Thursday, January 15, 2009

Minus One Degree

Riley and his toy monkey have the right idea. Pressed up against the baseboard heat source, in front of the sunny window. Riley woke us up last night, 2 am, because some animal was in the yard, peeing by the shed. Dog, coyote or deer. Riley was all over it.

My title for today's post (you can tell how much I am procrastinating by how often I post) was Thankful but then I read the weather report. I guess I can still be thankful.

Thankful: That G has a full time job. Last night's local paper had a front page story about a young family with four kids under 8 years old who have been living in a room at the Econo Lodge since November. He lost his job in May and she only got 2 months of holiday work at LL Bean instead of the usual 4 months. They are struggling to pay their own way with no help from any social agency other than food stamps. Not as a family. Single homeless people have room at the shelter. Women with children are taken in. Families of two parents and children. No. Wasn't this the standard for the workhouses in the Dickens novels? We haven't evolved, I guess. Churches and strangers are helping them, with gas cards for one thing, so they can drive to job interviews.


And that says nearly everything on the subject of thankful doesn't it?

Thankful: My dad isn't struggling (alone) through this frigid winter. But, if he were still alive, I would be thankful he was living here with me this winter or I would be there in Ohio with him. I had decided to do one or the other when we drove to Ohio in October.

Thankful: That I lead a creative life. Always interested in learning new things, expanding on the things I already know, ready to try something new, never afraid of failure (outside of driving the car). How can we even say we are artists, if we fear failure?

Thankful: For G. He really gives me the freedom and support to be who I am. I wonder if I give enough back to him to make him thankful for me? Other than the great amusement factors I seem to possess.

What's Good Today: Too cold to walk the dog. Warm enough to read a good book. Cold enough for a pot of Tomato Basil Soup for G to eat when he gets home from work later tonight. With homemade little drop cheese dumplings. I don't know what I will make for myself, but I do have some kale to finish up and some butternut squash in the unheated bedroom upstairs that I could steam. Curried Butternut Bisque?

What are you doing today?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

What an I doing today? Losing a court case that I said 10 months ago that my client would lose and sorting out the insurance and repair implications of my husband crashing my car! I am thankful that I have a good job, that I have a nice home to come back to. that neither of us were hurt,and that I have blogger acquaintances who write thoughtful posts and make me appreciate what I have!

Deborah Boschert said...

I bought a bunch of fabric for a quilt project with the fourth grade classes at the kids' school. (There are five fourth grade classes.) I am both excited and apprehensive, but thankful!

Life Scraps and Patches said...

I'm being grateful to be home for the first evening this week. My daughter, who lives six hours away, is coming tomorrow night on her way to somewhere else and I'm cooking winter comfort food: macaroni and cheese, glazed carrots, cranberry orange bread, and homemade applesauce for Saturday brunch. And I'm eating a large and yummy salad. Life is sweet.

Del said...

I am grateful for the unbelieveable Spring-like weather here in SCalifornia. We hope it doesn't last too long because we desperately need rain. I'm grateful that I live close enough to Visions Art Quilt Gallery in San Diego that I can go to the opening of the new exhibit this evening. And, most of all, I am grateful for this world of bloggers which can comfort me no matter what is going on in our lives.