Day 364: December 30, 2011

Today I'm thankful for organic sugar. 

I have a major clumping problem with my sugar, but I have recently discovered that when I have organic sugar: no clumps! I don't get it, but I like it.

Day 363: December 29, 2011

Today I'm thankful for my brand spanking new Cookbook Stand.

Most of my cookbooks are covered in cocoa powder and pages are stuck together with caramel. It's a testament to how loved and used they are, but I think it's time I start giving them the protection they deserve :)
My new cookbook stand protects the pages with a thin sheet of glass and props the book up for easy viewing. Love it!

Day 363/362: December 28, 2011

It was today that I realized that I made a mistake somewhere along the way.
I am on Day 363 with three more days in the year, and last time I checked there were not 366 days in this year. Oops.
It's a good thing I'm not a perfectionist, because if I was I would scroll through every single date trying to find the spot where I went wrong. And I might not find it on the first try, so then I might do it again. And if I was a perfectionist, when I found it I might go through and change every post since then to make it right.
Thank God I'm not.
I only scrolled through every post one and a half times before realizing that it would take me hours to change all the titles, so I made a deal with myself to not find the culprit of a post at all so that way I won't have to change it.
I'm only kind of twitching right now.

Today I'm thankful for mistakes.

Mistakes remind me that I am not perfect, no one is. When I am reminded of this, it makes it a whole lot easier to live. Really live. Live without worrying about what might happen if I make a mistake and things don't go perfectly.

Day 362: December 27, 2011

Today I am thankful for humidity.

We returned from our Christmas adventures to our humble, humid home. And the first thing I noticed (okay, after I noticed all the dust bunnies) was that I could breathe again. I usually prefer the nice dry Tahoe air, but for some reason this trip was rough on me. I woke up with a scratchy throat, feeling like I had hung out in a smoky bar the night before. And my nasal passages were parched.
I will try to remember this and be grateful when I am blow drying my frizzy hair for sixty-two minutes tomorrow morning because the humidity in the bathroom is that of a rain forest.

Day 361: December 26, 2011

Today I am thankful for Ice Skating.

Specifically when done on a lake. 

There is no snow in Tahoe. But it is very, very cold. I'm okay with that. 

We decided to go for a twilight skate this afternoon, and it was pretty fantastic. Ice skating brings back memories of skating on the pond by my house, practicing my best spins with my friend Mira.
This time I practiced with my mom.

If you've never skated on a lake or pond, you're missing out.
It's one part terrifying and one part awesome. Every now and then the ice makes a fantastic cracking sound like it's going to open up and swallow you whole. That always initiates the "would there be a worse way to die than to be trapped under ice?"
No.
But the awesome part is this.

Day 360: December 25, 2011

Today I'm thankful for technology-free days...and Christmas.

I almost left the Christmas part out because I feel it's redundant. Clearly I'm thankful for Christmas because it's all I've been talking/blogging about since Thanksgiving. But, but, but it's my favorite time of year!
This Christmas was blissfully unplugged (which is why I am writing this on December twenty-sixth) and it was wonderful.
The day was spent with family and dogs, doing a lot of nothing but being. And I'm pretty darn thankful for that.
And, I just couldn't let a holiday go by without dressing up my dog in some form of holiday attire, so I'm also thankful for the doggie Santa hat. It made it's rounds this year!
Happy Holidays from the Rose/Haskell Pooches!

"Mom, why do you always make me wear hats on holidays?"

Some were less excited about the hat than others. Two remain pictureless...

Day 359: December 24, 2011

Today I'm thankful for Christmas Stockings.

One of my favorite pre-Christmas rituals is pulling out the homemade stockings on Christmas Eve. I always look at each stocking one-by-one remembering how much I love them. My Mom's was the first (homemade by someone...not sure who) and she made matching stockings for each member of the family after that. They each have different little felt and sequin items, some Christmas-related, some not. A wreath with a golden retriever inside for Casey, a little white kitty on mine, and various versions of Christmas trees, candy canes, et cetera.
The newest addition to the felt collection is Nick's stocking that I lovingly made a few years ago, but this year I noticed that Juno's was there but Zoe's stocking was missing...looks like I have some crafting to do! I hope Santa remembers her treats!
I love waking up on Christmas morning and seeing the stockings propped somewhere, stuffed with all sorts of goodies (mostly toiletries---a Haskell family tradition!)

Tonight we were lucky enough to spend the evening with both families, laughing, drinking champagne, and celebrating the season. And then, like on every Christmas Eve in my memory, my Mom and I pulled out the stockings and talked about each one. It never gets old :)