Happy Thanksgiving!

I just want to take a moment before the day officially starts to give thanks. I'll start with a quote that really means a lot to mean for it's simplicity and meaning.

For each new morning with it's light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am so thankful for all I've been blessed with and as always, my family tops the list. I am grateful that I live in an environment that allows me to update the internet about my life any time I want. I am grateful that so many people in my family know how to cook so well :) I am grateful for all the friends I've ever made, whether we still speak or not, the relationships were worth having at some point. I am grateful for my optimism and compassion because I believe these were feelings I was born with and that I've nurtured. I'm grateful for the amazing educational opportunities I've had, I know they'll help me in the (hopefully near) future.
There are so many more things that I'm thankful for but the purpose of this post is not to list them all, it's to inspire you to take a look at your life and think about what you have. Anything that could be taken away from you is a blessing, because you still have it. Remember that when you get down on yourself and be thankful for even the smallest of blessings. And, as a final show of gratitude, I found this poster online and it really brought me some perspective...


image courtesy of: http://posters-for-good.tumblr.com/post/542977597/if-you-have-food-in-your-fridge-clothes-on-your

update

I LOVE my giants but sometimes I want to punch Eli Manning in the face.

ps. my grand total is up to 6 pounds - cool - i haven't had any carbs or sugar for 2 WEEKS and I lose 6 pounds???!?!?!?!!! this.is.brutal.

Unstoppable

just went to see unstoppable. as if my obsession with chris pine needed to grow any more... the first opening scene is the PERFECT way to draw me into any movie. I don't care what it's about, if you do that to me again, I will pay $12 to watch it. Thank you Tony Scott for that sequence. Also, thank you for recognizing the phenom that Mr. Pine is, and recognizing his talent, not just the eyes that I can't seem to stop staring at. :)

seriously... it's not even fair.


photo courtesy of: http://screencrave.com/tag/chris-pine/

Holiday Specials

I love holiday specials...

It started with The Great Pumpkin and Scared Shrekless, then all of my favorite sitcoms and TV shows did Halloween episodes. Now that we're encroaching on thanksgiving it's become acceptable for Christmas commercials to air and I couldn't be more excited! Tonight I enjoyed Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving and it put me in such a festive mood. I think what makes me most happy about these things is that other people are watching the same thing as me at the same time! It means I'm not the only one in the holiday spirit and it means that the station heads are acknowledging that people want to gather together and celebrate the holidays - year after year. It's a national acknowledgment of our national holidays- where sometimes we're moving too fast to appreciate the reason we have a day off from work.

Tonight we were told to expect ABC's next holiday special on December 7th, when Prep & Landing will air followed by Charlie Brown's Christmas. I'm sure we have many more to look forward to on network television; not to mention the countdowns on cable TV. The Hallmark channel has already started airing Christmas movies beginning at 4pm everyday and ABC Family's Countdown to the 25 days of Christmas begins this weekend. Like I said, I have the holiday stamina to enjoy this until January, but I can understand those who would be a little overwhelmed. My best advice would be to enjoy the season and all of the things it brings to you. We often wonder why Christmas spirit can't last all year long, but with this extension to mid-November it looks like it's heading in that direction. As long as the heart of the spirit stays true, we have nothing to worry about but enjoying the beauty of the holiday season.

The thing I love the most about the Charlie Brown specials is that they haven't changed in 40 years. When my parents were sitting with their families watching it they were enjoying it just as much as my brother, sisters and I love it. These specials also start traditions - another thing I love- because as a jobless 22 year old, it's nice to settle back into the things that were important when I was 6. I have a lot more to say on this topic but it's mostly personal stuff that would bore you - so if you're interested, send out a comment and I'll fill you in but in not... here's my parting message, in an image as a picture really is worth 1,000 words.


photo courtesy of:
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/A-Charlie-Brown-Thanksgiving-Blu-ray/12870/

as of 8 this morning my bottom teeth are straight and the scale says i lost maybe 8 pound (i don't see it and no one has said i look like i lost weight so...)

i'll get back to you this afternoon when these improvements have changed.

sundries

sundries: pl.n. Articles too small or numerous to be specified; miscellaneous items. (via answers.com)

Just a few things that have been on my mind lately...

• I was out shopping today, with Mom, and at The Container Store, I officially decided that in terms of wrapping paper, the cuter, the better. I wanted to buy ALL of it but each roll was $9 and there was only about 12 feet of paper. Adorable stuff though, honestly, if you only have a few small things to wrap I would totally consider it.
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• My teeth were filed today. It didn't exactly hurt, but I definitely don't want to do it again. To make a long story short, I did what the orthodontist told me - wear your retainer at night. This is an interesting instruction because you have to wonder - For how long? 1 year? 2? Well, it's been YEARS more than 4 that I've been doing this. Now, I definitely was not the most conscientious while I was at college but the retainer went in at least once a week. If there was any shifting, it was fixed when I put it in. The problem now is that no matter how many times in a row I do wear it, one missed night results in crooked teeth! So, does this mean that I need to wear a retainer EVERY night for the rest of my life? Sound a little crazy to me... what about you?
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• Gift Ideas: BARNES AND NOBLE!!! If you are totally lost on what to get someone for any holiday, or their birthday this is the place to go. Of course, in my shopping, I visited the store today and I've decided that if you wander around for long enough, you will find something for everyone on your list. Babies, grandparents, teachers - everyone will be taken care of! Just have a little patience and remember you're in the presence of one of the greatest gifts humans ever came up with.
  

1. As a side note to Barnes and Noble, if you look at a bookstore like a history buff (like me) does, you will see a much deeper meaning to what's in front of you. No, not the countless history books. The social history is astounding. What's new this week indicates where are attentions are whether it's the latest political theory book, or a new children's book. The increased size of the "supernatural teen romance" section clearly indicates the recent obsession with vampires. You can find what actors are popular, which sports stars are big, and even maps of the way the world is right now. I think that is SO fascinating. (go ahead, laugh)
   
2. As another side note to Barnes and Noble, I was there getting a gift, and buying "Are you a Jackie or a Marilyn" by Pamela Keogh for the newly formed book club between the fabulous Becky Smith and myself. She is not a follower of this blog, nor do I believe that she checks it - if this is not true BSmith, you know what to do ;) This book is totally to my taste and I've already finished the first chapter. I'm so excited to delve into it although I pretty much can guess who I am - as I'm sure many of you can... care to put that guess into writing? Comment!
   

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• My dad writes the best cards :) (and my mom can pick a gift like it's nobody's business) They just gave me a small gift for keeping things under control while they were in Italy and the words in the cards mean just as much as the gift does - even though the gesture is totally unnecessary. (but very much appreciated!)
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• I'm sure many of you who have actually put effort into dieting know this already, but, it is REALLY hard. While we were shopping, we stopped in the food court for lunch. We managed to stay on task but at the salad shop I went to, the lady put a little roll on my tray and I said, "No, you can keep that. I wish I could have it but I can't" Heartbreaking.
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• What's with everyone loving Siberian Huskys lately?? My mom got a catalog from Loft and they're all over it. I've seen them in a few other mags too! I was totally on this trend years ago... right Val Perrault??
  

So, my dears, if you think of anything random you'd like to add, please feel free to comment away! AND!!! please, if you check this every time I post something on facebook and twitter, just become a follower (in the physical sense of the word) that way you'll be informed personally when I update or write something new. Also, if you do click follow, maybe I'll write something about you!

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree went up in Rockefeller Center yesterday! I'm not trying to rush any of you into an early Christmas frenzy, or God forbid - skip Thanksgiving, but it is exciting. It's a sign that the holiday season is here and we should start getting into it. The television special is something I look forward to every year even though it's a little underwhelming in the performance sphere. Any television holiday special makes me happy, really. (but that will be another post) So, for those who don't know, here are some facts about the Roc Center tree.

• The Tree Lighting Ceremony will be on Tuesday, November 30th from 7-9pm this year.
• The first formal Rockefeller Center Tree was put up in 1931.

• The first lighting of the Rock Center Tree was in 1933 and broadcast on NBC radio.
  
• In 1936, two trees were lit and the skating rink became part of the ceremony.
• In 1942, three trees were used. One was red, one white, and one blue in support of the troops.
• The Kate Smith show was the first place the tree was lit on national TV in 1951.
• In 1966, the first foreign tree was used. It was from Canada.
• The largest tree ever used was in 1999. It was 100 feet high, 100 years old, and 10 tons.
• 2004 was the debut of the Swarovski star. It has 25,000 crystals.
• Traditionally, the tree is a Norway Spruce.
• This year's tree is from Mahopac, New York, weighs 12 tons and is 74 feet tall.
  

Info and first photo courtesy of http://www.nyctrip.com/pages/index.aspx?pageID=1035 .
Second picture courtesy of @rockcenternyc on twitter.