Friday, November 21, 2008

Thankful Thursday



Well the carcass is in the fridge, along with the myriad side dishes the kids wouldn't touch. Next year, mashed potatoes. That's all I'm making. Mashed potatoes. But in keeping with the holiday's spirit, here's some of what I'm thankful for:

  • For the two boys I once thought I'd never have and the husband who had 'em with me!
  • For the families we share, no matter how zany they may be.
  • For Pudding. Not the dessert, but the geriatric cat sitting on my lap who think's the world begins and ends with "her people." I'm not quite thankful for the dog yet. Although I am thinking of serving her next thanksgiving. With mashed potatoes.
  • For new friends. Lesson people: Always be open to making new friends. Some of the people I've only just gotten to know this past year have proved to be some of my favorites! Funny, funny ladies.
  • For old friends. Not that they're old, but their friendship has lasted longer than my magazine subscriptions.
  • For A Christmas Story, green bean casserole, white wine and holiday parades.
  • For having kids who still believe in Santa, and who have never complained that for some reason he brings the trendy toys to our house a couple of years later than their friends!
  • For kids books that make me cry (The Giving Tree). For holiday movies that make me cry (A Christmas Carol). For songs on the radio that make me cry (The Christmas Shoes). Man, maybe I need some Zoloft!
  • And for having raised two fabulously color-blind kids who don't realize it's monumental that we've just elected an African-American president. To them, he's just Obama, just the younger of the two guys that were running. It's an event I didn't think I'd see in my lifetime, and it's happened, and I'm so excited. What was impossible when our parents were growing up...was unexpected when we were growing up...has just become a fact of life for our kids. It's onward and upward now...to steal a quote from Bob the Builder, "Can We Fix It? Yes, We Can!"

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Good...Better...Best


This blog is actually being created to even out the blogging cosmos...to counteract the uber-negative blogs floating out there...by putting out all the positive energy and proper spelling possible so that for every "$.%. Friday" there is a "Way to Go Wednesday." If you get that reference, then you're in an exclusive group. And yes, I know it's actually Friday today. But I wrote the following on Wednesday, so there! And away we go....

Way to Go to the gal who spent hour after hour setting up, manning and breaking down our school's book fair. And to all the volunteers who helped you. To see kids so excited to get new books is a wonderful thing.

Way to Go to the gal who spent weeks organizing the catalog fundraiser to help pay for our school's field trips, and who spent the entire day at school setting up the deliveries. It's not like you had nothing else on your plate this week!

Way to Go to the moms and dads who spent the entire weekend timing their 6th graders' science projects, over and over and over again. Who are still finding sand, sugar, or cooking oil hidden in every crevice of their house. Time for ancient Egypt!

Way to Go to the Cub and Boy Scouts across the country who collected millions of food items for those in need...to those who gave from their own cupboards even though things are tight...and to the parents who helped pick-up/sort/deliver them. And a very special Way to Go to the senior citizens I met who actually went out and BOUGHT the much-needed baby formula to donate.

Way to Go to the scout dad who slept on a cold cement floor with only a moments notice when an extra adult was needed.

Way to Go
...to the teachers who manage to make a difference despite some of the indifference they face from parents day after day... To the parents who make their kids' education and well-being top priority... To the families who manage to balance sports/school/hobbies/church in today's hectic pace...To the single parents who have to play the "good guy" and "bad guy" every day... To the moms and dads who are raising kids who can take the sometimes necessary "no" for an answer without holding their breath or slamming doors...and to the rational adults out there who know the difference between life's real problems and absolutely petty nonsense that doesn't really matter at all.

And finally, Way to Go to the guy who's managed to be married to me for almost 15 years without ever telling me that I'm nuts despite much evidence to the contrary.

Well, that's my first Way to Go Wednesday. Any future W2GW's will be much less enthusiastic I'm sure. There was a lot to get off my chest this first time around. And if you've seen my chest, you'd know what I mean.

...Never Let It Rest!