bah humbug! or, all these daily thanks on facebook are getting on my nerves

I am maybe a cynic or maybe a scrooge or maybe a bitter old woman or maybe I just really need a nap. No matter what it is, I am going to come right out and say that all of these daily thanks posts all over my Facebook feed are really super annoying.*

If it's not rhapsodies about wonderful husbands and perfect kids, it's hooray minivans and yay takeout. Seriously? I don't know. Some people -- lots of people -- really get a kick out of everybody being overtly thankful for all the wonderful things in their lives. You have a perfectly behaved dog? Hey, me too! And your $70-a-cut hair stylist is the best? I SO love my cut-and-colors with highlights and lowlights every six weeks on the nose, afforded to me by my previously mentioned perfect husband the huge paychecks! Hey, while we're celebrating our collective awesomeness, which Chinese restaurant delivery service are you most grateful for?

Me, I am exceedingly grateful for the days that I'm able to finish washing my week-old dishes in a rush before my sick, cranky, runny-nosed toddler starts throwing rocks at the dog again.

But because it's the season for gratitude and I am all about lists, I thought I'd mention a few of the things I'm grateful for right here, instead of clogging up everyone's rainbows-and-sparkles-athon.

- I'm thankful that all my lipsticks were recently deemed old enough to throw out without hesitation, before the aforementioned toddler found them and decided to make permanent art on the walls.
- I'm thankful that there's no room in my budget for Starbucks, which means I never have to deal with lines of caffeine-addicted people and baristas who either won't look you in the eye or won't stop singing (or both).
- I'm thankful that two of my closest friends are non-dairy and vegetarian, respectively, because that means I don't have to be careful about how much cheese I pile on when one comes over and I get all the taco meat when the other one does.
- I'm thankful that my Ikea couch slipcover is washable, because when everything is covered in pee, I at least have the amusement of seeing a naked toddler atop a naked sofa.
- I'm thankful that you and I are still friends, despite the fact that I am a terrible person who is complaining about people being happy.

What's on your list, besides the obvious?


*I want to be really super clear right up front that I am not actually talking about any specific friend or collection of friends here. There are so many of these posts flooding my news feed that my eyes glaze over and I don't even pay attention to the content or the post-er. So really, none of this is about you, person-I-probably-just-offended. 

puddle water

It's storm season here in North Carolina. It's good to be in storms again. And it's also hitting me pretty forcefully, in the thinky kind of way.

In Colorado, we didn't get too many thunderstorms. That was one of my very few "complaints" about living there - I missed the thunder. I missed the puddles and the stretches of days full of rain.

Other complaints included the threat of tornadoes and the constant news coverage about the humidity during the 10-ish days it was humid each year. Humidity isn't news, people.

Maybe it's a girl thing, or a southern thing, or a gloomy-weather-lover thing, but I like to go walking in the rain. I've been on the lookout for some toddler rain boots to take Gabriel with me, but for now his crocs are getting the job done. 

And my boy, he is his mother's son. He can't get enough of splashing in puddles. I look at him and all I can think of is the many, many hours I would play in the puddles that collected on the back patio at the house I grew up in -- the first home I remember. It would rain and we'd have to come inside, and then we would go back out when the rain had passed and there'd be all this warm water to poke at and observe (and maybe slurp every now and then...)

Do you have any idea how patio puddle water tastes? I do. It tastes like concrete and parasites secrets. 

We've had a TON of rain in the past month. More than usual, and the result has been weather that hasn't felt as much like Hades as it usually does by this time of the year. With the unseasonably cool spring and the summer full of storms, it's been a gentle welcome back to my home state. 

Today I'm thankful for:

I'm linking up with Company Girl Coffee this morning. Come play along!

1. Being able to work part-time. Brian makes enough to support both of us, and this is kind of a big deal to me. My part-time income is completely voluntary and it helps make our life a little easier. I'm not sure I'm cut out for full-time office work, as we've learned over the past three years. I'm so grateful to have a husband who provides enough for us. I'm not sure I tell him this enough. 

2. NOT living near forest fires. Tornadoes are scary, but they're here and gone in a flash. You know whether you were hit or not, pretty much immediately. Hurricanes are scary too, but you generally get lots of warning, and they can be tracked. Forest fires don't work that way. They move slowly and are difficult to monitor. You might not know for days or weeks whether your house survived. We see and smell the smoke from the nearby Boulder County forest fires, but the fire isn't a threat to our home. I hear stories every day from people who have lost their homes, who don't know if their houses are even standing, and who don't know what is going to happen to their family when they can access their property and learn the damage.

3. The chilly mornings and evenings. Midday here is still a little swampy and miserable, but the mornings and evenings are nice and chilly. I love old sweatshirts, and there is now a place for them in my wardrobe again. Another thing I love: walking on the cold, dew-covered grass in the morning. My Grandovie used to fuss at me for going around barefoot when it was chilly (for the love of Pete, you'll catch your death of cold) and she bought me I-don't-know-how-many slippers. But to no avail. I'm still that girl who won't wear slippers in the morning.



What's ringing your thankfulness bell this morning?

Thanksfulness => Faithfulness

I have a whole lot to be thankful for this year.  

The economy is tough, yes, and that's no way to start off married life, but we actually are more stable this year than last year, financially.  Even though it's pretty tough and there are some days that I just want to go home, I am really thankful for a job that gives me fulfilling work and allows me to make a difference in real lives, every day.  It's easy to lose sight of the importance of that.

I'm thankful that Brian and I survived our first year of marriage.  I know he was the right choice for me - even on the bad days, I am sure of it.

I'm thankful that I have a family who will take care of some of our basic needs when necessary - offering cars, doggie care, and even ESPN.

I'm thankful to live in a country where we can elect officials - and then be free to hate on them, when necessary.  Granted, I don't think it's become socially acceptable to hate on our president-elect publicly yet, but I'm thankful that that day will come too.

I'm VERY thankful to have a car that is paid off and is working.  It's reliable, which means I don't have to worry about breakdowns when I'm on the road.  It means we can travel to Chapel Hill tonight, to Concord tomorrow, and to Asheville the day after, without worry.

I'm thankful that God still teaches me about how to trust him.  I've been careful about not overspending this year, and I've been comfortable with that idea for the most part - it's in my nature to want to do big, special gifts.  But right when I began to fret about 'all those' expenses combined with the gas to get us from Richmond to Hershey to Concord and back, some unexpected events converged to get us over the hump, with some to spare.  Things like a $500 honorarium, lots of birthday money for Brian, a couple of monetary anniversary gifts, and a prize drawing for $100 at amazon.  God has always been faithful to me, and he has provided once again.

Remember the Veterans

Take a moment today to offer some gratitude to all those who have risked life and limb to defend the freedoms we enjoy today.

booking through thursday

The Setup, from the Booking through Thursday website:

Okay–here was an interesting article by Christopher Schoppa in the Washington Post.

Avid readers know all too well how easy it is to acquire books — it’s the letting go that’s the difficult part. … During the past 20 years, in which books have played a significant role in both my personal and professional lives, I’ve certainly had my fair share of them (and some might say several others’ shares) in my library. Many were read and saved for posterity, others eventually, but still reluctantly, sent back out into the world.

But there is also a category of titles that I’ve clung to for years, as they survived numerous purges, frequent library donations and countless changes of residence. I’ve yet to read them, but am absolutely certain I will. And should. When, I’m not sure, as I’m constantly distracted by the recent, just published and soon to be published works.

So, the question is his: “What tomes are waiting patiently on your shelves?“

The answer:

SO MANY. There are so many books I have kept around because I am just waiting for the day for the right mood to strike, the right amount of free time, and optimal interplanetary alignment to cause me to pick up "that book" and get it read.

I appear to have made the commitment to read more books this year, as evidenced by my have-read list (look over to the left), which is already tremendously longer this year than it's been in a long time. The majority of these are books that had sat on my shelves, through two moves, just waiting to be read. Some are books from the library that I'd been meaning to read for years (the Narnia books, Friday Night Knitting Club, Kitchen Privileges). Only three of these books are new acquisitions (Wild at Heart, Sushi for Beginners, and Balzac) through PaperBackSwap. Peace, Evensong, Monk and North Haven are required reading for the class I'm taking. All the rest are mine and had been mine for quite some time.

You should probably know that I cull my books at least once a month. I've also stopped requesting books on PBS unless I really need or really want them - no more 'hey that sounds good' requests. My ultimate goal is to have my collection whittled down to just the essentials - the most loved, most useful, and most sentimental books.  And I'm proud to say that the out-going stream is a little swifter than the in-coming one.  I'm also making good friends with the neighborhood library branch.  In the meantime, I've got shelves and stacks and piles to get through.

Right now most of my reading is for my Theology in Literature class. It's a great class and I love the reading list, but I do have a moderate amount of baseline frustration that I'm not making any "progress" (and in fact, I'm ADDING to the list of tomes I ultimately want to read). But with that said, a sampling of the titles up to bat once I finish the class include:

First Things First, by Stephen Covey

The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron

Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller

As usual, we'll see what book ends up screaming the loudest when I'm browsing for a new read.

bragging rights

I would just like to say that I am so proud of my husband.  He's really been through the ringer the past few months, and the past week especially.  A bomb went off in his face Thursday that would have sent most people to the loony bin, and he's been able to find more silver lining than gloom.

I won't go into details because I am so pissed off at TIIC that I'm seeing red, but I am very impressed with the way that he has dealt with this unpleasant situation.  He's been upbeat, motivated, reasonable, and anything but 'disrespectable' in trying to figure out a solution. After having all weekend to ponder his next steps, he had about 4 hours to wield a machete through some Grade-A Presbyterian order (aka bureaucracy) and I'm encouraged to see that the administration supported him the whole way.  I couldn't be happier to be his wife.

There are a few more things to tend to before everything is back on track, but I know he will come out on top.  I am sure of it.

I'm so proud of you.

thankful

Five things I'm thankful for, today:

1. The water cooler at work. I can get in my daily recommended dosage of water while at work, I feel better, I get to see my coworkers more because I'm ALWAYS having to go to the bathroom, and it doesn't even cost me a dime.

2. RVABlogs. Seriously. I don't have nearly the force of opinions that many of our bloggers do, but I love reading about all the different opinions and happenings in our great city. It's a shame that I am totally NOT into foodie blogs, though, because there are good ones here.

3. Richmond Habitat ReStore. Seriously, this place is awesome. They have all kinds of great stuff at a discount, it's wonderful. Especially for me, who can only handle small projects. Imagine anything you'd need to do just about anything for/around/in your house. Chances are, they have it. Paint, tiles, wood, casters, landscaping bricks, furniture, washers/dryers, cabinets, everything. All of it is donated, and all of it goes to a great cause. And I can shop there guilt-free, knowing that I'll probably be able to get a half can of paint or stain when really that's all I'll need - and not have to deal with leftovers. I plan on visiting there this week to pick up the wood and hardware (and maybe stain!) to build a home-made yarn swift. Lord knows I don't have 70 extra dollars sitting around to buy one!

4. My car. It's a 2001 Toyota Highlander and I've had it since it was new. My mom gave it to me as a gift (high school graduation/turning 18). She also covered some of the maintenance while I was in college. It's held up well these 7 years/100,000 miles, and I'm hoping I can keep it going for many more. Seriously, no complaints.

5. The Petite Pet Inn and Spa. Eli and I went there for a doggie luau and it was great to introduce him to a social life. I think he made some good steps toward being less afraid of the world there and I hope to be able to go back from time to time. Now if only I could find my own social life!!

give thanks

When I was in college I used to give into major self-induced guilt trips over not doing a morning and evening devotional. I lacked the time, and moreso, the interest. Most devotion books were too weak and watered down, and basically just lame. I tried a few good ones but didn't really devote much time or energy or money to finding anything really fantastic. Anyway. So one day I was lounging in an unrelated guilt trip over my self-centeredness and my lack of involvement in ... much of anything worthwhile, and the thought struck me: I do notice the small things and they make me happy. I do laugh easily. There is a lot out there that I know I see and am thankful for, if only I'd just notice it.

So I pulled out one of my empty journals (knitters have yarn stashes, handymen have hardware stashes, writers have journal stashes) and wrote down five things from the day that I could be grateful for.

I did this pretty consistently every day for the duration of my senior year in college, and a little bit on and off since then. I misplaced the journal during the Many Moves of 2007, but I found it again the other day. It was sometimes amusing, sometimes a happy discovery of a forgotten memory, sometimes a reason for sad reflection (or maybe GRATEFUL reflection that I'm not in the same spot anymore!!).

Now, I'm not sure what to do with it. It's the original record and it is only about halfway used up. Plenty of good writing space. Lots of memories associated with it - not all of them things that I'd like to memorialize...most of which pertain to a relationship in particular that I don't want to be reminded of regularly. It's the past. It's way-removed past. Part of me wants to keep it there...stash it in the 'old journals' box and start fresh. I don't want to be reminded of where I've been, the days when it felt like a struggle to find any joy or contentment or reason to live. That record doesn't belong at my bedside...does it?

At the same time, there's plenty of space left for the present and future. Lots of room for redemption and celebration and recording new joys and new challenges. Progress isn't much good if you lose sight of where you've been. And what's more annoying than a partially empty journal?

Any input?