30 Days of Thankfulness Day 1

It's hard to believe it is already November 1st!  I'm afraid this has been a very busy, sometimes trying, year.  Unfortunately, there were many times I lost focus on the good things and let ungratefulness creep in.  In light of that, I'm actually happy I'm now at the beginning of  November and again thinking of what I am thankful for.  In all honesty, it wasn't until I was writing out Thanksgiving cards this morning that I even decided to do this again!

The idea to do this again just kind of snuck up on me.  I was sitting at my dining room table writing out Thanksgiving cards.  I know sending cards is a very old fashioned thing to do, but I love to do it.  I can't tell you how many times I've had someone tell me it just made their day to actually get something other than a bill or junk mail in the mailbox.  And as I was working on the cards I started thinking about how great the people I was sending these cards to had been over the year.  These are the people who wrote to my son while he was in boot camp.  These are the people who were there for me when I was dying because my son had left home to pursue his own path.  These are the people who have welcomed me into their homes and lives and accepted me for who I am and love me in spite of my shortcomings.  These are the people who have encouraged me, consoled me, and just been there for me.

So today, I am incredibly thankful for my friends.  I am thankful for the love and acceptance of true friends and I appreciate their willingness to accept me as I am.  I am especially grateful that they love my son too.  My son is the most important thing in my life and I am glad that they accept him into our friendships as they have. 

30 Days of Thankfulness -- Days 17-27

Soooooo....I wasn't so good at keeping this updated.  But that's OK.  I still did it and that's all that counts.

Day 17 -- Reconciliation.  I didn't expect it to happen even though both parties were in the wrong.  But  out of the blue, he called.  It shocked me, but I'm always thankful when a friendship can be restored.

Day 18 -- Being able to stock up for the holidays.  The sales are already starting so that helps me get the massive amounts of food needed to make it through the holidays.  It's nice to be able to stay home and just cook instead of rushing out at the last moment.

Day 19 -- Coworkers who like to cook.  I've picked up a few recipes this year from my coworkers and they are great.  I just got an amazing cranberry sauce recipe that is probably going to become a staple.

Day 20 -- Finally getting caught up at work!  Sounds silly, but with the snowbirds back, getting caught up before the rush is really important.  If you don't get caught up now, you won't be caught up until about March.  If you're lucky.

Day 21 -- My son!  It's his birthday and he is the best part of my life and I'm thankful for every day that I get to spend with him.

Day 22 -- Doctors.  I spent a lot of time with doctors yesterday and am hurting today, but I'm really thankful for the doctors.  Maybe I'll get better?

Day 23 -- Quiet days at home.  I am so thankful when I have a day just to relax.  I love the peace and just being at home.

Day 24 -- A short work week.  I'm thankful for my job, but I sure do love a short work week.  It means extra time with my loved ones!

Day 25 -- Extended family.  I love keeping in touch with extended family.  With Facebook, etc it's so much easier to keep up with parts of the family that you otherwise may not be able to.

Day 26 -- The stores that will NOT be open tomorrow.  There are a lot of stores that are making the decision to open on Thanksgiving.  This is NOT ok and I do not support it.  Obviously for some stores (gas stations, pharmacies and the like) it's understandable that they are open and even necessary.  But Macy's, Sports Authority, Best Buy, etc?  Shame on them.  They won't get my money tomorrow and they sure won't get my money throughout the rest of the year either.

Day 27 -- THANKSGIVING!!!!!  This is just the best day of the year.  I get to cook for the ones I love and spend the day with them.  It's really great and it reminds me that when things look bad, at least I have my family.

30 Days of Thankfulness -- Day 14-16

It looks like I'm going to be doing these posts by multiple days instead of one a day.  I suppose it's better than not doing it at all!  I do think of what I'm thankful for every day, though.

Day 14 -- Salvation Army Bell Ringers.  I heard my first bell ringer today.  It really made me smile.  That sound, like no other, really makes me feel like the holidays are here.

Day 15 -- Extra Coupons!  Today I was in Bath and Body Works.  I have tons of coupons for them and when I combine the coupons with their sales I can get six full size items for $22.  That's less than the price of two regular price items!  Yep, I'm going to take advantage of that!  There was this older woman in there and she stopped me to ask me some questions.  I don't know if she thought I worked there or if she thought I knew something because I had a ton of product in my hands.  Regardless, we started talking.  As we were talking, I found out she didn't have any coupons.  Well, I had five.  Was it really going to hurt me to share?  No, not in the least.  So I gave her one.  It made me feel good.

Day 16 -- A conscience.  Now pretty much everybody who has found out about this has said I'm crazy.  But I don't think so.  I think it was the right thing to do.  When I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday, they have a special where you buy one item in the store and you can buy a Christmas themed bag for $9.95 instead of $19.95.  I couldn't decide between the bags.  A friend of mine was with me and he was buying a book, too.  We each got a bag.  Well when going through the line, on one of the orders, only the bag was rung up but not the book.  I realized it when I was out in the parking lot.  I went back inside, over his objections, and paid for the book.  He says I was crazy and should have just taken the book.  I don't agree.  To take it, knowing you didn't  pay for it, is stealing.

30 Days of Thankfulness -- Days 10-13

Well, that whole thing about being a normal person and posting every day like I'm supposed to didn't happen.  I give up on being normal!  So what have I been thankful for lately?

Day 10 -- My job!  Let's face it, we all have to work and it helps if you don't completely hate your job.  I'm not going to lie, there are times when I get very frustrated with my job, but overall, it's one of the best places I've worked.  Probably the best place I've worked.

Day 11 -- Veterans.  I'm not only thankful for our veterans because I have the day off.  I am truly thankful for the sacrifices veterans have made for our country.

Day 12 -- Being able to help friends.  I never really thought I had much to offer anybody, but it turns out, maybe I do.  A friend of mine is going through a rough spot and apparently just being there and talking to him helps him.  I'm glad I'm able to do that!

Day 13 -- Good sales people.  Sounds weird, but it's true.  Ever since my favorite person left Verizon, dealing with them has been hellish.  Well tonight when I went in, we got a sales person that reminded me so much of our favorite person and he was simply a joy to work with. 

30 Days of Thankfulness -- Day 1-9

I've been doing the 30 Days of Thankfulness elsewhere, but didn't think to do it here until today!  Silly me! LOL  So I'm going to catch up in this post and then just go to posting one a day like a normal, sane person.  Yep, I got y'all fooled if you think I'm "normal and sane"! 

Day 1 -- The Farmer's Market.  Almost every Saturday morning I meet my mom at the local Farmer's Market held downtown.  The big draw here isn't the fresh veggies and bread (although those are great), the best part of this is that I get to see my mom and spend time with her.  We usually catch lunch a Harry's afterwards.

Day 2 -- Hallmark Channel! They have already started playing Christmas movies and I love it! Kleenex loves it too!

Day 3 -- My luppies!  I love my dogs.  No getting around it.  And I love taking them on walks and just being with them.

Day 4 -- My son.  I don't know what I would do without him.  Sometimes he really pisses me off, but ultimately he's really the best son I could ask for.

Day 5 -- C.  I'm not typing the name here to protect his identity.  But dispite how things worked out he's supporting me in something that is really huge and scary and is a really good friend.  And on days when I'm not doing so well mentally he somehow gets me through it.

Day 6 -- My job.  Without it I couldn't pay the bills.  Some days I get frustrated, but mostly I like my job.

Day 7 -- The weekend!  I love the weekend.  So much to do and enjoy.  And Friday at 5pm starts the best part of the week.

Day 8 -- Cool weather.  Yes, it makes me ache, but it's so much nicer than being out sweltering in the Florida heat!  The Farmer's Markert today was great.  And I discovered something I LOVE.  Pickled asparagus.

Day 9 -- Sundays.  Yes, they are the last day of the weekend, but Sundays are so quiet and lazy and enjoyable.  When I had a church that I attended regularly, Sundays were especially nice.  But either way, they are still a great end to one week and start of another.

The Nature of Thankfulness

On Facebook and various other social media I’ve noticed people doing a countdown to Thanksgiving in which they post each day something they are thankful for. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is great. But I must admit to being a bit disgusted by this. These are the same people who ten minutes later are complaining.

Let me stop right here and be very clear. I am not on my high horse finding fault with others and trying to pass myself off as the paragon of thankfulness. I am not. Hence the reason I’m not participating in this. I have not cultivated a spirit of thankfulness within myself to the point where I feel I have any right to take part in this. It’s not that I’m not thankful, I simply don’t see myself as thankful enough.

It is this whole thankfulness countdown phenomena that pops up every November that got me to thinking about the fleeting nature of human thankfulness. I find that on average people tend to be thankful only when they are reminded that they should be. And I find that thankfulness doesn’t make it through even the smallest of disappointments. I read a Facebook status update in which an acquaintance expounded upon her thankfulness for her family and children and so on and so forth. A very Norman Rockwell moment indeed, full of eloquent loving language. Then report cards came home. Apparently the end result wasn’t what was expected. Suddenly her children were a burden, her family didn’t help out enough and, wonders of wonders, her family went from Norman Rockwell perfect to dysfunctional in about three sentences. Suddenly her kids and family were nothing but a burden she wanted to be away from. That theme lasted the rest of the day. But come the next morning she had to write her thankfulness post for the day and once again she was gushing. This time about being so thankful for her house. Too bad the water heater went out later that day…

This month of thankfulness seems rather forced and empty. It seems people mouth the words, but don’t actually live it. This made me examine myself. And I realize that, yes, there are things for which I am thankful, but there is far too much I take for granted. I could rationalize it away and say to myself, “Well, with all that has happened to me recently surely I need not blame myself.” Wrong. Life happens. If I use that as an excuse to forget the blessings I enjoy every day, then I should be careful lest I find those blessings suddenly absent from my life.

So back to square one I went. I don’t want to be an ungrateful brat. I don’t want to be fakely positive either. I want to be truly thankful for what I have but not in the way of those that are fakely Christian on Sunday but get drunk and beat their wife and kids every other day of the week.

I quickly realized that it’s very easy to let the negative overwhelm your thoughts and be the thing that drives you. I’ve been focusing too much on the negative. That makes me feel helpless, hopeless and overwhelmed. If I’m feeling helpless, hopeless and overwhelmed there is no room for positive thoughts. Obviously if there is no room for positive thoughts, I’m not going to be thankful.

My plan is simple. I’ve got to focus on the positive. And, truly, there are plenty of positive things in my life. The plan for this week is to simply replace a negative thought with a positive one. Simple enough. It recalibrates my thinking. I can be whiney because I’m sick at home with a fever. And, yes, that really isn’t fun. Or I could be thankful that I have a job to be sick at home from and be thankful for the extra time at home that allows me to catch up on my reading. I guess this is what my grandmother always meant about finding the silver lining in even the worst circumstances.

I wonder though, is this going to work when I’m forced to make a trip to Wal-Mart?

I'm Dreaming....

If you're in the same frame of mind as I am then you'll be able to finish my thought. But I'd be willing to bet a fair sum of money, the vast majority of you are not even close to thinking what I'm thinking. The worst part is that I've been thinking it since April!

Yes, it's true. I am dreaming of a white Christmas!! And I have been for awhile now. Christmas is my favorite holiday. The whole Christmas season is my favorite time of year. I'm always in a hurry for autumn to come because that means we're ever so close to Thanksgiving! And, in my house, Thanksgiving kicks everything off. Halloween, even though we don't participate in Halloween to any appreciable degree, starts the build up. Of course New Years closes the season out.

I remember my mom's mother loved Christmas too. She decorated and enjoyed the seasonal music and simply loved the Christmas specials on TV. She cooked a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. It was the same every year because it was my dad's favorite meal. We always, always, always had hog maw, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, deviled eggs and apple dumplings. All of it was made from scratch -- nothing store bought.

Of all my grandparents, my mom's mother was the one that really got into Christmas. My dad's father enjoyed decorating the outside and putting up a large manger scene he had painted inside. And, of course, my dad's mother made Christmas dinner. But the best part of Christmas with that part of the family was Christmas breakfast at their house. We always had a large breakfast to kick off Christmas day and we would open presents. That night we would go back and have Christmas dinner and then play The Game. It was a silly game, but it got quite spirited sometimes.

Today, I have my own traditions. Our family isn't "normal" and never has been. It's not uncommon for us to celebrate Christmas days, even weeks, late. All of my grandparents are dead. My mom and dad don't work traditional jobs so they are, of course, working Christmas day and pretty much all days in December and most of January. That means it's up to me to provide Christmas traditions for my son.

Because it's only us, we have some traditions that others might not find "normal". Thanksgiving is rarely spent with my parents. Usually they are working. On the years that we have Thanksgiving at home, I usually get up and watch the Macy's parade, cook a good breakfast and then spend the day cooking dinner. After we eat dinner we decorate the tree. While we decorate the tree I start playing Christmas music. It's the first time all year I've let myself play Christmas music! That is what I look forward to the most!

Christmas Eve, after my son goes to bed, I attach strings to his stocking presents and then hide them. On Christmas morning he has to follow the strings from his stocking to his presents. Believe it or not, this is his favorite tradition.

Sometimes I wish we could have a "normal" traditional Christmas. But what's left of my family doesn't really care about "normal" or "traditional". I just do what I can to make it what I feel is normal and traditional and hope my son will appreciate the simplicity of a nice family oriented holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

I can't believe we're already celebrating Thanksgiving! Where has the year gone?

Every Thanksgiving I take a few moments in the morning to reflect on the past year and look forward to what little is left of this year. Despite what is going on in our country, we have much to be thankful for. I read an interesting article that really brought it all into focus for me. You can find it at: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45520.html

Personally I am thankful I have a job when I live in a county where the jobless rate is double the national average! I'm thankful my son is with me and happy.

On a lighter note, I received some questions from Manic Monday and thought they would be fun to answer. They aren't really Thanksgiving themed, but still fun.

1. What do you cook when home alone?

If I'm home alone I usually don't even bother to cook. What's the point in cooking for one?

2. What is something you'd like a chance to eat or cook?

Hmmmm....That's a tough one. I don't ever hesitate to try new stuff when I come across it. So I can't really say that there is something I haven't tried that I want to. As everyone knows, traditional Japanese cuisine is my thing. I cook it fairly regularly. Hmmm....I think I'd like to branch out and try to make some good Indian food at home. That would be fun. :)

3. What is your favorite cookbook?

When I make Japanese food I love to use Washoku. It makes Japanese food idiot poof, which I need!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!