Giving Thanks

It's podcast Tuesday, and this week we felt a bit on the scattered side. I'm sure you have NO idea why, right? We cobbled together a podcast for you. Please give us grace for all our SQUIRREL! SQUIRREL! moments.

We realized after we finished the whole thing that we did not give credit where credit is due to Ryan's entire family for wearing an equal number of hats in caring for his mom as she recovers. When we tell our stories, we try so hard to make sure we tell only our stories. We don't want to infringe on others' stories. But in that effort, we didn't want you to think all the rest of the family is absent. They're very present and doing just as many things to aid in her care! We are just one small part of a very big hat-filled operation!

 Listen here

Also...it's true. I'm still not caught up on my weekend pictures, so I thought I'd jump on board a post I saw on another blog today!

Giving thanks!! It's important, and I'm trying to constantly be more aware of my need to express my gratitude out loud. I often feel thankful in my heart, but I don't say the words out loud. So I'm trying to be better about that! I think saying the words out loud causes all of us to be more aware of the things we do have to be grateful for, and not just on Thanksgiving.

So here we go!

1. Have you ever kept a gratitude journal?

Kind of. Is that an appropriate answer? After Ann Voskamp wrote One Thousand Gifts, I kept a journal counting my own 1000 gifts. (Lynne and I did this together along with some listeners back when I worked at WBCL.) I really enjoyed that practice of being aware and keeping the list, but I didn't continue it past the 1000 gifts challenge. (I really balk at all trendy things and didn't want to just keep the list going because it was the trendy thing to do.) Of course you know I'm all about keeping a daily journal, and I regularly make note in it of things that I'm thankful for, but that journal is not a specific gratitude journal. It's just a "Bekah sure is wordy" journal.

2. Hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house?

Not this year. We hosted it for my side of the family last year, because my mom was in the rehab hospital recovering from her knee surgery, and my sisters both came to surprise her! So Ryan and I hosted it here at our house. We really enjoyed it! I would absolutely host again someday, but this year it'll go back to the Mama's house.

3. Favorite food from the Thanksgiving meal?

None of it, honestly. I'm not a lover of Thanksgiving food. I don't like turkey, I'm picky about stuffing/dressing, I don't like sweet potatoes, I don't like cranberry salad, I don't like the texture of pumpkin pie. So that pretty much takes care of it! I do dearly love macaroni and cheese, and in our family, that is one of the official Thanksgiving dishes, so I just enjoy that.

4. What one thing in nature are you most grateful for?

The honest answer to that is whatever is right in front of me, because there are so many things! This week it's been the beautiful fall colors. We'd heard a rumor that here in Indiana, the leaves were going to just drop without turning, because our weather went from hot to cold in about one day. But whoever started that rumor was wrong!!!! The drive to Fort Wayne and back this weekend was absolutely stunning, and I just had a little praise party in my heart as we drove. I love it that God thought to make such an array of colors!

5. Pumpkin pie - yes or no?

See above. I adore the flavor of pumpkin, but definitely not the texture of pumpkin pie. So it's a no for me.

6. Traditional cookbook - yes or no?

Both? I have several traditional cookbooks and love and use them! But I also make a lot of recipes from Pinterest and Dashing Dish, both of which I get online. I have a goal for 2019 to start paper-documenting more of my recipes in case I need that style of record of them someday!

7. Oven baked or deep fried turkey?

Well I don't really like turkey at all (other than deli meat) but I did have a bit of fried turkey once at a church dinner. Ummmmm YUMMY!!! That was good!

8. Thanksgiving leftovers - yes or no?

Since I don't like the food the first time around, I see no reason to reheat it. LOL! Except for the mac and cheese. Give me round two of that.

9. What is one household product you are most grateful for?

Hmmmmm…MY DISHWASHER!! Does that count as a product? I hate washing dishes. So the dishwasher saves the day.

10. Are you most grateful for homecooked meals or restaurant meals?

Wow. That's a toughie. I think the best answer is that I'm terribly grateful that I like to cook, that I have learned how to make meals that are good for us, and that we are able to buy the things we need to make them. But there are some days when I just so dearly need a break, and on those day, I'm so grateful we live near a variety of good restaurants and that Ryan takes me to them and lets me be served. Win-win.

So that's my list. How 'bout you?