30 Thankful Days - Day 25

On this Friday, often called "Black," I take the opportunity to be thankful for all the things that are wonderful and worth pausing to remember.  Join me as I link up with my friend Dawn on the final stretch of 30 Thankful Days.

Pictures to be added when I get batteries for my camera or get pictures from my sister. :)

Thankful Thing #22:
A Week Where I Don't Have to Be on the Computer
This is the longest I haven't posted during these 30 Thankful Days, but it's because I haven't been on my computer.  During the regular school week, I'm online every day.  A lot of my lesson plans are on my computer, I get about a bazillion work emails a day, and when I come home, I have to do some work for online class.  So I'm on the computer often.  I check Facebook (I don't FB stalk much, though), I email some, and I read blogs or blog (in addition to all the other "real work" stuff I do on the computer).
But this week, I haven't turned on the computer at all.  Today, in fact, was the first day I did so.  Monday I did school work, but I graded physical papers.  Tuesday I cleaned the house.  Wednesday I hung out with a friend and helped my mom do some pre-cooking.  And yesterday we celebrated friends and family with delicious food.   And while I do have online work to do this weekend, there wasn't a routine that required me to get on the computer.

And I love it.  (Back to reality coming soon, sigh.)

Thankful Thing #23:
A Clean House.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE a clean and organized house.  My camera batteries are dead, and I have no others, or else I would show you how almost every room in my house was deep cleaned this week.  It's awesome.  I dusted on and around and under.  I cleaned tubs and toilets and mirrors.  I did the laundry AND put it all away.  I scrubbed and scraped and vacuumed everywhere.  I put all "the stuff" where it goes, instead of somewhere "convenient." 

It's lovely.

It brings me peace of mind, joy, happiness.  A place to feel comfortable, safe, and as if, indeed, it is my sanctuary.  I was just thinking the other day that it's been a while since I thought about home as a sanctuary, and I want to be mindful of that, especially as we think about bringing the peanut home in less than 5 months. 

I will soon (within a few days, if not today) be putting up my Christmas decorations, which I will surely post, because those make me happy happy happy.  Those PLUS a clean house - well, I may take next week off, too, just to bask in my delight at my home.

Thankful Thing # 24:
Traditions and Thanksgiving Itself.
I LOVE Thanksgiving.

Years ago I was laughed at by some friends when I said I consider Thanksgiving to be the beginning of Christmas.  I mean, isn't it?  It's a day marked be set aside for choosing thankfulness, and Christmas is the season for the same thing, to remember and choose thankfulness and joy as we celebrate the miracle of God's love for us. 
As long as I can remember, my grandparents came over and my mom and grandma would cook, while my grandpa, dad, sister and I would set up the tree and decorate.  I've started to help Mom do some of the cooking, and Sister has taken over the outside lights with Dad, but Sister, Husband, Grandpa, and I still do the tree.

This year we did the tree and decorations on Wednesday, since there were going to be 12 of us over for dinner on Thursday.  Husband has officially taken over as the tree man.  He set it up, did the lights, and "fluffed" the branches so well that our fake Christmas tree looks the absolute best it ever has.  I helped Mom a lot with the food ,and then Sister and I did the ornaments - Grandpa helped a bit.  He's old (96) - it's good for him to do a few ornaments, but we'd rather him not be reaching up high on the tree.

I spent half the morning at the house helping with the final details, and then our "famiy" all came over.    My immediate family - Husband, Mom, Dad, Sister, and Grandpa.  Husband's mom and mom's friend from Nebraska, Husband's sister.  Our close family friends Christina and her son Christian, and Christina's sister Bev.  They pretty much belong to us.

We ate.  Turkey.  Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Asparagus Casserole, Vegetable Casserole, two kind of Stuffing, Broccoli with yummy sauce, Cranberries.  Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Pie, Apple Pie.  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.  There was Pumpkin Ale, Moscato, Pinot Noir, Coffee... (and water for me).  It was a delicous feast - we were belly-full and laughter-full.

And then we did my favorite Thanksgiving tradition.

Thankful Thing #25:
A Muppet Christmas Carol

If you haven't seen this movie, you should.  It's probably one of the best versions of the Christmas Carol out there, complete with the added bonus of Muppet humor.  Michael Caine as Scrooge is AMAZING.  We have every song memorized.  We know almost all the lines.  Husband has the uncanny ability to quote the Muppets and sound JUST like them. 
It makes us QUITE happy.  And it fits the sentiment of Thanksgiving and Christmas just perfectly, I think.

I'll leave you with the lyrics to my favorite song, sung by my favorite Ghost - the Ghost of Christmas Present.

With a thankful heart, with an endless joyWith a growing family, every girl and boy
Will be nephew and niece to me (Nephew and niece to me)
Will bring love, hope and peace to me (Love, hope and peace to me)
Yes and every night will end, and every day will start

With a greatful prayer and a thankful heart

With an open smile and with open doorsI will bid you welcome, what is mine is yours

With a glass raised to toast your health (With a glass raised to toast your health)

And a promise to share the wealth (Promise to share the wealth)

I will sail a friendly course, file a friendly chart

On A sea of love and a thankful heart

Life is like a jouney, who knows when it ends?

Yes and if you need to know the measure of a man

You simply count his friends

Stop and look around you, the glory that you see

Is born again each day, don't let is slip away

How precious life can be

With a thankful heart that is wide awake

I do make this promise, every breath I take

Will be used now to sing your praise (Used now to sing your praise)

And to beg you to share my days (Beg you to share my days)

With a loving guarantee that even if we part

I will hold you close in a thankful heart

I will hold you close in a thankful heart