Thankful on Thanksgiving Day

I know I find it hard, when I am stressed and angry, tired and frustrated, to remember all the good things in life. It can be very difficult when it feels like there are so many negatives to even be aware of the positives, let alone focus on the positives. So, because it is Thanksgiving Day, I am making a point to ponder all the wonderful things in my life that I am thankful for. I hope that you all have as many things to be thankful for as I do.

I am thankful for having the very best friends in the world. Ed, Keri, Lora, Colette, Lois, Kristy, Lesa, Matt, Quay, Marianne, Cheryl, Leslee, Delisa . . . I love you all and I appreciate everything you have done for me and with me. I have so many wonderful memories of time spent with you, and you are always there for me when I need support. I wouldn't be who I am today without each and every one of you.

I am thankful for my beautiful cat DiDi who brings me so much happiness and companionship and peace. She is laying with me as I type this and I love how she stretches out with me (or on me as the case may be), relaxed and purring and meowing, warmth and love seeping from her little body into mine : )

I am thankful for my family. I have extraordinary parents and grandparents and am so blessed to have been raised in the environment I was. I am thankful for the love and stability and intellectual stimulation my family gave me growing up, allowing me to mature into the inquisitive, curious, engaging adult I have become.

I am thankful that I am employed. In an economic time when jobs are difficult to come by and good jobs almost non-existent, I am thankful to have a long term job with duties I enjoy. Sure I'd love to do something more challenging and meaningful, but I am thankful daily that I am able to get up and go to work (even when I don't WANT to go) so that I can pay my bills, keep my house and car, put food on the table, and generally have just enough.

I am thankful for good health. I need to lose weight and I occasionally have migraines, some sniffles and random pain, but overall I enjoy decent health. As I age, I realize that this is not something to take for granted, not ever. Being ill and/or in pain is chronic, constant, and lifelong for many people, and it is such a debilitating, depressing, frustrating, life restricting situation. I am extremely lucky, and so very grateful, that it is not something I have had to cope with.

I am thankful that I have discovered so many things I enjoy doing. I enjoy photography, Frisbee golf, reading, music, cars, writing, comedy, movies, The Vampire Diaries, and more. I am thankful that I have the means and the physical ability to enjoy these activities frequently.

I am thankful for the five senses. I am thankful that my eyes are healthy so that I can see my boyfriends smiling face and my cat curled up in my chair. I am thankful that I can see to drive, surf the internet, read a book, take photographs, watch movies, gaze at the ocean, watch snow falling. I am thankful my ears are healthy so that I can listen to music and hear my boyfriend's voice and his laugh. I am thankful that I can talk to my friends and joke and laugh and hear their laughter. I am thankful for healthy taste buds so that I can enjoy the wide array of flavors of food. I am thankful for a healthy nose so that I can smell the clean air on a rainy day, my cat, my boyfriend, perfume, baking cookies, pizza, crayons, and the scent of a new car. I am thankful that my skin is sensitive to touch so that I can bask in a caress and a hug, a kiss and a snuggle, a massage and fingers playing with my hair. I am thankful for the softness of DiDi's fur, the comfort of sweats and fuzzy socks, the euphoria of wind on my face, blowing my hair.

I am thankful that I have shelter and transportation, enough food in my pantry, clothes in my closet, soap and toilet paper in my bathroom, gas in my car. I am thankful that I can afford to run my heater today, and my air conditioner and sprinklers in July.

I am thankful to have been raised in such a lovely place. Ukiah sometimes seems exasperatingly small to me, but it is also cozy, friendly, beautiful, clean, and HOME.

I am thankful that I was born in America. I am thankful that when I turn on my faucet, the water that comes out is safe to drink. I am thankful for competent health care, even though it is outrageously expensive, and for access to simple preventive care such as immunizations. I am thankful for basic freedoms, that I can speak my mind, practice any religion I choose (or none), assemble with like minded individuals, that I am free from cruel and unusual punishment, free from unreasonable search and seizure, and have the right to defend my innocence. I am thankful, as a female, that I was not born in a country where little girls are mutilated in an effort to control their future sexuality and adult women are not allowed any freedoms at all. I am thankful that I can wear whatever clothes I choose, can leave the house without requiring a chaperone, hold a job, own property, and be whoever I want to be. I am thankful that, as a female, I was born in a time where I have the right to vote.

I am thankful that I am intelligent and funny and capable. I am thankful that I finished high school and was able to go to college. I love school and learning and experiencing. I am thankful that I have the means and the ability to continue taking classes and learning when some new subject snags my imagination.

I am thankful that I am open to new experiences, new information, new growth. I have learned so much, become aware of new possibilities, realized so many new things recently. I wish I would have learned it all ten or fifteen years ago. I might have been happier, more outgoing, lived a more engaging, interesting life. But I am learning it now and I'm thankful that I am open to the opportunity that has been laid out in front of me, that I am adaptable enough to take that opportunity and use it to my advantage. Thank you Vickie for helping me find this path.

Last but not least, I am thankful for my amazing boyfriend Ed. I am thankful to have met him even though I had come to believe, and be content with, the fact that I would probably remain single. I am thankful that he is in my life, adding spice and variety and joy and peace and stability. I know I don't say it as often as I should . . . I appreciate all you do for me and I am so grateful that you are part of my world. You have opened my eyes to so many new things, gently urged me to be open to new experiences, held my hand when I was afraid, encouraged me forward when I was anxious, cheered me on when I met with success, caught me when I stumbled, supported me as I work to better myself. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I love you so very much. ♥

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I hope 2010 has been a good year for everyone, and I hope the coming holiday season is bright and filled with joy for you and your families and friends.

Halfway Through November Already

October is over for another year . . . Boo Hiss : ( But now it's HOLIDAY SEASON!! I can't believe it's been a month since I last wrote. I think my last blog wore me the heck out but it was absolutely worth it. In the intervening month, things have been semi-busy.

Ed's birthday was probably the most exciting thing that happened. I took the day off and we relaxed around the house and then went to dinner at Sports Zone Pizza (his choice, not mine). After dinner I stopped at Walgreens to get him some Starbuck's Caramel Macchiato ice cream, and then home to open presents. I had made Rolo brownies the night before and popped some cookies in the oven when we got home from dinner.

Later in the week we went to O'Haru with my parents. It was the first time I had ever had Japanese food. It was pretty good. Both Ed and I had cream cheese wontons and tempura. Of course I've had cream cheese wontons millions of times at Chinese restaurants, but never tempura. It was ok. I had vegetarian tempura and Ed had shrimp tempura. I only wish there had been more mushrooms!! I only got one. Oh, and I had the appetizer tofu soup. That was yummy. Those of you who know me know I'm not much of a food explorer so that was a new adventure for me. Afterwards we went back to my parents' house to open presents and have German Chocolate cake and ice cream. Ed got some great gifts and seemed to have a good time, which was really the important thing to me.

I've been trying to take lots of pictures lately. I have set up a site of web albums (http://picasaweb.google.com/118412076507433432326) and for my Facebook friends I have posted them there also. I am working on chronicling "my Ukiah", in other words, Ukiah as I see it. I am hoping that someday I will move out of the area. I thought the pictures would be a good thing to work on in the meantime as I absolutely cannot move right now. As a bonus, when I move I will have all those pictures to look back on when I miss my hometown, as I'm sure I will. I am really enjoying the process of making the list of things I want to capture, taking the pictures, uploading them, and sharing them with family and friends. It's been a real creative outlet for me. I'm still learning all the cool things my camera does. It takes fabulous pictures on full auto, but I can make it do all sorts of other things and I've been reading the manual and trying to do something new each time I go out. I am enjoying the feeling of being at least a little bit artistic!

Other than that it's pretty much been business as usual. Today is the last day of a four day weekend for me. I took the Friday after Veteran's Day off. It was SO nice to have an extended weekend. I took pictures, visited friends, ran errands, washed my car, weeded half of my front yard only stopping when I could hardly move anymore. I'm really looking forward to my next "vacation" between Christmas and New Year's. TEN WHOLE DAYS!!! Whew!! It will be so lovely to just relax and do whatever I want and not worry about work. Tomorrow is back to the grind, but it's only ten days till Thanksgiving, and another four day weekend!! I love the day after Thanksgiving because it is Christmas decoration day. Yay for Christmas Trees!!