Okay, so Thanksgiving was yesterday, but I was busy cleaning my aunt's yard and then hanging with my family, so this post is a day late. I'm still very grateful for all of the following. And, we're talking broad-brush thankful list: nothing is too big or too small, too important or too inconsequential. And, there are plenty of things that didn't make the list, but are still very important to me (my cat, Wawa, etc.), but I didn't want to go on forever. Here goes:
1. My family. Since I mentioned I spent the day with them yesterday, they top the list. They're wacky and a bit nuts (so: I come by it honestly) and I absolutely adore 'em. Sure, there's drama sometimes, but when we're together we laugh to hard we cry, we eat great food, we share all the good and bad stuff. I love my family.
2. My mom. Yes, she's technically a member of my family and, thus, already been mentioned. However, I feel she deserves separate recognition. Yeah, she drives me crazy sometimes, but I honestly don't know what I'd do without her.
3. Goldfish (the crackers). I've always liked goldfish, but my obsession with them began in college, when I'd go to BJ's and get a big three pound box of them. I got one of those again the other day. I can eat goldfish as an entire meal. I dunno what it is, but...mmm, goldfish.
4. TV. I watch way too much TV, it's true. But, but...it's so awesome. Comedy, drama, dramedy, police procedurals. TV has 'em all, in half or one hour chunks. Glorious!
5. Cookies. I make it a personal mission never to say no to a cookie. (Hopefully I'm never assassinated with a poisoned cookie.) They're a couple of bites of awesome: sweet, chewy/crunchy, chocolatey/not, nuts/none, etc. Delightful!
6. Coffee. I promise, no other foodstuffs, but coffee needs a mention. I drink my coffee black, which I learned from my grandmother. I actually started drinking coffee with her because I liked the flavor. I'll admit to being addicted at this point--gotta have my morning cup--but I still enjoy the taste. It's never just about getting caffeinated, for me. If I wanted to do that I'd grab a Red Bull. Nope, I enjoy sitting with a hot cup of coffee, contemplating my day.
7. The interwebs. What did people do before Google and Wikipedia? I guess that's why the world had travelling encyclopedia salesmen back then. I can be happy without internet access for brief spurts of time (up to a couple of days, even), but not for too long. How else am I supposed to keep in touch with...everything?
8. Martin Luther. Or, really, any historic or current figure who has the will to do awesome things. And I don't mean awesome like totally cool, I mean awesome like absolutely awe inspiring. I don't think I've ever been tested in the same way that any of them have been, but I often wonder if I'd have the ability to do something big and important and world-changing if I needed to.
9. Snow. I'll lighten the mood a little bit here. Even as a fully grown adult (well, at least I'm told I've reached that point), snow still brings out the little kid in me. Yeah, it's annoying sometimes to have to clean off the car or shovel the driveway or sidewalk or deal with unplowed roads and all that inconvenient stuff. But: it's snow! Snow is pretty and serene and cold.
10. My job. It's good to have a job, just in general, but it's also nice to have one that is enjoyable. I think that no job is perfect, of course. But I dig mine.
11. Running. I didn't really start until college, or really, after college. And, I'm not a serious runner by any stretch of the imagination. But, I really like it. Sometimes I love to hate it, when I'm really pushing myself, but I enjoy it. Getting out and just...going. There's something powerful about that.
12. Baseball. If you know me, you know I love baseball. I'm not stats-obsessed and there are plenty of people who know the intricacies of the sport better than I do. But, I know my baseball, don't get me wrong. There's no better sport in my opinion. When I go to games and I sit in the stands and look around at everyone else there and the field and just take in the sport...that's one of my happy places. Oh, and the Phillies won the World Series this year. That was amazing.
13. Puzzles. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, brain teasers, anything I love a challenge. Which isn't to say that I don't get frustrated sometimes; I certainly do. But when you finish it or finally figure it out...that's a great feeling.
14. Books/magazines. Along the same lines of a good think. Like The Economist advertisement: Great Minds Like a Think. When you curl up with a good book (or magazine) and just completely lose yourself in it, there's something about that. Of course, not all books and magazines are what you might call high-brow, but I enjoy those, too. Not everything can be deep and meaningful and weighty, sometimes it's nice to just enjoy.
15. Baking. I mentioned that I love cookies. I also love creating cookies. And muffins and bread and cakes and cupcakes and brownies and anything else baking-like. There's a rhythm, a pattern to it that just clicks for me. Like knitting or quilting, which I'll lump in here so as not to sound too much like an old lady by listing them all separately.
16. Open spaces. I like cities and towns for their walkability and their people watching and all that jazz, but nothing beats a wide open space in my book. The peace and possibility of an open field or hilltop or creek bed is endless. It's one of the few things in the world that just is. There's no trying to be something or someone else in that space. There's no hustle or bustle or rush or pressure or anything. There's just....existence.
17. Friends. I'll start and end with the two most important things in the world: family and friends. I'd argue that neither is more important than the other: they're both insurmountable to me. I know that some people struggle with either or both, but I'm lucky enough to have incredible friends. I wouldn't trade anyone for anything. And I'm incredibly thankful for that.
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