HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

It’s going to be a busy week, so I’m doing this now just in case I get too busy… See? I’m making perfect sense already.

Wednesday after work, Jene’ will pick me up and we will drive 6 + hours to San Angelo for Thanksgiving. The actual Thanksgiving feast is Friday, so we will have Thanksgiving Day to prepare the feast. Jene’s mom had carpal tunnel surgery on her wrist this week, so Jene’ and I will be in charge of the kitchen. Scratch that (in case some of you just had heart attacks…). Jene’ is in charge of the kitchen, which means she is in charge of all things that I can hurt myself with (i.e. knives) and I will follow her instructions. If I was in charge of the kitchen, one of the essential ingredients would be a first aid kit and my Betty Crocker (this is how you boil water) cookbook.

Now… don’t think I can’t cook. I can. I cook quite well. I just don’t cook well under pressure. Saturday night dinner at my house is no pressure. Thanksgiving (including large fowl in oven and something to do with cranberries, and expectations involving cornbread stuffing) is pressure. So, one of my I’m thankful for’s is Jene’ is in charge of the kitchen.

I have to do an I’m thankful for blog entry because this is my first Thanksgiving with a blog. After this year, I’ll probably adopt the notion that the I’m thankful for blog entry is blaise’ or something. We’ll see. So…

I’m thankful for… (in no particular order)

– little girl giggles

– pasta and other cheap eatables

– the work I have had

– Garnier Nutrisse #101 (Sugar Cane)

– the “just because,” “how are you?” and random e-mails and etceteras from friends all over the country

– Lindor chocolate truffles (good for the soul) and all other chocolate foods

– my car… it still runs and even without a/c, I’m grateful for it (and we’re driving it to West Texas, so PRAY HARD)

– reasonably good health (seriously, it could be worse and I just don’t want to go there)

– my West Texas based family

– creative inspiration

– Jene’ (If I start listing all the reasons why, I’ll start crying and I won’t be able to stop)

I’m sure I’m forgetting numerous people and things, but that’s the list that I came up with off the top of my head. I also thought of tons of little things, and they are too numerous to list here, but it got me to thinking that all those little things add up and help me get through the days where I feel like nothing is going right… and I’ve had plenty of those this year.

Enjoy your turkey and mashed potatoes and be thankful. If you’re stuck with your dysfunctional family on this particular holiday, you can still be thankful — you get to leave and go back home. If you are with a functional family, you’d better be thankful, period. If the turkey is dry, be thankful that you’ll still be full within the hour. Just be thankful about something. Otherwise, you’ve missed the whole point of Thursday and a lot of other days as well.

Happy Thankful Day!