re-post… i’m thankful

In this time of extreme change for me, I have spent hours upon hours remembering what life has been like and envisioning what life will be.  All of the soul searching has had me thinking. A lot.

 

I found myself laying in bed the other night, re reading old posts, trying to decide what direction that I want the blog to go in ( I had contemplating quitting it altogether, but have changed my mind.)

 

Anyway.. I read this post from this past Thanksgiving. Although it’s not an old post, I feel like it bears repeating.  It’s very easy in life to think about what we don’t have, or how how difficult something might seem when we are in the midst of journeying through something… but we always come out the other side, usually with great lessons learned. Priceless, really.

So if you have already  read this, please forgive me…

 

I feel in my heart that it is important to remember what we are thankful for all year ’round…

 

❤ me

 

 

i”m thankful.

 

*for my mom and my dad ~or bringing me into this world, and for being there when I really need them.. the advice & support that you both have given me ( the same btw) will guide me… thank you.. I love you both

* for my sista~ I’ve known you the longest and lord knows growing up was a challenge, but I love you dearly and wouldn’t change you for the world. you are simply amazing! SMOOOOCCH!

* for John, and Dick and Phyllis… for loving me like your own

*for my aunt~ a sweet woman with a huge heart and so much love. and an uncanny way of knowing the exact moment that I needed to talk.. and being that phone call

*for Scott~ married almost 24 years now, and although it has not always been easy, we are still here.. About to become empty nesters… With a whole lot of adventure in front of us :). Just think… We may end up in an osteo bi flex commercial or something 🙂 oxox

* for my oldest son, Jason~ the boy who changed my direction in life. I am SO proud of you and am thankful every day for what an amazing man that you have become..

* for my second child, Ryan~ who taught me in an instant that you can love 2 children with the same amount of undying love. For teaching me that you have to peel an onion so to speak to get to someones’ true self… never judge a book by its cover, the world is full of all types of people, and that its ok.. that there is NO obstacle in life that you can’t over come if you want to.. and that having a part of my heart across the country actually feels ok.. because I know he is happy and THAT makes me unexplainablly happy.

* for  Ali~ my ali…. Im thankful for the wonderful compassionate young woman that you  have grown in to. I dont know of anyone else who thinks of others as much as you do .  You  will go far in life .. and be surrounded by people who love you … always

*for Amanda Sue~ Jason’s wife.. my wonderful daughter in law. I may not have given birth to her, but I love you  like you are my own. You are  a hard worker with a lot ahead of you  and and you have an amazing attitude.

*for Kim~ thank you for sharing Amanda with me 🙂

*for our grandparents~ gone too soon, this is a holiday that they are greatly missed, ( meme, pepe, papa, babchi, dzaciiek) but knowing they are in heaven looking down on us makes me smile :

* for my ‘shared ‘ sisters and brother … Krista, Bryan, Audra and Val… We may have grown up with different lives. But siblings we are .. And we’ll always have each other:).

* for Tian~ my exchange daughter from Hong Kong.. for opening my eyes to what life in China is like

* for my nieces and nephews~ watching them grow and become extentions of who we are is mind – blowing. It makes me think al the time about the circle of life… YOu are all amazing people and have bright futures ahead of you

*for my in laws- Linda and Pete… For helping Scott and I get a head start early in our marriage.. and all of your help along the way 🙂

*for Scott’s extended family~ I’m thankful that they raised a man with such drive and adimance… and with such love for his family

* for Erika~~ I love that I can just show up and have a cup of tea at your counter unannouced. and feel warm and welcomed and loved.. and I feel that i am an extended part of your family. I love Leah and Grif like they are my own.. it’s been a pleasure watching them grow…

* for Celia~ my closest friend that is so far away….. I love that you are in my life <;;3

*for Kara~ thank you for all of your help recently… it’s so nice to know that you have insight and can help talk me through some of this….. and the fact that we both love lunch doesn’t stink 😉

*for my ‘ho’ friends~ you know who you are. I love that they have been there always for me, and they are proof positive that real relationships are not affect but distance. they have become some of my very best friends.. and I look forward to someday traveling the country to meet up with all of them…. these are truly wonderful ladies

*for my ‘old time’ friends~ the friends that I went years without seeing, or even in contact with… this past week has had me in awe of how many of you reached out to me and really care. It has had me thinking at length about old relationships. and times spent together .. and about how lucky I am to have had you all in my life. YOu are all a huge part of who I am today… I feel so blessed whenever I hear from one of you..

* for Ali’s friends…the really special ones that make me feel loved every day. Sara and emmy I love that you know that our home is your home… Thank you for making her smile.. And Colleen. Because you know how much I love you !!!!.. And Alyssa… Ali’s younger sister and my second daughter…I love you girls!!

* for my pup, Fenway~~ I just love her to pieces and no matter where I am.. she is *right there*

* for my grandpuppies, bruin & Kallie…. because they love me so much and I can;t wait to make them home made frosty treats 🙂

*for yoga~ yoga has brought not only a ‘peace’ to my life, but a biggest understanding that the path that we are on is exactly the path that we are supposed to be on.. don’t always knock the broken road.. that’s usually the one that is getting you to where you are supposed to go…

*for Bruce Springsteen~ yes I went there……. I love this man’s amazing voice, talent, poetry, etc…… as long as I live I could never explain what his music does to me… I swear it hits a little lost part of my soul… I am thankful that I always can turn to his music.. no matter my mood

*for my blog readers~ you are what makes me want to keep on writing… you comments always make my day and I am thankful that you take time from your lives to read whatever was on my mind today. This is what makes us friends

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and lastly…… I’m thankful for the moon. because throughout my life, it has always been there… and I know that wherever I am, wherever I may be.. I can always look up.. and have the moon with me… and know that each and every one of you, wherever you may be.. will be under the same moon. possibly looking up at it, and thinking of me <;;3

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happy thanksgiving, friends.

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Thanksgiving thoughts

Hi friends.. remember me?

it’s been awhile, I know.

Here we are, Thanksgiving week and I’m getting ready for what is usually my favorite time of the year. Although this year has been difficult, I am still enamored with everything Autumn.

Growing up, Thanksgiving was always my favorite holiday. Of course, as a child, Christmas was right up there ( who are we kidding, I was a kid) but Thanksgiving always meant one thing.

Spending time with my grandparents.

I remember on year being so excited worth the anticipation of The holiday, asking my mom why we had a Christmas Eve, but not a Thanksgiving Eve.  The excitement of the day before with my grandparents coming to visit just felt like a holiday for me.

Their arrival meant a big bowl of fresh fruits & nuts , which for whatever reason was so exciting to me.

perhaps became I am both fruity AND nutty?

Anyway… Years moved on,  my grandparents passed away far too soon , and somehow the magic of the holiday disappeared.

I mean. Thanksgiving was always there, but the ‘magical quality’ that I grew up remembering was not.

I was thinking back this morning, to when Scott & I had been married  for 7 or 8 years.

We were headed to do the whole ‘drive an hour to eat one Thanksgiving meal with one side of our family to then go to the other family’s house to have yet another meal’ Not that we didn’t enjoy going to visit our families, but 2 Thanksgiving meals in one day was just too much.

I remember thinking how sad I was that somehow Thanksgiving had become a chore. I actually cried. I remember having Scott drive & me stupidly crying along the way, not being able to explain what was bothering me so.

When I finally realized it, I decided to make a change. OUR thanksgiving would be born. It would incorporate traditions from both Scott’s family as well as mine.

I would re-create the magic of the days leading up to turkey day.

“big cooking day” was born.  That is the Wednesday before, the day that I remember looking out the window anxiously awaiting My memere & pepere’s car to pull up the driveway.

 

It now is a day of complete cooking from 5am on. with carols playing in the background and everyone having something to do with the up coming meal.

My very favorite day of the whole entire year.

Big cooking day smells like nothing else. I wish I could explain. It is truly unique.

 

In order for big cooking day to come to fruition, ‘big shopping day’  must happen.

No, I’m not talking about Black Friday. I’m talking about the Tuesday before the turkey.

Today.

I am armed with my lists, it is probably the one time of the year that I treat myself to a holiday beverage ( pumpkin chai latte or something of the sort) despite the ungodly amount of calories, and once I drop the kids off, I’m off to stock up the fridge & pantry.

This afternoon, Ali & I will head to Plato\’s Harvest Organic Farm to pick up our turkey that we have been watching Farmer Dave & Sasha raise for the last few months , as well as our Thanksgiving share of veggies. And say goodbye to the farm until the spring. (but not them, we’ll be visiting the winter Farmer’s market throughout the winter 😉

 

And then the cooking will begin.

I have many recipes to share. I know that I seem to be more going on with more  stories than about actual food, but really, every dish has a story… and I’d like to share the recipes & the stories.

If you like cranberry sauce ( not the canned stuff, the real deal) stay tuned for an easy, amazing recipe. So pick yourselves up a bag of cranberries, a Naval orange and make sure you have a bit of sugar.

I”ll post the recipe this afternoon & you’ll be good to go.

 

With that, my friends, I must wake those kids of mine & get moving…. It’s going to be a crazy, exciting, busy day!

 

xoxox

 

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