So Grateful For

Photo via Zedo Max

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you enjoyed a special day with friends and family, however you choose to celebrate the start of the holiday season. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner followed by a never-ending game of darts and plenty of laughter. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to remember all of the things we're fortunate to have and grateful for in our lives. This year I'm especially thankful for:

• My wonderful (and growing!) family
• Squash, in every form
  
• Friends, old and new
• Flannel pjs
  
• Employment
  
• Massive bowls of popcorn
• Hairy siblings
• Fresh starts
• Nights the pool is warm
• Raw food potlucks
• Muscles sore from use
• Simplifying
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Foggy fall mornings
• Our fellow creature-kind
  
• Someone special to share it all with

What are you thankful for this year?

No Impact Man Trailer

It is so fitting that as I blog about simplicity this week the first No Impact Man movie trailer releases!  If you don't know about Colin Beavan's no impact project, check out his website here. I don't know if I am more excited to see the movie or read the book, both of which come out the first week of September. Check out the movie trailer below. 

Happy Father's Day!

Photo found here

The last few days have gone by in a flash with little time for a moment of pause, let alone writing, but with a mere 5 minutes to spare I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to recognize Father's Day! I feel so fortunate to have such a loving, supportive, funny and sincere father to thank. He goes by many names - Puff Dougie, Dog Duster, and Bullet to name a few, but the most important in my book is Dad. He's a man of many trades - Computer Guru, Conveyor Belt Whiz, and Chief Honey-Doer, but to me the top of his resume will always read Dad. His qualifications include countless years of gadget fixing experience, the focus to drive from Manchester, New Hampshire to Yankton, South Dakota without sleeping, completion of daily dog-walks despite snow, rain, or gloom of night, and the ability to blind on demand with his remarkably shiny noggin. I love you Dad!

So Grateful For...

Since I have been feeling so grateful lately I thought I'd make my own list of gratitude to share. 

• I am so grateful for the health of my family. I realize this tends to be at the top of most people's gratitude lists but it certainly isn't to be overlooked. Recently a close family friend has been experiencing a period of very serious health concerns and it pains me to think what she and her family must be experiencing. With her in mind, I am especially grateful for the health and happiness of my own family. 

• The end of the quarter is finally here! As of 6 pm tomorrow, following the completion of my last final, I will be a mere 9 weeks from graduation. Woohoo! How will I be relaxing before my last quarter of school begins?

• After finals I'll be off to New Hampshire for a week with my parents and my hairy siblings - that's a photo of my sister Edie above. I loving call my parent's adopted racing greyhounds coma therapy dogs as they make you perfectly content to sit on the couch for hours on end without moving a muscle... well maybe just your forearms for a pet every now and then.

• Fantastic fruits and veggies are in season and so delicious. Since I have been working to incorporate as much whole produce and scrumptious raw foods into my diet as I can, it's perfect timing. Speaking of raw foods, I'm so happy to have discovered...

• Kristen's Raw Blog. For those not familiar with the raw foods lifestyle, it's all about eating loads of uncooked, unprocessed, luscious vegan fare in the form nature intended it. Raw foods are the best way to get major nutrition into each bite and feel fantastic while doing it. Kristen's website is a great source for more info about raw foods and she herself is a tremendous example of how to thrive with a high raw lifestyle (and look fabulous!).

• And last but not least for this list is my love affair with cycling. For a while I had gotten out of the biking thing in favor of time at the gym, but these days there's nothing that gives me a more fulfilling workout than speeding around the park on two wheels. Being out in the spring air, the whole panorama illuminated with an early evening glow, it is so enlivening. 

So what made it on to your gratitude list? Now is the perfect time to try leaving a comment to share your thoughts - just click the "comments" link that appears below this article and leave your input.