In Gratitude

~For a cold, which gave me some time to pause.

~For my mom, who is my greatest cheerleader and biggest supporter.

~For a husband who doesn't need much recognition, but who deserves it.

~For my son, who is growing up, but not away. I have to love him, but I choose to like him more and more each day.

~For a slow roasting chicken and zucchini bread in the bread machine filling my house with homemade goodness.

In Gratitude

~for bright, partly cloudy days with no humidity

~for semi-unscheduled summer days

~for ten year old boys playing together in water and sand

~for iced Kona coffee, the best afternoon pick-me-up

~for grilling season

~for sextuplets

In Gratitude

~for the mute button when Leslie Sansone gets on my nerves

~for yoga pants

~for Stonyfield Farms fat free lemon yogurt

~for surviving another school year

~for ten year old boys excitement over his end of the year party!!!

In Gratitude

~for the Goldfinches who decorate my back yard feeders like bright spots of sunshine.

~for old fashioned hardware stores with old fashioned service.

~for the library request system.

~for too many books to read due to many requests becoming available quickly.

~for the school year ending soon!

~for rhubarb.

The Five

Sight

Catching Genius by Kristy Kiernan
Sisters Estella and Connie grew apart early-Estella, a genius, began college at 12 and was the apple of their father's eye, while the younger Connie was blessed with good looks and a charming personality. Now in their 40s and after eight years of not speaking, the sisters are forced together to pack up their childhood home in Florida as their mother prepares to sell it.
This is one of those can't put down books. I love the way the author changes the perspective of the story so that you can see it through both sisters' eyes. Having a brother, who is just as brilliant as Estella, makes this story especially poignant for me.

Sound

Young one hinting at Christmas gifts. Truly touching and funny all rolled up in a brown-eyed package. Love it.

Scent
Grapefruit candle from White Barn Candles set atop a candle warmer. I get busy and can't trust myself to blow out a candle when I'm not around it. So, I bought this fantastic candle warmer at Michael's for four bucks. I also grabbed a candle warmer cover to pretty it up a bit. My house smells great and I don't need to worry about the flame!

Taste

Decadent Dark and Delicious Sippin' Cocoa

Eating healthily has got me sippin' a lot to feel full and satisfied. I make this homemade cocoa every year. Thankfully, it's relatively healthy, but most importantly, it satisfies my chocolate crazes (not cravings--it's well beyond that!). Recipe to follow.

Touch
My laptop scratch pad. I'm Christmas shopping online and I feel like I'm on that mouse all day!

When Did We Forget to be Thankful?

Halloween merchandise now 75% off, well before Halloween. Gotta move it out, so we can move the Christmas stuff in. By November first, it's full blown Santaville in every retail establishment. And somehow, Thanksgiving gets lost in the rush.

Am I the only one tired of this?

I mean, have we become such a country of busy-ness that we can't savor each holiday as they come? Living in the moment has become living for the next thrill. And unfortunately, we're missing out on a lot.

Being thankful, celebrating Thanksgiving, has somehow become a casualty of our hurriedness. And I think it's happened before we could even raise a turkey drumstick in a resounding, defiant NO!

Is it that we aren't thankful anymore? Is this a trait no longer celebrated? Are families so busy, the holidays of Halloween and Christmas gotten so huge that they've overtaken the simple celebration of thanks? I hope not.

Speaking to a few kids at my son's class Halloween party, I was able to get a glimpse into what they see as the best holidays. Halloween and Christmas rank right up there. Thanksgiving, when mentioned, was met with a few simple comments. One girl's words are etched in my head, "Oh yeah, that holiday. We have to drive a hundred miles to eat turkey with my grandma. But, the shopping on Friday is fun." How sad. Whatever happened to Over the River and Through the Woods...

Remembering to be grateful is hard sometimes. I understand that. But, my biggest concern is that we're not living in the moment and that we're focusing as a society on the holidays that mean getting lots of stuff for ourselves and missing out on what's truely important. Sure, traveling some distance to celebrate with family for some might mean some strained relationships and swallowing an overcooked bird. But, it's more than that. Tradition, thankfulness, and togetherness cannot be overlooked. And they can't be bought or discounted.

So, in my family, at least. We'll be gathered around a big table with our loved ones. And before, during, and after the meal, we'll be giving thanks.

The before starts right now!