("Turkey Song" - Adam Sandler)
Is this real life?
You know, I'm almost always 99% never sure. At least lately.Whether currently I'm here or there (or neither), I can attest that in this moment I am, indeed, in a good spot. I have a snoozy dog at my feet, warm afternoon light pouring through the window, my hand-me-down flannel shirt on, and my latest pre-Thanksgiving culinary venture bubbling deliciously in the oven: The Best Baked Beans Ever.
Dear God. Somewhere in the last 6 weeks, I turned into a lumberjack.
And you know what? I'm O-K.
Alright, I'm not totally a woodsman. Though I can tell you in my unexpected and very long hiatus from the blogging-sphere, I've considered running away to the foothills of a distant mountain and becoming the artsy recluse I'm destined to wind up anyways. School has been a constant struggle; I never feel caught up and that I'm always doing something wrong (I don't have ANY of my grades posted, even the ones from back in September). My grad assistantship is always up-and-down; and I'm currently waiting to hear back about one fitness certification while waiting to audition for another in a couple of weeks.
In other words, I'm wavering aimlessly in limbo. I don't know if my semester has been all for naught; and at this point, I'm pretty sure I don't care anymore. I just want to survive the next two-and-a-half weeks of class/exams and let the grad school gods decide my fate. I've got plenty of other things of which I'd rather spend my creative efforts. For one, I am now the proud mama of a new Nikon, and he's a healthy young thing. His name is Walt, and he and I now share the same birthday (thanks to my super cool Old Man for help with the funds!). Within hours of bringing Walt home, I had already created a list of photo projects with some of my very most favoritest people. Along with new editing software I've been lusting after for months (Lightroom, babay!), courtesy of the most handsome and wonderful boyfriend in the world, I'm scared I'll fail out of school entirely - this sure beats policy and public organization research.
And you know what? I'm O-K.
If there's one thing I have gotten out of this semester, it's the desire to combine my talents, interests, and skills to make something happen. It's a little something I discovered called "mission identification" - if you have nothing vested and don't know what you're working towards, then your hard work is all for naught. I feel good about what I've turned in; I feel better about how I've progressed in a relatively short period of time. And if I didn't do as well as I hoped, I'm lucky to be in company of people who know how to give productive, constructive criticism. As a freshly inducted member of the 25 Year Old Club, I think I've still got some serious contributions to make before my pups and I head to the foothills.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, hazy autumn sentiment, and the quiet splendor of the air filled with nothing but puppy snores and smells of my awesome baked beans (you know you're sad to miss this), I'm following suit to the rest of the blogging world and giving you all a short, though honest, list of my current "Thankfuls." (1: I apologize for the amount of commas in that sentence; 2: "thankfuls" is a B@T term and it's genius.)
Snoozy puppies. Cardigans. Walt. Libraries. Second chances. Sunshine. Scoring the winning touchdown. Rediscovering lost connections. Shared sentiment. Democracy. The amazing thrift store find. Hugs. The arts. Recipes turning out right on the first try. People appreciating your effort if it doesn't. Pandora radio! Communities of creative spirits. Audrey Hepburn movies. Cozy, worn-in tshirts. Satire. Facebook Scrabble. Yoga. Fresh, local fare. Feedback. Quiet displays of appreciation. Comfort food. Hot coffee. More hugs. Knowing it's okay to forego the heels & crowded bar for a pair of stretchy pants & glass of wine. Pumpkin-spiced... anything. Epiphanies! Last minute travel adventures. Stumbling down memory lane. Theme parties. Great reads. Lazy Saturdays. Awesome workouts. Board games.
My ridiculous family.
My fabulous friends.
The love of my life (♥ JPC).
Things falling into place.
This list is incomplete and written almost entirely in stream-of-consciousness. But it's legit, and I'm anxious (most delightfully so!) to hear what you, my dear reader, are also thankful for as you prepare for the precious gluttony of Thursday afternoon. =)
And, as mentioned in the last post so many moons ago, I will have my latest foodie post completed by the end of the week... and for good measure, here's a sneaky peak!:
Oh, don't you worry. Even after a marathon of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, y'all will certainly find this most scrumptious. ;)
**HAPPY THANKSGIVING!**
