Things I’m thankful for:

• The internet, and the way it keeps people connected in spite of the stubbornness of physical geography.
• The usual (food, shelter, family), only this time with less taking-for-granted and more actual thankfulness.
• Polar Fleece. What on earth did people do before they invented this stuff? The couch is one big pile of polar fleece blankets right now.
• The way the cooler weather transforms P. into a cuddle-bunch.
• Text messages. Cell phones still thrill me even after all these years.
• Good friends. This could fit under “the usual,” but at the moment it really deserves its own line. I’ll stop now lest I get insufferably mushy.

Things I look forward to:

• Spring (I know, I know. It’s a long way off, yet.)
• The end of this election season. If I hear “I’m so-and-so and I approved this message” one more time, I’ll probably explode.
• Being undaunted by stairs.
• Meeting a friend for the first time IRL* in a couple of weeks.
• Having at least a few Things Of Substance to say on my other blog.
• Walking briskly. I used to love walking briskly. Especially in Fall.
• Making Macaroni & Cheese this Wednesday. Yummm… (though I’m not looking forward to the grocery shopping that will have to precede this activity)
• Not having to rely quite so heavily on the patience of a good friend. I despise being needy. (Though I am more grateful for the support than I can ever say.)
• Traveling to see my family in a few weeks (and meeting my parents’ new puppy).
• A day off of work tomorrow. Depending on how things go, it might be full of equal measures of pampering and house work. Of course, it might be full of a whole lot of Nothing At All, but hopefully not.

* translation: “in real life”