Day 7 - The Closest Friends I Don't See Enough

In my time on this planet I have been blessed with amazing friends, but almost all of them are now happy memories that I think about sometimes. Luckily, not all of them are--there are a handful of friends that I clutch to myself so they can't fall away from me and I'm infinitely grateful to them for always being exactly themselves when we call each other or visit each other after a long absence.

Mia Catja. I have been your friend for almost fifteen years, and you have been mine for just as long. I think I knew when we met that I would keep you as my friend forever because we both seem to need each other in that way that means forever no matter what. You are loyal and kind and I don't think you've ever said to no to a single one of my (occasionally ridiculous) plans. You back me up and make me feel good about myself imperceptibly and always, and being your friend makes me a better person. I feel sometimes that you are the only person I allow to put me on a pedestal--and it's not because you don't see my flaws. You just don't care that they are there, and I hope I've given you that same assurance right back.

DroolieLee. You are such a song in my heart. There are people in our lives that bring us happiness, and thinking of you never fails to make me smile. I can't even remember the first time we sang the 'down in my shoes' song, but it is definitely ours in the way the swing sets and summertime are for laughing. You remind me to be both fierce and honest with myself and with others because every fiber of who you are demands it. When we see each other after a long time it takes seconds for my soul to spin around and smile with you.

Bina. It makes me sad sometimes to think about how close we used to be and much effort we both have to put in to get back to that space because we are simply different now. And it's okay, we both are where we need to be right now. And holding your hand is still holding your hand. I think though, that we will fly again together--our outrageousness and absolutely fabulousness will smack right into each other again and there we will be, and it's okay that that time isn't right now. Because I know we'll get there.

Day 5 - The Skill of My Hands

I am thankful for the skill of my hands--the fine motor skills that allow me to succeed in so many artsy-crafty endeavors. Sometimes they fail me....but most often it's my mind being hasty that causes my hands to muss something up. Thanks, little muscles! Thanks, tiny little bones in my wrists! Without my hands I know I would still have the *need* to make things...but my hands give me the ability to make things well, and I am indeed quite thankful for them. Hey, they even type pretty well! I'd clap for em, but they do that for me too. Feet-clapping then. Lots of feet clapping.

Day 4 - The Beauty of the World

Seattle had it's first snowfall of the winter season these past two days--even had a snow day from work this afternoon. Tried *so hard* to get a good snow falling picture...but it was snowing so hard I couldn't really look around much. But, it's true, I am so lucky to be living in such a glorious beautiful world--it's turning seasons, the littlest leaves, the biggest clouds. Purdy, purdy, purdy planet.

Day 3 - ArtieCat & MaddyCat

I am grateful for my favorite fur-babies.

I've had Madeline Rotten since she was four months old--she was given to me via Craigslist just after New Years in 2006. Her birthday is September 27th and I have to admit that I'm not awesome about remembering to celebrate it every year. Some of my favorite things about MaddyCat: a) she squeaks when you pick her up, every time. b)she licks her belly bald which looks ridiculous. the vet said it was just a bad habit, like kids that chew their fingernails. c)she hates to back that a** up...and will wriggle and roll before walking backwards. d)she loves to cuddle, but only me. she's definitely one of those girl-kitties who picks a favorite person and I'm so glad that I'm hers. e) she's an awesome hunter--when she gets it into her head to kill a spider or a she will stalk them and spring her entire fat-cat weight on the little pests.

Retardo and I got Artie when he was only six weeks old--he was a tiny little ball of orange fluff. The first week we brought him home, MaddyCat taught him to hiss and he spent a couple days hissing at everything he saw. He's definitely the 'pretty' one in our household...more cute than brains for sure. Some of my favorite things about ArtieCat: a) he likes to sleep in the bathroom sink. b) he forgets how to do things he does all the time, like drink from the little pet fountain in the kitchen--sometimes he gets so excited he sticks his ears under the stream instead of turning his head so he can lick the water up. c) Sometimes when he wants us to wake up in the morning he comes right up to my face and cuddles and purrrrrs until I pet him. d) he's adorable--one of the cutest cats I've ever seen and he is always soft and fluffy in my arms. e) He's got a fan club--the only cat I've ever known that other people have bought birthday cards for. Seriously.

Day 2 - The Friends I See A Lot

Being thankful for the friends I see all the time is pretty stinking easy, cuz ya'll are great. I'm struck though, by how many of my dearest friends I wanted to include in the post but couldn't...because of that whole pesky 'see a lot' part. There's another day for you all, I promise.

Retardo--So, um, u r my bestie. It's why I married ya. Thanks, Dude, for wanting to be with me too. All the reasons I'm thankful for you could take up an entire encyclopedia set, so I'll stop there.

B--thank you for being my adopted big sister and opening your heart to me. I'm so thankful to have you in my life and for all the laughing-till-we-cry nights.

A--for being the little brother I never expected to have (stop poking me!!!) and being able to laugh at yourself even when you're sulking cuz you lost a board game. You are more like me than anyone I've ever met, and I'm consistently amazed that we manage to be friends in spite of that.

M--for your patience and kindness and soap-making skills. You are one of my quietest friends, but your presence rounds out our little circles pretty perfectly.

E-bug--the cutest little girlie in my life. I loves ya for your perfect hugs, your happy smiles and for your excitement about the world. I'm so happy that I get to watch you grow and learn and discover!

J--I get to have you as my office roommate, which is pretty awesome because we get to talk smack pretty much three days a week. Thanks for being my buddy and helping me make it through each work week.

Day 1 - The Kindness of Strangers

I feel like this is one of the harder slips of paper I stashed in that empty hard toffee box. It's hard to talk about something like this without going into trite-greeting-card-land, and I'm feelin super self-conscious about it. But, I am truly thankful for people I don't know that affect my life in a positive ways, so I'm gonna power through the awkwardness here...

Moving around so much has taught me a lot about how to treat people I don't know, and I'm thankful for that too. We moved pretty much every two years as a kid and until I started dating Retardo I moved pretty much every two years as an adult too. It made me a) good at turning strangers into friends, and b) really really thankful that people on average are actually pretty nice.

Looking back on my childhood, I'm thankful for all the people who gave me candy that wasn't filled with poisons when I dressed up as a Pippi Longstocking, a Witch, Cleopatra, or any number of other characters on Halloween. I remember in sixth grade one gal who even gave me a discount when I didn't have enough cash to afford the present I wanted to buy someone--I think I was something like fifty-nine cents short. I can't remember the present or the person's face, but I will always remember her kindness. There are so many urban legends of 'stranger-danger', that looking back on my childhood I'm really thankful that so many people who had the opportunity to take advantage of my vulnerability didn't. Thanks, Strangers of my Childhood!

Saying Goodbye to my Twenties in Twenty-Nine Days

I will be thirty years old in exactly thirty days, and while the Big Number Birthday hasn't exactly crept up on me--I've been thinking about it off and on for the better part of this year--I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye to being in my twenties just yet.

So, I'm thinking a bit of pomp and circumstance is in order. And, what better way to say goodbye to a decade then vowing to make twenty-nine posts about twenty-nine people&things&etc in my life I'm absolutely grateful for. So, here's me about to make twenty-nine little slips of paper with twenty-nine wonderful things written on them to put in the little bag and draw at random. Hoorah!