework and came across this quote that had to be shared with you on this day...
"Every day is the same as the next; it has 24 hours. But one's birthday is different. It is sacramental because it celebrates the greatest miracle of all. On that day you began to live and you are alvie now! One's birthday then is filled with symbols and rites that it different from every other day."
It is from Life of the Sacraments, The Sacraments of Life by Leonardo Boff.
Happy Birthday again!!
Happy 50th! It's not bad being 50 -- which I say on the day that I fast before I have my now-that-I'm-50-colonoscopy! But that will be another day, enjoy today!
Re #33, grand-nieces and grand-nephews: I'm from Texas, and I know bluebonnets when I see them! This particular grand-relative lives (or had the picture taken) in TEXAS!
Oh, and a happy birthday to you, Ruth.
The day I turned 50, my first thought after waking up was, "I'm nearer to my 100th birthday than I am to the day I was born." Because your 50th birthday means you completed 50 years the day before. This is the first day of your 51st year. Just trying to be helpful.
Like Ruth said, it really isn't bad being 50. In fact, it's pretty great! Happy birthday, and join the club, dear one!
Ruth, a Blessed and Happy Birthday What a lovely post. So. You're half a century old, and I'm nearly three quarters of a century old. Grim way to put it, no? ;o)
Ruth, happy birthday. A nice as those socks & sweater are, nothing compares to the twinkle in Michael's eye as he awaits your camera's click. Great list of 50. I'm so glad we met online. Have a wonderful day.
A very happy day. You are now officially a grown-up, I guess.
I like this idea, of counting blessings. We never seem to spend enough time being grateful. I may steal this.
Happy Birthday!!!!
Thank you for your blog and for sharing your blessings.
Have a great day.
Thank you so much everyone.
Yes, Bob, those are bluebonnets. I don't expect to live to 100, so I think I'm more than halfway done regardless.
Mimi, I don't find the announcement of our ages grim. I find it triumphant. LOL
Fran, that is an awesome quote. Thanks so much for coming back to share it.
Ruth, I've got that nasty test coming up soon. I'm trying not to think about it.
What a great way to celebrate. The photos are wonderful. Happy, happy birthday, Ruth.
Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday to you from all of us under the bridge!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU........!!!!!!!
Hey, I turned 50 last year. Welcome aboard!!
I hope you are doing something special for your day, something to set it apart from all other days.
I love you blessings list, most of those would be on mine (except for Michael, etc - ha).
God bless you, friend, and have a very wonderful rest of the day and evening!!!!!!!!
Elizabeth (You wrote a book on Utah government?? That is very interesting!)
woo hoo! happy birthday!
those socks are so cool -- just like you! :)
Happy Birthday Ruth!
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Ruth
Happy birthday to you
or if I was texting you insteadm
HB2Ux2
HBDR
HB2U.
Hope you had a lovely day.
Ruth, what a great idea; happy birthday! And I love all the knitted things. And, hey, you switched things around here. I like that too (what in the world ARE those fish to the right? I love fish.)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUTH !
Hope you have had a fine day of it.
Bear & I send Smokie the best and hope he's feeling better !
Hooray! What a great list. Happy birthday, and I hope you enjoy being 50 as much as I did, which is a lot.
You've already made your colonoscopy appointment, so I don't need to nag you about that. It will be over soon, and you'll be glad you went ahead and got it done!
Happy Birthday! What a great list! And I think you just might hit 50 comments. :)
Missy, I just thought the same thing...Happy Birthday again Ruth!
xoxoxo
Happy, Happy Birthday Ruth! I hope you've been having a wonderful day. You are indeed very blessed!
(Ok, only ten more comments to go!)
A very happy birthday and a blessed year to come (one of many)!
Happy Birthday!!! And many more!! (You young thing you!)
PS --Your new photo reminds me of my Godmother, penname Christopher Drake aka Carol Stone from Berkeley CA. You share the same bright sparkle in the eye that leads one to literally see laughter.
again, Happy Birthday! And many blessings!
PPS Carol Stone wrote the text to hymn #69 in the current Episcopal hymnal. As she has a sense of humor --that bright sparkle, she always thought it perfectly wonderful that she was assigned the number 69!!!
Yesyes, you DO have that sparkle in the eye thing going on, Ruth.
AND many many BLESSINGS.
xoxoxoxo
You almost have 50 comments for you 50th birthday!! I had to add mine because this birthday is such a milestone. I'll be 50 next year. I loved your list and I know with your grateful heart, your next 50 will be joy = full. have a great year!
50! you young thing... I'm 51. And I hope you get to 50 comments.
sorry to be late. it's been a tough week, more than I anticipated.
hope you are having a great day.
Happy Birthday Ruth! I turn 55 tomorrow myself!
Love your list of things you're grateful for - what a nice way to commemorate your 50th birthday.
Happy fiftieth. Just think reverse those numbers, and you are back in kindergarten learning how to read and write and do all that fun stuff and playing in the sand box. Be sure that you spend time in the sand, reading and writing and enjoying God and the beauty of nature.\
good top 50 list. there are so many things to be thankful for!!!!!
O.K. it is after twelve and I wish I was sleeping.
BUT I hope the restaurant was delightful and your evening very pleasant!
xoxoxo
Oh, and Ruth...did I mention that you get FIFTY comments because you more than deserve it???
Peace.
xoxoxo
Oh Ruth...I am so sorry....I've been far tooooo busy. I did not want to miss this momentous occassion. A very very happy belated birthday. YOu are truly blessed with recognizing your fifty 'items'. What a joy to be able to so easily list off your blessings. Wonderful that God has been good to you. And you are a blessing over and over again to all of us. Take care my southern friend...as you enter this your fiftieth year may the Lord guide and keep you, may His blessings greet you each morning and may His peace surround you each evening as you lay to rest. May the strength of the Lord Jesus sustain you and his mercies continually enrich you.
I'm in at the end of the party! Sorry for the delay.
I loved sharing your things that you are thankful for! The pics are great and I love your mums jumper!
Hope the day was wonderful, belated greetings, hugs and love! xx
P. S. - You and Michael are without doubt the two youngest-looking fifty-somethings I have ever seen!
Why does trish call you her "southern friend"? Aren't you in Illinois?
A click can do wonders. I get it. Trish is in Canada.
Ruth, you have so many friends. It's not a surprise...but still, it must feel nice.
Anyway, I've tagged you here. But no pressure. Play or pass.
I hope your birthday was wonderful. 50 things was a great way to commemorate it!
Drat, so sorry to be late. Doing all the blog reading by dial up is killing me some days. I'm going to have to divide them into groups. I'm sorry I missed the festivities and a big happy birthday Ruth. I love the gratitude list. :)
I love this post and will follow suit when I get back to blogging. I wished you a Happy B'day "over there" and will again here, albeit a Belated Happy B'day. LOL I love reading about you Ruth.
I'm a day late, but am here to wish you many happy returns of the day!
Happy Birthday! Sorry it's a bit late. Learning to knit socks is on my list for this year. I love the gratitude list. How blessed you are.
Happy Belated Birthday!
My 48th is in two weeks...
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