“Man, I have to start grocery shopping NOW. Also…what are we making?”
“It’s going to take us HOW long to drive to your cousin’s house?”
“I’m willing to relive my worst day in high school for a week if this flight isn’t delayed.”
This year I’m grabbing Thanksgiving by the turkey legs and turning potential grumpiness into gravy. Here’s my list of things to be grateful for.
• My health: As part of my recuperation from a back injury, I was told that a healthy diet and lifestyle play a huge part in a speedy recovery. And while I still enjoy a good cheeseburger here and there, I’ve been eating a predominantly vegetarian diet for a while and will cook up many poultry-free dishes to tempt the carnivores at my table. I’ll be using the New York Time vegetarian Thanksgiving recipe index, as well as my copy of The Southern Vegetarian cookbook for inspiration.
• Jeans with plenty of stretch: Thanks to the modern magic of combining cotton with lycra, many of us can survive the meal next Thursday with our dignity (and zippers) intact. Many others, however, are not as fortunate in owning various pairs of jeans to choose from. So if you find yourself with an extra pair you no longer fit into, er, enjoy wearing, consider donating to Teens for Jeans, a campaign that provides denim to homeless youth.
• iPad mini: Not just because it buys peace and quiet for a few glorious moments with traveling toddlers. Or because it’s lighter and “really IS the right size, huh?” But because it gorgeously showcases all the hard work that goes into making websites responsive. It’s one thing to view a site on a laptop or mobile device, but when you notice the seamless transition to any screen size, it really makes the experience that much more enjoyable.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to start stressing about holiday gifts.