Giving Thanks All Week

Today I decided that since we celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, why not celebrate the 7 days of Thanksgiving? (I know I'm always looking for an excuse to celebrate more!) So the next week, or so, I'm going to be blogging about thankful things.

Do you remember when Oprah came out with her Gratitude Journal idea? It was 1997, I remember because I thought it was kinda cool, so I started to write in my journal every day about something that I was grateful for. I had only been doing it a little while when I wrote an entry that I still remember (you'll see why).

I wrote that I was thankful for vacuum cleaners. Because we had set up the Christmas tree that night... it was a little one that we put on top of a little table, inside the play pen... because my son was 10 months old (no explanation needed there)... we had just decorated it when my husband at the time tripped, caught the play pen, knocked the tree over, and shattered about a gazillion glass ornaments. Hence my gratitude for vacuum cleaners. And wire. Which we then used to anchor the tree to the ceiling and wall once we got it back up on the table and in the play pen again.

Do you see why I remember this?

Anyway, today I remember my gratitude for vacuum cleaners. I'm still grateful. They're really quite handy. Along with dishwashers, dryers, microwaves, cuisinarts. Long live household appliances that make my life easier. I'm grateful.

Spreading Joy

A good friend of mine sent me a link to a fantastic minute movie.

Click here and feel the JOY: http://www.thejoymovie.com/

There is Something About a Sailor

What is it about sailors.... There is something about sailors that really floats my boat. Seriously, I'll about stop traffic when I'm in San Fran driving on the Embarcadero and I see one of these uniforms.

Maybe it goes back to the fact that I did, "Dames at Sea" and "South Pacific" my freshman year in high school. You can only sing, "The Sailor of My Dreams" so many times without it affecting you.

But it's more than that. It's more than the really great uniform. It's the courage of that person inside the uniform. I'm prouder than I have words for the fact that my grandfathers served on the seas in WWII. I feel that pride, and gratitude, and amazement every time I see a sailor.

This photo is from the US Navy website. There are pages of pictures of sailors. (I know, I looked.) And today especially I just wanted to say, "Thank you."

Because there is just something about a sailor...

Breaking Randomly Into Song and Dance

I remember having a conversation with a boy when I was in high school or college. He was complaining that he didn't like Musicals because they were so fake. Trying to make his point, he said, "In real life people don't randomly break into song and dance." With a dead-serious face I looked him in the eye and said, "In mine they do."

It's true. I randomly break into song and dance when so moved. I am often joined by friends, family members, and occasionally a co-worker. Rain storms are the perfect time to sing and dance. Cleaning corner to corner is the perfect time to sing and dance. Finding a new red hat is the perfect time to sing and dance.

I taught this fact of life to my children very early. We have staged our own versions of Stomp using couch cushions and Tupperware. They regularly join me in random bursts of song and dance and are getting quite good at instigating such bursts themselves. My daugher informed me Friday night as we left the theater after watching High School Musical 3 that the man she someday marries has to be the kind that will randomly burst into song and dance with her. Good girl.

After all, what would REAL life be like without a little song and dance?

A Little Pocket Money

I've been working full time hours for two months now and that means I finally have a little bit of pocket money at the end of the month. I spoiled myself just a teeny bit with these:

No, not all of them! Just one! I got my own yoga mat (I chose Forest Green - it felt earthy). I think I may have to name it. You can get your own HERE.


This next one I have no excuse for. It called my name. I answered. I've had vintage hat envy ever since I saw one like this on Stephanie Nielsen. I'm wearing mine for Christmas.

I'll have to post a picture of it actually on my head at some point. My daughter is already eyeing this. She said it's calling her name. She may be getting one for Christmas too. I bet my son would wear a pinstripe Fedora... hmm... You can find a hat of your own HERE.

History

It's just kind of cool when you live through a day you know is going to show up in the history books.

Books Books Books

Well, I'm a few days into the next month already, but there was all that fun holiday stuff this weekend. :-) So here are the books of September...

The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan - Book 2 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Just as good as the first. Lots of action. Very funny dialog!

Seeing Redd - Frank Beddor - 2nd book in the Wonderland Wars. Not as good as the first one. But then again, this is the middle of the trilogy where everything that can possibly go wrong, does.

Did I Expect Angels? - Kathryn Maughan - A heart-tugging drama with some well written humor. I actually met the author in San Francisco in August and when she described her book to me it sounded like something I would really enjoy. I really did.

The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan - Book 3 in the Percy Jackson series. By far the best and funniest one yet! I listened to this one in the car on DVD and almost had to pull over once or twice because I was laughing so hard.

Extras - Scott Westerfeld - I read the first 3 books in the series last year (Uglies, Pretties, Specials). I finally got around to reading the last one and loved it! This whole series is not to be missed. It's an exceptionally well done social commentary series. Good stuff!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick - Winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal - It's a comination of novel and beautiful charcoal drawings. The story is captivating and I found myself wanting to Google all the historical references. Well done.

The Amulet of Samarkand - Bartimaeus Trilogy Book One - Jonathan Stroud - The humor in this one is phenomenal! Bartimaeus is a 5000 year old djinni with some serious attitude. The story is well written and you just can't help but crack up over each of Bartimaeus' footnotes.

It's cold and rainy here tonight and I've got a really good book I'm reading now. However, it's also my yoga night... Do you suppose I could read and do downward-facing dog? Hmmm probably not recommended. My book will just have to wait a little longer.