Blessings

Sometimes, you need a new appliance when it isn’t your budget. Or maybe there’s something you want and you know it’s not a priority. Then, it shows up, used and in good condition or on major discount. Or maybe it’s a miracle. Whether it’s small or large, these little blessings are important to remember and to pay attention.

These are some of the blessings we’ve received since we purchased out first house.

$20 Stainless Steel Flat Range Electric Oven – Summer 2006, I had just called my then future MIL about how I couldn’t bake anything in our outdated gas oven (I could only use the top burners) when she was at an auction and spotted this wonder. She was the only bidder and I was able to bake her a lovely cake a few days later.

Christmas Breakfast – Dec. 2007, I didn’t have a permanent job, things were tight. We were out to breakfast and Pumpkin kept talking about how the little plastic army men (his stocking stuffer from the dollar store) were his favorite Christmas present. He had a small handful of them on the table and was playing while we were waiting for our food. After our meal, we went to pay our bill and they informed us that the lone diner who had sat across the room had paid for our breakfast. I wish we could have told him thank you, he definitely added more Christmas cheer to our day.

Washer & Dryer – Summer 2007, I was in tears when my dryer died, my washer was on the fritz and I had a huge load of laundry and the forecast for the next week was rain (I didn’t even have a place to dry them outside, I only had a small indoor drying rack). Hubster helped me bag up all our laundry and we drove to a laundry-mat. His cousin called while we were doing laundry (although it was quite convenient not to have an entire day devoted to laundry) and within two days he had found a barely used dryer and newer washer for us and was installing them!

Pond Kit – Fall 2008, Hubster and I went to 10 pond stores pricing the least expensive way to install a small pond. The pump was the most expensive part, the maintenance scared us and we decided we weren’t ready for such a project yet. Then Hubster came home with a preformed pond liner, yet without a pump, we were getting nowhere. I was talking to a friend, who has a gorgeous pond, hoping she’d know some discount places and she had an extra pond, waterfall kit, electric heater for the winter that she gave to us! We haven’t yet installed them, but plan to in the near future (we need to find that forever house).

6 Month Supply of Contacts – Summer 2010, such a great thing to receive!

I have more blessings, large and small, it’s important to keep track of them all. What goes around comes around, my neighbor told me those were my gifts for always giving her what she needed in times of need. Who knew that giving her my son’s old toys and our old picnic table would have such a chain reaction for us?

Crème Brûlée – Winter 2011, it may seem like something small and insignificant. There’s nothing like getting a free dessert when you’re having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Lobster Tails, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Grilled Shrimp, Steak and Beer – Spring 2011, planning to use gift cards we received for Christmas, we went out to celebrate the small things in life and we comped a fantastic meal.

New Tail Lights for Trailer – We swapped a few things we didn’t need with a neighbor who had new lights the he couldn’t use.

Cat Drinking Fountain – I’ve never saved up point for rewards before, but it totally paid off to spoil Rory!

What are the small blessings you’ve received recently?