I am grateful to have finished Tom Friedman’s book, Hot, Flat and Crowded.  First book I’ve finished in months which is very unusual for me.  Excellent book.  I had stickies all over the book and will try and organize my thoughts on it later.

I am grateful that my library fine was only 60 cents!  Friedman’s book is back at the library and ready for the next person waiting to read it.  (There are two books and an audio and each has a long waiting list - very popular book.)

I am grateful for my favorite Japanese restaurant by my daughter’s dance.  I eat there about every other week and always love it.  Tonight I had a Salmon Bento Box which was fantastic.  And for the first time ever, I ordered dessert.  (It’s that time of the month - had to have it!!)   I ordered the Mango Mochi ice cream.  It was so good and very pretty!  They are little balls of ice cream wrapped in a mochi covering.  (Mochi is rice cake.)

I am grateful for the old (but new again) Wordpress theme.  It’s beautiful but it’s so hard to work with because it isn’t widget ready!  Not sure how long I’ll keep it but bold works so much better for me than understated.  :)  I’m glad I was able to make it at least somewhat functional again.

I am really glad my husband is able to help my daughter with math.  She had the most bizarre homework tonight - doing Mat plots or something like that with cubes.  I was able to figure it out, but I tend to confuse her more than I help her with my explanations.  My husband thankfully took the time to explain it to her and it’s now crystal clear.

I am grateful my husband left me his car today and that he was able to get mine started.

I am grateful for my daughter’s extremely cute, cuddly, curious dog (she’s the little one).  On the days I pick my daughter up from school, I take the dog with me and she so enjoys watching the kids coming out of the school that I can’t help but enjoy the event right along with her.

I am grateful so many people have put up Christmas lights around the neighborhood this year.  I know it’s not environmentally responsible, but it adds so much cheer to our dismal economy.

I’m grateful to have taken a hiatus from the news the past few days.  I’ll catch up with it tomorrow, but it truly is a relief to take a break from it every now and then.

I’m almost finished with Hot, Flat, and Crowded and will be able to turn it in tomorrow.  It was due midnight Sunday so if I turn it in tomorrow, then that makes it three days late, right?  Maybe just 2?  I think it’s just 2 days late.  Whatever it is, I’m extremely grateful for having the time to finish it and especially for the person who is patiently awaiting it’s return.

I made  a fantastic Chicken and Dumplings dish for dinner in my slow cooker today.  I got the recipe at AllRecipes.com.  I changed it a little bit.  I used low-fat chicken broth instead of water and added some spices.  I also used one package of low-fat whole wheat refrigerated biscuits rather than the two packages of regular white biscuits.  The kids loved it!  Thank goodness for allrecipes.com.  I love that site!

I am grateful for Charlie Rose.  His guests on Friday night (which doesn’t air here until very late Sunday night) were  Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Gus Van Sant discussing a soon to be released film about Harvey Milk.  I remember seeing the 1984 documentary by Rob Epstein.  I was a fairly conservative kid at Texas A&M at the time and that documentary totally altered my views on the gay community.   With the recent passing of Prop 8 in California the film is timely.  It’s completely befuddling that this would pass in California.  We had a similar proposition pass by the overwhelming majority here in Texas a few years back - which was truly upsetting - but this is Texas.  Who who would have guessed it would pass in California??!!!  Can’t wait to see the film!

I am grateful to Netflix for being able to add Eptsein’s, The Times of Harvey Milk, to my Netflix queue.  It’s been a long time since I first watched it.

I’m without a car again.  I’m grateful we have two cars in our family and that my 12 year old car has been such a reliable source of transportation all these years.   In fact, the reason I was without a car last time was because my husband borrowed my car because his much newer car was having engine troubles!  We finally traded it in.  The only problem with my car right now, hopefully, is a glitchy battery connection.  Should be an easy fix.

Speaking of cars, maybe one of these days I’ll be able to get an RESU - rolling energy storage unit.   What a great idea!  I’m really getting a lot out of Friedman’s Hot, Flat and Crowded.   I’m already one day over due on getting it back to the library.  It’s at least going to be two days late.  I’m almost to page 250.  So it may be three.  :)  Again, thank goodness for the library!  And sorry to whoever is waiting for the book.  Hopefully you haven’t noticed it’s overdue.

I am grateful for my sister in-law’s soup!   She served it at her party on Thursday.  I didn’t try it then because I was too full from the Thanksgiving dinner.  But she sent some home with us and it’s fantastic!  Best soup I’ve ever had and it reheats beautifully.  It’s called Pasta Fagioli and I hope she’ll share the recipe!

I am grateful the pumpkin pie made with whole wheat pie crust and agave nectar went over so well.  My son and daughter loved it.  I used the Libby’s recipe and substituted the nectar for the sugar.  Next time, I think I’ll add one more egg.  The taste was excellent but I thought the consistency was was just a tad flat.

I am greatful to have the house all put back together, the bedding all washed, and the left overs almost entirely gone.  (Amazing what two teens can put away over a weekend.)

I am grateful that all the Christmas decorations are up.  I hardly ever get them done this quickly.   The house feels so Christmasy.

I am grateful for Thomas Friedman’s book, Hot, Flat and Crowded.  But it’s due back at the library tonight and I’m only at page 100.  I can’t renew it because there are 4 people behind me who want it.  All the Thanksgiving prep kept me from reading like I should have been and I didn’t realize it was due back so soon until I got the e-mail reminder.   I think I’ll try to cram in as much reading tonight and tomorrow as I can and turn it in a day or two late.  I’m afraid if I turn it in on time and wait until I can check it out again, I won’t ever get around to reading it and I’m learning so much.  Thank goodness for the library and that overdue fees aren’t too outrageous.