Connor and Helen Grow Up: NaBloPoMo Advice Column - Day 24

Thursday, November 24, 2011

NaBloPoMo Advice Column - Day 24 - Give Thanks

I'm writing 30 thoughts in 30 days for NaBloPoMo. In no particular order, I'm giving you my worldview - as it comes up.

This piece of advice, like many of the others, pretty much goes without saying - give thanks! And so I give you my almost annual Thanksgiving letter.

This year, more than anything else, I'm thankful for great health, outside of my kidney stone episode at the beginning of the year. Both Connor and Helen continue to enjoy extremely good health, battling nothing more than a couple of colds and ear infections this year. Oh yeah, and the strange puking incidents that left us baffled, but ultimately resulted only in eliminating mussels from our diets. I'm very aware we're getting off super easy in the illness department, and I start every day by taking a moment to be grateful for this.

I am also thankful for long summer days spent at the swimming pool, Connor's fearlessness on the diving board and Helen's endless laughter at the pool. That pool provides more entertainment for our family than anything else in the summer - often filling both afternoon and evening hours.

Thank you, Coach Bobby, for making the diving team the most fun children's activity our family has ever been a part of. We're looking forward to many more years. Next summer, I'm confident Connor will finally complete that back flip.

I'm still thankful for the proliferation of fancy cupcake stores in the area, and for the creative concoctions that keep being produced. Look what I brought home from Sprinkles, yesterday!

2 salted caramels, 1 cranberry orange, 1 cinnamon sugar for Connor, 1 dark chocolate for Helen, and 1 chocolate peanut butter chip - my favorite.

I'm thankful for fantastic meals (our Thanksgiving consisted of a salt-encrusted red snapper, potatoes Anna, mushroom-orzo stuffing, Brussels sprouts, and flourless chocolate cakes) and family to share them with. I'm also thankful for Miriam's Kitchen and other places like it, who keep many people in my area fed and warm. I hope the economy turns around soon so that fewer people will be in such a fragile state in the near future.

Helen breaking into the fish.

Yummm....roasted brussels sprouts and potatoes Anna.

I make ill-fated cheese runs to Arrowine like frat boys make runs to the beer store at 2 in the morning. Last night was no exception. Helen and I made it into the store with 5 minutes to spare, grabbed a bottle of pink bubbly and three fantastic cheeses. Not a person eating dinner today had room for that cheese - but we all did our best.

I'm thankful for a few recent evenings spent in the pottery studio, good company when I'm there, and lectures that continue to inspire. The world is a tremendously beautiful place.

I'm thankful for grandparents who babysit so I can go out of town.