From beloved commentor Marvel:
We’ve finally (FINALLY!) complete our move and right off the bat, I have found something very good in our new home — it makes for a VERY Good Wednesday:
The low, Autumnal sun gives a warming, lovely glow to early evenings ’round here. A very good thing.
***********
My low-bar contribution for today: I’m grateful for delicious Indian takeout.
I love the flavors of Indian cooking, but forty years living with a supertaster from the Midwest has severely reduced my ability to deal with grown-up levels of spiciness. So I’m glad to have discovered a local restaurant that will provide ‘mild’ versions of my favorites. The Spousal Unit, bless him, brought me home a batch over the weekend — so I pigged out on samosas, biryani, lamb korma and shahi paneer. Call me a glutton, but it made the mishegas somewhat more bearable!
What one good thing are you grateful for, this week?
A Ghost To Most
One really good thing – it’s been raining here for a day, and the mountains are getting snow.
Mike E
I’m grateful for Miss E, my favorite human that people tell me I had something to do with! :-)
donnah
I am dyeing wool for an upcoming rug hooking workshop. Usually it gets the temperature in my kitchen close to 90 in spite of exhaust fans strategically placed all around. It will take three 10 hour days to get it all dyed.
The good news? It’s cloudy today and cooler, and we’re expecting a chillier day tomorrow and the day after. Woo-hoo!
Cheryl Rofer
I started physical therapy for sciatica on Monday. It has almost completely relieved the pain already and should correct the problem for the future. When I go for a stretch of several hours, I almost forget the pain was ever there and then remember and am grateful.
LibraryGuy
The leaves are turning and people should out shopping this weekend at our new store (which is just the porch of our house, but still)!
I love autumn!
donnah
also, too, where I stand on my latest rug hooking project:
https://i.imgur.com/mHExVZB.jpg
Major Major Major Major
Nice mirror ball, very smart, good for vampire detection. Seriously though, looks like a lovely yard.
Something positive. Today was the second to last day of my garbage commute.
Mary G
The teen has gone from 23 homework zeros on Monday to 16 today. We are driving him and his gf to school and I am picking them up in the afternoons. I only have to do the crack of dawn Tues and Thurs so I got to sleep in today. He can be incredibly frustrating, but it’s good to have a purpose in life.
ruemara
@Cheryl Rofer: congrats! I’ve been struggling with an inflamed achilles tendon since 1/16 and I’m finally getting some relief with a new (GOD SO EXPENSIVE) chiropractor, so I know what you mean.
One good thing? The cats have been with me for a year. They survived! From these little sprogs to these smug bastards.
MoxieM
My dog is healthy! And I think I’m gonna move to where I can have a bigger yard, and rescue more big dogs. Bliss.
debit
My animals are all healthy, even the elderly ones, and they bring me joy every day.
Ben Cisco
Landed a deal on a house. Completing the move next month!
Steeplejack
I got (the equivalent of) a five-star Yelp rating from a dog!
I spent three weeks in Las Vegas house-and dog-sitting for my RWNJ brother while he took a motorcycle trip in the Northwest. The dog, Woody, is a rescue greyhound who came up hard in the Mexican leagues and had some issues adapting to civilian life. We got along fine, and it took him only a few days to realize that he was allowed to sleep on the bed at night. He even sort of grasped the idea that he shouldn’t take his part of the bed crossways in the middle.
Anyway, my last day there I was doing laundry and packing up my stuff. Couldn’t find a sock. I looked all over for it, cursing because the guest bedroom is literally 10 feet from the washer and dryer. But you know how socks have a way of getting lost.
Woody was in one of his beds watching me. Finally I went and looked, and he had the sock in with his collection of squeaky plush toys. I took the sock back, and he went nuts, tossing his toys in the air, biting them to make them squeak, running around the house with them and doing his whole play routine. And he kept coming to me to get petted. That was the only day he took any of my things. He knew I was leaving and didn’t want to see me go. Even the crazy brother had to admit he was impressed.
I’m sure there’s an apt quotation by Mark Twain or someone, like “No man is entirely a dickweed who has the love of a dog,” but I’m too lazy to look it up right now. It was a pleasure to hang out with Woody, and I’m glad he felt the love.
ruemara
@Steeplejack: That’s super sweet
debit
@Ben Cisco: Congrats!!
scav
A new Doctor Who series to satisfy my meed for traditional personal pleasures and, for personal development, I’m halfway theough a new bread recipe (I decided to attempt Tangzhong) and I persisted kneading until I got to previously unexplored achievments of smoothness and elasticity. Kneading could very be prescribed as therapeutic, especially the French styles where you’re slapping the dough about.
Nice lighting Marvel!
oldster
I flew across the country for the weekend, and spent some time with my son.
We had some good talks. And for us, that is major progress.
There’s a lot of pain there, all of it my fault. I will need to do more to earn his trust.
But he’s willing to talk, and I think in time he might be willing to forgive me.
For an old man who made a lot of mistakes, that’s something to be very, very grateful for.
Steeplejack
@Marvel:
Love the gazing globe, a.k.a. “witch globe.” An artifact of Crackro-American culture right up there with half-buried wagon wheels and car-tire planters. I had one every time I had a house. And your pedestal is perfectly proportioned.
Elizabelle
@Steeplejack: Did you leave him the sock?
What a sweet dog.
bookdragon
We are taking my oldest down to VA for a college visit this weekend, and the wife of my (now departed) advisor offered to let us stay with her. Not only is she a lovely person it will be great to see again but she used to work in university admin, so she should have some insights we won’t get on the campus tour.
Ann Marie
I had a surprise phone encounter Friday that improved my whole day. I was having a crappy day for a variety of reasons — minor but annoying things. One of those was that an eye shadow palette I had been looking forward to arrived damaged. I was dreading the whole call the company and make the return business. I finally made myself call them and they could not have been nicer. They said they would send out a replacement immediately (and did) and they didn’t want to “bother” me with returning the damaged one, just to keep it. I was so pleased by how easy they made the process. I told them they had improved my crappy day and asked to speak to a supervisor to thank her too.
Gin & Tonic
Upper 70’s and sunny here, but fall is supposed to arrive by the weekend. As bicycling-to-work season is drawing to an end (I stop when DST ends, because riding home in the dark doesn’t appeal to me) it was nice to have a short-sleeve no-jacket morning.
Steeplejack
@Cheryl Rofer:
Two words: Thai massage. That was about the only thing that helped me when I had a long, almost crippling bout of sciatica almost 20 years ago.
Thai massage is sort of like guided yoga. The masseur gently puts you through the movements. No pain, and it’s very calming and relaxing.
FelonyGovt
My daughter has a new girlfriend who’s smart, funny, nice, and apparently not a nutcase, and does not have crazy homophobic religious parents (BIG improvement over the last one!) They’ve been spending lots of time together and daughter seems happier than she has in a long time. And I don’t need to cook for her as much anymore. :)
Wapiti
My Dad’s still in good health at 87. He’s doing an antique show this weekend. I helped him load the truck, but he didn’t ask for help at the show so I guess he thinks he can unload and load just fine. (He deals in small items, from campaign buttons to old tools. So he’s shifting boxes, not furniture. Shifting 20 pound boxes is probably good for his muscle strength.)
eclare
@Steeplejack: Nice!
geg6
My puppies always are the one good thing I can always count on. Been working quite a few evenings this week doing financial aid nights at local schools (the 2019-20 FAFSA is now live!) and Lovey pines for me until I get home, my John tells me. She waits by the door and even food can’t tempt her away until I get home.
But in even better news, my John has fashioned an awesome doggie car seat for Lovey, who loves to ride in the car but doesn’t do well because she can’t see outside and so roams about the car trying to get a view. He built a little box and attached an old baby car seat (with some modifications). We just strap it in, attach her harness and she sits there like a queen! I have to get some pics because it’s too cute.
blackcatsrule
@Steeplejack: Glad your trip went well and you made a friend! I hope I can get some advice from you…I know you have an elderly, much-loved cat as do I…do you use a pet-sitting service that you can recommend? Thanks in advance.
BlueGirlFromWyo
@oldster: I’ve been in your son’s shoes, and I bet he will come around. You only have one dad. Clearing the air was so good for us.
My good thing is I’m done with my bout of flu. The season’s early this year. Get your flu shot now if you haven’t yet!
Jeffro
I’m grateful for that #FireCruz ad I just saw in the other thread. ;)
Ok, ok…I’m grateful that I just got an excellent performance review at work. Should be a good year ahead!
Madam Zorba
I moved to Pensacola last year for a job, and bought my 1st house at ripe old age of 56 this January. I have great neighbors who offered to help me put up hurricane shutters if I needed help. Fortunately, I’m not in a coastal area and our area of North Pensacola isn’t being hit very hard by the hurricane. But it’s great that all my neighbors pull together to help each other out. So I’m safe in my house with my 3 dogs and 2 cats and great neighbors. I am truly grateful for all that I have. Praying for those in the areas that are being hit hard by Hurricane Michael.
something fabulous
We are doing a 5k for the animal rescue I volunteer with, this Saturday. I am grateful for all the kind and generous people who want to help the animals! The fundraising part has been tiring and frustrating for several weeks now: thanks for the reminder to look for the gratitude part! We’re almost to our goal… and it’s almost over! GRATITUDE.
Steeplejack
@Elizabelle:
I took the sock! I was traveling light and had only two pairs.
Dorothy A. Winsor
I’m grateful and excited to be doing a reading here tomorrow and then participate in Indie Author’s Day at the Schaumburg library on Saturday. I’m bad at finding and setting up stuff like this, so I’m really grateful other people helped me do this.
evap
My daughter moved to the NYC area in August with her boyfriend, they are living the good life in Brooklyn, and she landed a job!!! And one with really good benefits, including excellent health insurance. So grateful since she has been going without health insurance for the past few weeks.
eclare
Good things: my dog and two cats are happy (well, they seem to be) and healthy. And finally, finally, fall has arrived. Currently 74 in Memphis, I anticipate turning off my air conditioner tonight, and I’m looking forward to the quiet.
Martin
Permits for our solar install were approved yesterday. We should be a net power producer by the end of next week. We’ll be selling one (18 year old) car and replacing it with an ebike for me to commute to work. I expect to replace the other (12 year old) car with an EV in the next few years. EVs haven’t quite hit the sweet spot for me yet, though the Bolt is close.
Apparently none of this economic activity matters because i’m not buying buckets of coal.
I’m also thankful I don’t live in northern Florida. Stay safe out there.
Dorothy A. Winsor
I have to say it makes me feel good to read all these good moments. This thread is a great idea.
Mnemosyne
I’m grateful that my post-surgery knee is continuing to improve. And my BFF texted me this morning and we’re going to try and meet up on Sunday since I’ll be approximately in her neck of the woods.
Also grateful that I have the finances to go to writing retreats and conferences pretty much whenever I want. I know that not everyone is so lucky.
JMG
After many years, Alice and I finally have mustered the energy to clean out our garage, which had devolved, as so many New England garages do, into a storage shed. A few more weeks work and we’ll be able to put the car into it when it snows. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me.
Major Major Major Major
@Dorothy A. Winsor: nice!
Mnemosyne
@oldster:
It sounds like you’ve already taken the hardest step: admitting you were wrong and apologizing. Now it’s all about keeping those lines of communication open and listening to what he says with an open mind and an open heart. Good luck!
Emma
I am amazingly grateful that my 84 year old father still loves to cook and build stuff and retains his sense of humor. I see signs of age, but it’s natural aging, not due to illness.
Mnemosyne
@something fabulous:
Ack! I forgot to reply to the email you sent me before my surgery. I’ll get to that soon, I swear! ?
thalarctosMaritimus
@ruemara: OMG!
Someone swapped your kittens out for cats!
R-Jud
I’m grateful for antibiotics which are treating my kidney infection, and for the NHS which means I only had to pay about $13 for the prescription (I once had an ER bill for $5,000 for this exact condition when I lived in Chicago).
I’m grateful for my kid, who is a delight. I’m grateful for the very encouraging rejection letter I got from the New Yorker recently. Someone will say yes soon.
dlw32
I went on iTunes on Tuesday and bought my son’s album. This just blows me away.
Sam, a sophomore in college, was asked by some friends who are seniors in high school to drum for their band back in June or so. Now they have a published album on iTunes. I can’t imagine what I would have had to do at that age to get published. It’s a brave new world…
of course I realized a long time ago that my son is way cooler than I ever was or would be… :)
LAO
I’m grateful for this little troublemaker.
scav
@JMG: Congrats! Warm car and protected access to same! There’s also a certain thrill in the utter amazement of neighbors when they discover such an alien planet (we did a massive tidy earlier in the year and about half the street wandered through to explore the concept).
germy
I’m grateful for my wife.
“God only knows what I’d be without her” as the song goes. Her patience, sense of humor and creativity are an inspiration to me.
I’m grateful for my offspring, who face challenges every day in this economy, but who never give up.
I’m grateful for our cat, who smiled at me last week. I know it sounds weird, and you’ll all think I’m crazy, but during one of our “stare and purr” sessions, I smiled broadly, and she returned the smile. Not a grin, of course, but it was a smile.
JeanneT
I remembered to get my flu shot early, instead of waiting till everyone around me was sick.
Also, my dog who had surgery for parathyroid cancer last September has been clear of disease for over a year now. Whoot!
Steve in the ATL
A little less racism at my alma mater
https://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/washington-and-lee-renames-buildings-orders-portraits-of-lee-washington/article_fe3cc1c0-6596-5e70-bbad-fa341cdf3342.html
PAM Dirac
I’m very grateful that my son is recovering. In August his drinking reached a crisis point and we got him into an in-patient rehab program. Good news #1 is that we have been lucky enough to have the opportunity for careers that allowed us to save enough to pay for the treatment when insurance wouldn’t. Good news #2 is that he took the situation very seriously. We went up for a five day family program near the end of his stay. It was very intense. It also gave me a much greater respect for the 12-step program (at least as it is practiced at this facility). They really, really stress community. When you are having trouble you have to trust and lean on others. When you are doing well, you have to let others trust and lean on you. It was very inspiring to see how hard these patients worked on that and certainly made me realize that good relationships are too important not to work on, even if you aren’t battling addictions. Good news #3 is that he is back home, back to work and not only staying sober, but finding a life that is much more enjoyable.
Antonius
My wife is more than 6 years free of cancer, and after breaking my ankle at the beginning of the summer, I’m back to nearly normal activity again.
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
Kalsarikänni.
The English word – Pantsdrunk – is almost as good.
Ben Cisco
@Steeplejack: Awesome!
Mnemosyne
@R-Jud:
Wow — that’s definitely something to be grateful for! I would absolutely take that as a sign that you’re on the right track with your writing.
LibraryGuy
@oldster: Wow. Congratulations!
As the son of an abusive father with whom I reconciled before his death, I can honestly support what you are doing and am so glad to hear that the healing is beginning with you two. It makes an enormous difference in your son’s life, and yours.
trollhattan
@Ben Cisco:
Yay! That’s a Big Biden Deal.
Carol Van Natta
I am grateful for my my massage therapist. I put off seeing her for 2+ years because my inner slacker kept winning, but the improvement is noticeable. Maybe I’ll even buy a treadmill to negate the excuses of time/convenience/weather/shoes.
I’m also grateful to readers who are buying copies of the science fiction romance anthology I have a story in, because it supports a great charity (Hero-Dogs.org). It trains and pairs service dogs with disabled US veterans and first responders, to improve their quality of life and help them regain independence.
Luciamia
All my bread dough has been rising well, even the Granola Breakfast Bread which was a pretty heavy dough.
Amir Khalid
I think I can sense improvement in my guitar playing. It justifies having three guitars and lusting after a bigger amp.
Mnemosyne
@PAM Dirac:
I once heard an interview on NPR with a musician who had lost his career because of his addiction and was making a comeback once he finally kicked it. The thing he said that stood out for me was that having an addiction is a lot of work. He never worked harder than when he was walking for miles to try and get enough money to get another fix. He was surprised by how much more free time he had once he got sober. IIRC, Cole said the same thing once he stopped drinking — he had a lot more time to do things when he didn’t have to plan his day around his drinking. Hopefully your son will likewise discover that he now has time to do the things he enjoys since he no longer has to feed that beast.
Steeplejack
@blackcatsrule:
Yes, I have a trusted cat wrangler who came every day while I was gone. She even came twice on some days while we (she) determined how it was going. She is an artist who does pet-sitting as a near-full-time business. I met her when she used to walk the dogs at Sighthound Hall when no one was at home during the day.
The housecat is 18 years old, a little under six pounds and has some problems with her teeth. Since I’m usually home almost all the time we have a routine of several (okay, many) small meals a day instead of one big blop of wet food once a day. I wanted to minimize the disruption of my being gone and make sure she was eating enough.
The cat wrangler did a great job. My only complaint was that the couple of “proof of life” photos she texted me looked like Nick Nolte mug shots. But the housecat sleeps about 20 hours a day, so bedhead comes with the territory.
If you are in NoVA (Arlington or Fairfax counties) I could get you her contact information. Also, there is another group that might have a bigger coverage area. A friend’s daughter who lives in downtown D.C. used them and thought they were very good. I’ve got a query out to get their information.
BlueGirlFromWyo
@dlw32: Album title, please?
The Moar You Know
Easy. Nighttime temps finally dropped below 70 here in San Diego, so the A/C goes in the closet for another year, the bedroom windows come open, and the dog gets very snuggly, trading snugs between my wife and I throughout the evening.
Brickley Paiste
I’m grateful for the retired professor who was standing by the road in Helena holding an “IMPEACH TRUMP” that I saw a few weeks ago.
Good to see patriots taking a stand in deep red States
Ramiah Ariya
I am a bit happy because I wrote a short story after 5 years of being blocked, and I actually like it! My wife laughed throughout reading it, which is a good sign.
dance around in your bones
@Dorothy A. Winsor: bbbb
Steeplejack
@Ben Cisco:
Congratulations! For the love of God, hire someone to do the heavy lifting on the move.
catclub
That Canadian Thanksgiving gives us a reason to be thankful in October!
JMG
An odd problem. The top line says the comments have risen to 65, but when I press it, it shows only 40, to my own post. I’m putting this here to see if it solves the problem.
PS: It seems to have worked.
hedgehog the occasional commenter
I am grateful for this community. For snark, music recommendations, vocabulary improvement (poujadists!), reality checks and encouragement. Very grateful to have been able to meet jackals in person.
PAM Dirac
@Mnemosyne:
So far so good. It is the biggest fear I had when he was released. The education we had said that when an addict is still in the addiction cycle, just being sober can be very painful. You can make it through a day, a week, or maybe even a year, but it will seem that the only reward is the chance to make it through the pain of the next day. It seems like that would be a depressing life. So far he seems to be building a different life and having fun doing it. It reminded me of the movie from a number of years ago (War Games?) where in the big finish the computer goes through hundreds of scenarios and says “Interesting game. The only way to win is not to play”.
Steeplejack
@blackcatsrule, @Steeplejack:
I was going to add that, if you’re not in my area, a good way to find pet-sitters is to check with friends, your vet, other vets’ offices and (last) PetSmart and stores like that. And of course there’s CraigsList, etc.
The main thing is to meet with the person, see how you like them and see how they relate to your cat. I think your intuition will be a pretty good guide.
And don’t be afraid to be a nervous parent! A good pet-sitter will understand all your concerns and want to deal with them.
schrodingers_cat
I figured out a quick fix to my dark kitchen, a cheap pedestal lamp. Now there is light.
[email protected]
Indian food needn’t be hot. There are lots of spices that add flavor without the heat. Leave the hot peppers out and go with aromatic spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric. Also, ginger, garlic, cilantro etc.
Middlelee
My dermatologist just phoned to tell me the biopsy of a possible basal cell carcinoma came back benign. I don’t have to get my 4th MOHS surgery! And it’s a beautiful crisp autumn day which I’d been about to write about when the phone rang.
Flanders Other Neighbor
I drove my wife to the OAK airport this morning. I saw a Berkeley tent city and some less than glamorous Oakland neighborhoods (complete with what appeared to be an active crime scene) while trying to avoid the highway as much as possible.
I’m extremely thankful that my family has a home in a relatively safe area. I never, ever take this for granted.
Bumper
I’m grateful that my mammogram and colonoscopy came back clear.
And I am grateful for The Great British Baking Show on Netflix.
danielx
That the final stretch of hot weather ends today – tomorrow will actually feel like auturmn.
BC in Illinois
Grandchildren.
Five year old wakes up and — sleep still in his eyes — asks, “Dad, do we still have life?”
It took his father a moment to realize he was talking about cereal.
Ohio Mom
I feel very good. I don’t know why, I have lots to worry about and stress over but I feel calm and happy. It is all the more sweeter this way.
laura
I’m grateful for many blessings. I spent the weekend in Golden Gate Park with my friend. We each lost a parent recently and this undivided time of free music, quality quiet time, lots of art supplies and cheese did my soul good-and the weather, golden autumn days. My brothers and I have poured elbow and dollar into dad’s mobile home and it goes on the market today.
If anyone’s looking for a stunning, turnkey, double-wide in the Taj Mahal of adult living parks in Windsor, CA adjacent to golf, hwy. 101, Smart Rail, the Charles Schultz airport and the MASSIVE Russian River Brewing company, let me know…
That would make me even more grateful.
Eric S.
Sunday I drove out to the burbs to visit family. Something I should do more. I had a blast playing with my almost 6-year old niece.
jacy
My turned-18-in-April son got his voter ID card in the mail and he was super excited about it. He even stuck it up on his wall. He can’t wait to vote in his first election. Proud to say that all of my kids who are eligible to vote (4 out of 5) will be voting straight Democratic on election day.
Also, got my flu shot out of the way and have convinced everyone in my immediate circle to get theirs. GET YOUR FLU SHOT.
PAM Dirac
One more bit of good news. I volunteer for someone running for state senate (Maryland). I went to a campaign meeting Monday night. Since this is a local race, there is very little polling. The little bit that is done seems to mostly be general questions rather than specific races. The manager had some results from September that were astonishing to me. Only 15% of Republican women in Frederick County are sure they are going to vote Republican, 30% said they were going to vote Democratic, and 55% were undecided. It certainly argues that a big push in the final weeks has a real chance to bear fruit, which inspires me to keep at it.
TomatoQueen
I am grateful for the new edit button.
Cckids
I’m grateful for the past week I got to spend with my adult kids; they are such fun, smart, interesting people to be around. It was delightful! And they don’t bicker & hate on each other anymore!!
My son’s SO is a funny, wonderful girl I would love to have as a permanent add-on to the family. They’ve adopted a beautiful kitty & a bouncy doggie & bought a house. My daughter has had a parks job with the city of Denver; not her dream but a good step, and after a summer of outdoor mainly physical labor she is so unbelievably buff it amazes me.
What a great time.
Princess
I am grateful all our millennial children are registered to vote. I will be even more grateful if they do vote.
EveryDayIHaveTheBlues
Hi Anne,
If the spousal unit is wary of spice, may I suggest that he/you try a Southern Indian snack called “idli”? It is basically a steamed bun made from a slightly fermented bean and rice batter. There are other variations on this theme (“vada” = doughnut made from a similar batter, “dosa” = pancake from the same batter, etc). But watch out for the accoutrements! They’re usually dynamite, to compensate for the mildness of the main dish…
Note that they’re best in a restaurant that serves South Indian food. When I lived in Cambridge from 2004-2008, our favorite place was in Worcester, but it was a bit of a drive. So we had to make do with Punjabi Dhaba, but it just wasn’t the same. I see know that a simple google search for “south indian food massachusetts” gives you many many options, some even in Cambridge! Damn, I’m jealous. There were no such options near Porter Square back then…
The Moar You Know
@Flanders Other Neighbor:
My first trip through Oakland I took the bus: long haired young white guy and only white guy. Perfectly safe, no issues. That was the last time that was the case. I won’t get into details. But I just stay out of Oakland, it and I don’t get along.
Scariest place on that side of the bay continues to be the Ashby BART station. The parking lot looks like Mad Max after dark. Doesn’t look real good in the daytime either. But all that is true of Berkeley in general, a town I avoid if possible.
After a decade of living in the Bay Area, there are a lot of things I don’t take for granted anymore. And never thought I’d say this: glad to be out and will never come back.
Middlelee
@BC in Illinois:
I’m also grateful for the LOL this gave me.
Something fabulous
@Mnemosyne: no worries! Just wanted you to get those coupons if you really needed ‘em! Used a few myself this week— got a new coffee maker and this n that but there are always more! (More gratitude!) Glad the knee is on the mend.
Brachiator
I have been jammed up with a number of work projects, including one that was badly planned by folks who should know better, but today everyone has been caught up enough that we can relax and take a breath. Small things.
Also, a ramen restaurant which recently opened near me has turned out to be a little gem, pretty damn good food.
Pete Mack
Well, on the subject of food, I would say I am grateful for the brand new taqueria that opened in the local bodega in Seattle (City Market on Capitol Hill, if you are in the area.) There are only 3 tacos on the menu and a few soft drinks, but those tacos are utterly delicious–and only $2.50 a piece, though they aren’t very big.
Barb 2
Cancer – my husband blood test came out with an indication of prostrate cancer this spring. There were just a few cancer cells and the organ was removed in late spring. Good news two blood test results are negative! The doc will monitor blood test for a year but expects that spousal unit is cancer free!
Our dog and cat are loyal loving fur kids. Our God is dog.
Mike in NC
My brother and his wife are regulars at the Punjab Cafe in Quincy, Mass. We went there with them last week and I didn’t care for the food all that much.
On the other hand the brutal heat and humidity here seem to be letting up. Temperatures for the weekend will be in the mid-70s, so I might need to put on a sweater.
A Ghost To Most
It is snowing here! Yay! YMMV.
Tata
Over the winter, I took a part-time job in a family-owned restaurant to send my grandchildren to summer science camps. Taking this job was a big deal because after two hip replacement surgeries I wasn’t 100% sure I could stand up for 4.5 hours at a time, but I could! And though I’m a glorified home baker, it turns out my products sell. I almost can’t bake enough cupcakes and mini-bundts to keep the restaurant in treats. I didn’t know this exactly until Saturday. This little baking job has done wonders for my confidence.
Nelle
After a year and a half of constant pain, I had a hip replacement in early Sept. Some rough early days, but now rapid improvement. I found my fitbit and hit my step goal for the day by noon. I’m a walker – had a regular walking group in New Zealand that would walk 15 to 20 km once a week and then walked all over the rest of the time. It is my stress reliever and it has been difficult to do without it for so long. Now, I’m beginning to believe that I’ll eventually walk comfortably again!
schrodingers_cat
@The Moar You Know: I was surprised at how run down Berkeley looked when I was visiting the Bay Area a few years ago. I hadn’t expected it somehow.
MazeDancer
Grateful for cats.
And vicarious dogs of BJ and Twitter.
And birds, trees, sky, Nature.
And all the remarkable, amazing, creative, dedicated, good, caring people out there.
It is a fine thing to not feel alone in these rough times. And the internet connects.
(And @ruemara: please see reply in Doug’s fundraising thread)
schrodingers_cat
@Tata: So cool! I am good cook but only a so-so baker and that’s mainly because I am not good at following the recipes, experimenting while baking is a total hit or miss.
Gin & Tonic
@The Moar You Know: Since you brought it up, I will be in the greater San Diego area for 5 days starting mid-next week. What kind of weather should I expect? And although there won’t be much sightseeing time, I do want to hit the zoo and the botanic garden. Is there anything that’s a “must” for an out-of-towner with a half-day or so of free time?
ruemara
@Amir Khalid: I’m looking for an amp for the housemate for Christmas. There’s way too many of them.
@Gin & Tonic: I can definitely recommend the zoo. I went there with Clan Gildwrith. I’d go again in a heartbeat. It’s hard to see everything.
I also liked just walking the SD gaslamp district. Plus they took me to this fabulous sushi place in their area, which I would crawl over broken glass to get back to.
Gin & Tonic
@schrodingers_cat: Cooking is like jazz, baking is chemistry – improvisation is invariably a bad idea.
schrodingers_cat
@Mike in NC: Most Indian restaurants in this country are not up to snuff in my humble opinion. Get invited to an Indian home for the best khana.
David Anderson
My daughter has been practicing her lines as Scarecrow for Scene 3 of 6 Scenes from the Wizard of Oz with great joy and abandon.
My son is turning into a really good sport playing U-7 soccer as he gets more excited to high five his teammates when they score or block a shot then when he scores.
Bumper
I would be very grateful if my previous comment could get out of moderation ?
seaboogie
@Steeplejack: I think you need to mail him a dirty sock – it will be the best Bark Box ever for Woody.
Rusty
Ash trees have turned a brilliant yellow for autumn.
bemused
It’s been raining for days and days with temps in low 40’s, even snowed one day and forecast rain turning to snow this evening. People are cranky and complaining about the gloomy cold wet and I’m not the only one with arthritis aches kicking up. However, driving around today, I am so thankful for the gorgeous golden, orange and red colors in the leaves, tamarack trees and grasses that really put a glow on the gloom.
realbtl
I’m grateful that I can afford to pick up a couple of bags of dog food and boxes of cat food for the local food bank on my monthly Costco run.. I figure if one is getting food there I should provide food for pets. Everyone needs companionship of some sort.
AliceBlue
I’m grateful for Mr. AliceBlue, who has put up with me for almost 33 years.
Also grateful for all the jackels and front-pagers here. Even though I mostly lurk, BJ is my go-to blog.
Gelfling 545
The end of September was rough. My sister in law got shingles, my brother in law got pneumonia and my nephew broke his collar bone at work. Happy to say all are on the mend. Looking forward to the Pugs and Pumpkins fair on Saturday. It’s essentially a craft fair & chicken barbecue featuring the local pug and small breed rescue group with their adoptable darlings. Many dogs will be in attendance. Should be a hoot!
Kay (not the front-pager)
Just got x-ray results back on the big cat and he’s healthy!
Well. He’s still 20.8 lbs (but he’s big-boned!), snores like a freight train, and has an infected tooth that has to come out. But he doesn’t have anything seriously wrong. We just need to watch what he eats a little better. And get that bad tooth out. It’s what the vet thinks is causing the congestion and snoring.
Elizabelle
I am grateful to be among jackals who know when they are being gaslighted, and to have friends and associates in real life who have good (real, actual!) values, too.
scav
@Gin & Tonic: I wouldn’t go quite that far: there can be imprivisation in baking, it’s just that the constraints are different. Stews can be wild jazz, completely atonal. Breads maybe more like sonnets (to switch arts. Stews maybe are those freeform poems with emojis and clown noses.) There’s also still an art or craft in the hands to getting the doughs to work: they can behave differently because of humidity flour size of eggs, blah blah. But get the feelings in your hands and you can go off-road a bit and start swapping. Christ, my great grandmother never measured at all except by feel.
eta: Of course, being Christ, my great-grandmother (long story there) could probably change houska into wine.
Elizabelle
@seaboogie: Actually, yes. A sock with Essence d’Steeplejack. Heaven for … Woody, anyway.
(Be careful how you address that thing!)
Elizabelle
I am grateful that Hurricane Michael has not made landfall in my backyard.
Best to all the jackals and friends in this storm’s path. Small reason for them to be grateful: it arrived during daylight hours. That’s sort of helpful, right?
Flanders Other Neighbor
@The Moar You Know:
I’m presently working on my exit plan, if we’re being truthful.
However, I’m also grateful that I’m working from home today and Tilden Park is just a short distance away. I’m going to grab my mountain bike and spend my lunch getting some fresh air and exercise.
Kay (not the front-pager)
@scav: Oooh Tangzhong bread! My daughter-in-law asked me to make “Asian milk bread” for her and I had no idea what she was talking about. Then I stumbled upon the Tangzhong method. It turns just about any bread recipe into a more tender, longer lasting loaf. Now, I don’t always want tender. My favorite loaf is a chewy, crusty multigrain recipe. But using the Tangzhong method for any tender recipe, such as most sweet breads, is a quick and relatively easy way to up your game. In fact I was just reviewing a recipe for cinnamon raisin bread that uses this technique. I’ve been having a craving (I have a lot in common with my 20.8 lb cat).
I hope it works as well for you as it has for me!
The Moar You Know
@Gin & Tonic: Well, you’re getting our best. Coastal: low to mid 70s daytime, low 60s at night. I consider our nights cold – a decent fleece is enough – but some out-of-towners laugh at that.
There are no “musts” here. Get some decent local Mexican food is all. Watch the sun sink into the ocean. The zoo is amazing. I personally like to drive the 8 eastbound over the Alpine grade and just stare at the desert for a while, but that’s a bit of an expedition and not the first thing I’d recommend for someone with limited time.
If you’re staying downtown, and I hope you are not (“the Gaslamp” district that ruemara mentions is ground zero for this) be a psycho about handwashing. We have a homeless problem that has become far worse than anything I ever saw in the Bay Area and hepatitis is a legit danger.
schrodingers_cat
@scav: I was trying to make a pineapple cake and added pineapple juice from the can to the batter. The cake did not rise at all.
Mary G
@Gin & Tonic: Weather predicted here starting Monday (an hour north of San Diego, but usually the weather is the same) is between 73-75 highs, 58-59 lows. You will see sweaters on natives and shorts and T-shirts on tourists.
@The Moar You Know: LOL. You beat me.
hitchhiker
Grateful isn’t a strong enough word.
Daughter A is infertile due to a birth defect, something she’s known all her life and that I knew before she was born. Daughter B has agreed to go through egg donation so that her sister can be pregnant and deliver her own child.
They’ve gone through a whole process together on this, including seeing lawyers so that contracts can be drawn and working with counselors so that everyone (including both of their partners) understands the potential minefields.
So, I’m potentially someday a grandma, but definitely right now the mother of sisters who love each other and are willing to go very far to show it.
That’s … I don’t have words.
schrodingers_cat
@Mary G: When I go to Mumbai in winter, I see little kids in sweaters and monkey caps on their way to school when I am in shorts and a Tshirt on my morning walk.
scav
@schrodingers_cat: I did say the boundaries were different — that may have been attempting to work Orange into a repetative rhyme scheme. And just what is it about pinapple juice that makes it kryptonite to so many things?
Gin & Tonic
@The Moar You Know: Thanks for the info. I’ll be a bit outside of the city to the north (up around Black Mountain) for a couple of reasons. Yeah, for a New Englander 60’s is t-shirt weather.
I have been in the city and the Gaslamp district when I was there a few years ago, and it was pretty meh. But it was June and I don’t think I saw the sun once.
schrodingers_cat
@scav: Too acidic?
Mnemosyne
@schrodingers_cat:
Was it JR in WV who found out the hard way that you can’t make a pineapple upside-down cake with fresh pineapple because the enzymes mess with the chemistry of the rest of the cake? I’m guessing a similar thing happened with the pineapple juice.
zhena gogolia
@ruemara:
So cute. I’m cat-less at the moment but gearing up to adopt again, maybe this summer.
I love my work and Chris Murphy and Dick Blumenthal are my senators. I guess that’s two things. Or three.
The Moar You Know
@ruemara: For a little practice amp you can’t beat this one. If the roomie needs something bigger (like for legit gigs with a band) ask and I’ll find a link to that.
MG15
chris
I’ve been cutting next year’s firewood and a neighbour came by to see what I was doing. An hour later he dropped off his wood splitter. So no axe and maul work, life is good.
Mary G
@Gin & Tonic: The San Diego 59-mile scenic drive is great. I never get all the way along, but it’s a great overview that we take when we don’t have time or money for a vacation.
schrodingers_cat
@Mnemosyne: There was a pineapple cake from an Italian bakery that I loved as a child that I was trying to recreate. It was a flop.
randy khan
I’m grateful for the Burning Man exhibit at the Renwick Gallery here in D.C. I was in the vicinity at lunchtime and stopped by. They’ve installed a Burning Man temple in the biggest room in the building and it’s a wonderful space of serenity and calm. We need that in D.C. these days.
The Moar You Know
@Gin & Tonic: Driving distance to Solana Beach, then. For food, gotta recommend either Tony’s Jacal or Fidels (they are on the same street). WORTH THE DRIVE. Tony’s is more of the local’s joint, but they’re not open until 5pm.
No clouds this time of year, especially where you will be.
Kay (not the front-pager)
@germy: This is lovely. All of it.
scav
@schrodingers_cat: Lemon seems generally easier — certainly gets added to cakes at least. Isn’t there some sort of meat-tenderizing effect with pineapple (is mango similar?)? Maybe that does something nasty to yeast — too much salt isn’t good (although just enough to slow things down is supposedly a good thing: luckily for taste).
OzarkHillbilly
@oldster: Children are very forgiving. I guess that is something I’m grateful for too.
satby
@Steeplejack: mail back an old one you don’t want any more, but be sure to wear it first! Good doggie!
Amir Khalid
@ruemara:
You’ll need to know what music your housemate plays, where he expects to use the amp, what other gear he needs it to work with, and what he’s looking for in an amp. It’s a very personal thing for every guitar player. and I wouldn’t pick out an amp for somebody else without lots of input from them. Good luck.
zhena gogolia
Great thread. I think we need one of these every day!
Immanentize
I am grateful for my smart, clever, hard working son the Immp. I swear he is the reason I am alive today as I had to get up and get out of bed almost every day for the last year plus to make sure he did the same. I am further thankful that he ‘discovered’ Jane Austin.
Manyakitty
Perpetually thankful for my three cats, who bring me relentless happiness and love. I’d be lost without them.
Manyakitty
@Immanentize: Dang, the more you talk about that kid, the cooler he sounds!
Parenting: you’re doing it right.
Mel
@ruemara: Fluffy, contented kitties in autumn colors! They’re lovely!
Gin & Tonic
@The Moar You Know: Muchas gracias to you and Mary G for the useful tips.
Mel
@Ben Cisco: That’s wonderful! Congratuations.
satby
Such good things happening for all my virtual friends: I’m grateful for that and all of you!
Also grateful for the IRL friends I have. Maybe because as we’ve gotten older we realize how lucky we are to have enjoyed such long friendship, but we never end a phone call or a visit without saying “I love you ” to each other. One day we might not get the chance again.
opiejeanne
I’m grateful that it’s payday and that we can afford to have two nice ladies come and clean the house for us, and that we can pay our bills and buy food. And yes, we’ve been doing a pick-up and quick wipe-down in anticipation of the cleaners. Doesn’t everyone?
I’m grateful that my adult kids are healthy and fairly happy, and have supportive people in their lives, spouses, boyfriends, whatever.
I’m grateful that the heat broke and we are well into fall and that it’s been raining. The sun is due to come out later today, and I’ll be glad of that too.
I’m also grateful to my Monday night self for making pulled pork because it’s delicious and there’s enough left for at least two more nights.
opiejeanne
@satby: I should call my best friend! Thanks for reminding me.
mac8
I’m grateful for my nephew, who turns 4 today.
J R in WV
@schrodingers_cat:
Years ago I was preparing to make a pineapple upside down cake in a big old iron skillet for a next door pot luck dinner party, using a ripe fresh pineapple instead of cooked/canned pineapple. I am grateful to Cheryl Rofer for informing me that enzymes in fresh pineapple digest things in the batter that keep it from cooking properly.
Of course this being life, she responded to my comment while I was making the cake, and I saw her information while the cake was in the oven. It was a terrible disaster, it was hilarious expecting the disaster while it was in the oven, and wondering what it would be like. So I’m suspecting this chemistry may be what happened to your baking project.
I AM grateful for John Cole and his blog, and all the people who post here. You guys get me through the late night sometimes!
And of course so grateful for wife of 47 years or so, since 1971 officially, really since 1969. So 49 years together so far…
Ben Cisco
@Steeplejack: Already done! A man has to know his limitations, and I’m very much aware of mine.
Gelfling 545
@hitchhiker: That is a beautiful thing! ?
SamR
Thanks to a work trip, I’m going to get to see some friends I haven’t seen in years next week.
CaseyL
These are wonderful stories and shares. So one thing I’m grateful for is seeing the BJ community prosper.
I am perennially grateful for my two kitties. Jeannie went in for her annual exam today, and got a clean bill of health; Oscar goes in next week. They have seen me through some very bad times, when the only thing that kept me going was knowing how they depend on me.
Jeannie just joined me on the sofa, so I am officially forgiven for the vet visit :)
PaulWartenberg
I got a 30 year high school reunion this Saturday
Tried getting a “I Survived Tarpon High” t-shirt but they sold out.
SPONGERS REPRESENT
(it is, however, tempered with a sadness because one of our attendees dropped out due to his mother’s passing, and another attendee died of illness suddenly and her passing was a huge shock to everybody)
Origuy
@laura: Considering how many people lost homes in the Santa Rosa fire last year, I’m sure your dad’s doublewide won’t be on the market long. Sorry I don’t have any leads.
narya
Lunch. Seriously, my lunches have just been tasty (Monday & Tuesday: tomatoes, salt, fresh mozz, some avocado, plus two pieces of awesome toast; Today: roasted broccoli, eggs (cooked in the microwave), cheese, and more toast). Also, as always, grateful for you jackals. I have narrowed my reading down SO HARD in the past two years, and this place keeps me sane.
cope
I am very grateful that our mail-in ballots were in yesterday’s mail. Shit be getting real now.
Sister Golden Bear
I’m grateful that I’m finally turning the corner in my recovery from genital reassignment surgery.
Aside from some TMI aspects that I won’t mention here, it’s much easier to sit without the donut cushion, and the pain has dropped dramatically — enough that I’ve been able to cut the pain meds in half. (I could probably cut them further, but it looks like I already ramped down too quickly and I’m having some physical withdrawal symptoms that I just need to gut out before decreasing again.)
Plus I’m only a little more than a week away from having to do after-care 3x/day, totaling 4.5 hours, to only have to do it 2x/day for a total of two hours.
Nelle
@Immanentize: I’m grateful whenever I see you comment here. Best to you and Imp . You make your journeys with such grace, intelligence and dignity.
gene108
@EveryDayIHaveTheBlues:
You can always go with the a childhood favorite accoutrement: ghee and sugar. Take some sugar and mix it with ghee. Not at all spicy.
dlw32
@BlueGirlFromWyo:
The band is the Blinds, the album is the Blinds… keeping it simple. They clearly are influenced by the Beatles… they are a little raw yet.
laura
@Origuy: in my rich fantasy life either Ruckus or Seaboogie buys it.
We wish we could keep it as a family second home but cant due to residency requirements. Last year’s fire definitely contributed to dads decline and death. Working on his place with the brothers has been good grief work. Hed be so proud.
EveryDayIHaveTheBlues
@gene108: YES! This is indeed very good too. Funnily enough, that particular combo didn’t appeal to me as a child. Then, it was straight up malahapodi (or kharam-podi as we Telugu folks called it at our home). Gaawd, I love idlis. My wife made some last week (packets, not the whole grind-wait-ferment chore), and they were DELICIOUS. I ate mine with sambar, kharam-podi and ghee+oil.
WilliamC
What a great idea AL!
I’m super grateful that the principle photography for my documentary is done and I’m about to leave Georgia and head back home to CA!
opiejeanne
@PaulWartenberg: I just attended my 50th HS reunion party, and had something similar happen. A couple of members that had planned to attend dropped out due to illness and one died the morning of the party.
We had about 160 in attendance out of a class of 350, 60 of them spouses or SOs. The committee found all but three of us, and those three were so disappeared that no one could find them. One got married a week after graduation and there’s no further sign of her anywhere. The thing that really got me is how hard they tried to locate everyone. I thanked them profusely for this while I helped them search.
During the party we had a memorial slide show of the ones that are gone, and we all teared up a little (or a lot) at the thought of these boys and girls we knew being lost to us.
A couple of days after the reunion ended and we were still discussing it, it turned out that one of the women from the memorial has ceased to be deceased. She is in fact not dead at all. There was a lot of relief as well as confused emotion at that.
Sab
My good thing for this week is we invited my oldest (18) and youngest (4) stepgrandchildren over for backyard grilled burgers. The littlest one is autistic. Her speech therapy has been amazingly effective, so she could actually converse a bit. She knew I was called “grandma” and she latched onto me (that’s new) and she wanted a tour of the house. She collected all the stuffed animals (a weakness of mine) on a bed, played with them for a while, kept dragging me upstairs to check on her/their progress and eventually went home after adopting a stuffed kitten and a huge stuffed costa rican tree frog. I will miss the frog, but I love being a grandmother.
Mnemosyne
@Sister Golden Bear:
I let a stranger lay hands on my knee to try and faith heal it. Normally I wouldn’t let a total stranger do such a thing, but he was young and cute, and while I may be married, I ain’t dead yet. ?
ruemara
@Sab: That’s the sweetest story. Congrats.
low-tech cyclist
The local theater is going to perform “It’s A Wonderful Life” in December.
The ‘good thing’ part of this is that my 11 year old son will be playing the part of the young George Bailey. He’s recently discovered a love of acting, and is quite excited about this: he does the blase pre-teen attitude about most things, but when he found he’d gotten this part, he let out quite the whoop!
I’m competent with tools, and expect to be pressed into helping build the sets. Looking forward to it, actually.
debbie
@low-tech cyclist:
Congratulations to your son! It’s still one of my favorite movies.
debbie
@opiejeanne:
I keep trying to disappear from those stupid reunions, but they know where I live.
TKinNC
@Martin: You may never see this, but just in case you do: I bought a BOLT in June. I love it. So far anyway. There are a few things I would change about it if I were the boss of the world, but since I’m not (yet), I will make do. Overall it makes me happy and I would rec to a friend. I suppose it can be the thing I am grateful for in this post.
Sister Golden Bear
@Mnemosyne: Nothing wrong with window shopping, amirite? I’m single, so I wouldn’t mind having a young, cute stranger lay hands on where it hurts.? Although it might get them arrested if they did it in public…
FWIW, acupuncture has really helped reduce the swelling. Fortunately, I know someone who specialized in pelvic floor acupuncture. (Not sure what other things she treats that involve that.)
Sab
@ruemara: Yes it is. I love rhe 4 year old, but I absolutely adore the 18 year old. She has been taking care of abandoned siblings ( her parents aren’t perfect, to put it mildly) since she she was about four. She is a fucking saint but of course she feels inadequate because she cannot raise them herself. She is 18 and not through high school yet.
low-tech cyclist
@debbie: Thanks! I’ve watched the movie several times over the years, and seeing it on stage should be fun, especially with the kid in a plum role!
Sab
ruemara,
When I was being totally obnoxious to Helen in Eire you told me to stop digging. I did . Thank you so much. She has since forgiven me, but I am not sure she would have if I had continued ranting. And I wasnt even angry at her. I was taking my frustration rage on commentators who were slightly out
out of sinq with me.
I have a lot of in laws who are immigrants on green cards. They think they are safe. I disagree. We argue a lot.
That is why I was so rude to Helen. She is safe. My inlaws are not, and they are good people.