Thanksgiving Edition: Gratitude

Today I am grateful for: friends and family, mentors and mentees, seeing people I haven't seen since Christmas, that we are all healthy, holiday delights, having dinner early, whoever invented dream bars, holiday music, watching four cats running amok, that my Sunday School class (along with my Heart's Desire and I) worked the food drive from my church to make Thanksgiving grocery bags for hungry families last Sunday, being part of a faith community, everyone who called to say "Happy Thanksgiving!", not having to drive anywhere today, moderate weather, having hot water in the shower this evening, and feeling the love.

the (blue) cheese stands alone

I love, love, love cheese. And Cheesetique is offering a blue cheese class but everyone I asked to go with me pleaded a dislike of blue cheese.

Alas, for the price I could probably go to Whole Foods and try every kind of cheese they have.

To the fromage!

Grateful

Today I am grateful for: it being too warm in my office (instead of too cold like yesterday, brrr!) and wearing a t-shirt underneath my so-cozy-is-it-really-a-blanket-sweater, getting a Sat afternoon hair appointment, getting free shipping from drugstore.com (I went to four stores and couldn't find the hippie soap I like so I ordered it online), listening to Sirius Real Jazz at work, listening to Alice Hoffman's The River King and not minding traffic, making plans to bake and decorate holiday cookies with a friend, going to The Silver Diner for dinner on Kids Night and sitting on the side of the diner where there were no children, sharing a piece of carrot cake, feeling at home, seeing some pals I haven't seen in a while, watching my BFF on Cha$e with My Heart's Desire.

Woke up early and read Middlesex, taught Sunday School class at church, went to lunch at my favorite Indian restaurant, went to the hippie market (they did not have the soap I love) and got a loaf of bread that weighs as much as a bowling ball, did some laundry at home, went to the happiest place on earth with My Heart's Desire, collected twigs while he stacked logs (we had a cord of firewood delivered last week), met with one of my mentees, enjoyed our first fire of the fall, had dinner, finally watched Run Fatboy Run, and bought a pair of shoes to replace the worn-out ones I'd been wearing until one of the cats threw up on them.

Tray tables, seat backs, IV's

I dreamed that I had the best seat in coach ( I could see right out of the plane's windshield) and that a dentist needed my assistance giving an elderly patient an IV. I told him he'd be better off alone but the dentist insisted that I help. Then the plane landed on a freeway instead of a runway.

Short/sweet

Today I am grateful that I'm healthy, it's usually easy to be nice and The Garden of Last Days.

Winter Wonderland

I know it's a little early, but I've already started making my holiday 2008 mix.

Television

I think of myself as someone who doesn't watch a lot of TV. That could be because I don't like most of the stuff that's on it. And I watch the shows that I like (Dexter, True Blood) either On Demand (I wanna give a big kiss to whoever invented it) or get the whole season from Netflix (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives). Sometimes I'll watch Dirty Jobs, Bizarre Foods or Good Eats, but that's about as much as I enjoy.

My Heart's Desire, on the other hand, is someone who has at least one TV on if he is at home and awake. Sometimes I'll come home and he'll be in the kitchen and have the TV on downstairs and in the living room. For him, it's background. For me, it's annoying. He regularly falls asleep on the sofa with the TV on.

We eat a lot of dinners in front of the TV. And we can be sucked in to spending entire weekend afternoons on the couch watching one DIY show after another. The first show is okay but after that it can feel hard to motivate to do something else.


I've happily lived without cable for years and lived in our house without it for a few months. The weekend after My Heart's Desire moved in we had cable. He doesn't like living without it. When we were looking for ways to save money, I suggested 86ing the cable. He'd rather live without hot water.

We both enjoying staying at Bed & Breakfasts. And one of the reasons I like it so much is because they often don't have TV sets. At first I can tell it's strange for him, but then we find something else to do. I also always bring games, cards, and (if I remember) Mad Libs. More than just a getaway for us, it's also a vacation from the TV.

Dropped off dry cleaning, realized I forgot mobile phone at home, got a toasted poppy bagel with light cream cheese (the place by my office puts on the perfect amount), went to work, had lots to do, packed up my office (am moving to a different floor tomorrow, don't ask why), had doctor's appointment, came home to pick up phone (nobody called), went and got massage (got four calls while on the table) that was physical therapy-like (I don't know if I liked it or not yet), met My Heart's Desire at store, helped him buy black pants, bought self a pair of jeans, talked to family members on phone, shared Boston Market chicken dinner with My Heart's Desire, tidied up at home, threw in a load of laundry, and am going to try and keep eyes open so we can watch Run, Fatboy, Run.

Got up before my alarm, went for a walk around my neighborhood, did am yoga (I really like Rodney Yee -- could he please wear pants though?), called a friend and sang for her birthday, went to work, had lots to do, picked up fresh produce from the CSA, hung out at home and enjoyed the quiet alone, had some pizza and watched Dexter with My Heart's Desire, then will make list and go to sleep.