Thankful/Thoughtful Thursday

This week's sharing of what I am thankful for and what has struck me this week, what I have learned or experienced is as follows:"

1. I have learned (once again!) that you must take all the time you need to recover or the next setback will be worse! Again I am home from work, this time with bronchitis and an ear infection! Ugh!

2. I am so thankful for our health care system and dedicated doctors, nurses and pharmacists who take care of us.

3. I am thankful for friends who call with concern and offer prayers.

4. I am thankful for great books. I have just finished:

"Still Alice" by Lisa Genova and "Have a Little Faith" by Mitch Albom - both dealing will disturbing subjects (alzheimer's and death) but done beautifully.

5. I visited a number of new blogs this past week and one was Brushstrokes From the Heart. Very down-to-earth. She has an art blog, with her studio in her laundry room. I love the idea of working with what you have and just creating!

6. I am thankful for laughter - from and with children, with my husband. And of course, from "American Idol" - I will not forget "pants on the Ground!"

7. Thanks to Collage Diva, Kathryn Antyr, for her excellent course "Personal Retreats". I have completed my first week and am working on my house.

8. Thanks to Magpie for some new websites! On her blog, she hosts "8 Things" and this week

she asks us to list the go-to websites that we might keep at the top of our favorites. It should be a a list of non-blog websites that really help a person out.

Here is my list of handy websites that I go back to many times a week. They are a variety - from creative, to teaching to fun:

1. Atcs for All - this is the site where I pursue swaps and look at galleries of great cards.

2. Creative Every Day - This site brings artists from all over the world to a place to share their art and gain inspiration from Leah. If you haven't been here, you must!

3. Jamie Ridler Studios - This is home to Wishcast Wednesday, Full Moon Dreamboards and much much more! Jamie Ridler also holds The Next Chapter book clubs.

4. Nita Leland - I have several of her books and enjoy going back to her sebsite for inspiration and lessons.

5. Proteacher - I use this site extensively for teaching ideas. I have gotten a lot of teaching resources through this site. (and it's free!)

6. Bucket Fillers - I have used their books to introduce the notion of filling each other's buckets with my class. They really enjoy the ideas and it tends to work. I get weekely updates with great ideas.

7. DRF - my husband's father and grandfather raised and raced thoroughbreds. Marrying into this family meant I got involved in watching horse racing. So this site, brings information on horses, jockeys and the march to the Kentucky Derby!

8. East of the Web - Eight 1 - this is a game I enjoy playing. It is a word game ( and there are several other games available through the site). I play 5 rounds and the bonus and try to beat my score for a few different games. Gotta keep those brain cells working! lol