Thankful

This is the first Thanksgiving I've had with my family in two years and though absence makes the heart grow fonder, I found that this year I was even more aware of how much I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for:
1) My parents laughing together, just the two of them
2) The fabulous cinnamon cucumber pickles it took the neighbor two whole days to make and seconds to enjoy (she's in her eighties too--we bought six jars from her this year and she nearly burst with pride)
3) The fact that the English language is ever increasingly accepting of the sentence that ends in a preposition "I have a lot to be thankful for."
4) Spontaneous home manicures with my little cousins
5) That cars provide a tropical microclimate against the single-digit temps outside as we go over the hills and through the woods
6) Not finding any spiders bigger than a dime in my room all year long
7) Family members who zone out the conversation because the pie is so good
8) Overhearing my aunt trying to make a legitimate case for "team Edward" to another adult
9) Memories of last year's urban family thanksgiving in Cali where the mixed group of bohemians shared tofurky, gluten-free rolls, and home-brewed beer
10) Family and friends who love me better than I deserve, mean more to me than they can possibly know, and the great God who supplies them

Gettin' Hitched

My dearest Sarah is getting married this weekend! I don't know her husband-to-be nearly as well as I'd like to, but I know him well enough that I have no reservations about his becoming a permanent fixture in both Sarah's and my life. I can't wait to see my already gorgeous friend dripping in lace and overwhelmed with joy on Sunday and I wish the bride and groom all the blessings and happiness they can stand. Love you, Sweet Sarah.

This is a picture of the two love birds during the same trip during which Chris proposed.

Makes Me Happy

I've been feeling down since January 3. At 7:35 p.m. PST, I flew over the beautifully lit, downtown skyline and the gently curving Coronado bridge and felt a pang as I realized it was the last time I would fly into San Diego as my home. I will leave here in a Penske and a VW Jetta on February 20th; a month and a week from tomorrow. I've been mourning the thought all last week and spent most of my weekend in my apartment cleaning, sorting, and sulking. I'm relearning the lesson I was taught when I moved out here; just because you're making the right decision doesn't mean you're making the easy one.

Getting back to church last night helped significantly; the sermon wasn't tailored to my situation or anything, but it was the first time in a month I'd attended. It made a big difference just because it was church; it injected me with a shot of optimism I truly needed and today, I'm reminded of things that make me happy even when the big stuff changes:

—Wild Sweet Orange Tea
—Shopping for cheese at Trader Joe's
—The new Vampire Weekend album
—Silhouetted palm trees
—Warm from the dryer, clean bedding and going to bed with a wet head in January and not freezing
—The Fresh Ink section at Hallmark and picking out cards for friends and family
—A new red dress
—Seeing my growth group girls tomorrow and anticipating serious discussion and funny stories during the same hour or two we spend together
—Reading a good book after discontinuing the reading of a bad one
—Watching The Tudors online
—Wearing a scarf from a friend (Alison, I'm wearing the black one you gave us bridesmaids today)
—Having perfectly plucked eyebrows (so what if it took 15 minutes to do it last night?)