I am thankful for my washing machine. I often take it for granted and then I think about all the work it does for me and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. My sister-in-law lived without her washing machine for 2 weeks. Oh, heavens, that would be horrible. On Saturday alone, my good machine washed the entire contents of the baby's crib 3 times, the big rug on the floor, a pile of stuffed animals, and quite a few changes of clothes on the heavy cycles with a 15 minute soak, 1 big scoop full of Arm and Hammer detergent, 1 cup of vinegar to take out the smell of vomit, and a generous pour of Downy fabric softener to make it all smell good again. Then, the delicate cycle on the machine nicely handled my new wool sweater that the baby also vomited on. Having a sick baby is really not fun, but having a great appliance that works over-time without grumbling and complaining is a blessing.

I am also thankful for my husband who is such a good dad to his girls though sickness and health and the middle of the night. Although he wasn't around on Saturday to help with the sick baby, he got up in the middle of the night last night without me asking him. He heard the baby cry and I stayed snuggled in bed. When I heard the bath water start and my husband's gentle voice calming Mandy, I got up to help with the inevitable mess he discovered in the baby's room. Like a well oiled vomit cleaning machine, we took care of the tired, sick baby, and cleaned and wiped down the soiled room at 2 am.

On my way to my nephew's birthday party I had another reason to be thankful. The car in front of me spun out of control and hit the guard railing, spun around and almost hit my vehicle as it headed back toward me. It stopped about 4 feet from me. I called 911 and I helped the 20-ish girl who stumbled from her car. She lay on the wet pavement as I tried to sooth her through her obvious shock and I was thankful. I was thankful that she was not hurt too badly and that help was on its way. I was also thankful for the safety I often take for granted when I drive to and fro through my normal day. Who knows why this girl crashed; she was going a bit fast and the pavement was slick, but it could have happen to anyone. It could have happened to me and my precious cargo, but it didn't. I have so much to be thankful for.

Mandy is doing somewhat better this evening. She is finally eating and acting perkier. She hasn't thrown-up since this morning when she got her unsuspecting daddy from head to toe. The poor guy. I think moms recover faster from such incidents. I am off to bed now. Thankful for many things. My washing machine is just one of the many.