Thankful

As it is the week of Thanksgiving, I thought it appropriate to pause for a moment to think about the things I really am grateful for. There are many!

Dictionary and Thesaurus widget on the Mac
I don't know how many of you use macs, but I just love the widget that shows my calendar, weather, time, calculator, or just about any other function I'd like to have when I push the F4 button. The feature I seem to use most is the Dictionary/Thesaurus. There are a few words that I can't ever remember to spell....one of them being "grateful." As you'll notice in my first sentence on this blog post, I got it correct.

Cook's Illustrated
I love having a subscription to Cook's Illustrated, in part because every recipe we make from the magazine is delicious, but also because I am learning a lot about cooking and tend to appear as a culinary genius as a result. Last night's stove top roasted chicken took a TON of work, but it was delicious and I think even Gordon Ramsay would have been proud.

Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on Hulu.com
We have a number of cable channels to select from as part of our monthly lease in the student village. Channel #70 is BBC America where we were recently introduced to Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. I needed more than just a 10AM fix each day, so we were thrilled to find out that he also has an American version of the show that we can watch online. As silly as it may sound, Gordon has really raised the bar for us in the kitchen when it comes to getting the freshest ingredients. We are sold!

The Internet
I know that sounds ridiculous, but where would I be without the internet? Seriously...my Master's degree would probably have been entirely different without it, not to mention that I would have a very difficult time trying to keep up with our friends who are literally scattered across the country....and Ethiopia & Cuba. No email? No google? No NYTimes online? No book-reading blogs to give me tips on the next fascinating novel? And quite possibly the most important element of online living...google maps.

Barack Obama
I'm sure it is obvious why I'm thankful for Barack Obama, and all the obvious reasons for my thankfulness are shared by many. But I am also thankful for Barack Obama because it means I won't have to watch Sarah Palin wink at the cameras for the next 4 years. I may have to hear "Shrillary" Clinton's nagging voice, but I can tolerate that pretty easily.

Old Friends
We have a number of very dear friends who we don't get to see as often as we'd like. I think that stinks. But they are still dear, and many of them are still very familiar with the goings-on of our lives. They have shaped us and sharpened us in a variety of ways, and the various transitions we've recently made have found us relying on them a great deal.

"Old wood to burn,
Old books to read,
Old wine to drink,
Old friends to trust."

New Friends
Having recently moved and now feeling like we are starting to become settled in Berkeley, we are very aware that we could not have done so without some very special new friends. New place, new friends, new adventures! We are especially thankful to the many friends we have made at FPCB!

Family
I would be remiss if I didn't mention family, not to mention I'd be in a lot of trouble with a number of people. Every year we come to cherish our families more and more. While we don't get to see everyone in our families as much as we would like, we hold on to the knowledge that our affections are shared and that the next visit will be "just around the corner." Although, those next visits are never soon enough. I am also very thankful to be living just 90 minutes from my parents...it makes our visits much easier and particularly enjoyable.

Free Stuff from the Dumpsters
It seems crude to post this after writing about being thankful for family, but whatever. It isn't intended to diminish the importance of family and you'll just have to trust me on that one. But seriously, I am so thankful for all the free stuff we have gotten in the last 3 years.

• Crate & Barrel down cushioned sofa
• Coffee table trunk
• Library ladder bookshelf
• Christmas plant in basket
• 24x36 inch cutting mat

Need I say more?

Luxury of time and space to bake and reflect
While I have been looking for work (yes I have been looking...just not finding) the past 4 months I have also had an opportunity to be in the kitchen more often. And being in the kitchen means I am also doing a lot more thinking and reflecting. This is a very good thing for everyone because it means good food and good thought. It is rare, culturally speaking, to have such a block of time and space to reflect on one's life. Sure, I spend time watching TV and doing social things online, but I have the rare opportunity to really think about things. Where do I want to go professionally? How can I be more supportive of Ryan during law school? How can our small group become more inclusive and dynamic? It's just so great to not be mentallly stagnant, even though on the outside it may just appear that I'm making parmesan peppercorn biscotti.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and over the next few days, think about all the people and things you're thankful for. Then tell them.