Thankful Thursday!

Well here we are in, what I think is, the first week of the holiday season.   If you celebrate, how was your Thanksgiving?  Did you think about everything that you have (or don't have) to be thankful for?  I knew you would.  I am very excited as I am going home in 13 days.  The doctor told my sister that she can go into labor any day so I am also super excited to meet Honey Bee.  He's going to be great. 

On with the thankfulness…

Twist and Shout - Yep. I am thankful for a song and I don't care what anyone has to say about that.  I think it was when Jacob was about three(ish) he and I were taking a ride in my car.  He loves to listen to the Beatles and I love to listen to the Beatles so we listen to the Beatles together - it's like our thing or something.  Well this particular day I was in a frustrated mood and I needed to scream. Jacob was stuck with me all day and I am sure that he wanted to scream.  So I rolled the windows up (so no one would think we were being harmed), turned the music up and said, "Jake, when the AHs come on, you can scream all you want."  And we did. When I am home, we still do. So, I haven't really shouted my way through this song in quite awhile but Sunday at the Cavern Club I found a way to relieve my Subterranean-Homesick-Blues, no not with Dylan blasting (that actually made me sadder) but rather with a bit of shouting while everyone else was twisting.  It turns out that no one can hear anyone above the AHs in T&S and screaming my face of relieved some stress that was laying heavy on my chest. "Primal Screaming," Tony from the Shakers said to me after the show.  Maybe Yoko did know what she was talking about?  Thank goodness those Beatles covered this song or I might be in a huge funk!

Pen & Paper -  I know that I am the Queen of Technology and I always need to have the latest and greatest but I'll tell you something: I hate "writing" on a computer.  I know that many people use blogs for journals, which is great, but I just hate it.  To me there is just something powerful in holding a pen and scribbling your thoughts out on paper. There are no red squiggly lines screaming at you when you spell something wrong or blue lines subtly letting you know that there is something wrong with this sentence, no it does not matter to that blue line if there is more meaning if the sentence is this way.  Microsoft Word does not agree with the sentence therefore neither can I, the author who is feeling these emotions. I genuinely love the authenticity that a handwritten - scribbled over - words misspelled,crossed out and still left misspelled - piece of work can give a reader.  When I die, you might want to get a possession of one of my journals.  Some good stuff is in there! 

Amanda Silva Metro - I have already been thankful for her before but I don't care I am thankful for her again.  She is one of my closest friends and my psychiatrist. As every friend serves a different purpose in life, she is that person that never tells me to shut up or ignore the way I feel about something and she goes above and beyond anyone's expectations in regards to listening to a friend. She calms me down in most situations and helps me to understand why I am feeling a certain way.  She's kind of like my de-funker. 

George Harrison, The Quiet Beatle -  For real, if I ever had to choose my second favorite Beatle, I think it would be George.  The only reason I don't choose is because that would leave Paul next to Ringo and I can't really say I dig Ringo all that much or even entertain the idea that McCartney's talent is near Ringo's level. Anyway, I love George.  I love the simplicity in his ways. I am thrilled to bits that he ended  up in the Beatles or he might have just been some guy stumbling around Liverpool selling perfumes and watches when cops aren't looking!  However, I would never know because I am quite confident that if the Beatles, as the world knew them (including Ringo), didn't exist, that I wouldn't make it to Liverpool.  What would my reasoning be?  I digress.  I love Harrison's work in the Beatles "Something" (obviously) "A Northern Song"  (since I live in the north of England, that song is way funnier) are a few of my favorite Beatles songs, even though that list is mostly dominate by Lennon songs.  And I think that Harrison's solo work is just as, if not more, impressive as McCartney's.  I probably listen to Harrison's solo work the most out of all three of them (Lennon, Macca and Harrison).  I dig him. I am happy that he existed.  

My Upcoming Cold - I can feel it coming.  And I'm not mad about it. I want it here and gone by the time I get on the plane to Pennsylvania to meet Mr. Honey Bee.   So, Universe, I'd like to thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.  

What are you thankful for? 

Thankful Thursday

I spent this week reflecting on everything that has happened in one year and the changes that occurred take my breath away. (You may imagine an 80s flick and that's okay with me.)  Naturally, I will not be celebrating Thanksgiving this year (but here's looking at you, 2013!) so I have decided to spend my time writing a nice little TT for your post-turkey, during halftime, thumbing- through- Black Friday -ads reading. 

So on this fine November day I would like to express my gratitude for the following…

My Nana's Health - I cannot even begin to share how thankful I am that Nana is doing even better than when I left for Liverpool the first time.  Although, it wasn't looking good during the summer, my mother tells me that Nana is doing very well and even went to the casino last week.  When I went home in May I was not expecting to see Nana the way she was.  It shocked and terrified me and I am almost positive I left her crying.  So this news of her doing so well is such a weight of worry off of my mind, I am so grateful for this improvement. 

That I Told Dann That He Was An Idiot -  Around this time last year Dann had this brilliant idea to go on a date with some chick. I told him he was an idiot for doing so.  He asked me why and I told him because you are choosing the Rolling Stones when you could have The Beatles.  He didn't get it then either.  The next day he said "If you are talking about the Beatles and Rolling Stones thing I still don't understand," when I told him I wasn't talking to him.  I'd like to say he had it all figured out with that but he didn't and it took many more hints for him to get the idea that I adored him through his head.  A year later I'd say I'm okay with calling him an idiot.  He's my favorite guy in all the land.  I'm happy I took the chance and that he ultimately realized the Beatles have contributed more to R&R than the Stones have. Good choice, Allan. 

That All Of My Friends Seem To Be In A  Pretty Good Spot -  Although we all have our things that we complain about, everyone I am close to really has no reason to do so (even myself).  I know that there are things that even I would like to change but I honestly cannot say that many of my friends can tell me that they had a hard year (with the exception of two).  They all have their health and their happiness, even for one who may not be so happy, she found peace in her unhappiness and she is working on that.  So, yes, friends, we made it. Woohoo.  Pat yourself on the back.

That I Have People To Miss - For me, it's halfway through Thanksgiving Day.  I'll admit it - I'm pretty sad.  I  miss my family and my friends in America.  I even miss my sister's bickering over things that cannot be controlled.  I certainly miss some of the foods that are just not available or known in Liverpool, you'd be surprised.  As I am sitting in my flat writing this blog the clock is annoying me because I know that so many dinners are starting at this time.  It's always a tight squeeze on Thanksgiving because I feel I need to make a stop here, there and everywhere in order to see everyone.  Of course the fact that each places has certain delicious foods certainly makes this stopping imperative.   With all that being said, I can be as sad as a bear who doesn't have a drop of honey to share or a I can be as happy as a little bee with a whole honeycomb to myself because I have all of these traditions, the foods, and the people to miss.  I am lucky to have the wonderful people in my life who I have the opportunity to miss.  Imagine being that person that has no one and no one to miss!  Kind of like Scrooge, minus the wealth.

Traditions -  It didn't occur to me while these things were taking place over the years but it seems to be that even the most dysfunctional family holds traditions.  Since it didn't occur to me that these things were happening, I can also say that I didn't know I would miss it one day.  Like watching football on Thanksgiving, who'd knew I'd miss that?! But here I am thankful that they exist.  Watching the clock thinking of what I would be doing at this time and I know I would be doing said things because they became tradition to do so.  I find myself laughing at the idea of going through Black Friday ads claiming we would wake up and go and finally get out of the house at two o'clock in the afternoon  to get more whipped cream for pies.  The tradition of my mother making a pie just for me still appears to be my favorite tradition.  J 

I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

And for those of you crazy enough to venture out and go shopping tomorrow/tonight:  Godspeed.

What are you thankful for??

Thankful Thursday!!

When the day is done and the stars are out, all that matters is that I lived each moment to the fullest.  Grateful to be able to do it all again tomorrow.  - Uncredited Facebook photo.


Is it just me or is time flying right by?  I feel like every time I turn around it's Thursday. Nevertheless, I am thankful.

This week I found myself recognizing or re-recognizing my gratitude for...

The Remastered Beatles Anthology - You know the one that iTunes came out with two years agoish.  The songs sound totally different and there are still things - technically almost twenty years after I heard the songs  for the first time - that I am hearing for the first time in these versions of the songs. Whether it's the grain of the voice or a laughter in the background or even the clarification of a word I thought was a different word the whole time, it is a learning experience.  And you know what the bottom line is?  That this remastered collection just sounds good. I'm happy it happened.

Paul McCartney's Week that Was -  So last week (or possibly the week before but internet is butt and I  just read all of this) Macca had quite the week!  I am pretty grateful for all of it. To start he let Yoko off the hook. THANK THE UNIVERSE FOR THAT ALREADY! For those of you who live under a rock and do not know what I am speaking of, the hook that Yoko was hanging from was the story of Yoko breaking up the Beatles. Although I don't like her - that much-  it is ridiculous to me that people really thought she broke up the Beatles. I will not get into the nonsense on this page, but maybe I will do it over at Chasing Dreams. Then, apparently, his helicopter almost crashed?! The pilot had a difficult time controlling the helicopter in bad weather but gained control just in time. Obviously I am happy about this.  I don't look forward to that inevitable news coming along anytime soon. Here is the link for that one!  Macca Helicopter

Made Beds -  Maybe I am getting old, maybe I am just catching up to the real world but I absolutely love getting into a bed that is made. This is something new for me because I never cared for because I was only going mess it anyway.  Although Dann couldn't care any less about a made bed he does make the bed for me every night.  Good husband skills right there :)

That My Program is Over - For a while there, I loathed Liverpool.  I missed the Beatles in a way that I didn't even understand and I couldn't wait to get home.  I liked to listen to the Beatles  more while I was in Scranton than I did in Liverpool.  But now that the program is over I am much happier. I actually got a smidge sad when I realized that I wouldn't always be able to go to the Cavern Club to enjoy my Sunday.  Being in the program definitely took me away from the fun part of being in Liverpool.  It was harder than I thought it would be but I picked up some knowledge along the way and knowledge is power!

Marvel Avengers -  Yeah, I've always loved boy type toys like Batman and Ghostbusters.  How I never got involved with the Marvel side of things I don't know.  Wait!  I can actually blame that on Spiderman because I hate Spiderman and his stupid spiderlike things. However the Birthday Fairy brought Dann the Marvel Avengers Box Set and I am reaping the benefits of that.  Iron Man makes my day and Thor makes my life. If you didn't watch them, you need to. If you refuse to, you're silly.


Also, I am thinking about doing another blog about wedding planning from a wheelchair point of view. I am hoping that from my posts I will get suggestions for alternative methods and approaches to traditional wedding festivities.   What do you think?



AND WHAT THE FORK ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR THIS WEEK?

Thankful Thursday

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Talk about a crazy week, huh? Election night was intense; Facebook blew up with so much hostility it was absurd.  But here we are.  We survived another election and we can take a break from campaign ads for a little while, so I guess we should all be thankful for that.   

This week I am thankful for.... 

The Fact that Obama Didn't Win By One Vote -  For reals, someone, who shall not be named, told me that if Obama wins by one vote that they would not speak to me for four years!  Imagine the stress I had on my shoulders when I was being blackmailed to vote for Romney by being threatened with, gasp!,  a cut off of communication.  I was informed that my absentee ballot would be counted something like ten days after the election, which makes no sense to me, (and I could have read it wrong) so I didn't end up voting anyway, but I was sure hoping that the gap was wider than one vote. Phew.  Close call there.  You may think I am being funny but at least I know that I don't have to hear this person chirp in my ear for the next four years.  Goodness me! The next four years are going to be exciting and I need this person to talk to me.  

 

That My Laptop Doesn't Weigh One More Pound -  This thing is ginormous.  It's utterly ridiculous in size and weight.  It's very hard for me to type at a desk so I pretty much always have this thing on my lap.  It kills me.  I am so glad it isn't any heavier than it is because I feel like this is the cause of most of my leg pain.  Especially while I was researching and doing my dissertation  it was terrible. So yeah thankful that his is only 1,000 lbs and not 1,001. 

That I Wasn't Bullied -  My graduating class was known for being a good group of kids.  I remember my English teacher telling us that she told the senior year teachers how fantastic we were and that she was sad to see us go, then she ended up teaching us as seniors anyway.  Although, kids were kids and people were picked on, I think it could have been worse for everyone.  For me especially.  Overall, everyone was pretty kind. Of course, there were a few who weren't and naturally it's nice to see them not as attractive and appealing to the general public as they were ten years ago.  But high school could have been very different for me and a few other people.  I'm glad that I can be proud of where I came from.  I hope you are too. 

Christmas Songs -  I cannot wait to get home for Christmas.  I am so excited for the baby to arrive that I can burst.  Not to mention I miss my Love Bug like you wouldn't believe.  These Christmas tunes help me get in the spirit of things that are almost two months away.  I can't wait to go home and see everyone have and have crap food from the diners that litter Scranton.  My mouth waters just thinking about it.  I've been listening to Christmas songs since the middle of October.  I am not ashamed. 

Dann's Family - Yesterday we celebrated Bug's birthday. It was nice and warm and welcoming. His family also took the time to celebrate our engagement, which is nice because I am so far away from home the excitement of it is kind of absent from Livepool.  Well, unless you count Esmee and Jasmine, it is.  We got pretty cards and thoughtful gifts.  Pft.  It was his birthday and I got presents.  This could be the start of something good. :) 

What are you thankful for? 

Thankful Thursday!

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” - Woody Allen

What a wild week this has been! I remember wondering what I would be thankful for this week as I finished up last week's issue of TT.  Well, naturally, life has handed me a few things to be thankful for. 

The things I am thankful for this week are... 

That My Friends and Family (and you) Are All Safe - It really difficult to be involved in any type of disaster (obviously).  But Ms. Sandy definitely put me through some stress over the weekend because I was so far away from everyone (and happy to be so far away) when all of the madness and chaos of Sandy was going on.  I cannot even imagine the damage that she did to the East Coast as she sat there for two days. I am so extremely grateful that everyone is safe.  I hope that everyone you know is safe as well and that there is no or little damage to their homes.   

Tim McGraw - I've always had a thing for Tim McGraw.  His music makes me smile, for the most part, and he seems like a good guy.  He contributes to many charities and I like to see things like that. He is actually the artist sparked my interest in country music and it is one of my favorite genres.  Yeah, I'm happy he is around.   

The Samwises and Ron Weasleys of the World - There aren't many of these kind of people around.  In fact, I don't even know if I could consider myself a type of this person.  But these guys are good.  They are honest and noble, kind and patient, caring and selfless. You know, they chase after spiders for their best friends, which is probably where I will fail at ever being like these blokes.  But I am thankful for those of them that do exist in the world. 

I Freaking Passed My Dissertation/Thesis - For real, I never had a such a feeling of not passing something before like I did in the last month.  Well, I got word today that I passed! Woot!  Could you imagine if I didn't pass and I had to tell my brother that I didn't gain anything in Liverpool besides a fiancé? 

That Everyone Has Reacted Well to the Exciting News of Daniel and Autumn! - The overwhelming amount of support and well wish that have come our way in the last five days is amazing. I could not believe that this many people even paid attention to us. For all of your kind words, we both thank you very much.

Can you believe he is actually crazy enough to marry me?  Sucker. 

What are you thankful for?