Gratitude

Day 17: Weather

As much as I hate the darkness that comes with late fall, I have to say that I love the cooler temperatures and the regular dusting of snow we’ve been getting. It’s honestly a relief to me when it starts to get cold because I don’t feel the stress of taking advantage of every outdoor moment. Instead, I’m thankful to stay inside, put on my softest socks and start a new project.

Day 18: Food

I say it all the time, but I think it’s true: Food is one of the greatest joys in life. And I believe it to be true because a good meal, a delicious treat or a sip of something nice is an easy way to lift your spirits or warm the hearts of others. This year, I’m feeling pretty thankful that I get to make a living writing about, tasting and making all kinds of wonderful foods – be they homey, sinful or just plain good.

One of my favorite pieces this year was a definitive ranking of Pepperidge Farm cookies. It’s silly, but it was so much fun (also Milanos are the best)!

Day 19: Beauty

This is a hard one! But I will say that when we got to Jamaica, I cried. I cried at how absolutely stunning the landscape was. I had never been anywhere tropical like that before, so it definitely took my breath away. Getting to visit is something I’m truly thankful for.

Day 20: Friendship

Gosh, am I lucky to have friends like these! I’ve known these gals (and a lot of my close friends) for a long, long time – like 15+ years long! We don’t see one another every day anymore, but it’s such a heartwarming feeling when we finally do meet up and it’s like hardly any time has passed. And, seriously, it’s so wonderful to just shoot the shit and have them know exactly who, where and what you’re talking about. Plus, they’re a blast. Desperate for another gals trip soon!

Day 21: Technology

Sometimes I joke that our home is a graveyard of technologies of yore. I’ve got a handful of old cameras from the ’60s and ’70s, the 50s-era hi-fi and two typewriters – a Royal courtesy of one of my good friends and an old Remington 12 typewriter that belonged to my great-grandfather.

I’m happy I get to surround myself with these relics at home. They’re sort of comforting! Plus, they’re a lot of fun to tinker around with.

Day 22: Family

I love my family. They’re the folks that really helped me become who I am. My parents and my sisters have always been endlessly encouraging to me (though, they aren’t afraid to tell me to get a grip either!). The whole lot of them are talented, funny and exceptionally warm. I’m thankful to get to be a part of that kind of family.

And I’m thankful that Michael gets to be my family, too. He might not have the Kaminski laugh down yet or the training you need to track five simultaneous conversations, but he’ll get there! I love all of you!

Day 23: Scent

Transitioning from family to scent is a bit odd to me, but that’s OK!

While I’m most partial to woodsy scents, a nice bouquet is always welcome in my home (unless it has lilies – that’s one scent I’m not thankful for).

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Thanks for tuning in for another week of #Gratitude30! I appreciate you all for reading.

Day 10: Music

Several years ago now, my aunt had my vintage hi-fi refurbished (thank you, Mary!). And I use “my” loosely here – this record player was in my mom’s house when she was a child and then made its way to my great-aunt’s home where it served as a nightstand of all things for many years.

At any rate, this hi-fi is a total treasure to me. When I first moved into my house (and had no cable or internet), it kept me company. Now that it’s fixed up, this stereo gets even more use. I love putting on an album while I cook dinner or clean up around the house. I also like to show it off during book clubs and parties – I think people get a kick out of it and how great it sounds after 60+ years! But I have to say, I love this record player most during the holidays when I stack my favorite Christmas albums high and let it fill up the house as we ready for guests.

Day 11: Gift

One of the most touching gifts I’ve ever received was a wooden bead necklace from Michael. On its face, it’s a bit of chunky, funky jewelry (which is great!), but really this necklace is so special. It’s so special because Hillary Clinton owns the same necklace. See, when she was campaigning back in 2016, she stopped by Anthology, one of my favorite shops in Madison. There she bought this red necklace and she was photographed wearing it later that week.

The Christmas following the 2016 election, I opened up that same necklace and I cried. It was such a thoughtful and moving gift, and I’m so thankful that I’m married to someone that would ever put all those pieces together to find the perfect present.

Day 12: Wisdom

As much as I sometimes think I’m with it, that I’ve got a handle on the world (as if), I often get tidbits of wisdom that blow my mind. Most recently I was in a yoga class with a new instructor. As we were bending into our forward folds, she said, “Don’t push this pose to your limits in the first go. By rushing to the end, you can do more harm than good.” This resonated with me in such a huge way.

I am the kind of person that wants to push everything to its end as quickly as possible (I am nothing if not impatient). But those words really set my mind right and encouraged me to exercise a little patience and softness. So to this yoga instructor (a new face to me), a big thanks!

Day 13: Art

I can hardly express how thankful I am to have this piece of art in my home. I first saw this painting hanging up in the world’s craziest and scariest antique shop (R.I.P. Hoarders World). Over the course of several months, that painting moved from room to room there, though I never worked up the nerve to buy it. Eventually, my aunt purchased it for me as the world’s best birthday present.

It wasn’t until years later that I found out this is the most reproduced print in the 20th century and pretty much the kitsch version of the Mona Lisa. I don’t care what it is – I love this piece of art so much. It feels like home.

Day 14: Routine

I’ll be truthful: I’m not huge on routine (it’s the Aries in me). I am, however, big on traditions which are their own kind of routines, right?

Right. So let me say a big thank you to my family and Michael for indulging me when it comes to all the traditions I insist upon, like standing next to the Garfield cutout at the apple orchard (Michael’s favorite).

Day 15: Clothing

One of my most satisfying hobbies is sewing. Being able to take a few yards of fabric and have something to wear a few hours later is pretty cool to me. I’m thankful to my mom for teaching me to sew and for my sewing classes at school. Those were so satisfying! If only I could manage to dedicate an hour a day to a project like that again! Until then, I’ll just make simple stuff like this ridiculous cat skirt.

Day 16: Novelty

As much as I like tradition and dislike change, I sure do like a bit of novelty in life. I’m constantly picking up (and dropping) all sorts of new hobbies, like making paper flowers, latch hooking, building putz houses, making these plastic canvas villages and all sorts of stuff. I love trying my hand at something new and craft-related. I used to think of this as some sort of character flaw, like why can’t you just be into one or two things, but now I see it as a strength of sorts. So I’m thankful that I haven’t run out of weird, novel crafts yet and I’m thankful that I’ve got the personality that makes embracing them fun!

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See you next Friday with another round of #Gratitude30. Also, next Friday is the Madison Makers Black Friday Market + Pub-Crawl. Local folks, I’ll see you there!

I’ve said it before, Thanksgiving isn’t much my holiday. This has everything to do with the food (not my favorite dishes) and absolutely nothing to do with the sentiment behind the holiday. In fact, that’s the part I love the most about Thanksgiving – being around my family and spending some extra time together. But instead of just being extra thankful for them for one day (I’m truly thankful for them all the time), I figured I’d spend the whole month putting a few more grateful vibes into the world.

I’m following @positivelypresent’s Instagram challenge for this one despite this not being Instagram. I’ll be posting Fridays the rest of the month. Now, on with the show!

Day 1: Home

Words cannot express how happy my home makes me. It’s tiny, funky and it manages to contain my greatest loves: my husband, our cats and our cozy life. Truly, there’s nothing better to me than cozying up on the couch with the three of them, a few fluffy blankets and an episode of Bob’s Burgers. It’s how I know things are right in our world.

Day 2: Inspiration

When it comes to my day job (and life, too!), I get unending inspiration from my family. Without my mom, I’d never been able to hack it at Taste of Home. She taught me almost everything I know about cooking and baking. And without my family’s stories and history, I’d never be able to write nice pieces like this one about my great-grandma’s long-lost cookbook.

Day 3: Love

Michael is my true love. Again, words can’t adequately express how wonderful this man is. He makes up for all I lack with his tender heart, incredible patience and boundless talent. He’s also encouraging, thoughtful and generous. I couldn’t ask for anyone better to have as a life partner.

Day 4: Color

OK, this is where the challenge is more suited for Instagram, but hey, I can groove with it. I am grateful for color after all and how it punctuates the best parts of my life. My home’s most prominent feature: decidedly not trendy avocado green carpet (which I love). My bedroom walls: a too-green green that my dad dutifully painted for me – all three coats worth (thank you, Dad!). My garden: full of magentas, ruby reds, violets, indigos and golds.

Day 5: Happiness

Happiness isn’t an all-day, everyday kind of thing, which is why when it comes along in a big way, I try to be thankful for those moments. I have to say seeing the Pacific for the first time this September, was a moment of pure happiness and joy for me, and I’m thankful I got the opportunity to do it!

Day 6: Words

I’m just happy that words play such a huge part in my life. Words are the reason I met Michael (thank you, college newspaper!), they’re how I make a living (hey, Taste of Home!) and how I derive a lot of joy.

Day 7: Memories

In the words of Demetri Martin, “I remember when I was into nostalgia.” It’s totally true, though. I’m a big time reminiscer. And I’m thankful that I’ve got a lot of great memories to look back on after just 29 years. I can’t pick a favorite, because we’d be here all day, but I love the memories that come along with our annual post-Christmas party and I’m so thankful that I get to carry on this tradition that my aunt started years and years ago!

Day 8: Nature

I am so thankful to live in a state with as much natural beauty as Wisconsin. As much as I love the dense forests of northern Wisconsin and the Kettle Moraine, I have to say I love the Great Lakes the most. Sitting on their shores is really centering, most especially alongside Lake Superior. It’s harsh and cold, but it’s also humbling and calming.

Day 9: Laughter

This is my dad telling a very bad joke, but we all still laughed. I’m glad that I’ve got a great dad that likes to shoot the shit, tell stupid jokes and doesn’t mind it when I imitate his distinctive laugh. Thankful to you, Dad!

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I’ll be back next Friday with more #Gratitude30!