Giving Thanks

I'm not sure that I even have pictures to accompany this blog post. But anyway, we had Thanksgiving, camera or no. I think I can scrounge something up.

And it was lovely! Neither G nor I love traveling by car when the mountain passes in Washington are frozen. Usually, as was the case this year, they were frozen. So we just make plans to eat at home and have a quiet, four day weekend together.

I found a great sale on fresh, unfrozen Dungeness crab (less than 100 miles from here). G made mashed potatoes and a scrumptious cream cheese brownie from scratch.  I made candied sweet potatoes.  We feasted and held hands and talked about how lucky our lives are and all of the good things in them. Among those blessings are that my mother in law is home from the hospital and recovering from a recent illness.  We couldn't be happier.

We went for a walk in the cold fresh air. It was bright and chilly and we saw several others out doing the same.  I steered us towards the outlook with a  clear view of the Kittitas Valley.  Very fun.

The next day, we walked around in our downtown area and visited a small bookshop that a friend of mine owns.  The local food bank, FISH, unexpectedly caught fire that morning and the talk of the town is how people who needed it would get food. I think that Ellensburg is a pretty good community.  Fiscally and socially conservative, but they realize the great necessity of charity. And charity begins at home in the community.

Immediately a new command center was set up and volunteers were rerouted. The building was insured and recently inspected, thank goodness.  And even though the Thanksgiving food had been distributed, the Christmas stuff they were readying were a total loss.  The whole building is a 100% loss.

I had to grade papers today but asked G if he wouldn't mind running to the store. He made a list of what the food bank said they needed most and got some of everything, dropping it off at a local church. When I asked what was going on, he said there were so many donations pouring in that he was almost unnoticed.

Bought this tea pot at a local business. I love it!

And that warms my heart. Not just that but the number of businesses that immediately put up donation boxes. That a community would recognize that everyone is important, that food and shelter and a hot meal are basic human rights, and that they would also act on that.  I'm glad to be part of this community, if for only that reason alone.

G made me breakfast on Saturday. 

It was so pretty outside I opened the door

We are coming up on the great escape to Europe- just a few weeks out now.  I'm excited but it brings up a problem for Christmas. I'm sort of hoping nobody gives us gifts this year because we won't be able to receive them until we get back (I'm purposely being vague on dates because, you know, internet). And we're getting everything sent out hopefully by the end of next week. Is it bad to ask that instead of sending me a gift, a kind and thoughtful person would make a donation to charity in my name and let me know?  Because if you know me at all, you know that's the sweetest thing you could do for me.

Ah well. Tomorrow is back to the grind, until the end of the quarter. We'll get everything wrapped up and ready to go. Then it's time for final preparations, packing, and before we know it...whoosh!

Happy Thanksgiving!