Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Monday night football...an excuse to order pizza. Pizza four ways. None of us prefers the exact same pie although Lils and I are close so we are able to do halfsies. Pepperoni and onion with green pepper on her half and olives on mine. Thin crust.

We had our first flurries today. Nothing stuck, but it was pretty. Candace and I walked along the avenue and noticed how holiday decorations are multiplying by the day. I started to feel a little festive.

The first gift of Christmas arrived this week.

Just last weekend, I was enjoying the vibrant fall colors.

The winter sky. I love it best. Probably because I love clouds.

This week Mike and I went for a walk under a city sky twinkling with so many stars. It's rare to notice the stars with all the city lights.

Noticing things.

Lily playing her uke. She taught herself Riptide this week. I was like what's that noise, and then was so happy to find her strumming away.

She was a trooper getting her teeth pulled the other day. Three upper teeth. Now she's ready for braces.

I found out Milwaukee hosts story slams. I already got tickets for the December event and I can't wait. I suggested All These Wonders for our December book club so the timing is perfect.

A girl's day spent exploring our city. We were in the Third Ward, the Fifth Ward, Riverwest, Downtown, Brewer's Hill, and the East Side.

Teddy came home from confirmation class this week and said it was fun.

He spent some of his own money to buy cans for the food drive at his school. Lots of cans.

Charity.

Simple Pleasures.

A day in the life of Peanut and Tigger. So charmed.

Peanut is Lily's cat and he just recently started sleeping with her at night. Then she leaves her softest blanket at the foot of her bed and as far as we can tell, he spends a good part of his day there too.

 Tigger always sleeps with me.

Soup. I've had a lot weighing on me this week so I got busy slicing and dicing. cooking brings me clarity.

And comfort. This potato soup was a Pioneer Woman recipe, and it was delish. Her recipes are usually so naughty that I feel guilty serving them unless it's a holiday or special occasion, but this was mostly guilt-free. Teddy, Mike and I loved it. Lily didn't even try it. It was the perfect chilly night meal with a slice of fresh out of the oven peasant bread.

An impromptu night out with my oldest friend, and on a school night. We laughed and we cried, and while we didn't solve all the problems, we solved some.

Limoncello for dessert.

A bottle of Montepulciano that we both so very much enjoyed, and she's not a wine lover.

Good friends. I sure know who mine are this week.

My tribe. Small, but fierce and mighty.

A text from another old friend this week. The timing gave me goose bumps. We were recalling the same decades old memory at the same time. I was telling Lily about it just as her text came through. This is always happening to us and I think it's a powerful reminder that we're made up of energy, and thus connection is not coincidence.

This is Mikey's birthday weekend. It's a big birthday too, and I feel a little bad because I'm sort of winging it. Plans fell through and then I've had a very stressful, exhausting week so no new big plans were made, but then we ended up with a pretty perfect itinerary. 

When everything works out.

Faith.