Thankful for...

Every night of the year before I go to sleep I do a quick five things I'm grateful for list in my head, on good days and bad days...especially on the bad days. I truly believe it is not happy people who are thankful, but rather thankful people who are happy. In my mind there's no other way to explain how I've gotten through some terrible times without losing my soul to them. What happens to us is what happens to us. How we react to it is our choice. I also believe being grateful for what you have, see, experience, etc. - the big things and the small things - brings even more good into your life. 

For more thoughts on gratitude and attitude, check out this NY Times article on choosing to be grateful my friend Jen Z shared on the facespace.

Some things I'm thankful for...

Kohr Bros mint julep ice cream - my wonderful family, most especially my niece Lola Jean this year - the right to vote - Gus, Geege, and Mae - living on the outskirts and working in the center of Philadelphia - Reading and books and the Show Us Your Books linkup (next one is Tuesday, December 8) - a dream realized: owning a shore house - the ability to recognize that letting shit go lets ME be at peace, it doesn't let other people get away with anything - fall - people who protect my freedoms - food on the table every day - lounge attire and flip flops - my delightful coffee mug collection - my framily from all stages and areas of my life, I would truly be nowhere without my tribe. The best thing about my life is the people in it - fresh flowers and inner peace - Magic Hour - America - the ability to travel and see things I've always wanted to see - Totes clear umbrella - technology for enabling me to talk to my best friends every day without having to actually call them - Thanksgiving at Lori & Jack's in the woods, which I'm missing this year for the first time in many. Back next year! - DD - a clean house and our awesome cleaning lady Linda who is a great person and really nice to our dogs - The Boss - MFD and all the shit he says that makes me laugh, his daily commitment to sobriety, his ability to see the big picture, and his pursuit of making dreams a reality.

Not pictured but thought of off hand:
-the opportunity and ability to help those in need
-people who help others
-marriage equality
-HomeGoods
-slippers
-heated seats
-Brother's Pizza
-Amazon Prime, Peapod, Boxed.com, and everywhere else with free shipping that makes my life easier. I get a shit ton delivered because time is money.
-Good knives

I'm thankful for those things and a million other things large (job, health, home) and small (nail polish, sunglasses, clean sheets). I'm especially thankful to those of you who spend a few minutes of your day with me in this space.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Linking up with Kristin and Joey for Stuff & Things

30 days of thanks, straight up. No chaser.

What was I thankful for this month?

November 1 -  Pink starburst

November 2 - The  library website, down all week due to Sandy, is back up. And I'm thankful for my Dad. Today is his birthday.

November 3 - I can fill my car with gas when many in NY and NJ can't, and that I have heat and electric and water and a roof over my head when many do not.

November 4 - That others are taking collections for Sandy victims so I have a place to take donations.

November 5 - To have room to house out of state campaign workers in the last days leading up to the elections.

November 6 - The right to vote.

November 7 - MFD. For so many reasons, one of the tops being the laughter he brings to my life daily. Especially on the days I don't feel like laughing.

November 8 - Fresh clean sheets.

November 9 - Out of town visitors who are content to get into pajamas, eat cheesesteaks, and have drinks on the couch. Holler, Misty.

November 10 - Lunch with my knottie ladies, seeing Kim & Steve who are in town for the night from Boston, and a great night with our framily (friends who are like family = framily. I JUST COINED THAT) - Kim, Steve, Debbie, Michelle, Jamie, Jenn, Frank, Amanda, Jimmy, Jackie, Chris, Diana, Evan.

November 11 - Veterans.

November 12 - My job.

November 13 - Leftover meatloaf, eaten cold with a mountain of ketchup.

November 14 - Vicks VapoRub and garishly bright flannel pajama sets.

November 15 - My nephews, the way they make me laugh and the promises they have for bright futures.

November 16 - Email and texting that enable me to communicate with so many people daily without picking up the phone.

November 17 - The utter joy I get from my dogs.

November 18 - Lazy Sunday afternoons with a good book.

November 19 - Convenience, and working in close proximity to my bank and pharmacy.

November 20 - Nail polish.

November 21 - DVR.

November 22 - Spending Thanksgiving with my Grandmom, which I haven't done in many years.

November 23 - Iced coffee from DD and the fact that Debbie spends most holidays with us - you don't have to be blood to be family. FRAMILY, y'all.

November 24 - The season's first flurries.

November 25 - My parents. Both my mom and my dad are the fucking best, in different ways. And their spouses are wonderful for them. Their divorce wasn't easy to go through, but I truly believe everyone is where they're supposed to be now.

November 26 - Free shipping on online purchases.

November 27 - My Tuesday night zumba instructor who kicks ass, Michelle for being my gym buddy, and that girls weekend in January with Laura and the two Kims was super easy to schedule this year.

November 28 - Groupon deals.

November 29 - My younger brothers. Both of them have grown into funny, respectable, kind men.

November 30 - Fridays.

the long Thanksgiving weekend that was

Wednesday night I cooked a turkey with the giblet bag still in it. No harm no fowl. Get it?

After that, I went to Sandy's to see MFD and Frank play and catch up with friends. 

Then I ate a turkey sandwich at 2 a.m. to kick Thanksgiving off the right way.

The turkey sandwich is superior to the actual turkey in my mind.

+

Thanksgiving dawned warm and bright. 

We took our coffee to go and headed over to the fields to let the dogs run like loons.

+

We enjoyed an antipasto spread at my inlaws' along with the musical stylings of our nephews.

+

Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt and uncle's in Gilbertsville. 

The big bird, Carol's awesome cheese art, and Cindy's Thanksgiving cocktail:

Pre and during dinner scenes:

The set table, my beloved can cranberry sauce, and my first plate artfully arranged so the food doesn't touch.  This is extremely important.

My grammatical OCD took over, and I had to correct an error on a packaged cocktail napkin. 

No apostrophe after the you. Really cocktail people?

I also caught Grandmom mid-turkey pick. Classic.

We had a lot of fun and a lot of wine. It was a full and lovely day.

+

On Friday morning on our way upstate, Debbie and I stopped at DD.

I sampled the red velvet donut. Meh.

+

Friday was full of gluttony and sloth. I enjoyed every bit of it.

+

Saturday flurries.

+

Jingle This Sleigh Ride for Small Business Saturday.

We pile in a car and jackass around a number of towns, frolicking and full of tomfoolery. 

It's always a good time.

Scenes:

Sleigh ride sustenance: broccoli bacon bites and mint hot chocolate cut with some coffee. 

Nimble Hill Winery's cabernet franc is my new jam.

I cannot resist presidential items in antiquey stores. MFD and I love that shit.

I wanted that Buddah so badly, but couldn't part with the $150 to get it. 

+

While I love the Sleigh Ride, my favorite part of Thanksgiving Saturday is this: 

drinking wine, in my pajamas, at 3:30 in the afternoon. 

+

We enjoyed lots of wine, an array of dips and snacks, and Catch Phrase. 

Jack even put his name on his plate to conserve materials.

+

Big breakfast a la Jack before heading home on Sunday

+

When I got home, I meant to do some hausfrauing, 

but Geege snuggled into my neck and pulled me to the nap side.

+

Family dinner at Mom & Rich's since we didn't see them on Thanksgiving. 

+

The weekend in shoes:

=

the weekend that was

I'm so happy I got to see so many of my people this weekend. Happy and grateful.

My body is not grateful for all the naughty foods I've eaten. Veggies are going to be comin' in hot this week, you guys. 

Last week of November? Let's do this. 

I'm linking up with Sami's Shenanigans, Five30three, and Join the Gossip for Weekend Update.

t h a n k s g i v i n g

I hope you spend today surrounded by loved ones, your heart full of happy, your glass full of wine, and your plate full of deliciousness.

Be grateful for the who, what, when, where, and how today.

Be grateful for who you have. Every single person in your life serves a purpose, from those who've shown you kindness big and small to the difficult people - they show you exactly how you don't want to be.

Be grateful for what you have, and not just the big things or the material things. Recognize and appreciate the simple things that make life wonderful - the way you feel when you're with your best friend, hearing laughter coming from the next room, going to bed in clean sheets, the scent of winter in the air, the unrestricted joy in a dog wagging its tail. All the little things.

Be grateful for the times when you were down and picked yourself back up, because they made you stronger; and for the times you lived to the fullest and laughed your head off, because they made you stronger too.

Be grateful for how you got to where you are, and to all the people, opportunities, good choices, mistakes and crooked paths that led you to today. We're the sum of all of our experiences, good and bad. Appreciate your journey.

And to those out there like me who don't like their food to touch: be grateful you can get up and wash your plate in the sink in between helpings if need be. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.