Remembering to be Thankful

While it's not every day that you are presented with a 10+ dish smorgasbord, yesterday brought such a lovely sight (and the accompanying smells) to my weary soul. And I realized that I am thankful for:

• Aunt Judy's homemade yeast rolls
• Aunt Janet's delicious fruit jello
• Mountains of mashed potatoes 
• Stuffing (which I had never eaten until 3 years ago)
• My new cheesecake pan and the pumpkin chocolate cheesecake that I made in it (a recipe Leslie found)
• Dutch apple pie (also homemade by Leslie and myself)
• and last, but not least, Sara Lee's Razzleberry pie. 

As we ate and talked and took Jasper for a walk, and ate dessert instead of supper, and took a sweet little nap in the sun, and actually got too warm, I found that I was grateful for:

• An incredible extended family
• Adorable (and fun) nieces and nephews
• Sweet pets who give so much love
• A few moments of sunshine on that windy, otherwise dreary day
• Less pain than I've had in over a year
• and homes where we can afford heat, where we actually get too hot because we have warm clothes and lots of people gathered to celebrate life and family 

It probably seems like I've been complaining on here for a long time, so I wanted to show you that I'm not always Debbie Downer. 

In fact, it's these kinds of things -- the sunset reflecting on the lake or even watching the wind ripple the lake's surface while eating breakfast in the kitchen -- all of the things listed above, they are what keep me going. 

One whole day to cook, taste-test, set tables, serve food, clean up, nap and watch a movie...no work. None of that was work. It was wonderful. 

Thank you, Lord, for family, for my parents' home that never fails to remind me how refreshing peace and rest can be, for great cooks in the family and incredible amounts of food. Thank you that even when I miss out on some things (I missed all the Wilsons this weekend, including my husband), I still have blessings beyond measure, more than I ever deserved, or could ever count. 

So much more to the story

I don't know if I can do them justice, these novels that form the base of my thesis project. Even in the second, and third, readings, they bring me to tears. They are so sweet, so sad, so true of life and love. Not in a sappy way, though my crying does make the whole thing sound rather trite. 

They are more than they seem. 

And I'm a bit afraid that I won't be able to articulate what makes their beauty, what it is that they contribute to not just literature as a whole (which is true), but more specifically to young adult literature of today. 

They touch on something pure and true and...missing in a lot of stories. And they do it in the most beautiful way. 

I know it sounds silly, but please read them. 

As strange as it sounds: Keturah and Lord Death and The Book Thief. 

How can they be related? And doesn't one of them sound so ridiculous?

Read them, and tell me your reactions. You will not be the same, that I can promise. 

Life Lesson Learned #1034

Pepperoni Pizza Combos are not equivalent to a pepperoni pizza. In other words, they are not dinner.

Late Night Pondering

Sometimes, I just want more out of life.

But, it often seems that when I figure this out, I have nothing more to give in order to make that happen.

I'm so tired...okay, not just because it's 11pm. I would love some time to reassess what my life is, who I am, and where I'm going. I feel very much like I'm on autopilot, which is not something I relish. My self-reflections are limited and lame these days. Actually, the only thing I personally reflect upon are my health issues as I try to get that all sorted out before the end of the year and a new deductible.

Even though there is just a handful of weeks left of school...truthfully, sometimes I wonder if I'll make it to the end. It's not just the projects, the papers, the research, the brain-tired. It is so much more than that.

And I am so, so tired.