And some lentils.
So it’s American Thanksgiving today. Which means one of two things.
1. If you’re in the States you’re probably not even reading this because you’re out doing something that involves lots of people and even more food.
2. If you’re not in the States or you’re one of those not-very-good-at-being-American Americans like me, you’re probably sick and tired of reading Thanksgiving-related stuff online.
I apologize. Let me distract you with my lentils.
In which we play a little game.
I threatened mentioned yesterday that I was going to play my favorite Ungratitude Game today.
If you’re not clear on the concept, you can read my newsletter from last year about the worst thing about Thanksgiving.
Very briefly, what we’re doing is playing a game called 77 Things That Don’t Completely Suck. It’s fun. Each thing gets a lentil. Hey, and that’s why I’ve got this bowl of lentils here!
Havi’s list of 77 Things That Don’t Completely Suck
In no particular order …
1. Hoppy House! I love my new home.
2. Selma the duck. I love Selma the duck.
3. We’re going to visit my gentleman friend’s parents and sisters next weekend and hang out with his adorable little nephews and bring them presents!
4. That’s next weekend which means we don’t actually have to do Thanksgiving with them.
5. That means not traveling on Thanksgiving! Gott sei dank.
6. Ooh, and not sitting awkwardly through excessive amounts of religious talk.
7. We’re going to Dana’s place for Thanksgiving dinner which mean there’s going to be vegetarian food for me. This might actually be my first Thanksgiving ever (out of all three that I’ve attended) where I won’t be waiting for it to end so I can go eat something.
8. I went to the hippie store this week and picked up insane amounts of incense and now my office smells yummy.
9. Brussel sprouts!
10. Dance of Shiva. Total brain rewiring and and bonus ninja skills.
11. My brother is moving in with us next month. Since he’s pretty much my favorite person in the entire world, that is going to be the best thing ever.
12. Did you hear President-elect Obama talking about his team of super-smart economic advisers? Ohmygod. We’re going to have some seriously thoughtful, intelligent, insightful, pragmatic people running this country.
13. I have my own office now, as of last week.
14. My gentleman friend let me have carte blanche when it came to choosing which room was what in Hoppy House. That was so so so great.
15. I have been graced in my life to meet some of the most powerful teachers and healers ever:
16. My teacher Andrey Lappa.
17. The exceptional Hiro Boga.
18. My wonderful, wonderful friends Sivan Senior and Sigal Rafaeli.
19. My feet are warm.
20. Socks!
21. I have lots of great stuff to read.
22. Like Jenny the Bloggess.
23. And Black Hockey Jesus.
24. And there’s a beautiful old library branch in walking distance from Hoppy House.
25. I have the most wonderful friends in the entire world.
26. Some of whom live in Portland!!
27. Like Shannon Wilkinson.
28. Like Mark Silver.
29. And Linda Resca.
30. And Carolyn Winkler.
31. And Emma McCreary.
32. And Kate (whom I haven’t even met yet but we are so going to be friends forever).
33. And Jennifer Hofmann (who doesn’t really live in Portland but close enough that she was able to come visit me yesterday and spend the afternoon drinking tea and eating apples with cheese and giggling hysterically!)
34. I am taking a breath to take that all in. Living in San Francisco was pretty lonely for me after I came back from Berlin. I had a couple of years where I didn’t really make any new friends and then we moved to Portland and pow! Friends everywhere.
35. Ooh, internet friends! Too many to list!
36. But Naomi keeps me sane and given the amount of time we spend on the phone, I should really get her to move out here too when she’s done with England.
37. Come on, Naomi! Portland is just like England. It’s grey (see? I spelled it with an ‘e’ for you) and wet and we talk funny.
38. Speaking of Naomi, Online Business School is the bomb.
39. Speaking of my business thriving and (she types hopefully) becoming just ridiculously successful this coming year, I’m having so much fun with the beta group for The Next Big Thing.
40. Squirrels. Squirrels don’t suck at all. I can see some from my office window (I have an office!) and they are highly entertaining.
41. Being alive right now in this very moment is pretty darn great.
42. Thank you.
43. Non-sucky yoga.
44. Speaking of which, I’m going to be hanging out with Paul Grilley in Austin this winter. Yay!
45. I’ll get to meet Pace and Kyeli and stay in their house and meet their cats while I’m there. Yay!
46. Tomorrow’s Friday and I’m baking the best challah ever.
47. And my gentleman friend will make that spicy cauliflower potato dish and I will be extra-in-love with him.
48. My gentleman friend. I am the luckiest.
49. Love.
50. I have to say LOVE again. Love is incredible.
51. Technology. It’s not love, but man, it allows me to have this amazing job and do it from my home.
52. I will never have to work in a cubicle again.
53. Or a bar.
54. Because I really only worked in a cubicle for three months but it was the longest three months of my life and just thinking about having to do anything involving fluorescent lights makes me want to throw up.
55. Not just no more fluorescent lights but no more being screamed at.
56. No more people telling me what to do period.
57. Portland. Portland rocks.
58. Staying with Lars and Andreas when I do my yearly teaching jaunt to Berlin.
59. My favorite cafe.
60. My second favorite cafe.
61. Being alive because being alive is a really, really big deal.
62. Being able to write.
63. Understanding that blogging is therapy you don’t have to pay for and making full use of that understanding.
64. WordPress.org. Bless you people.
65. Being all biggified and stuff. It’s so awesome I can’t stand it.
66. Just the fact that I don’t have to explain what biggified means because people all over the internet use my made-up words for fun.
67. I mean, wow.
68. My bookshelf. Books!
69. Twitter.
70. My gentleman friend’s deep throaty laugh.
71. Also his chuckle. He has a great chuckle.
72. How hard I try to be funny just to hear him laugh.
73. Living with someone who shares my values which makes it so much easier to commit to eating local food and supporting local farmers like our friend Erica, and not buying things at box stores and never, ever even considering going to Starbucks and things like that.
74. Being here right now.
75. You.
76. I’m so glad you’re here.
77. Thank you.
Thanks for playing.
Selma and I had better go do something with these lentils. Ooh! I bet they’ll be delicious with that spicy cauliflower potato dish … must go ask the chef.
So much love to you.
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You don’t suck either, Havi Brooks!
Black Hockey Jesuss last blog post..Gratitude
Thanks for a smile today! actually, for several smiles. Maybe even 77 smiles.
Are you truly a sock nut? Because if so, I think it would be fun to knit you a pair of socks. (Ask Jen Hoffman if you think I’m kidding.) No promise when they’d arrive, but they *won’t* arrive unless I know your shoe size and favourite colour.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, your gentleman friend, the Hoppy House, and Selma.
#78: Hordes.
#79. Jeff Moriarty.
Speaking of which …
Man, I can’t believe all the stuff I left out.
#80. My mother is doing better and my father is healthy.
#81. My uncle Svevo is the coolest person in the entire world.
#82. SEXY ROBOT R.O.B.O.T.
I’ve got to stop but I can’t … stupid gratitude. 🙂
45. I’ll get to meet Pace and Kyeli and stay in their house and meet their cats while I’m there. Yay!
That’s us! (: We’re looking forward to meeting you, too. (:
I’m so glad you posted this. My life has been hectic and chaotic and rough lately, and reading your list of goodness reminded me of all the goodness in my life. I really needed that, so thank you. (:
Also, on our trip home from Dallas yesterday, we listened to the 2 minute inspiration kick and the 6 minute epiphany generator, and it was incredible and beautiful, so thanks for that, too! (:
Kyelis last blog post..We’re giving away the e-book and audio book for free!
Happy thanksgiving! Or should that be Thanksgiving? I’m furren, I don’t know the etiquette.
Yes, we really really must meet sooner or later.
And yes, Portland is the best place evvaa. Well, except Cornwall, but that’s a very different kind of best.
Kates last blog post..The value of video
Must tell you of new favourite thing to do with lentils.
Make it into a rich stroganoffy thing with tomatos and red wine and a splash of cumin. I don’t know what else Hunky Love-of-Life inserted in them, but I’m pretty sure it was *magic*
Holy delicious lentils!
Goddess Leonie I Creative Goddesss last blog post..Creative Goddess Fears: But what if someone thinks my art/writing/dancing/singing sucks?
Thank you for this, Havi. Of the many wonderfulnesses I’m grateful for, you’re near the top of my list.
I’m so sad today about the terrorist attacks in Bombay, where I grew up and where my family still lives. And I was thinking about you living in Israel for ten years, and keeping your resilient and beautiful spirit intact and bringing it here for us all to bask in.
Thank you.
Love to you and your gentleman friend and to all you truly cherish,
Hiro
Hiro Bogas last blog post..Happy Thanksgiving, Baby
Beautiful post Havi. I’m thankful for you. And for Twitter too. I finally took the dive in last weekend because of a link from your site. 🙂
I’m also thankful for The Tent, which is how I met you! And yeah, amazing friends like Hiro, Shannon, Mark, and Jen Hofmann.
And Portland does rock. I’ve been out twice this year and will be back out in March again.
Thanks for the great post that got my gratefulness juices flowing! 🙂
I love the lentil game! Here’s just a few for me:
10. This blog.
9. Snow.
8. Denver.
7. Stretchy pants.
6. Kitchen Nightmares.
5. Online Business School.
4. Hubby’s unyielding support (and hugs and kisses).
3. Not traveling for this entire holiday season (except to ski, which doesn’t count b/c it’s too fun).
2. My love of writing.
1. Getting to write today.
Most crackheads are fun for the moment. I mean, they do something weird or unusual and funny, but then the moment’s gone.
You, however, are fun for the moment, and then a few hours later there’s some epiphany juice under the fun.
And that definitely doesn’t suck.
*No crackheads were harmed in the making of this comment.*
Charlies last blog post..Connect These Nodes: Hyperconnecting in Reality 2.0
A charming list,
an infectious gratitude starter,
and all the swell comments and commenters you attract.
I’m so glad you’re writing and tweeting — lucky us. Thanks.
You, and all the amazing people you gather around you!
Re lentils: cook with brown rice & onions (first sautee rice & onions in olive oil) — serve hot & topped with chopped raw veggies like scallions, radishes, cucumber, whatever stuff you like — little salad dressing on top — = mjeddrah. #Dietforasmallplanet
Hugs!
@Janet – thanks for the recipe, yum. My mother makes that.
@Mz GirlPie – lucky me!
@Charlie – you’re a nut. Good thing I knew that *before* I hired you to be my super-genius life-saving keep-me-on-track-er project manager-ey person.
@Grace – I TOTALLY missed this. How sweet of you to want to make me socks! Ohmygosh. I need to think about colors. You rock. *blows kiss*
#78. Coming home from an incredibly long drive across Texas to find this post.
Thank you, chica.
Jenny, Bloggesss last blog post..Why I shouldn’t drink or go to parties or be allowed to talk to normal people