With a Thankful Heart

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, everyone! I had a great day here in Seattle! My parents flew out to see me, and we made a traditional turkey feast right here in my apartment in my ridiculously tiny kitchen. Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, corn, rolls, cranberry sauce. One of the best Thanksgiving dinners in recent memory. We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, and then after dinner watched This is Spinal Tap (because my parents had never seen it, and it's a classic). Plus, now I have enough leftovers to keep me well fed for at least a week. Hooray!

This year I am thankful for: my great family; my wonderful Zan; my absolutely fantastic friends (near and far and those I've never met); health; enough food on the table and ability to buy food whenever I'm hungry; a warm beautiful apartment to come home to whenever I come inside from a cold, rainy Seattle day; the ability to be doing something I love (even if at times I question my sanity for going back to school).

It's really amazing all of the things that we take for granted. I read something once that said, "What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?" and I realized that with all we take for granted, it might be very little. Even when I'm stressed out or frustrated or feeling like a failure in grad school, I still am surrounded by so many blessings. So, with a truly thankful heart, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families and friends!

(Photo found here)