Thursday is Thanksgiving in the United States and it’s time for my annual tradition of making a “Thanksgiving ABC’s” list. I maintain a gratitude practice every day, but I still love doing this list every year. Some of the items repeat year after year, others are new. Here’s this year’s list:
A: Allegra
B: Baking. I’m looking forward to starting my holiday baking this week.
C: Cake – because, when all else fails, cake always makes things better.
D: Decorating for the holidays. I’m getting an early start again this year and I’ll probably keep everything up much longer than I normally do. I’m all about adding as much light and joy to life as possible right now.
E: Eating out. I missed that so much during 2020, and while I’m still not comfortable with indoor dining, I took advantage of the warmer months and returned to many of my favorite restaurant patios.
F: Friends.
G: Gingerbread. But not just any gingerbread, it has to be the German kind.
H: Health. Never more so than these last two years.
I: The Internet. Because really, could you even imagine life without it?
J: Jeans
K: Kindness
L: Laundry. Yes, I actually enjoy doing laundry. There’s something zen to me about folding and putting stuff away. Bonus: Allegra loves to play in the laundry basket.
M: Meditation – it’s been a lifesaver most of my life, but especially during these trying times.
N: Netflix. So much good stuff to watch!
O: Oranges, and Clementines. I’m obsessed with citrus fruit in the winter months and add them to my salads almost every day.
P: Prime, as in Amazon Prime. Also a repeat, but as someone who loathes running errands, Amazon makes my life so much easier and saves me so much time, so thank you Amazon and all your employees who work so hard to make life easier for me.
Q: Queen (the band)
R: Ruby – for the love and light she brought into my life for nine years. I miss you so much, baby girl.
S: Summer. While I enjoy all four seasons, I will always be a summer girl.
T: Torties!
U: Uplifting books, TV shows and movies. Now more than ever.
V: Veterinarians and veterinary staff, for all they do to make cats’ lives better. An extra thank you for working under incredibly stressful conditions throughout this pandemic.
W: Women’s Meditation Network – a repeat from last year as well. I discovered Katie Krimitsos in March of 2020, and have been doing at least one of her meditations every single day.
X: X-mas. Even though I’m not crazy about this abbreviation of Christmas, I can never think of anything else that starts with X, and I do love Christmas.
Y: You, our Conscious Cat readers. Thank you for reading, commenting and sharing. We’re so grateful you’re part of our community.
Z: Zen – a state I strive for, but rarely achieve.
What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?
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do you believe I am FINALLY getting to this list? I’m with you about Amazon (oh and Whole Foods Deliveries too!) they have been lifesavers!!!! Wish I could decorate for Christmas, it’s such a pretty holiday, Chanukah is sooo boring!!! I have eaten out a number of times but am always nervous when I do so. We do a lot of deliveries from DoorDash, but have gone out a few times. I think this list was one of my favorites that you have done! Hoping your Thanksgiving was wonderful!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too, Caren!
That was beautiful. One note, I watched The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. I cried. Thank you for sending this for all to watch.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the movie! I cried, too.
All of you great feline lovers out there in Cat Village, Whatever Town, have great long lists and I’m ashamed that I have no list to share. I was rushed again for the ninth time. But I do have 1 item on my heart and that’s to tell all of you feline mommies and daddies, and kiddies and all the furry, soft, wonderful puff balls, meaning the cats, in the world, have a wonderful
Thankful Thanksgiving this year in 2021, and I’ll be thinking of everyone of you. G d Bless.
I’ve had so many cats the last 45 years or so that I could probably find a letter for each one. Right now A is for Almond Joy, C is for Charley, D is for Darla, G is for Gema, M is for Maggie who is about to go to the vet in the next half hour, and R is for Renford. T of course is for Torties. P is for Amazon Prime which, like you, has been a life saver for me. And L is for Love! Oh and G is for Grey’s Anatomy, my favorite show.
A-Apple Pie (crumb topping kind!), animals
B-Babies – have to talk to each one in the grocery store
C-Christmas,Christ, cats, cheesecake,my 4 Children, COFFEE brewing in the AM
D-Dogs – granddogs ; deer in my back yard
E-Elecricity- never take for graned
F-Funny jokes my friend, Chrstina, sends me; my FLOWER gardens
G-Grandchildren – all 10 of them, great-grandchildren- 4 litle girls, God, glass of wine at 5pm
H-Home – my house is my sanctuary, fresh herbs
I-Ice Cream
J-Jeff –
K-Kids across the street – playing in the yard-their laugher, sharing popsicles with them
L-laughter – Jeff has the best
M-My mom – gone now, but her wisdom lingers – we ‘talk’
N-Notes from family and friends
O-Open Doors – SaraLee HATES closed doors
P-Peace – I treasure Peace because there is so little of it in my life, Pinot Grigio
Q-Quiet time for me – alone time is good
R-Rest – Love my bed on Thursday – laundry day and that means clean linens! Rainy days
S-SaraLee – my Tortoiseshell – sunny days
T-Time – passing – fast, thunderstorms
U-Useful hacks – most of which I read with interest-never use
V-Vases filled with flowers
W-Wonder- the night sky, the sunrise, , the sunset, the rainbow, the rain, the grass
X-Happy for letter X just because it causes so may problems 😉
Y-Yellow – my always favorie color
Z-Zippers – think of life without zippers!
Thanks for this opportunity to reflect,
Thank you for sharing your list, Jody -and I love your X and Z items!
Love your list. So much to be thankful for! I also would love your recipe for the German gingerbread cookies. Are those Lebkuchen? My T is for TASHA. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Yes, gingerbread is Lebkuchen, but I confess that I usually buy them at the store. They’re pretty labor intensive!
Growing up in Chicago, there was a wonderful authentic German Bakery that made the most beautiful, luscious tortes and cakes. Any special occasion, we would go and have a wonderful treat!
Your list is both fun and nice to read each year.
I loved my mom’s and aunt’s gingerbread as a child, but they have passed and I am wondering if their recipe was for a German variety; none I have tried or bought taste as good.
Would you share your German gingerbread recipe, please? I’m sure Allegra would get involved in some photogenic way.
Happy Thanksgiving!
As I mentioned in my response to Theresa, I don’t usually make my own gingerbread, but I have tried one of the gingerbread recipes in this book and it came out great: https://amzn.to/3FxQnkn It’s one of my favorite baking books and everything I’ve made from it comes out wonderfully and authentic.
I always enjoy reading you list. I need to make one again this year. “A” would definitely be saved for Ann, my sister, she may not be with us much longer.
I’m so sorry to hear about your sister, Janine.
Thank you!