when i get home tonight dinner will be waiting for me.
some nights this is because i have a wonderful manfriend who knows his way around a kitchen.
but tonight it’s all about the crockpot.
this morning i lovingly filled the crockpot with turkey stock, veggies and seasonings. i turned it to low and walked out the door.
when i get home i will be greeted with the heavenly smells of turkey soup. ready and waiting just for me. well for me and the fiend and tr.
man do i love my crockpot.
I’ve been a slacker. which is easy to do when you are traveling, turkeying and subsequently napping. but i want to close out this thanksgiving experiment right, so i am going to make up for my laziness with a triple play today.
first, i am thankful for shared meals. food is what keeps you going. but when you share it with the people that you care about, it becomes an event. from the big holiday meal to the small family dinner, sharing food together brings us to the table to laugh and talk and enjoy each other’s company. that’s a pretty great thing.
second, i am thankful for new friendships. i have been very lucky to connect with someone i have known for a while, but hadn’t previously really been able to cultivate a friendship with. but now there’s nothing stopping us from grabbing a beer, giggling together and sharing our stories. and i am so glad we are.
third, i am thankful for family. both in the traditional i’m-related-to-you sense and the existential you-are-my-family-because-i-choose-you sense. i am lucky to have a healthy amount of both in my life. and they all bring so much to the table. our shared histories and abiding connections make the world seem a lot less scary. because when you are backed by all this love, how could it possibly be that bad?
because sometimes you need it.
it’s great to be able to change things up. it’s great to be able to do things differently.
I’m working from home today and it has been a great and productive experience. I am so grateful to work in a place that is flexible enough to let that happen.
sometimes it’s the little things. little victories, they can make everything seem a little brighter.
i definitely needed that.
It is wonderful to have wise people in your life. The kind of people who can gently show you your mistakes and help you understand why you made them. The kind of people who can give you much needed perspective when you can’t see beyond yourself. The kind of people who can point you in the right direction when you have lost your way.
Thank you to everyone in my life who has provided me with this guidance at some point in time. I am blessed to have each and every one of you.
We are driving home and the day is dissolving into dusk. The sky is tinged purple. As we crest a hill it’s there, slung low in the sky, full bellied and yellow-orange, a thin indigo strand of cloud slicing through the lower half.
The full moon.
We both gasp. It’s stunningly beautiful. Despite everything, it makes me smile.
Today was cold and windy. So me, the Fiend and Bayou went to the beach.
Its nice to have the beach mostly to yourself. Bayou ran frantic laps around us as we walked. She was a leaping jumping tongue dangling super dog. There were other free range puppies on the beach too. Bayou even played with two without putting her tail between her legs or hiding behind me. Mostly.
The Fiend and I engaged in a clam rescue mission. Some big guys were trapped above the high tide line and were starting to dry out. We carried armfuls to the water and created a happy little clam colony.
We drew in the sand and had races. We frolicked. We got sandy and the Fiend didn’t even complain.
In other words, a perfect beach day in November.
Sometimes it’s not easy. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it is incredibly joyful. Sometimes it hurts like hell. Sometimes it makes you feel bad. Sometimes it sets you free.
Whatever it is, it’s always better to be honest. And while I don’t always feel it immediately, I am always grateful for the truth.
I am blessed to have wonderful friends. They make me laugh. They let me cry. They listen to me when I have to sort stuff out. They honor me by sharing their worries with me. They are singers, dancers, bakers, actors, artists, poets, cooks, queens, princes, mischief-makers, secret keepers and heroes.
So thank you to all of you that I am lucky enough to call friend for all that you do. I have so much love and gratitude for you.
The Gillman Girl Home for Wayward Creatures and Unwanted Things 