thank-full 07

Without the commercial or religious overtones that the other winter holidays have, Thanksgiving is the celebration of the season for me.  I get to cook and bake, have a few days away from the office, hang out with family and friends and use that time to consider and appreciate all of the good things in my life and in the world. 

Some of those ... in no particular order:

The Fam.  The Beaners. (the twin beaners celebrated their 5th bday this past week ... ohmygod, the days just fly by.)

My friends, near/far.  And friends who are family.

Good music/my iPod.  (and these cool things that i'm looking into buying so i can transfer old cassettes and albums to said iPod.) (cause seriously, where else are you going to get the defranco family singing heartbeat it's a lovebeat?  not on iTunes ... bummah)

Tissues (i have a wicked, bad cold ... daaamn).

Work that challenges me, uses many of my gifts, keeps me in a mix of very cool people, and is keeping me flush.

Dunkin Donuts coffee.

How going green seems to have reached a tipping point. (which is making it easier to keep improving in that arena myself ...)

A warm and comfy home.  (an emphasis on warm too: it's bloody cold out there; i can hear the wind whipping outside the windows and i'm toasty, thank god.)

This wonderful contraption that is on its way to me even as we speak. (i said i wasn't going to live through another winter without one ...)

Writing. 

My writing groups (and the women who have hung in there and been patient with me, still wanting what i offer, even as i have hosted so few sessions this year).   

Other people's writing (i've been reading like a wild-woman lately; a huge variety of stuff. LOVED this.  only part-way through, but digging this one at the moment).

Listerine's cinnamon breath strips.

Time outside. (i get so much less of it in the winter cause i don't tolerate the cold well, but yesterday was scary global-warming-sorta-warm [in the 60's] and i got to sit out on the back deck for my coffee and morning writing; yum.) 

My digital camera.  (and the pictures i get when i use it: exhibit a: beaners, above; exhibit b: a tree, below.)

Old Calvin and Hobbes cartoons that are still wonderful after the skillionth read.

Barack Obama.  (i really believe this guy is trying to change the political conversation and i fucking LOVE THAT.)

Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap.  (the soap itself, as well as the wonderful rants on the label: all-one! all-one or none! do not drink soap! dilute! dilute! OK?)

The alarm clock that wakes me up to the sounds of the sea.

Growth, even when it's hard.  (as i've been known to say: oh goody, another fucking growth opportunity.) (or perhaps, as the christian writer catherine marshall put it a bit more poetically than i: often god shuts a door in our face, and then subsequently opens the door though which we need to go.)

Soft clothes. (aka - schlub clothes: my fluffy yoga pants and the you-wouldn't-catch-me-in-public-in-it sweatshirt that i've had for nearly 20 years but is the coziest thing i own ...) (and yes, i'm wearing that outfit now, and thank god you can't see me ...)

My plants.  (life all over the house)

Tissues (yeah, i know i said it already, but this cold really, really sucks).

My computer.  The internet.  Google.  (how did i survive? how did i connect and find stuff i need and keep up with friends all over the place before these fast double clicks?)

Making recipes that have been passed down.  Since my mom died (damn, it still sucks to write that.  i wonder if it ever won't ...) ... since she died, every Thanksgiving I make her famous creamed spinach.  It's not hard to make, and I don't know that there was anything hugely unique about the way she made it, but it was hers.  I even remember writing it (and it's still on the same scrap of paper in my recipe file) leaning against the counter in her kitchen as she stood washing dishes, dictating.  (so glad i have so many of my mom's recipes ...)

This poem.  This one too.  And this one. (i've reading a lot more poetry these days; always looking for luscious recommendations; send 'em on if you have favorites ...)

This view outside my home office window. (speaking of poetry)

And finally, I'm thankful for this little corner of the cyber universe, where I write whatever I feel like whenever I feel like it ... and to you folks who come by to visit/read/make up my community.  As C.S. Lewis said: We read to know we are not alone.  That's a big part of the reason why I write too.  Thanks for keeping me company.

Thank-full.

Comments

[Will]

Thanks for keeping me company! You're Turkey day ecard was a ray of sunshine in my inbox. Much happy goodness to you!

[kate]

mmmmmm, tony defranco! . . . mmmmmm, coffee . . . . mmmmmm, books and friends and dr. bronner's and google . . . oh yeah :)

[Marilyn]

Oh, Deb, I LOVE your list! (And I really enjoyed "The Myth of You and Me." Thanks for reminding me that it's on my shelves...may re-read it sometime...) Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by, as always. Much love, M.