21 November 2007

It's comin' on Christmas

Thank heaven for:

•a brain and two feet that got themselves and the rest of me out of the mall, tout de suite
•the nice candy lady (not Lois, unfortunately—guess it wasn't her shift) who helped me choose an exciting assortment for she-whose-name-I-drew-for-Christmas' advent calendar
•keeping my head and resisting temptation when the intoxicating scent of deep chocolate filled my nostrils
•online Christmas shopping when I can't handle crowds and besides can't find what I'm after locally
•clean sheets on the bed
•coming up with a simple alternative to the handmade gift I was about to overwhelm myself making
•talking to my older friend Iris, the one who's got terminal cancer, and her telling me what she says to God every night: I think you ought to reconsider. You're really not gonna want me up there. I'm not gonna just show up and say, "Welp, whuddya want me to do NOW?" I'm gonna be a real pain in your a••!
•beautiful skeins of yarns that feel as good as they look
•praying to find some jeans to fit me while I'm fleshed out and can't fit my real clothes, then finding some good ones second-hand
•coming to terms with the fact that my body is something of a shape-shifter, which means I need to store my full range of sizes rather than annually give the fat clothes the boot for those few minutes when I fit comfortably into smaller numbers
•helping lay out Opera Miss' voice recital program
•wordplay
•allowing myself to say no when I don't feel well
•the bittersweet joy of another close family member announcing a pregnancy (current tally: 3 little chickens in the incubator and 1 just hatched out)
•offering "Coach" my early morning hair-fluffing services gratis, in the women's bathroom at the Fieldhouse Salon
•the prompt and lucrative sale of our old stockpile of beautiful art papers, many of which are no longer produced (sick and wrong!)
•learning that Kitty's pneumonia isn't so horrible that she can't come home from the hospital in a day or two
•old Stargate SG-1 episodes that aren't dogs, unlike the one we watched tonight
•sleep
•mirrors that are kinder than others
•this song (and the fact that "the best baby that I ever had" stuck around):

13 comments:

Katrina said...

I love your gratitude lists. They are eclectic and fabulous! Happy Thanksgiving!

sara said...

Very nice. I adore the intelligent way you phrase everything, yet they are still so identifiable for those of us with smaller vocabularies :)

Have a great day tomorrow!

Rynell said...

Yes and may I just say....amen to
the shape shifter clothes, clean sheets, simple gift alternatives and your good taste in music.

zlb said...

you have the nicest gratitude lists ever. i'm grateful for such a lovely blog that reminds me to be more aware and grateful.

Wendy said...

I was on the phone for a while, glancing over your list, and I kept reading "skeins of yams."

Maybe it's a sign.

:)

I have a very flattering mirror that I love looking in. Then I sit down and the truth of my waist line yells at me.

Wonderful list--Happy Thanksgiving!

Author said...

I love your thankful lists! They make me feel grateful just reading them :)

Author said...

and is that a joni mitchell reference? sigh... i love her.

Am'n2Deep said...

I so love this song, and your whole list for that matter. I wish you all the best blessings for this Thanksgiving.

You have such a beautiful heart!

Geo said...

Thanks, ladies, for all your kindnesses to me. I wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving, and many skeins of yams!

OLIVIA. I think you weren't visiting long enough for the YouTube to load. If you come back, have a listen, since you're a Joni MItchell fan. xo

Amy said...

OH, I love that song! Joni Mitchell is one of my favorites (well, old Joni Mitchell anyway). What a lovely start to my Thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

You're beautiful

Lois said...

Sorry I wasn't there! I was e-mailing people and letting them know when I was working, but I didn't e-mail you because I didn't want to be a bad influence on your new diet.

Now I don't e-mail anyone anymore because my sister kept visiting me and eating WAY too much candy.

Speaking of candy, a lady walked in wanting those perfume candies. No one there knew what she was talking about but me -- you loved those!!!

Elizabeth said...

Love your list. I'm always glad you make them public.