something to be thankful for.

It seems to be the trend on Facebook for the month of November to post something each day that you’re grateful for. I know this has to do with Thanksgiving and I can appreciate the sentiment but I feel like too often we segregate our gratitude into one month and then neglect it the other 11. Just as we cram all of our Christian charity and goodwill into December. One month is better than none but wouldn’t it be better if we could live with love and gratitude all the time?

That said, I’m going to play the hypocrite for just a moment and give you all my list of 30ish things that I’m grateful for at the moment all in one handy location!

1. Various forms of technology
1. The internet-which saves me from being at the mercy of whatever is showing (usually Law and Order) on the Thai channels
2. Itunes-I was able to bring all of my music (including all the Christmas which I can officially start listening to on Saturday!) in one handy little location
3. My (borrowed) nook-while I am definitely a print book advocate it is really nice to have access to a library full of books at the touch of a button
4. Skype-in addition to just being able to keep in touch I am able to ‘participate’ in Thanksgiving dinner (although for me it will be Friday morning instead of Thursday)
5. Email, Facebook, Instagram, blogs and all the other ways I’m able to keep up with and keep tabs on everyone from so far away
2. Air conditioning
3. A job
4. The church and an opportunity to attend a congregation here. I don’t always understand what’s being said but the Spirit needs no interpretation.
5. The generosity of others in responding to our need for children’s books in English
6. My family and their support for me and all of my crazy ideas
7. The opportunity to live in and experience another country and culture
1. All of the fun festivals and road trips and daily adventures that come with it 
8. Plenty of food to eat (even if I don’t always know what it is I’m eating!)
1. The ability to buy a complete meal for less than $2
9. Great friends, both old and new
10. The little bits of home I find here that make me feel less homesick
1. Traditional Thanksgiving dinner
2. A movie theater and buttered popcorn (btw, Catching Fire? = ah.maz.ing!)
11. A place to live with all the modern conveniences
12. Amazing sunsets
13. Beautiful flowers
14. Mosquito repellent
15. Nonprajak park-I spend a good deal of time here.  It's right across the street from my house and filled with running trails, free classes and tons of people watching!
16. My motorbike
17. Clean water and clean clothes
18. The chance to work with happy, smiling faces every day

Happy Thanksgiving. And happy Eve of Officially Getting to Listen to Christmas Music day!

being grateful.

Hmm, you may have noticed I haven't been quite as diligent as I had lead you to believe I would be.  I'd like to say it's because I've been hard at work on my novel but mostly it's just that life, boring old life, has gotten in the way. Bleh!

So, here's my pathetic attempt at catching up on the last week's worth of entries...

November photo-a-day challenge #20
something old

Old books, my fave!

November photo-a-day challenge #21

Nighttime

The first Christmas tree of the season

November photo-a-day challenge #22

nature

The ginormous poinsettia dwarfing our coffee table and mocking my lack of  Christmas preparation

And apparently I'm out of storage space, so we'll have to pause while I figure out these technical difficulties...any pros out there?

Who knew this would be such a production?!

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #19
Written words

A card written in my grandmother's hand and passed down to me from my mother.  I've traced the words at least twice as they've faded so they're probably now more mine than hers but I cherish them all the same. And they've brought me hope and comfort often throughout the years.

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #17
Something funny

November photo-a-day challenge #18
Favorite food

I have a friend who has introduced me to the wonders of Pie Day.  In lieu of gorging yourself beyond all hope on Thanksgiving and then not having enough room to enjoy dessert, her family has claimed the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving as Pie Day, a day dedicated to the dessert and all its glory. She is out of the country this year so I took it upon myself to steal her tradition. I spent all day Saturday baking, decorated with quotes and images of pie, and invited a ton of people to share their own pies and the day.  It was a success! We had over 15 different flavors and mmmm, were they delicious!!

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #16
Memories

Keeping busy the past few weeks.

being grateful.

November photo-a-challenge day #15
Where I sleep

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #14
Transportation

A typical  night in traffic

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #13
Daily routine

being grateful.

No photo today.  Instead I'm reposting a video that's currently making its way around the interweb.  This is Mr. Sean Bean reciting a poem by Wilfred Owen in honor of Britain's Remembrance Day (or Veteran's Day as we call it here in the US.)  This man could probably bring me to tears with a recitation of the phone book so be prepared for some chills and more than a momentary pause to think on the words and meaning of what he's saying.

And as always, an insufficient thank-you to all those who have served and are currently serving in various military positions throughout the world. To my grandpas, uncles, cousins, friends, neighbors and strangers who put their lives on the line to preserve our freedoms and oppose tyranny, all my love and gratitude.

Never forget!

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #10
Artwork

I made this collage (thanks to various pinterest pins) using old maps, modge podge, stickers and paint. This is my new mantra. (Gracias to the Avett Bros for the quote.)

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #9
In my closet/clothes

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #8
Books

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #7
Technology


This post is two-fold. I've finally joined the modern world and gotten a smart phone (isn't it cute?), and our internet is back up and running after several days of being down.  Hooray for technology!

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #6
Gratitude

So grateful to live in a country where we have so many freedoms. Did you exercise your rights today?

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #5
Seasonal

Starbucks salted caramel hot chocolate.  Yum!

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #4
Leaves

The next door neighbors

being grateful.

November photo-a-day challenge #3
Light

The lights in one of the Kennedy Center theaters. I've been there twice this week and man, I love that place!

being grateful

November photo-a-day challenge #2
Movement

the ghostly blurs of cosmic bowling (it looks way cooler on my camera)

being grateful.

November Photo-a-day challenge #1 *
An inspiring person

statue of Abraham Lincoln on the site of Lincoln's Cottage in NW DC

*in the spirit of full disclosure--I intend to take as many new photos as possible but some days there will be photos that I've taken previously that have been re-touched or edited, just so's ya know!

a gratefulness checklist.

• Power still on? Check.
• Nothing flooded? Check.
• A two day break from work? Check.
• Closets cleaned? Check.
• Downton Abby season 3 watched? Check.
• Halloween costume ready? Check.
• Winter clothes out? Check.
• Possible end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it cookies consumed? Check.
• A celebratory mug of Postum drunk? Check!

Frankenstorm left us relatively unscathed here in the DC metro area. There are some without power, some flooding near the Potomac, a bit of clean-up that will have to take place, but in the scheme of it all we came out mostly untouched.

During the storm

The aftermath

No mocking the uber fashionable green sweats tucked in the rain boots, please!

Prayers are being sent double-time to NYC and NJ where they were hit much, much harder. It will be awhile before they're back to normal but I'm grateful the mass destruction wasn't as widespread as had been predicted. Hope everyone reading this is safe and sound!