Friday, November 23, 2012

Giving Thanks, a Day Late But All At Once

Happy post-Thanksgiving Day!!

This morning I slept in and am now ticking off my list of things to do: make turkey stock, work on a painting I started yesterday, read up on the next physics class, trim my horse's feet - anything but go shopping.

While I am list making, it seems appropriate that I make my list of things I am grateful for. I like to get things done, so here are all 30 things in one list, in no particularly order:

I am grateful for:

1. La Petite, first and foremost. This one is the most important. Now back to my "no particular order" system.

2. This chocolate cream pie recipe from King Arthur flour.

3. The fact that HoneyFern is doing very well.

4. That 2012 is almost over (it has been a pretty rough year personally).

5. Our health. Time to start moving around more, though.

6. The big changes that are coming next year, hopefully all positive.

7. Pastor Leonard at Hollydale Methodist Church. Working with him on the food pantry and backpack blessings has been incredible; he does amazing things for his community!

8. The Georgia Student Scholarship Organization and our new partnership for next year (if you are a corporation or individual who pays taxes in Georgia and would like to donate, please contact us)!

9. My puppy, Gatsby, who turned one yesterday and is very much the spoiled child.

10. Andrew Odom and the Tiny House r(E)volution for suppporting La Petite as she builds her tiny house.

11. And while we're at it, Tumbleweed Tiny Houses for offering their support and assistance, too. We are going to a Tiny House building workshop in January 2013 in Orlando and very much looking forward to meeting the whole team!

12. Might as well thank them all: Tiny House Talk and Kirsten Dirksen, too!

13. Golden Paints. They are too expensive, but they are beautiful and excellent to work with!

14. My horse, Sadie.

15. Poetry.

16. My incredible students who make every challenging and most excellent.

17. Fresh pasta.

18. Learning new things.

19. Garden planning.

20. My dad, who passed away five years ago but who is always with us, every day, in a million little ways.

21. My oldest friend, Kerry Allen (Langkammerer).

22. Hydroponics. I am grateful for hydroponics, and Atlantis Hydroponics.

23. Howard's Wrecker Service in Smyrna, who is working on La Petite's trailer for her house.

24. My mom, who, at 69 years old, is going to India for three weeks in February 2013. Amazing.

25. My brother, who reaffirms my political beliefs every time I talk to him.

26. My country, that allows us to say whatever we want. This is a liberty that we take for granted.

27. The following people: those who hold the door, smile, say "please" and "thank you," and who are otherwise generally courteous. It doesn't take much.

28. Draft Horse Owners of Georgia, a Facebook page that has the most supportive online community I have seen. There is disagreement, but it is not demeaning.

29. My husband. We are not perfect, but we are trying. Doesn't sound like a glowing endorsement, but after this past year, that's pretty good.

30. Moving forward and making progress.

So there it is. Some of it is practical, and there isn't much glowy romantic fluff this year. As noted in several posts, 2012 has not been fabulous, and I am glad to be shut of it. There is so much to be grateful for, though, and making the list helps me keep that in mind.

Here's to gratitude, and starting every year fresh!

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