Friday, December 12, 2008
10 Things of which I am thankful for
1. My (yes I call him 'my') Amish farmer in Pennsylvania, who raises happy cows and chickens, free of garbage, drugs and junk so that I can eat amazing raw cheese, milk, yogurt, creamer and meat! Two weeks of vacation away from home, eating eggs that were pale yellow and yogurt with high fructose corn syrup in it made me want to send Farmer John a fruit basket.
2. Athletic pants from Lucy. Comfortable, durable, wash well, and have all the seams in all the right places. I live in them, wearing them right now in fact!
3. Dishwasher detergent from the store: after practically ruining my glassware with baking soda/washing soda and vinegar, I realize I am no chemist, and some things really are not better home-made.
4. The smell of winter, always providing the opportunity to wear a scarf. That being said, home made scarfs!
5. Fancy napkins at dinner time...and the excuse they bring to put a sewing machine on my Christmas list!
6. CHRISTMAS!
7. 2000 Decembers ago Christmas song, and while listening to it, imagining the entire earth trembeling, rejoicing, and the heavens standing watch as the God of the Universe came down, as flesh...utube it!
8. Pandora Radio on my iphone, and the opportunity to enjoy music in any genre I like, without paying 99cents a song!
9. Kombucha tea: a fermented beverage with a sweet taste and fizzy vinegaresk finish. Helps detoxify the liver and provides powerful pro-biotics...among many of its health benifits. What can I say, I got hooked on the stuff when I was pregnant and the taste of vinegar was more appealing than chocolate!
10. My daughters 4 "B"s, which she must have with her at all times: her Blankie, baby, bunny, and bear. She is running her own day-care center at the age of 1! What an entrepreneur!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Giving Thanks
Thanks giving always comes at the perfect time every year...that holiday before christmas that keeps us from putting up our tree in October!
I love how it gets me into the spirit of thankfulness, sort of like a warm up to recieve the most amazing gift from the Lord at Christams time...To be truly thankful requires reflection, to pause for a moment and take true inventory of the things that meet our needs and give us joy.
I found myself in tears at the dinner table, when asked to list three things I was thankful for..."Only three?" was my reply. Since January of 2008, so many opportunities blossomed in our lives. We opened Health and Wholeness Personal Training studio with great success, transitioned me out of a job I dispised, moved into our lovely spacious town home, had the opportunity to visit friends far away while having just recently returned from our family cruise vacation! (I even still have the fading reminants of a tan line!). I felt like my heart was bursting. God has been generous, so generous to us, filling our thirsty cup with so much hope.
Christians mother hosted the dinner at her house, and as always the table was set beautifully. This was my first attempt with the Turkey, and I must say all 23 pounds of locally raised and grazed bird was delicious. I stuffed butter and herbs under the skin and stuffed him with prosciutto, apples, breadcrumbs and sage... lots of it.
And then, if our hearts could contain more joy, we found ourselves feeling quite patriotic this Thanksgiving, remembering all those who have fought and died for our freedom. My cousin Armin and his Marine Buddy "stopped in" during a visit to DC, "anywhere that would get them off base for thanksgiving". It was wonderful to have them share thanksgiving dinner with us, and much of the conversations were about their crazy experiences at boot camp, and what a Marine in training goes through. It is fascinating to me the level of sacrifice these men have already been forced to make, and it was such an honor to hear that they feel every moment of discomfort well worth it.
The evening ended with unbuttoned pants, watching "the Incredibles" playing Apples to Apples and just enjoying one anothers company.
One last note, way worthy of mentioning.
My family, being the competitive ones we are, decided to weigh in before sitting to dinner. With our pre-meal weight recorded it was to be determined who gained the most weight during the course of dinner. I had my highly metabolically active husband on my left, and my 230ish pound marine cousin on my right, and STILL managed to win the prize...4.6 pounds baby! Yes, I gained 4.6 pounds over thanksgiving meal...Thank goodness I have a gym in my basement!
I love how it gets me into the spirit of thankfulness, sort of like a warm up to recieve the most amazing gift from the Lord at Christams time...To be truly thankful requires reflection, to pause for a moment and take true inventory of the things that meet our needs and give us joy.
I found myself in tears at the dinner table, when asked to list three things I was thankful for..."Only three?" was my reply. Since January of 2008, so many opportunities blossomed in our lives. We opened Health and Wholeness Personal Training studio with great success, transitioned me out of a job I dispised, moved into our lovely spacious town home, had the opportunity to visit friends far away while having just recently returned from our family cruise vacation! (I even still have the fading reminants of a tan line!). I felt like my heart was bursting. God has been generous, so generous to us, filling our thirsty cup with so much hope.
Christians mother hosted the dinner at her house, and as always the table was set beautifully. This was my first attempt with the Turkey, and I must say all 23 pounds of locally raised and grazed bird was delicious. I stuffed butter and herbs under the skin and stuffed him with prosciutto, apples, breadcrumbs and sage... lots of it.
And then, if our hearts could contain more joy, we found ourselves feeling quite patriotic this Thanksgiving, remembering all those who have fought and died for our freedom. My cousin Armin and his Marine Buddy "stopped in" during a visit to DC, "anywhere that would get them off base for thanksgiving". It was wonderful to have them share thanksgiving dinner with us, and much of the conversations were about their crazy experiences at boot camp, and what a Marine in training goes through. It is fascinating to me the level of sacrifice these men have already been forced to make, and it was such an honor to hear that they feel every moment of discomfort well worth it.
The evening ended with unbuttoned pants, watching "the Incredibles" playing Apples to Apples and just enjoying one anothers company.
One last note, way worthy of mentioning.
My family, being the competitive ones we are, decided to weigh in before sitting to dinner. With our pre-meal weight recorded it was to be determined who gained the most weight during the course of dinner. I had my highly metabolically active husband on my left, and my 230ish pound marine cousin on my right, and STILL managed to win the prize...4.6 pounds baby! Yes, I gained 4.6 pounds over thanksgiving meal...Thank goodness I have a gym in my basement!
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