Thankful Thursday: What are you grateful for today?

Today I'm grateful

--to be home  :)
--to have gone to my sister's band concert and see her be singled out and applauded for her efforts
--for fun music
--for my friends
--that we finally got the tomatoes and melons planted in the garden (woot!)
--for totally awesome edible landscaping and waterwise gardening catalogues :)  :)  :)
--for totally awesome plants that look like they came from outer space

This is sea holly (image from highcountrygardens.com)...SO COOL!!!  :D  

...and for gorgeous gardens   :)  (photo from highcountrygardens.com)

And lastly, for my sister who shares fun youtube videos.  :)

What are you grateful for today?  

Thankful Thursday: Thank you, Gentlemen, for your virtue!

I'm typing this in a dorm room at the University of Wisconsin.  My family is here because one of my sisters is competing with her teammates at the national Science Olympiad tournament.  I love being here along for the ride, without the stress of being a competitor.  :)  

Virtue:
1) behavior showing high moral standards
   --a quality considered morally good or desirable in a person
   --virginity or chastity
Origin: from Latin virtus "valor, merit, moral perfection"


Tonight I had a difficult experience.  I was walking back to our dorms with my family and our team, when I smiled and said "Hi" to a poorly dressed man.  His reply was a quiet "Hi, Babe", and I realized a minute later that he had turned around and was following our group about 10 feet away.  I felt vulnerable and nervous, and changed my position to be on the other side of my parents, further away from him.  He finally crossed the street and I saw him checking out other women as we continued walking.