Category: Thanksgiving Lists

Being a grandmother !!!
video ichats
photos of Lucy
photography in general
having such a fabulous extended family (you know who you are!)
getting the NY Times delivered to my doorstep every Sunday morning (Thanks Greg)
an abundance of high quality, locally grown produce
getting comped something at a restaurant
finding money unexpectedly in a pocket, or anywhere for that matter
sharp scissors
my clothesline
the public library
good reads
flowers growing in sidewalk cracks
people who hold the elevator for you as you run to make it
knitting and happy recipients
heirloom tomatoes in the garden
food blogs
amber body oil from Sabon (Thanks Tess)
getting a real letter in my mailbox (Thanks Sandra)
putting on a meal together with Greg
having children that love a good meal AND create many of their own
that Luna is still with us and (barely) kicking
airplanes that bring us to loved ones and far-away places
my neighborhood
That Gordon spells “favorite” with a “u”

Favorites
Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Movie: Sweet Land
Live performance: Detroit Jazz Festival, esp. Regina Carter and
Stanley Jordon
Blog: of course, my children’s, which include
Gordon and Danika’s at machaggis.net
Laila’s at http://riceandbeansandcollardgreens.blogspot.com/
( check them out! ) and smitten kitchen at http://www.smittenkitchen.com
meal: Le Maurice-Paris; for the theatrics of it all
Saying: “Our business in life is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits. ‘ Robert Louis Stevenson

Being an auntie

Online photosharing, especially by the most prolific couple in the world who are constantly supplying my need for more little Lucy pictures

Porches

Surprise Sabres tickets

Tasty Tuesday with the girls, good food and wine and all the new additions to our crew this year

Weddings-specifically for getting together with old friends and meeting new, special ones, or one

Books on CD that make long drives more bearable

Triple cream cheese

Vegetable ash

Good running shoes

Supportive workplaces

Having an assistant

Watching my best friend transform from intern to doctor

Sunday dinners

Brunch

Food blogging

Frequent flier miles

Storm windows

When I make the coffee juuuuuuuuust right

Jazzfest (and my job paying for me to get to New Orleans!)

Trappist monks

Goodreads

Shinto shrines and blessings from around the world

Self-worth

I hate posting this because then later I always think of more things. 

Favorite Book:  Middlesex, old, I know, but I just read it

Favorite Movie: Don’t really know but I just watched Bread and Tulips and liked it

Favorite Meal: Ibiza in New Haven

Favorite Song/CD: Well, I was briefly obsessed with Tegan and Sara, followed by another brief obsession with M.I.A

Favorite Website/Blog:  well riceandbeanandcollardgreens.blogspot.com, of course!

It’s been a big year, and one of the fastest ever.

• Firefox remembering passwords (made this post easier)
• Important things going according to plan
• A baby who sleeps (shame about the early mornings though)
• Capturing instants of time
• Laughing babies
• The sound of the coffee grinder
• Butter
• Can I say Besalu every year?
• Danika not giving birth the night I was stuck on the I-90 bridge in a snowstorm
• Everything just being better than expected regarding the little one

As always the favourites are more an instant grab-bag than a carefully considered list:

Favourite Movie:

You know, so little is leaping to mind that I’m almost tempted to go with Music and Lyrics, which is just embarrassing, but I did watch it twice willingly so its not really that bad. However after research I’m going to have to say that 300 beat out both the Bourne Ultimatum (easily) and 3:10 to Yuma (just). Music and Lyrics is still almost in the running for popcorn.

Favourite TV:

Heroes Season 1 watched in batch long after if was on TV.

Favourite Book:

Unlike movies, a good year for books. I’m going to go with The Lies of Locke Lamora – thanks Martin.

Favourite Pizza:

Special one-off category for Waterfront Pizza in Port Townsend.

Favourite New Toy:

My 50-mm Nikon Lens (and you thought I would say iPhone, shame on you) – even though it’s from the end of last year and probably shouldn’t count!

Favourite Meal:

Danika’s new stew recipe. I’ve been to lots of restaurants this year, and enjoyed most of them, but my memory is failing me here and I don’t want to say something recent only because I remember it.

Favourite Music/CD::

Song:

Laughter in a Time of War or Walking Into Battle With The Lord from A Singsong & A Scrap, Chumbawamba

Album:

The Con, Tegan and Sara

Lily Allen was probably in second place for both of these categories.

Favourite Saying:

I’ve given up on Quotes of the Day, so I’m going to go with:

“Only pee-pees in poopie land” – g

—-

All Amazon links use tags to raise money for Ballard Corners Park.

I guess I’ll kick things off for 2007! I am grateful for so very many things this year.  Of course, having Lucy has changed my life profoundly.  But since I can’t include her, or the amazing husband I have (who is also an amazing father), I’ll try to come up with some other things. I am thankful for:

my midwives and doula
a husband who changes more diapers than I do
running, running, running
a daughter who loves nursing, kisses and cuddles
the various coos and gurgling sounds of a newborn
a supportive boss
the great community of friends we have who are local and can do things like babysit and bring us dinner
birth centers
fall fruits- cranberries, apples, pears, pumpkin
food blogs
flickr
having a “fan section” (aka Gordon and Lucy) during a race
grandmothers who knit
being a one-car family
car pool lanes
working part-time
cashew butter
fireplaces
people who hold the door for you when you’re trying to get a stroller in or out
amazon prime
being able to fit into (most of) my pre-pregnancy clothes
wi fi
video chats
not traveling for the holidays
people who give gifts for no reason
good running coaches and a team to run with
sleeping with Lucy
energy efficient appliances
my red corduroys
Cougar Mountain and Discovery Park
spicy chai
short security lines at the airport
my Le Creuset dutch oven

albums: “Cease to Begin”- Band of Horses, “A Singsong and a Scrap”- Chumbawumba
books: “Water for Elephants”
movie: off the top of my head, I liked “Ten Items or Less”
meal: Chez Shea

A little photo album to browse.

Mmmm…What am I thankful for?

For this moment and the Lord that gave it to me. 

For parents who always allowed me to be me and are thankful that I turned out (mostly) just like they wanted.

For a mom whose friendship means more than she (or anyone else) will ever know.

For a dad who is beginning to see his daughter is no longer twelve (and likes it!) and the friendship that is growing from that realization.

For friends who make the daily pressures and stresses of medical school seem like trifles.

For an almost stepmom who not only makes my dad happy but me and the rest of my family happy in the process.

For grandparents and aunts and uncles and endless family members who pride in me keeps me going on my darkest days.

For times when laughter is the only medicine but the best solution.

For any holiday that I get to spend with my family.

For this summer and time that I got to spend with my dad (it was priceless!)

For old and new friends, in various capacities that may not stay forever but change your life forever.

 

I’m thankful for seeing the Magellanic Clouds for the first time.

safe landings after rough flights

people who write their representatives and senators about the war and how the rest of the world sees the US

positive attitudes – and an “attitude of gratitude”

books on disk

public libraries

well-written books and stories

independent book stores

UNICEF

people who try to make the world better

Prairie Home Companion

uncomplicated pregnancies, in this case, Danika’s

cheese

fresh fruit

mostly happy memories

a furnace that works

real maps (and sometimes Mapquest)

Skype

hearing aid and glasses

philanthropic people – philanthropic spirit

service clubs and volunteers in general

two “new” old cats

frequent flyer miles

imagination

having “enough”

Google

cell phones

hope

adventures

opportunities to talk with those from other cultures and to visit other places in the world

my passport

getting upgraded on long flights

Hello Everyone,

I appreciate all of you that contributed to our post.  You give me sustenance.

I am in Chicago at the home of my Joe & Beth, along with the WHOLE Bondi crew, spiced up by a Mirthful Muldoon and two Mighty Millers. Here is part of our Thanksgiving Blessing, to be prayed togther before we dig in.

 

As our hands are joined

so are we

joined together.

Bless these gifts,

for food lovingly prepared.

For loved ones

and the nourishment we give each other.

For seeds

and the buds of new life.

Make clean our hearts.

Keep us mindful of the needs of others.

Fiil our souls with good and joyful things.

Amen. Let’s Eat!

 

ideographs

sine waves, saw waves, square waves, bass drums

teachers who excel at exciting

a tongue

clean water delivered to my door

instant hot water for tea or soup

electronic financial transactions

maps

chilled wax apples, dumplings, grass jelly

gotta say it, Skype

siblings who are great friends

people to play and run with (because gyms are tedious)

sleep, sweet dreamland

teeth, intact and numb and utile

an entirely walkable living, working, studying, playing, eating, and shopping environment

the divine mornings I’m reminded my city is surrounded by mountains (though by 9am they’re once again veiled by pollution)

smart friends (too smart, the little snots)

airplanes

vegetarian “meat”

sighs and their miraculous efficacy

affluence

being naturally mosquito-resistant

cappuccino

forgiveness (self- and otherwise)

movie that impressed me this year: Wings of Honneamise

book: who has time for those?

music: Melvin’s recent cello recital

yes, maybe there’s a theme in there somewhere….