Thanksgiving – Nomadic Noesis

On Today’s Walk: Thanksgiving Edition

Today’s walk involved a fortunate discovery. The spouse and I are visiting some of his family in Oklahoma and staying in a hotel. I really wanted to make sure and get a walk before over—um, eating. Just eating.

Oh, hey, look at this park *right behind* the hotel!

Cement walkway through park. Small trees here and there. Blue sky.

The attractive gentleman below was a value-added component I brought to the experience. Notice anything in the sky? A lot of planes going through the air today.

I maybe have mentioned a time or twenty on this blog that I always enjoy a little footbridge.

Footbridge over ditch leading to cement path in park. Building in background.

Such a sunny day, even the littlest critters around are casting shadows.

Black beetle on concrete with prominent shadow. — Pennsylvania dingy ground beetle

Just noticing the details of the world around is a good gratitude practice. Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Thanksgiving, My ABC’s of Gratitude

On Thanksgiving, I’m reminded to give my gratitude practice the effort it deserves. Here are some things for which I’m grateful, in alphabetical order.

Abundance in many areas of my life — food, love, and more.

Books! A foundational building block of my life and career.

Coworkers. I work with the best people. They are caring, talented, and fun.

Dishwasher. One thing I do not miss from my youth were the nights it was my turn to wash the dishes by hand. For a family of eight. I love having a dishwasher.

Exercise. I’m grateful that I’m still able to move my body pretty well.

Family. Obvious, but also true. I feel especially grateful that my two kids (in their twenties) have grown up to be people who care and do good in the world.

Graduation. I was able to hang in there for so many years fulfilling my educational odyssey, and finally saw it through to completion.

House. For all its quirks and frustrations, I love my 120ish-year-old house. It is one of a kind, with lots of character.

Ice cream. Enough said.

Jean jacket. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo to share, and I don’t have it with me right now. But I found the most amazing jean jacket at a thrift store about six years ago. People compliment me every time I wear it. Best $10 I ever spent.

Kettle. There’s something deeply comforting about putting a kettle on the stove to make my tea as opposed to the efficiency of the microwave.

Labor unions. My own workplace union has improved my life immensely. And goodness knows we need some way of leveling the playing field. Solidarity forever!

Monarch butterflies. They are beautiful and important pollinators. I’ve started seeing them in my yard again the past few years since I got some milkweed established.

Nightlights. For those midnight bathroom trips.

Ordinary days. May we still have some ordinary days in which the curse of living in interesting times is held at bay, and we can experience the miracle of the everyday.

Paint. For the color it brings to the world and being an easy way to freshen up a room.

Quicksand, lack of in my life. From the tv cartoons and shows I watched growing up, I thought patches of deathly quicksand would pose a major problem in my life. But so far, I’ve had zero encounters.

Rainbows. Every sighting is magical.

Soil. Good dirt grows good food.

Thrift stores. I love a bargain and sustainability.

Umbrellas. I walk a lot, even in wet weather. It’s nice to get to and from work without getting soaked when it rains.

Videos. Funny and/or cute animal videos, especially. They are my salvation when I need an escape from stress.

Woods to walk through. I’m fortunate to have a few options for this not too far from my home.

X – I’m thankful for having mellowed enough to allow myself a pass sometimes without fretting about it.

You. Yes, you who are reading this.

Ziplines. So much fun! I’ve only been on two, but they were wonderful adventures.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving Poem: I Made You a Plate

Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels.com

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Here’s a poem I wrote around three years ago, around Thanksgiving time. I hope everyone is having a day full of blessings.

I Made You a Plate

I made you a plate.
So much better than vibrating the air
With the voice sounds of
“I love you.”

I made you a plate.
I thought of you, specifically you.
I think of you even when
You are not in the room.

I made you a plate.
I saw you hungry and fed you.
I saw you unable to join and wanted
You not to be lonely.

I made you a plate.
Even if you can’t participate at the
Specified place and time
You are still in community.

I made you a plate.
I do not take you for granted
Nor the task you are doing
That keeps you from the feast.

I made you a plate.
In assembling the food, I recalled
Noticing your likes and dislikes.
I care for your comfort, your happiness.

I made you a plate.
I brought you a piece of love
From each person who cooked and shared.
You are not abandoned.

What greater love is there than this?
I had your back.
I made you a plate.

On Today’s Walk: Gratitude and Staving Off the Food Coma

Concrete walking trail winding between leafless trees. Overcast sky. — Doesn’t this trail look inviting?

After a morning of cooking followed by an hour of eating, my spouse, my son, and I faced a choice between lapsing into food comas or getting out and moving. Though the hubs much prefers bicycling, he allowed me to cajole him into a walk and even suggested a trail to me. Since it rained most of the morning, we decided to go for a paved option.

I tried to stay in the spirit of the day and exercise gratitude along the way, which was easy enough. The afternoon provided what is for me optimal walking weather — 54 degrees and overcast. I was with two people I love. We had the luxury of being stuffed with a full meal of good food, and we all enjoy the health to be able to stroll away those calories on a beautiful walking path in a community that builds and values such things.

Sights we saw along the way: