Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm grateful that soon we'll be with family and that we'll get to eat delicious food and eat the pies that we made last night (we are going to have so many pies that there will be enough for a half a pie a piece if people so desire). I'm grateful for the beautiful day it is outside and that I slept nice and warm and cozy inside.

I'm grateful for how peacful and serene it is when snow is falling at night. I'm grateful that the storm didn't hit us as hard as expected, it might have been cool to have a blizzard but I'd rather not be snowed it and have power and heat. I'm grateful that soon I will be free (by my rules) to listen to Christmas music. I'm grateful for Christmas books, mine are sitting out ready to be read. I'm grateful for washing machines and dryers. I'm grateful for pie, I probably said that already but pie is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving, we generally have 6-9 types of pie at our Thanksgiving dinners and we're in charge of the pies. I'm grateful for real mashed potatoes (some of my cousins have potato pearls for Thanksgiving (to be fair, that's their dad's line of work) and I just can't support that.) I'm grateful I didn't wake up to my brother practicing the drums today. I'm grateful for public libraries and libraries in general. I'm grateful that I'm not a rock star, it's ironic that the people in the lifestyles that people generally envy quite often don't have lives that enviable. I watched LennoNYC last night, an American Masters about John Lennon's time living in America.

I'm grateful it didn't snow yesterday when I was out driving around. I'm grateful for the beautiful day it was. I'm grateful that I don't need to rely on finding parking spots close to a store or handicaped spots; I'm grateful that I have legs that work and thus I can walk, even from the other side of a parking lot. I'm grateful that I don't need to take any medications. I'm grateful that I was proven very wrong in thinking that Book of Mormon Pictionary would be a boring activity, it was so much fun. I'm grateful that I was on the winning team and now have a coldstone gift card. I'm grateful that the horsey sauce mashed potatoes I made up last night turned out pretty good. I'm grateful that it's almost Thanksgiving!

picture taken by Campbell Photography

I'm grateful for church yesterday and the wonderful lessons and talks that were given. I'm grateful for the bishopric member who got released yesterday, we'll miss him a lot. I'm grateful for the chance to get to know a new bishopric member. I'm grateful for the delicious ward thanksgiving dinner that I got to eat yesterday and for the wonderful ladies who made it. I'm grateful for snow. I'm grateful to be donating to the food bank rather than receiving. I'm grateful for pies and that my mom makes great pies and that we'll be eating them on Thursday!

Sorry there wasn't a post yesterday, it was a crazy day.

I'm grateful that I still got to go and play volleyball, even though my alarm didn't go off and I slept in. I'm grateful for the nice lady who let our team play even though we only had one guy (co-ed rules, but I never saw anything saying we had to have three boys, the just assumed we'd have them) and that said lady became our team's personal cheerleader, she was wonderful. I'm grateful for the people who showed up so we'd have enough people to play, the one guy on the team who's girlfriend dragged him in and the lovely lady who hadn't intended on coming but came because we needed her. I'm grateful that getting hit in the head with a volleyball doesn't hurt that bad and I'm grateful that my glasses and my eye are both okay from the impact. I'm grateful that our couches are in the couch again (they were in the garage for the remodel). I'm grateful that when driving last night I had a companion and navigator. I'm grateful for a fun evening of friends. I'm grateful that despite the snow we were able to get home safely. I'm grateful for how beautiful it looks when it's snowing at night. I'm grateful for a warm, comfortable nights sleep. I'm grateful for the joy I feel in waking up in the morning to snow (it's so beautiful and there's so much more this morning). I'm grateful that it's Sunday and that I'll get to go to church in a few hours. I'm grateful for the ward Thanksgiving dinner that we'll be having after church today and for the wonderful Bishopric and their wives who'll be preparing it.

I'm grateful for the special days that Fridays are. I'm grateful that I get to play volleyball tomorrow. I'm grateful that I'm no longer hearing drum practice. I'm grateful for the scriptures. I'm grateful for warm showers. I'm grateful for family traditions.

Mortality and Gratitude

I was reminded of my own mortality this morning when I found out that one of my past FHE brothers (FHE stands for Family Home Evening, every Monday night in LDS families we have an evening together as a family, in college or singles wards we're not with our actual families so we gather together in FHE groups.) died yesterday in a plane crash. It's sort of a shock, to think about someone my age and that I knew being dead so suddenly. Life is precious and we don't really know when it will end. He was a really nice guy and my condolences are with his family and his wife. It's sad to think about but it makes me so grateful for the plan of salvation and the knowledge that we can see friends and loved ones again someday. I'm grateful that through temple covenants, families can be together forever, that mariages don't have to be "'til death do you part" I am grateful for the gospel and the numerous blessings that it brings into my life. I'm grateful that death isn't just the end.

I'm grateful that ganache is being made upstairs. I'm grateful for chocolate and it's wonderful smell. I'm grateful that I found my knee pads so I can play volleyball on Saturday (when I play volleyball without them I have friction burns and bruises on my knees, knee pads were a great investment). I'm grateful for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, which I'm listening too now. I'm grateful for books, and book shelves, and reading.

I'm grateful for friends and laughing and being silly with them. I'm grateful that I got to hear a friend's a capella group give a concert last night. I'm grateful for skills that I have. I'm grateful that my room is cleaner than it's been in ages. I'm grateful for shows like Rosemary and Thyme that our family enjoys together.

I'm grateful for prayers answered and for the opportunity yesterday to teach a lesson on baptism and to be taught in turn. I'm grateful for the tallents of others. I'm grateful that enough people signed up in my ward that we can have a team play in a regional volleyball tournament. I'm grateful that I was able to take bookbinding in college and learn how to make books. I'm grateful for good art museums.

I'm grateful for beautiful music and free concerts that feature beautiful music. I'm grateful for beautiful places. I'm grateful for beauty wherever it can be found. I'm grateful for useful tools. I'm grateful for my responsibilities and when I'm able to do them well. I'm grateful for the fresh start of a new day. I'm grateful that it's Sunday once again. I'm grateful that I've been able to make some of the things hanging in my closet and I'm grateful for the help I've received in making those items.

I'm grateful for Costco and for samples. I'm grateful for a nice warm coat. I'm grateful for caramel apple flavored things. I'm grateful for finding acorns and chestnuts. I'm grateful for crunchy leaves. I'm greatful for spellchecks. I'm grateful that I'm a much better speller than I used to be. I'm grateful for ice skating and gymnastics on tv.

I'm grateful for the people who've gone before who've established and created things that I appreciate and even take for granted. I'm grateful for the beautiful art work of friends and mentors that provide motivation and inspiration for me. I'm grateful that I went to school at BYU and got my degree in visual art despite all the well meaning people who've tried to talk me out of it along the way. I'm grateful for the well meaning people who care about me and have tried to talk me out of pursuing art (even though it can be frustrating and discouraging at the time). I'm grateful that I live so close to so much beauty.

I am grateful that I've never had any inclination to join the circus, especially after seeing a tv show about life, and the people of the circus behind the scenes. I'm grateful for a slice of perspective to make me see just how lucky I am in my life and how much more grateful I ought to be for things that I've taken for granted. I'm grateful for my family. I'm very grateful for my religion.

I'm grateful for beautiful music. I'm grateful for warm flannel sheets and fleece slipper socks. I'm grateful that I have a computer and access to the internet.

"Is Civility Dead?"

A week or so ago on the Today show they were asking that very question, "Is civility dead?" I didn't watch the whole story but they went on to give numerous examples of our society's lack of civility. Watching and hearing about these examples made me both sad and concerned. It's very true that we're surrounded by the lack of civility, from reality tv, to sitcoms, to the news, to traffic, etc. I'm guilty of incivility and I imagine that just about all of us are or have been. I didn't like what I saw, all those examples of how common incivility is, it made me want to be a more civil and civilized person, kinder and more respectful. Civility may be close to death but I believe that we have the power to change that and to bring back civility. Each one of us controls our actions and has the power to bring more civility into our lives. I was reading Elder Quentin L. Cook's talk from general conference and I think it is a good guide on civility. I'm working on my own civility and I hope other people will do so as well.

I'm grateful for how pretty the snow is, and for one of my favorite breakfasts. I'm grateful that I got my room a little cleaner/more organized. I'm glad for the cozyness of being warm in your bed when it's cold outside.

I'm grateful for the feeling of productiveness. I'm grateful to feel needed and of worth. I'm grateful for all the good reading that's available to me. I'm grateful for chocolate and for carmle apple sugar babies.

I'm grateful for daylight savings in the fall. I'm grateful for the Sunday Comics in the newspaper. I'm grateful to get to go to church today. I'm grateful for a great ward.

I'm grateful for good food cooked by someone else. I'm grateful for good food period. I'm grateful that I've got a book from the library that I've been looking foreward to.

I'm grateful to have my copy of the conference ensign. I'm grateful for good books marked down to prices I can justify in buying. I'm grateful for the cereal bowl full of raspberries I was able to pick yesterday - in November!

I'm grateful that even though I may not always enjoy it, I have the chance to help my Grandma's, give a ride, mow a lawn; it's good to spend time with them and to get to know them better. I'm also grateful that I got to see beautiful fall leaves and a beautiful sunset.

I'm grateful that I can do my laundry without saving my quarters. I'm grateful for friends and family. I'm grateful that the elections are over and with them the commercials and phonecalls from/about candidates. I'm grateful for chestnuts and oak trees. I'm grateful for socks. I'm grateful for flannel sheets and pajamas.

Thoughts on Christmas Music

I know there are people who are listening to Christmas music now, those that were listening in July, and even those who never stop listening to Christmas music. My feelings on Christmas music is that it ought not to be played until after eating on Thanksgiving. I believe my firmness about Christmas music season comes, at least in part, from my years working at a cafeteria in college, especially my time as a cashier; when Christmas music was played at the cafeteria it meant that I was hearing it in four hour shifts, every other day for the season. I know that there are people who love this, the station that was usually played at work plays Christmas music non-stop for 100 days until Christmas. I'm not against Christmas music, I quite enjoy it, I'm against the Christmas music that gets played on the radios. There really aren't that many Christmas songs, at least not played on the radio, there are hundreds of versions of these songs, but in essense there aren't that many songs and they get repetative. I took a tally of song frequency one year while at work. There were songs that I think were played four times an hour on average. That's a lot. My second problem with a lot of the songs that really have nothing to do with what Christmas is really about; you may love "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" and "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" etc. but I find them annoying and without purpose.
I do love Christmas music though and our family's library of Christmas music which is not so frequently played on the airwaves. We're in November now and it's tempting to just break out the Christmas music, I'll hold off a little longer. I think that Thanksgiving is a great holiday, a great time to reflect on the blessings we have in life, not just food, football or shopping. It makes me sort of sad that Thanksgiving gets shoved aside by the commercialism of Christmas.

I'm grateful for fun and friends. I'm grateful that it's Tuesday. I'm grateful for libraries. I'm grateful for the scriptures. I'm grateful for sketchbooks and drawing pencils. I'm grateful for enjoyable works of fiction.

kitchen update

The ugly wall paper is all but gone but now we have the cabinets in.

I am grateful for cars and their convienience. I'm grateful for the beauty to be found in nature. I'm grateful that I have access to a washer and dryer and that I don't have to hoard quarters to use them. I'm grateful for candy.