Receipts, Soup, & My Dog

When we were young, perhaps not so long ago, in other (simpler) Novembers, we sat in classrooms full of other littlies or maybe at our own kitchen table and at the request of teachers or parents we made quaint little crafts expressing what we were thankful for. I remember with fondness construction paper turkeys, each orange, red or yellow feather inscribed with something I cherished--usually my parents, my church, sometimes my big brothers. 

We all made them as children. Now as adults we all take this time, each of these "less simple" Novembers, and tell the world what we're thankful for every single day in social media fashion. I could resist, out of an immature resistance to be part of the crowd. (Oh no! I'm doing the same thing that so many other people are doing! I'm a conformist and I'm not unique and I'm not special!) Or, I could just do it anyways because I want to. Yep, goin' with the latter.

Every day this month I will be thankful for specific things. Some of them will be expected--my family, my church, sometimes my big brothers. Some of them will be absurd or bizarre and you will laugh, because I told you to. Or because I'm actually quite crazy!

Today you get three things, because I'm going to be out of town until Monday, so I chose one normal thing and two not-so-normal things.

1. I am thankful for Receipts. 

Back in January, my husband went to buy new tires. He was working as a Domino's delivery guy, and we live in the North Suburbs of Chicago, so there was lots of snow. A month after we got the tires he ran over a nail. So, that was February. Today, in November, he is finally going back to get the flat tire fixed so that we can take the spare (now quite useless) off. Having the receipt right now is crucial, because in addition to proving we bought said tires, it's stapled to a piece of paper explaining what happens if one of the tires goes flat or breaks in half or some other brainless thing tires do to themselves. 

2. I am thankful for Soup. 

I love soup. Not all soups! But hearty, brothy, good-without-saltine-crackers soup full of veggies and good stuff. My mother still makes the best soup I've ever tasted, especially turkey or chicken soup (or even better, baked potato & bacon soup), and it was a staple of my growing up years. Eating her soup was like consuming a physical manifestation of my mother's love. And the biscuits that went with the soup--heavenly! Since being married I have made similar turkey & chicken soups, never quite reaching perfection but still feeling that same warmth I did as a kid. I made soup two days ago, and ate the final broth for breakfast this morning because I felt sick all night. It still made me feel safe, and loved, even though I made it for myself. I think it's the bayleaf.

3. I am thankful for My Dog.

A year ago right now my dog, Holly, was still in Washington, trying to find a new home for when my parents moved. On December 10th, they somehow found the funds to fly her to me, and she has been my best companion since then. Currently she is under the desk, warming my feet. When Joey leaves for work on the mornings I stay here, she crawls into bed with me and won't leave until I've woken up. I've had Holly since she was a puppy--a Christmas present when I was 16. She's always been an incredibly smart dog, often too smart for her own good, and very sweet and crazy excited about people. It was hard to be here in Illinois without her, and even more difficult was not knowing if I'd ever see her again last year. Having her back has been such a blessing. 

She turned 9 on Tuesday! That's 57 in dog years.

So, Happy November, everyone! I look forward to finding more things to be thankful about in a public way that makes me not special, not stand out from the crowd, and doesn't make me unique, but in fact makes me a part of something beautiful.