Thankful Thursday...Technology

Good Morning!  

I sat down with my absolute splurge of Starbucks coffee this morning, which is such a treat.  I usually just make a quick cup of instant coffee, which is not so good but, is better than no coffee at all. My other option is usually driving through McDonald's and grabbing a coffee. At the current time, I no longer own a coffee pot because a few weeks ago, my hubby was taking a load of things to give away, to a local drop off, and he took the coffee pot.  He claimed that I don't use it very often and that we were going to get a Keurig anyways.  In hindsight, perhaps we should have kept the pot until we had a replacement.  The positive for me is that it gives me a very legitimate excuse to meet my sister or a friend for coffee or even swing by Starbucks for a Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte.  Yummy!  

So, now that you know my coffee situation, I really just wanted to share something really funny that they shared on the Today Show this morning.  As I was sipping my delicious coffee hoping for an energy boost from the caffeine, I had to laugh as they began talking about how public nakedness is legal in San Francisco!  They even showed people riding their bikes down the road as if they didn't have a care in the world as they bared it all!  Hilarious!  I, personally, could not imagine ever riding a bike in my so-called, birthday suit.  Wow!  Perhaps, I need to focus on more self-confidence and acceptance of my body, once again.  More power to every person in this world that is so confident and comfortable with their body, that they enjoy bike riding commando style!  

It's Thankful Thursday again!  Today, I am thankful for technology.  Yes, I know, it seems like a broad topic.  To be more specific, I am thankful for the ability to text and FaceTime  my friends.  Even more specific, I am so grateful that my daughter is able to do the same.  Yes, she is only 8 years old.  Let me explain myself.  

Since we moved back to Michigan back in June, having the capability of FaceTiming, which is basically a video phone call, texts, email and Facebook, have all made the transition a bit easier on all of us.  If these things were nonexistent in our lives, I can guarantee that many more tears would have been shed from both myself and Emma.  The fact that we are able to use these outlets, makes it feel as if we aren't really almost 6 hours away from our old neighbors and friends.  Not only that, I believe it has allowed us to keep these relationships as strong as when we were right next door.  Of course, it is not quite the same as hanging out in the driveway with some of your closest friends, but, it is much better than sending a letter and waiting for a response, which could take lord knows how long.  

We still keep in touch on almost a daily basis.  We share funny happenings or photos or problems that we are experiencing in our lives.  This one is really great...Emma basically has play dates, with her friends more days than not.  I know, play date, sounds like its for preschoolers.  I took a photo one day to show you how this works...

I apologize because the photo is a bit dark.  This is Emma, on the computer, with my phone propped up on the screen.  At this moment, in the photo, she is looking at and chatting with her friend Maddie, while they play Club Penguin, a Disney online game, together.  It is as if they were still right next door to each other as it was a couple of months ago.  I will admit to you, when I took this picture, I was actually about in tears.  At the time, I was heartbroken over the fact that we moved from an incredible neighborhood, with fantastic friends, back to our quiet neighborhood with no friends and hardly any kids.  I sat and watched as she played with Maddie, over the computer and iPhone, and felt sad that this is what her only option seemed to be.  

I decided that instead of feeling sad about it, I tried to look at the positive.  Thank goodness for technology and the opportunity to be able to interact, in a sense, with our friends, even though, they are no longer right out the front door.  This is really quite an awesome thing!  Had she grown up when I did, I don't believe cell phones came out until after I was 8 years old!  Yeah...that makes me sound ancient!  In fact, I do so clearly, remember my dad's first cell phone.  You know that giant thing that you held up  to your ear, that weighed about 15 pounds and had a long bendy antenna on the top?!  I am laughing just thinking about it!  

Thank goodness for the progress in technology.  It has made life much easier, in some ways.  This post is a perfect example of it.  So, today, I am very thankful for technology. It has made the moving twice in 9 months, transition, much easier for this household.

What makes you thankful on this Thankful Thursday?