THANKFUL FRIDAY

Our version of Little House on The Prairie

"Our version of Little House on The Prairie"

A couple of days ago, I was walking a loop around the fountains and as I came around a bend, I noticed a little girl. She couldn't have been older than three. I watched as she headed right over to the fountain wall and climbed up onto the ledge. I stood very still, closely watching the girl while trying to look around for an adult. Finally I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye to my right. A woman was in a car struggling to wrangle a younger sibling free from a car seat while holding onto a large McDonald's bag. She popped her head out and said "She's mine!" but then Grandma noticed where the little girl was sitting. She started calling the little girl's name, but the child didn't budge. Instead, she reached her hand out towards the water. This is where I stepped forward. I bent down to the child's level and said hello. Then I reached my hand out and said "would you like to come with me?"

Now I realize, in retrospect, that this sounded like I was trying to steal a toddler and if she had been more aware of stranger danger this could have gone really poorly. Luckily the child did not fear strangers. She smiled and nodded a "yes" and then jumped down from the ledge and grabbed my hand. She held my hand as I walked her over to her grandma and since grandma had her hands full, I asked the girl to grab a hold of grandma's t-shirt. The grandma thanked me profusely. She explained that they were waiting for the mother to get out of her class and that the two little ones just always seem to get away from her. I nodded in understanding and then said my goodbyes. We both went on our way. Later in the day I remembered Michael's story about being the fifth car.

An elderly teacher he works with was getting out of her car to go into her doctor's office one day when she fell. She could not get up. Meanwhile, cars kept pulling into the parking lot. One after one, the cars would move around her, find a parking space and the person would get and go on about their business. Finally, the fifth car stopped. An elderly gentleman got out of the car and helped the woman up. He then walked her into her doctor's office. She uses this story now to teach kindness and compassion to her students. The lesson is not to be the first four cars, but be the fifth car. Be the person who stops and helps. For some of us, we do not need to be reminded to be the fifth car. These simple acts of kindness and compassion just come naturally. I am grateful to know so many of these kinds of people.  I hear your stories and I think I am either very lucky or very smart to have surrounded myself with such good people.  I am grateful I could be the person to stop and help that grandma wrangle her grandchildren just as I am grateful for that person who stood holding the door open for me when they didn't have to.

I am thankful for the beautiful eggs from the chickens the week. I am thankful for leisurely bike rides home at the end of a long day. I am thankful for the time spent on my yoga mat. I am thankful for the fifth car and as always, I am thankful for you. Have a wonderful weekend and a truly Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

New bike! Flat tire :(

"New bike! Flat tire :("

I have ridden my bike to work every day this week and I have ridden my bike home every day except one day this week (well two if you count today because Fridays are scooter days because Friday). That day, I got a flat tire on my way to work. A small piece of wire found it's way into my back tire. Michael picked me up that evening and we took Bessie straight to the bike shop because we didn't know why the tire was flat yet and we didn't want there to be something wrong with a bike that had nine and half miles on it. This is where I need to say that I am really thankful for Family Bicycles. By the time Michael and I got the bike loaded into the truck and fought traffic, it was really super close to closing time for the bicycle shop. When I wheeled Bessie into the shop both Therese and Bruce exclaimed "WHAT HAPPENED!" They were just as upset about my flat tire as I was. Before I could say anything Bruce had my bike on the rack and was taking the wheel off. 

Really, the people at Family Bicycles have been all around fantastic. When I went with my old bike, Bruce was just as willing to adjust that bike as he was to sell me a new one. He did not push the new bike at all. Therese did a great job of telling us about different trails and rides and both of them are just enthusiastic about getting you on a bike. Someone like me needs people like this. I think we're pretty lucky to have them in the neighborhood. They are just a short ride from the house. I pass the shop on the trail on my way home. Bruce replaced the tube in my tire in minutes and then didn't even charge us for labor. They are the best. Even Surly the store cat. I'm really grateful for these guys. 

It kind of looks like the bicycle is the new chicken in the coop. I promise. No more talks of riding the bicycle or how pretty Bessie is or how my toenail polish matches the paint on Bessie and my scooter. We are all headed into the final official weekend of summer and a nice long weekend. We are skedaddling out of town and I'm super thankful to have Shannon coming over to check on our chickens. We are paying her in eggs of course. Honestly I am also thankful for the end of a super long and slightly tense week. I am thankful to have some answers to some questions that have plagued us at work. I am thankful for the purple hulled peas I noticed in the garden last night that are ready to be picked. And I am thankful for you.

Have the best and safest weekend and Happy Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

Looks like Fall; feels like Spring.

"Looks like Fall; feels like Spring."

Michael has been teasing me about "when we move to Seattle" lately because of a recent job offer that I received. It was flattering, but I said "no". I think maybe if I was a little bit younger and it was just me, I would have said "yes", but I can only think of one reason for moving to Seattle. Seattle is beautiful! There's a million reasons for staying put. I was kind of surprised by this reaction. I just always thought I had a wandering soul that would only be settled by the West Coast. Go West! That was me. It would be easy to say that the whole idea of moving across the country just sounds too exhausting. That makes me sound lazy, but I've packed up and moved before and yes it's tiresome, but not tiresome enough to keep me from doing it. It's just that I feel like this place is my home. 

When I think of Seattle, I think of the market and fresh seafood and how it's just so pretty there. Then immediately I start thinking about housing prices and travel costs and working at a job that I'm not entirely sure I would like as much as the one I have now. The holidays would be the craziest and there would probably not be a backyard for chickens. The more I think about it, the longer the con list gets. I am thankful that I am only a four hour drive from family. I am thankful that I have a house with a big backyard for chickens. I am thankful that Michael and the Cabbage have given me pretty dang good reason for staying around. I am thankful for that job offer. It was nice to know that I am valued, but I'm really thankful for the job that helps keep me here. I really am lucky to be able to make a living doing something I enjoy. It turns out, I'm really a Mid-West kind of girl.

This week has been wonky weird. I'm ready for a slower paced weekend and a return to some normalcy. I've only ridden my bicycle twice this week and none of those times were pretty. Michael and I are ridding over to a local bike shop tomorrow so I can test out some bikes and see what they can do to make my bike more comfortable until I can get a new bike. It will be great if when we leave the bike shop tomorrow, I will be so happy with my current bike that I will not even think about a new bike. I'm thankful Michael suggested this and that we have a local bike shop that we really kind of love. I am thankful for the eggs we get from the chickens. I am thankful for the tomatoes we are still eating from the garden. I noticed that there are long purple hulled pea pods out there too, not quite ready to be picked. I'm thankful we will have peas. 

I am thankful for you. Happy Thankful Friday. 

THANKFUL FRIDAY

Two eggs in the nesting box! And one golf ball.

"Two eggs in the nesting box! And one golf ball."

Yesterday morning, I went outside to take a loop around the fountains. The sun was shining. The morning breeze was pleasant. The sky was blue. A dragon fly zoomed down and floated along next to me for a bit as I walked. Then I paused to watch a hummingbird hover around some flowers. As I rounded the back side of the fountains, a squirrel scampered past my feet to jump up onto a tree. This is when I had two thoughts: what kind of Disney movie had I just stumbled into and why didn't I have a camera? I had left my phone on my desk. I lamented about this for about a minute, before I laughed at myself for wishing I had a camera. I know without a doubt that I would not have actually seen any of those things happen if I had had my camera with me or I would spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to capture this moment the exact way I was seeing it. Then I would be disappointed that none of the pictures fully expressed what was happening in that moment.

I also recognize that my photography practice made me more open to seeing all the little details of things that were currently happening around me. It has taught me to pay attention. For that, I am thankful. Also, that moment belongs solely to me. Yes, I am sharing it with you now in words, but it's not the same as being there. That bit of time with dragon flies and hummingbirds was completely and totally mine. This day and age we share every piece of ourselves with partners, children and social media. It's rare when have our own personal bubble time. So I paused and took a breath. I took a moment to honor this strange Disney phenomenon. I took a moment to be fully present in it and I took a moment to be grateful that I was getting this moment.

This has been a good week, even with cranky days. I have ridden my bike to work and home three days this week. I still do not love it, but I appreciate the good it is doing for my body and my planet. I am thankful though, that I saved Friday for the scooter and relished in this morning's ride to work with the sun on my face and the cold wind on my bare legs (I'm dressy today). Everyday we have checked the chicken coop and pulled out two eggs. We are one egg short of a dozen. Ha! Aren't we all? Any way, each day the eggs are a little bigger then the day before. They are a beautiful shade of color that lies somewhere between peach and pink. I would like to paint a room this color and last night we each had a fried egg on our veggie burger. The Cabbage got to collect eggs on Wednesday and was unimpressed. She did ask why there was a ball in there with them. She may have received conflicting news depending on which one of us she asked. I am thankful for her curiosity. This weekend will be filled with picture hanging, desk building and birthday parties. Hopefully it will also include naps.

Here's to a perfectly hopeful weekend and a truly blessed Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

#VSCOcam I was so happy to see these guys

"#VSCOcam I was so happy to see these guys"

The last time I saw Todd and Yuko, the boys were still babies. Well, Lio wasn't but we were in a house of children and he merged right on in with the other kids. I didn't really get to talk to him or get to know his personality. Jun was fighting a cold at the time and wanted nothing but to snuggle with his mom. Last week, I got a chance to remedy that. I got to spend lots of time with the whole family before and after conference hours. It was wonderful. 

I learned that Lio, who starts second grade this year (Dear Lord), is very serious and can talk endlessly about Minecraft. Jun, the youngest, is silly and cuddly and sweet. He wants to be in the very middle of whatever his big brother is doing. Both of them love telling silly jokes and can fill a car ride with ridiculous laughter. Lio has two freckles on his arm and while we rode the tram back down to their car, Lio suddenly pinched the skin between the two freckles and said "Look! A baby elephant!" and then busted out laughing. It was the most hilarious thing. I made him do it again so I could take a picture. My visit with them was good. It was good to see them all so happy. It's not that Yuko was unhappy before they moved to Oregon. The (too) few times we saw each other she seemed happy enough, but now..wow! She has taken to this new home and has friends and a life and knows her way around the city better than Todd. You can see that the whole family is happy. 

I am so thankful to have had the time to see them and even more thankful that they have this home and this life. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to see Todd interact with his boys. And I'm so thankful that the shirts I picked out for the boys almost a year ago, are still big enough for them to wear (I had some shipping problems). There's much to be thankful for this week. As of yesterday, I no longer have any silver left in my teeth. It has all been replaced with new fillings and my dentist told me that I've been doing an excellent job of flossing. I am thankful to have some good teeth. I am thankful that my bike ride home gets easier each day. I am thankful for a weekend filled with the promise of garden work and fresh pesto and Randy and Katrina. 

I am thankful for you. Happy, happy Thankful Friday.

THANKFUL FRIDAY

#VSCOcam This sunflower growing in my backyard makes me want to sing songs from the musical "Oklahoma". #365

"#VSCOcam This sunflower growing in my backyard makes me want to sing songs from the musical "Oklahoma". #365"

Sunday morning, Michael and I were watching  a story about Spam on CBS Sunday Morning, when I said "My mom judged the Spam cook-off at the State Fair one year. She's got a Spam apron to prove it." Michael looked at me sideways and said "there are so many things about that sentence that I can't even..I don't even know how to respond." It was something about the words "state fair", "judge", "Spam cook-off" all tucked in together in the same sentence that made his head spin. I replied with "what? You never entered things in your state fair?" and he responded with "what year have you traveled here from?" A few nights later I told him that Mom's pickles won first prize at the Tulsa County Fair this year. His brain nearly exploded. 

I thought everyone entered stuff in their county and state fairs. No really. I'm thirty nine and just now realized that not everyone sewed a garment, grew a squash or painted a ceramic dish and then submitted it to be judged at the county and or state fair. Usually, if you won at the county level, you were automatically submitted to State. When I said that out loud to Michael, he nearly fell off the couch. It was like I had just walked out of some black and white TV show wearing a gingham dress with pony tails and a straw hat. Needless to say Michael and I had very different childhoods. I am a country mouse who has learned to be a city mouse. Michael has always been the city mouse.

Mr and Mrs McAfee were our 4-H leaders in Collinsville, but they were also the caretakers of the fair exhibits. Mr McAfee was always roaming around the exhibit hall making notes on what picture was crooked and how that flower arrangement needed to be shifted over.  He was also acting security, deterring people from touching or taking someone's prize jar of pickles. I cannot think of any fair without thinking of Mr McAfee. Sure he listened to countless hours of speech practices and was always present to taste test a pie, but it was his constant presence at the fairs that I remember the most. One year at the Tulsa State Fair, Dad had given me $10 to ride some rides. I was helping out in the 4-H exhibit hall that day, moving things around, answering questions. When it was time for my break, I reached into my pocket for that money and found it missing. I had managed to lose it somehow. Later in the day Mr McAfee came up to me and handed me $10. He said he'd found it over in some corner or other, but I knew that wasn't true. He found that money in his own wallet. 

I suppose it is almost fitting that Mr McAfee would decide to leave this planet on the same week as the Tulsa County fair. Mrs McAfee passed several years back, but Mr McAfee was still going strong. In fact I was surprised to hear of his death. I don't know why, but he just seemed like this immortal figure. He was ninety two when he passed, making him almost immortal. Mr and Mrs McAfee were part of the village that raised me. I will be forever grateful for both of them, for the generosity and the countless hours both of them spent helping kids like me become better citizens.

I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty and my hands to greater  service. For my club. For my community. For my country. For my world.

These are the lessons they taught me. I am truly thankful for the impact both Mr and Mrs McAfee had in my life. Here's to a blue ribbon weekend and a truly Thankful Friday.

THANKFUL FRIDAY

For some people New York City is a one time vacation destination. They go and see all the tourist things like Times Square, the Empire State Building and the MET. They become part of the large crowds of people walking around while staring up at the tall buildings. Then they go home and tell all their friends that they had a great time, but would probably never go back. Too much hustle and bustle. Too many crowds. Too much walking. Then there are those of us who visit New York and fall in love. That city has a way of getting under your skin and there have been times while strolling through a neighborhood where I think I could totally live there. I've been to those touristy areas. They are crowded, but they are wonderful. I found that the trick to the Empire State building and the MET is to get there right when they open. You'll have the MET mostly to yourself and a ten minute wait to ride the elevators up to the top of the Empire. Times Square does make me twitchy though.

I've been pining for a trip to New York for months now. I keep thinking about Central Park and little corners yet explored. Mostly I've been thinking about spending some time with Talaura. She's come in this direction so often lately. I feel like it's my turn to go to her. Talaura's New York is my favorite. She knows the best small museums and knows that these kind of museums are my favorite. She lives on the complete opposite end of New York now then the last time I visited and has a new home. These are things I want to see. I want to sit in her new home and convince Sarge that he loves me and talk and laugh with Talaura. This is something I have been craving and Michael even told me last month to buy a plane a ticket, but I hesitated. Money and finding the right time made me hold out. 

Last week Talaura and I were doing our usual chat thing when all of a sudden she said "OHMYGOSH! I won! I won!" I quickly replied with "YAY!", not really knowing what she won, but happy she won something. Well, she won two free passes to BlogHer '15 which happens to be taking place in New York next week. Then she asked me if I wanted to hop a plane to New York and I made probably the most impulsive decision I've made since purchasing the scooter. I bought a plane ticket to New York so fast, it made my head spin. I had zero plans to attend BlogHer this year mostly because I couldn't justify buying a ticket when we were going to Alabama for a family vacation. So I am thankful for the opportunity to hang out with some women that I really admire and love. But I'm super duper thankful for Talaura for giving me this opportunity and I'm thankful that I'm going to get to squeeze her in gratitude next week.

That's a pretty big thing to be thankful for. Here's to a great weekend and a super duper Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

Berry cherry

"Berry cherry"

Last week the Supreme Court officially backed the Affordable Care Act and legalized gay marriage in all fifty states. These are things I am extremely thankful for. First of all, I know a lot of good hard working tax paying citizens who would not have health care without the Affordable Care Act. Or they would have health care and not be able to afford anything else, like mortgage or food. I'm grateful that the burden of how they were going to pay to see there doctor is no longer a burden. Secondly, I don't even have to say it, but I know many  good hard working tax paying citizens who have not been able to make their commitment to their loved one valid for so many years. That they have been denied home loans, had adopted children removed from their homes and not eligible for spousal benefits for all this time seems pretty dang awful. I am thankful that they are no longer considered second class citizens. I know this is old news and that is was something I should have talked about last week, but I struggled with being happy for all of these things while black churches were being burned in South Carolina. I guess maybe it felt like a misdirection thing. Hey look over here! Don't look at the race problems we're having over that a-way! But good things and bad things happen simultaneously. I get that. So I'm thankful for those good things, but I want people to know I'm paying attention to the other things.

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, a day we where we celebrate this great country. A few weeks ago, I was watching an old episode of Under Cover Boss. The guy under cover sat down to take a lunch break with the one of his employees. This employee had immigrated here for a better life. His wife was pregnant with their first child and he said it was really hard making ends meet and doing this without support from their families in Venezuela. The under cover boss asked him why he did it, why would he move his family here. That employee said that he believes in the American Dream. This is 2015 and people still believe in the American Dream. Part of that American Dream is affordable health care and equality. We're still working on the equality thing. We've made great strides forward which is why those steps back, raising the Rebel Flag, unnecessary force against our black citizens, just awful hate against races and religions that are not your own, are glaringly awful. We can and are better than this.  We are the land of the American Dream. I am thankful and proud to be part of it. 

There is an abundance of stuff to be grateful for this week from squash and tomatoes in the garden to peaceful evenings. It has been a good week. I hope all of you have had the same and a safe and wonderful Fourth of July. Here's to a weekend of fireworks and  truly Thankful Friday.

THANKFUL FRIDAY

Morning meditation

"Morning meditation"

I stayed pretty disconnected last week. I still took photos and posted them on social media, but that was mostly for the Cabbage's Mom. Proof that I had not let a shark eat the Cabbage. I realized after we got back that I didn't even really take a lot of pictures. I got my Nikon out only a small handful of times. The Cabbage is not really into getting her picture taken unless it's her idea. Then you're stuck with that weird unnatural smile she plasters on her face as she "poses" for the camera, but you take the picture any way so you can tell her when she gets older that this was her way of posing for the camera. It just seemed too much to get the camera out when there was sand to squish in between my toes. I also had every intention to make a video blog post near the end of the trip, but that didn't happen either. My phone became a map and a camera only. 

I did write down some notes and feelings on driving trough Mississippi. These thoughts I will share with you later. Maybe. I did forgo one morning of yoga and instead of rolling out my mat on the beach, I roamed the beach with my camera. Photography meditation is just as beneficial as a sun salutation. I did read a book with real live pages to turn, but I mostly sat in a chair and stared at the water. What if I just used my phone as a phone/camera/map? What if I took all the other things off? My sudoku game? All the social media? If I use Instagram to share my pictures to facebook, Flickr, and Tumbler, do I really need those apps on my phone? What would happen in those moments of so called nothing to do, waiting for this or that, if I had nothing to look at on my phone?  I'd be stuck with my own thoughts. I'd be left with observing the things happening around me. I may not be ready to go cold turkey just yet, but I'm thankful for the seed planted by this vacation. At the very least it's a reminder that I need to unplug more often. 

I am thankful for the time spent with Tiffany, Tom and Allison. Tiffany and Tom have produced this remarkably patient and kind little girl. I say little girl lightly because Allison is an eighty year old woman trapped in a seven year old's body. I am thankful that Tiffany was present for leaving some of Chris's ashes on the beach in Florida. I am thankful that we could share that together, just the two of us. I am thankful for our too short visit to Chattanooga to see Chad and Jess. I don't know how we managed to pack as much laughter and tears into such a short amount of time. I cried as we pulled away from their apartment complex. Hell, I have tears in my eyes now just thinking of it. I am so thankful for those two. Even if the Cabbage refuses to remember their names. Hint: his rhymes with bad and her's with mess. 

I am thankful for the bounty of squash we came home to and the chickens who survived without us. I am thankful that all went well for Josephine at the vet while we were gone. We left the water hose on in the back yard and the hose busted. I am thankful that there was only a tiny amount of water in the basement. Michael left his truck unlocked. I am thankful it was still sitting in the driveway when we got home. I have lots to be thankful for, but I am really thankful for all of you guys.

Here's to a peaceful weekend and a truly Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

Oasis #40daysofyoga

"Oasis #40daysofyoga"

The other day, I went to yoga class and we had a substitute teacher. She had us attempt and or do Urdhva Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, which I twisted myself into with zero effort. I was the oldest person in class that day and I could hear the other students grunting and struggling with the pose while I hung out with a smile on my face. This is a total brag. I know that. I know that it's not even a humble brag. I can bend myself into a pretzel, take that you young whipper snappers you. Arm balances on the other hand, elude me. One of those young whipper snappers asked me after class how long I'd been practicing yoga and I had to stop and do some math. I was twenty one when I started taking my first yoga class. I have been practicing yoga for eighteen years. I have been on my mat at the very least once a week for eighteen years. There have been months here and there where I have fallen off my mat, but I've always gotten back on and I do that almost daily now. So of course I can bend myself into a pretzel. Truthfully I should be better at arm balances, but I am guilty of avoiding poses in my practice that I just don't enjoy doing. 

Thursday morning I woke in the disguise of a cantankerous old biddy. I felt mean, like I was ready to pick a fight, post some inflammatory statement on facebook or punch someone. Those things could have easily happened and I finally reached a moment in my day where I felt I had stewed over nothing for long enough. I picked up my yoga mat and headed over to the gym and rolled out my mat. And at the end of my practice, I felt less like punching someone. I know I've talked so many times about my yoga practice here and after awhile it's all blah blah yoga blah. Also I know that I talk about all the times I don't get on my mat, those weeks where I miss a bunch of days. I do miss a lot of days. Sometimes I have a week where my mat sees the light of day only one time. Yet, lately, I am more likely to get on my yoga mat then I am to pick up a book. 

Michael has told me that I have one job next week. My job is to get up in the mornings, take my yoga mat down to the beach and do yoga. Every morning. That is exactly what I am going to do. I have panicked all week about things I need to pack. Last night I put all of my summer clothes in the suitcase. All of them. I zipped up the suitcase and set it the living room where I stared at it for an hour. Then I picked it up, placed it back on the bed where I unzipped it and removed half of the things. The Cabbage will be wearing underwear in the car ride down on Sunday, because every bit of summer clothing I have for her is packed. I've upgraded her toy bag from my medium sized canvas World Market tote to a giant IKEA bag. Today we take Josephine to the vet to be boarded while we are away. We also scheduled for her to get spayed during this time. I've been a wreck for days about this. It just seems like an awfully long time for her to be away from me. I have spent extra time scratching her belly and letting her chew on me, but I still predict some tears when we drop her off.  My unofficial job this week has been to worry about all of the things. 

I am thankful that even though I have been worrying about all of this stuff, Michael has been standing by constantly telling me not to worry. He keeps reminding me that we are going to have so much fun in Alabama. He keeps reminding me that I only have one job and that's yoga. I am grateful. To be able to even go on this trip is a gift. The Cabbage dances in her recital tomorrow night. Randy and Katrina are coming up to see her dance and meet the chickens. Then on Sunday morning, we load up and head south. So...things are going to be quite around here next week. I'm not taking my laptop or my iPad. The phone is a necessity, but my plan is to only use it occasionally to take some pictures. The Nikon is already packed and Elephant Soap is on vacation.

Here's to a lovely weekend and hoping that your next week is full of ease. And here's to a wonderful Thankful Friday. 

THANKFUL FRIDAY

We got squash blossoms! #365

"We got squash blossoms! #365"

I am having a hard time being present in this space right now. We leave for vacation in a week and my thoughts are already on what kind of groceries I need to take with us and how I'm going to fit the folding "beach" chair I bought from IKEA in the car with all of the things. The beach chair does not fold down to a smaller size like I thought it would. It does fold down flat, so that's something. I also keep thinking about how I'm going lay my body right down on the hot sand and make sand angels and feel the hot sun warming my belly. Because it's June and the electric blanket is still on my bed. If, on the off chance it isn't raining and I get to ride my scooter to work, I am still wearing a coat and gloves in the mornings. I have been cold since sometime in October 2014 and I AM STILL COLD. So instead of thinking about things I love and having gratitude, I am thinking about how I'm finally going to be warm. 

There's also a small section of my brain that is currently filled with worry and doubt. Will I manage to pack the right things for a beach vacation? Can we really even afford this? Should I buy an embroidery kit before we go and sit on the beach embroidering pillow cases? Will the Cabbage even like the ocean? Or is that week going to be full of "Why is there sand? How come the sun is out? I am not eating that! What can I have to eat? Why do I have to wear sunscreen?" I have this needling thought that all of it will turn into a long week of complaints and whining and I will turn into the freakishly smiling person killing herself to make sure everyone is having the most fun of all time. I will come home from vacation needing a vacation because I forgot that I am not in charge of making sure everyone is happy all of the time. Then as I type this I realize that I have a whole week for those worries to fester and consume larger areas of my brain. So, I'm shutting that down now. New mantra: I am not in charge of other peoples' happiness. Only mine.

And with that I'm pulling myself together to think about right now and gratitude. Wednesday, after Michael said that it was going to rain, I rode my scooter to work any way. Then I stood at my office window and watched more rain fall from the sky than I had ever seen in my life. I watched Brush Creek fill up and over the sidewalks. It was still pouring when we went to lunch and I gasped as we passed cars parked at the curb with water rushing so deep that it covered more than half of the tires. Everyone made a pact at the lunch table that one of them would take me home at the end of the day. But as I left yoga that evening to head home, the sky lightened up and the sun peaked out from behind the clouds. I giggled as I zipped home on the scooter. Once again I gave a big middle finger to my weather app and managed to have it not come back and bite me. I am thankful for those moments between the rain. 

I am thankful for mantras that keep me present in this very moment. I am thankful smoked jackfruit sandwiches with fried jalapenos and grilled pimento and cheese. I am thankful for the sun coming out this morning just in time for my out of the way walk back to my desk with a mug of coffee.  I am thankful for fishing dreams with Dad and J. I am thankful for my crazy messy haired dog because she makes me laugh at silliness. And as always, I am thankful for you.

Here's to a great muggy weekend and a truly Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

Stormy weather, the new normal weather.

"Stormy weather, the new normal weather."

Every morning, after I've gone around to all of my microscopes and have made sure they're working properly, I go and get my cup of coffee for the day. Usually, I get my coffee and then head back up to my desk, but lately I've started taking what I call "the long way" around to my desk. It's really not so much a long way around as much as it is a completely out of the way loop around to my desk. My completely out of the way loop takes me up a flight of stairs, out a secret door and onto a path that leads to the fountains on the west end of the building. The sidewalk winds around the fountains in a large circle and then meets up with original path, which then leads to a different secret door near my office. This is one of the ways I add steps to my day. I do a little here, get on the treadmill there and then do a little more over there. By the end of the day it all adds up. This completely out of the way loop has also become a really nice morning meditation. It's still very early, so there's not many people out. It's usually just me and the birds and the occasional snail. It's a moment of peace before the clamor of the day sets in. 

Thursday morning, as I made my breakfast and watched Josephine in the backyard, I noticed the sky growing darker and darker. Finally I called Josephine in just before the sky opened to dump more buckets of rain. Michael was saying goodbye as I was zipping up my rain jacket. He looked me oddly and asked if I was riding my scooter. I laughed and said "no way". We both ran to our vehicles getting completely drenched on the way. I set aside the thought of missing my morning meditation walk. I could just walk inside, but when it came time to get my coffee, the skies lightened and it stopped raining. I walked with my coffee mug out onto my out of the way path. I am thankful for these morning moments of solitude. It gives me time to make lists in my head for daily tasks. I don't need it to be outside, but I'm not going to lie that it helps. As I'm walking I notice how the sidewalk curves here and bends there. I hear the different sounds of the water fountain from the roar of the spraying jets to the trickle of drips that fall over the edge of one pool into the other. I see all sorts of little birds. It is in these moments where I am telling myself to pay attention and be aware. See the details. This practice makes it easier to see the details in the day's tasks and problems.

I am thankful for the two whole days without rain this week. I am thankful for rice noodles. I am thankful for the salad greens, spinach and kale that we ate on this week because it came straight out of our garden. Everyone knows that those things taste sweeter when they come from your own garden. I am thankful for bicycle rides and scooter rides. I am thankful that Mom is coming in for a visit this weekend. Saturday starts the Corporate Challenge softball tournament at 6:30 AM. There's no dragging Michael out that early on a Saturday. So I'm really thankful Mom will be here to come with me to the games. I am thankful for the small details and I'm thankful for you.

Here's to a fabulous weekend and wonderful Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

For the last few days, my email inbox has been filled with ads for Memorial Day Sales. Take an additional 40% off here. Save up to 50% on things there. It's not just a Memorial Day Sale; it's a Memorial Day Sales EVENT! These ads are mixed in with all the other promotional emails on hosting the best bbq and the healthiest burgers to grill this Memorial Day weekend! There was a time when my Memorial Day weekend would be all about the barbecues and the shopping and that paid day off of work. I now know better. It's just the knowledge of the true meaning of Memorial Day came to me in the most unfortunate way. There have been six thousand eight  hundred and forty U.S. service members die since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. That's 6,840 families who understand the true meaning of Memorial Day. 

I used to think it was cliche to say "thank you" to a service person. I am still annoyed by people who thank me or my family for our sacrifice. A lot of that had to do with how I disagreed with the politics behind Operation Iraqi Freedom. I still disagree with the politics that send our service people into harms way. It dawns on me though that our service people do not choose where they serve. They just choose to serve. That's a pretty big commitment and sacrifice to say "hey, I'll go where ever you send me and fight who ever you tell me too." Sure they expect a few things in return like decent housing and good health care and some sort of income. It would also be nice if their family was taken care of while they are away on leave. These are simple and easy things for us to do considering that serving their country is a very dangerous job and there's a very real probability that they won't come home to that family. 

So today, I am grateful for those who choose to serve this country and who died serving this country.  Because these soldiers don't just fight terrorists, they also provide aid and medical help to those in need. They are humanitarians. They are teachers and they are protectors. There is a group of ROTC kids that go out and put flags up on every veteran grave site in the military cemetery where J is buried. There are a lot of grave sites; it's a big cemetery. They do every single one. And it's not just slap a flag up and run on to the next one thing. They ceremoniously unfold the flag and then stand at attention while it is being raised up the pole. I am grateful to these young people for their dedication in honoring and paying tribute to our veterans. I don't think they realize what it means to the families of those they honor. 

And, honestly, I am also a little grateful for the paid holiday. Cheers to you and your's and happy Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

I'm real proud of this salad. #365

"I'm real proud of this salad. #365"

Hey, remember that time I said that I thought I wanted to take up running and then I kind of did, but then I didn't because of various (excuses) reasons? I have to say that thought has crawled back into my brain again.  Early last Saturday morning, I drove downtown to go to a yoga class at Sage (I like that place for a few reasons that is probably a post of it's own). As I drove down the city streets, I kept seeing women running or starting out their run for the morning. None of them looked happy, but all of them looked determined. And I thought "Hey! I think I'd like to try that whole running thing again." Then I had a two day sinus headache that has morphed into nasal congestion. Wednesday night I was have a fairly explicit sexual dream and I started gasping for breath because of well...things, but then I realized that I actually couldn't breath and I woke up gasping for air because I really couldn't breath. Both nostrils had become completely blocked. This hasn't kept me from walking more than 12,000 steps every day or practicing catching and throwing a softball. I got the whole getting hit in the face thing out of the way with the first throw. My lip is black and blue and my right arm and rib cage are a bit sore, but I still have all my teeth and I feel more comfortable catching a softball with a mitt. 

Despite the mouth breathing situation and sore body, I still think that I might want to run or runwalk or something that makes it look like I'm running. I just have visions of me and Josephine trotting along the Trolley Track Trail together. We could be just like one of the dozens of girl with dog on leash sets that I see running along that trail. I don't think a swishy pony tail is required. Just maybe a cap and some good running shoes. Look, I am just as surprised by this idea as you are hearing it come from me. Though I am surprised I am also grateful. Lately I haven't wanted to do anything. I get up and walk around and get on the treadmill. I get my steps in, but when the little band on my wrist nudges me for sitting too long, I'd rather ignore it. I drag my feet when it's time to get on the treadmill. I still do it. I still get on the treadmill and walk around. I just don't want to do it. Now, suddenly, I find myself wanting to do something other than mold myself to the couch. I am thankful for this switch that's been turned on in my brain. I think it's a good sign even if I end up just walking the Trolley Track Trail. 

I don't talk about being depressed too often here. Mostly because I still don't feel like I could be diagnosed with clinical depression. Winter time is, for a number of reasons, especially difficult for me. It's difficult for everyone, but usually I bounce right out of the winter time blahs with Spring. Spring time moved in at a snail's pace this year and my winter time malaise has taken time to shake off. Even on the sunny days where I've been able to ride the scooter and I've petted chickens and I feel kind of happy, there's been a section of my brain that still felt kind of sad. I am thankful for a shift in mood that makes me want to be active because it's a sure sign that I've finally kicked those winter time blahs to the curb. 

What else? I am thankful for and humbled by the happy Mother's Day wishes I received on Sunday. I have plenty of more thoughts on this but I think I'll save that for another time. I am thankful for the things growing in the backyard. This, of course includes the chickens. They are so big now. They are CHICKENS! I wouldn't be surprised if one of them lays an egg tomorrow. We had the most lovely salad of mixed greens last night for dinner. Michael kept picking a leaf out of the salad spinner and munching on it and then exclaiming "That came out of the garden!" I have discovered a new favorite way to cook mushrooms. I mix together some tamari, sesame seed oil and honey, toss the mushrooms in the sauce and the roast at 450 for about twenty minutes, turning in between. They are delicious and Michael even likes them, so I'm pretty thankful for roasted mushrooms.  We are happy, healthy and almost wise in this house. That's really a good reason to be thankful. There's also you guys. I'm always thankful for you.

Here's to a lovely weekend and a truly Thankful Friday.

THANKFUL FRIDAY

My mother was my first feminist role model.  I mean she was no Gloria Steinem, but she was my first memory of seeing a woman doing the things only men were supposed to do as men told women to do them. She was that woman who could and did  bring home the bacon and then fry it up in a pan. As soon as I started preschool, mom started working on her associates in business. Then she went right on into the work force where she struggled just like all the other women to balance work and home and being a "good" mother. She was my first example of a woman having pride in her work. She didn't just have a job because we needed the money. We did at times really need the money, but her job gave her a special sense of purpose. She was the first woman in my life to teach me those things were possible. 

In fourth grade, I fell off the top of the monkey bars and broke my arm during lunch recess. My mom worked as a greeting cards rep for American Greeting at the time. She had to travel all over Oklahoma visiting stores that sold American Greeting cards. Dad was working in a top secret area of American Airlines. It probably wasn't really top secret, but he couldn't get phone calls. The school didn't have any phone records for me. They couldn't get a hold of either parent. The only thing they could do was send someone over to the high school to fetch my sister. Janell sat with me in the principal's office and patted my back while I rested my head on a desk and cried. We sat there until my dad got off work at 3:30. My mom was so upset that there hadn't been a way for the school to contact her about my broken arm that she went to the greeting card company and demanded they provide her with a cell phone. This would have been somewhere around 1985. From then on my mom drove around with this giant cell phone/bag contraption in her car so that she could be reached in cases of emergencies. 

I know she felt bad about all of that. I know she felt guilt for not being there and knowing that I sat for so long with out medical attention and in serious pain. I know it's something that truly bothered her. I'd like to think I was not the kind of child that ever said anything to her about her not being there. I don't remember being overly upset about her not being there, but to be fair I was in some pain and things are blurry from that day. I do know that I never told her that I was OK with her not being there. I never said "hey, really, it's OK Mom." Because it was. I probably should have told her that. I probably should tell her that. I should tell her that I know she would have been there in a heart beat if they had been able to contact her. I also know that her job wasn't just important to her, but without her income, I would have missed out on soooo much. I should say to her that it was Dad's turn. Mom was there through all of the crap with the first broken arm. She was the one who took me to countless doctors appointments, to get my tonsils out, to the allergists. She was the one who took me to get my wisdom teeth out and was the one who dealt with the skin crawling incident that resulted from the pain meds they gave me after my wisdom teeth surgery. I am thankful that she was there, but more importantly, I am thankful that she is the type of mom who wants to be there. Because really, she has always been there when it truly mattered to me.

I hope she has a lovely and relaxed Mother's Day and I hope that all the seeds I sent her are thriving. Just like me. 

Happy Thankful Friday!  

THANKFUL FRIDAY

Chicken butt #lookforthelight

"Chicken butt #lookforthelight"

Monday, I rushed home after work to meet the plumber (yes, again, and I don't really want to talk about it because if I don't talk about it everything will be OK). There's been family drama and while the plumber worked in the basement and I paced the floor, I took turns with Katrina in calming my sister down. Tuesday I rushed home after work to take Josephine to the vet for her last shot of the year. Wednesday, I stayed late for yoga class. Thursday evening, I went home and did yard work. Later that night, Michael made an emergency trip to the drug store for Benedryl and Calamine lotion to treat the patch of poison ivy that's appeared on my shin. All of this sounds like a week for which I am thankful is over. But....

The family drama has been somewhat resolved. Everyone is safe and unharmed and alive. Josephine was the most behaved puppy while getting a shot and then getting her nails trimmed. This earned her a pigs ear that she has been obsessing over all week. Oh, to chew or to hide?!?  That is her Shakespearean question. We came home to find Michael cleaning out the chicken coop. He opened the large back door of the coop to let the chickens roam the yard while he cleaned. I was soon recruited to keep an eye on the chickens because Michael was having a hard time keeping track of four chickens while trying to clean. Also, they fly. Not high, but high enough to fly up and over a fence. So I happily sat on the garden ledge and watched chickens peck and scratch in the brush that's grown up around one of the old logs form that tree fall years back.  I took pictures and marveled at how much they've grown and how their  feathers have turned mostly to feathers with only a little bit of down left on their necks. Marguerite's feathers around her neck have started to turn gold, like she's wearing a fancy choker.  I picked up each one and told them I loved them. 

Wednesday I had lunch with an old friend from high school. Kristina and I used to carpool to the Tulsa Community College our senior year because we both took college courses instead of sitting around doing nothing. She lived with in walking distance of our house and she has always been a serious girl with strong convictions but a ready smile and laugh. We sat at lunch talking about our nows and not to much of our thens. Our conversation was like stepping into a comfortable shoe. We hadn't seen each other in years (probably 10), but it was like we'd just seen each other yesterday. I wish we'd had more time. In fact I really wish we'd had time for a slumber party because Kristina is the type of girl you can do that with. Also, I would have liked to have felt up all the fiber and yarn she'd just made at yarn school. Her duffle bag was FULL. 

I got all of the backyard weedeated before the battery gave out on the weedeater and all of the hedges trimmed. The few times on my yoga mat this week have been glorious practices. I've made all of the step goals and sleep goals. The parts of this week that were unpleasant take up a tiny paragraph of this entry, but the good things? Wow! Would you look at all the good things I have to be thankful for?! A long time ago, Thankful Friday was just a list. A simple list of things that I was grateful for in my week. I started those lists to remind myself that yes, there some crappy things that happen, but tucked in between are some truly amazing things. I am thankful for this practice and I'm ending the week with a reward. It's First Friday here! Art galleries are open and food trucks are out. The high for today is 75. Our evening will be an evening of scooters and food trucks. 

Here's to a treat of a weekend and an awesome Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

I love these bookends @potatobiker sent me. She's the coolest. #365

"I love these bookends @potatobiker sent me. She's the coolest. #365"

This Saturday is the 27th Kansas City AIDS Walk. Today, after work, I'll head over to the park to help set up the tent for the Memorial Flags and help out where ever I'm needed. Because this year, I told myself that I was going to do more than raise money for the AIDS Walk. Let me talk about the money part for just a minute though. You guys? You guys are just the most amazing. Thanks to your generosity, I have raised well over my fundraising goal. I keep that goal kind of low because I am always surprised that I raise any money at all, but every year you guys step up and pitch in and remind the world that the internet was made for good things. I am humbled and so grateful. Your generosity is a gift.

This has been a week of little gifts. Monday, I had my doctor's appointment where she ordered tests, but said everything looked fine. She said I was healthy and the tests would just be proof of that. Wednesday, Stephanie sent me a text telling me she had her first nursing interview this week. I don't know if she got the job, but the fact that she's barely out of school and already getting job offers sounds like good news to me. I'm so proud of her. That evening I came home to a package from Amy containing scooter bookends. And not just any scooter bookends, but scooter bookends that look just like my scooter. They are propping up my sciencey books on my desk at work like Biochemical Calculations.  I look at them and whisper "vroom, vroom." Then on Thursday, I had just rolled out my mat for some yoga when Shannon (my yogi friend) came in to teach her lunch time class and said "I have something for you!" She gave me this really cute little bag with chickens all on it. Those bags are her new obsession and when she saw that they made one with my new obsession on it, she couldn't resist. Finally, the last little gift was hearing that my dear Jen just landed a new job working in an art museum. This is where she belongs and I couldn't be more thrilled or proud of her. I am thankful for all of these little gifts. 

This life is good. There are chickens in the yard, a puppy chewing on my fingers, and things popping up in the garden. We are healthy, fat and happy. I've even gone so far as to make some impulsive decisions that makes me feel a little exposed and vulnerable. I realize now that these things have to be done because it's all part of the roller coaster ride. I love roller coasters! I am thankful for tofu tacos and sunny scooter days even if it's been really cold for my morning ride. I am thankful for the Spider Girl picture the Cabbage colored and hung on our fridge. Most of all, I am thankful for you. 

Here's an eventful weekend and hopefully dry AIDS Walk and a truly Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

Chickies #365

"Chickies #365"

The other day I received an email from Jeana at Ahimsa Healing saying she had a last minute cancelation and was offering that appointment up at a discount. I may have mentioned Jeana here before, but it's been a really long time. In fact, it's been a really long time since I've seen Jeana. I stopped making appointments with her because scheduling became difficult and then I just couldn't really afford it. This isn't the first time Jeana has sent out the cancelation email. Usually, I ignore them because I feel like it's too much of an expense, but this time I didn't hesitate. I replied to her email almost without even thinking about it. The timing for that cancellation and Jeana's email couldn't have come at a better time. She is by far the best energy/massage therapist I have ever encountered. Every time I see her, I feel like I am meeting an old friend. She was practically my therapist when Chris died. She made it easy for me to spill my guts about how I was really feeling, instead of masking it with "I'm fine." And I didn't realize until now just how much I have missed her. She is someone that I am easily thankful for this week and I've made myself a promise that I would see her at least once a year. I went ahead and scheduled an appointment for September.

Jeana helped remove the stacks of stones I've been balancing. The plumber is coming back to the house today to help remove a few more of those stones. Our goal for this weekend is to have the chickens in their coop by tomorrow, thus removing a few more stones from both of us. Michael confessed on Wednesday that the fate of the chickens has been weighing so heavily on him that at times it keeps him up at night. Our other goal is to Spring clean the house. The other night when I said the house seemed dirty, Michael said "It's not really that dirty, but I understand that you need it to be clean. What can I do to help?" I was able to give him the task of deep cleaning the kitchen without any guilt. I don't know if he realizes just how grateful I am to be able to do that. 

I am thankful that we are able to remove the small things from our worry list. I am thankful for the two days I was able to ride the scooter this week. I am thankful for the new allergy medicine I am now taking. I switched to Flonase, finally, after hemming and hawing and sneezing and waking up with a sinus headache every day. So far the only side affect has been some hyperactivity in the mornings. Which is only annoying to the guys I work with because I'm all "hey! hey! hey!" while they're moaning about needing more coffee. I am thankful for seeds that have been planted both physically and metaphorically. I am SO SO SO thankful for each of you who have donated to my AIDS Walk Fundraising Page. And as always, I am thankful for each of you who come here and read these words.

Here's to a clean weekend and a super Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

I rode the scooter any way.

"I rode the scooter any way."

Yesterday morning, as I was gathering things together for work, Michael asked me if I'd opened the garage door. I replied "Yes, to get my scooter out." "You're taking your scooter?!?! We must have very different weather apps on our phones." I looked at him and said "Oh, it's going to rain today. I just think I can get there before it starts." Every day this week we've had a chance of rain. The sky will look like it's going to dump buckets of rain only to clear up by the end of the day. Every day this week around 4:30 pm, I have looked out the window and have cursed myself for not riding the scooter. Sean, at work, has done the same thing about his bicycle. So yesterday morning, when he came into the office after seeing my scooter in the parking garage, Sean looked at me and said "Did you just decide to say 'fuck it'." I replied "pretty much." 

There's always some tune that pops into my head while I'm riding the scooter, always something jaunty. "All the Single Ladies" for some reason is a constant one that I hum while zipping down the streets. Occasionally a show tune gets in there and I find myself this close to belting out a song in my best Ethel Merman or Doris Day impression. Yesterday I couldn't help it. Put on a Happy Face rolled right on into my brain because I just knew that the gray skies were indeed going to clear up. I couldn't help but put on a happy face as I made my way to work, where I arrived without a single drop of rain hitting me.  I am thankful that I did not get rained on, but more than anything I am thankful that I took the risk. 

It may appear that I am a daily and casual risk taker. There is now a running joke between me and Michael any time I even think about sticking my arm out of the car to get a picture. He says "Get in the car Cindy" as soon as he hears the window rolling down. This is because I have been known to stick more than just an arm out a window of a moving vehicle while trying to get "the shot". I ride a scooter which, I suppose, is a slightly risky mode of transportation. I regularly expose myself mentally (a few times physically) on the internet, running the risk of judgement and ridicule. Except I don't see any of these things as risky. I always loop my foot around the seat belt before climbing out the car window. I always wear my helmet when riding the scooter and if I was a talker, I'd probably just tell you those stories I write here anyway. To me the risk comes in not taking the picture, missing the scooter ride or a story forever forgotten from not writing it down. I am thankful for the risk because more often than not, the action of taking the risk has brought me the most joy.

We've got a busy weekend planned full of dance classes, yard work, finishing the chicken coop and taking apart the lawn mower for some routine maintenance. With any luck, we'll have seeds planted in the ground by Sunday and a coop ready for chickens who are just about to out grow their box, which is bigger than the box they were in a week ago. The weather is supposed to cooperate and this I am thankful for. I am also thankful for all of you who have made a donation to my AIDS Walk Fundraising page. I will be contacting each of you in May about a thank you gift. There's still time to make a donation! I am thankful for leftover pistachio salad and chocolate chip cookies. I am thankful for tail wags. I am thankful for you.

Here's to a beautiful weekend and a super Thankful Friday!

THANKFUL FRIDAY

Seeds are sorted.

"Seeds are sorted."

I'm really tempted to fall back on a list of grateful for this week. There's just a bunch of things that are all kind of random this week. So...I'm giving you a list.

• Yesterday was Stephanie's birthday. She's been my bff since probably 4th grade. I'd never eaten salami or bagels before I met her. One time we ate a whole jar of homemade bread and butter pickles with slices of cheddar cheese. We used to pull the cushions off their couch and line them up next to Steph's bed and that's where I'd sleep when I slept over. I have a box of notes she wrote me during our sophomore/junior year of high school. Once, while riding in the back of the camp trailer, she almost choked on a brownie. Scared the living daylights out of me. She was at my wedding. I was at her wedding. I saw her graduate college and I was there when her first baby was born. Stephanie has gone back to school to become a nurse. It has not been an easy path, but she's tough as nails. She'll graduate this Spring and I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of her. She's awesome and I'm thankful she's been the twosome to our gruesome. 
• Robin's mom was hit by a car last week. Thankfully she's going to be OK, just really uncomfortable for a while with two badly broken legs. 
• Michael fell over with his scooter the other day. I was in the process of trying to turn my scooter around in the garage. He was rolling down the hill to the street, headed to work. I looked up just in time to see his foot slip on the wet grass. He's kind of achy, but nothing is broken and the scooter is fine. It's just that now we are of the age that when we fall down, it hurts.
• I decided kind of short notice that we should got to Mom's for Easter. It started out as a simple "let's die Easter eggs at Mom's!" to "everyone come over to Mom's for Easter dinner and egg dying and egg hunting!" and I am absolutely fine with this. We're going to eat three different kinds of salad, none of which contain lettuce, two are made with mayo and one is made with Cool-Whip. The Cabbage will have other kids to play with and we will die and hunt Easter eggs. I can't wait. 
• Last but not least, I am super thankful for those of you who have donated to my AIDS Walk fundraising page. You just have no idea how much I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Here's to a wonderful weekend filled with laughter and love and a truly Thankful Friday!