Aw, Thanks!

To all of you who celebrate, and even those of you who don't, we wish you a very healthy, happy, tasty Thanksgiving. We hope you are spending it (or spent it, in Debi's case) with loved ones, whether they be family or friends or family AND friends.

Thanksgiving, 2007

I just remembered that I did a whole list of what I was thankful for last year, and that was a pretty good list. But I can't just copy and paste it here--that would be cheating. So bear with me as I list this year's "What I'm Thankful for Right Now" post.

• I'm thankful for the heater vent right under my desk that keeps my footsies warm in winter (note that those footsies are also in the blue fuzzy socks from Michelle A., which are inside the blue fuzzy slippers from Susan F. So I am triply toasty. Thank you all!).
• I'm thankful to Michelle (twice in one post) for sending along that onion confit recipe. As I type, our house is filling with the smells of caramelizing onions. Mmmmm. Can't wait to see how it tastes in place of the cranberry sauce on the turkey. (Michelle, I will send you the yam scone recipe this week. Promise!)
• I'm thankful for our wonderful new home.
• I'm thankful to Heather Z. for encouraging us to make the great migration north.
• I'm thankful to our parents for supporting us in so many ways. We cannot thank you enough for everything you all have done--Mum and Dad and Mom and Dad!
• I'm thankful that our friend Shane is home with his loving wife and daughter and on the road to recovery.
• I'm thankful to be out of Dallas. But saying that, I'm also so thankful to our circle of friends in Dallas (and Austin) who made our year there so much more bearable than it would have been without them. It wasn't the people we didn't like; it was just the place that did not suit us.
• I'm thankful to be here in Boise. We have found a city that fits exactly what we have been looking for, and we have fallen into another fabulous network of friends who have made us feel so welcome . . . from our very first day here.
• As always, I am thankful to all our family and friends for everything. You help make us who we are!
  
• And this I am going to steal from last year, because it is all still true: I'm thankful for my incredible, supportive, fun, loving, makes me giggle and smile, shows me so much of the world husband. I love you!

So whether you are celebrating the American Thanksgiving or just sitting around enjoying your day, take a couple seconds to realize all the good things in life. It's way better than dwelling on the negative.

Hello Forties!

Thank you to all my family and friends for making the transition to 40 so wonderful. All the emails, cards, phone messages, phone calls, Facebook notices, generous gifts ... everything! It was all great, fantastic, more than I could have asked for. And I loved hearing the stories some of you had about my early days on this planet :-)

Yesterday was just about a perfect birthday. After sleeping in a bit, Mark and I hopped on our bikes and headed to Moon's Kitchen Cafe for breakfast. I veered (only slightly) from my usual breakfast of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast to try the special scramble of eggs, bacon, mushrooms, cheddar, and jalapenos, all eaten to the tunes of 50s and 60s music, that of course I sang along to while I ate, even though my dad always taught me there is "no singing at the table" ;-). Yum! We then walked around downtown and window-shopped/talked on our cell phones (me to Mom and Mark to a friend), checked our PO Box, and rode back home.

After a few quick fun emails, we dashed off to the gym (really), as this is just the beginning of a major food-frenzied week/month/rest of the year. I had enough time afterward for a quick shower before heading off to The Bungalow, where I met up with Heather, our dear, dear friend who helped convince us to move here (thank you, Heather!!). Lunch was delicious: tomato basil soup, butternut squash ravioli in a sage brown-butter sauce, accompanied by my new favorite cocktail: gin (or vodka; I'm not picky) tonic with muddled cucumber, mint, and lime. More yum! (Thanks for that too, Heather!)

Then I dashed across the street for a haircut and eyebrow grooming, helped Heather move a table into her dining room for Friday night's feast (more on that to come), and stopped by Sarah G's to return her cruiser bike (sad to see it go). I picked up a couple of dollar tacos for Mark from Parrilla Grill, as he had stayed home to clean up while I was out celebrating (what a guy). I then had enough time to squeeze in a teeny bit of work and take a few more birthday calls before heading off to the final festivity of the day.

This time we walked downtown (no more cruiser bike) to the Basque Market for one of their cooking classes. While we nibbled on tapas and sipped various Spanish wines, we watched as the owners of the market (Tony and Tara) taught us how to make braised lamb and then how to use the leftovers (HA! who ever has leftovers from lamb?!?) to make empanadas. Then we got to eat everything that was prepared. All so very yummy!

So glad we walked, as it felt great to walk off all the wonderful food as we recapped the day. The stars were out (the rain/snow storm that had been predicted decided to delay itself, just for me), the air was crisp and cold, we crunched through leaves. Just what a fall birthday night should be.

Of course, the camera did not make it out of the house even once, so no photographic proof of my wonderful birthday. But lots of memories that will not be soon forgotten, even if the mind is the first to go now that I'm "old."