Thankful

My week just went topsy-turvey on me. My oldest son called and said he now wants to come home for a turkey dinner on THURSDAY (rather than Sunday as we'd decided earlier). So I had to verify it with the others ... and it's a go. My Thursday just got REALLY busy! But I'll get as much done as I possibly can on Wednesday evening and I'll make it work. :-) I'm thankful that we'll be together on Thanksgiving day. Eric has to be back at work Friday so it will be a short visit for him. Hopefully he'll have more time at home over Christmas. But I'm thankful for the time he will be at home.

I'm thankful that I'll be running with friends on Thursday morning. Our merry band of runners is slowly growing ... all are welcome to join us at 7 AM at Dunn Bros. south (TJMaxx Plaza). I'll have scones for those that show up.

I'm thankful that I'm able to run. I saw someone walking down the street this morning that looked like he might have had cerebral palsy or something similar. There but by the grace of God go I. I ran 11.08 miles this morning. Had a bit more life in my legs today. It was a good run. I ran by a house on County 22/West Circle Drive that had 5 pure white ducks living in the backyard (complete with a little wading pool). Hmmm... There's also still acres of corn to be picked between the RAC and county 22.

I'm thankful for my friends. I'm having a bunch of them over on December 20 for a cookie exchange. What, pray tell, is a cookie exchange?? Well, I used to have one every year but I've kind of gotten out of the habit. But I decided that this year I was going to resurrect the event. Everyone brings a batch of their favorite holiday cookie. They get spread out on the table ...

... and everyone takes their empty container and circles the table taking everyone else's cookies until all the cookies are gone. These photos are from 2006. I think that year I made snowflake cut-outs (pictured on the tree cookie stand above.) They're a favorite and I make them every year.

I'm thankful that the RTC newsletter has been delivered to the printer. It'll be ready for pick-up in the morning. I'm planning the FINAL RTC newsletter assembly party: Monday 11/30 at my house at 6:30 pm (2026 Kal Lane SW). If you've never partaken in the festivities, this is my last hurrah. There will be treats, of course. That goes without saying. :-) Usually takes about an hour. I'm already thankful for those that will (hopefully!) show up!!

I'm going to vent for a minute: I called the TCM office today as I still haven't received my medal for getting 2nd in my age group at the TC10. They were supposed to have been mailed 2 weeks after the race, which was 10/4. Well, my call was not returned. Neither have my 3 emails to the office regarding other questions earlier in the year. I'm very frustrated with the folks connected to that event. Very. OK ... I'm thankful that I got 2nd in my age group.

Jim Mason emailed me a route on the newly paved Silver Creek trail. Here's a link. Looks like something to explore on a future run! I'm thankful when my friends share bloggable news with me.

I got an email from RochesterDealsForLess. There's a deal at Cold Stone Creamery. Here's the deal: ""Package of 3" gift certificates - each for an ice cream container of EVERYBODY'S size (48 oz.) served with 6 mix-ins. Extra mix-ins available for an additional charge. These certificates can be used at all Rochester, MN locations!" $13.50 (value $27.00). Sounds good, but I don't need the calories. Here's the link. I'm thankful for half price deals, even if I don't partake. :-)

I'm certainly thankful for the continued beautiful weather. Today I was in a mood to get lots of stuff done, and I took advantage of the weather for some of it. After work I delivered Mike Schmitt's cookies, got gas and bananas at Kwik Trip, picked up Matt's screen at Ace Hardware, stopped at Great Harvest for bread (which I now need to take OUT of the freezer :-), vacuumed out the cars and wiped down the insides, vacuumed inside, cleaned the lights on the outside of the house, raked the front yard and the biggest project ... cleaning out and organizing the freezers. Meat and bread on one shelf, veggies on another, fruit on another, green beans in the bottom drawer. I am in a much better mood when things are organized. Yesterday I cleaned out and organized my spice cabinet.

It was great to get that done, too. The lazy susan is very old. It was my mom's. It's probably about 40 years old.
 
I'm so thankful Matt is home. After supper, he practiced scales on the clarinet which he is learning to play. He's a music ed major and has to learn to play all the band instruments (as well as voice and piano).
 

Supper was a result of cleaning out the upstairs freezer. I had some Whole Foods pizza crusts I wanted to get used up and decided to top then with a "little this, little that" that was in the freezer--spinach, roasted corn and 2 leeks that were in the fridge.

Added some garlic, olive oil on the crust and some freshly ground pepper and the last of a wedge of parm.

Finished off the corn chowder and asparagus soup and I cut up a fresh pineapple. That was supper. I'm thankful that I never have to go hungry.

Friday I'm heading up to St. Cloud to see my River Runner friends. Pam & Daryl are having a breakfast run at their home on Saturday morning and a bunch of us are going to see RENT on Friday and have dinner before the show. I look forward to it and am thankful for all the friends I have up there.

Well, I hope you've detected a theme in this post. Thankful.  Thank you for stopping by my little corner of cyberspace. Take a minute this week to pause and reflect on all that you have to be thankful for. My guess is that it'll take more than a minute ...

Signing off,

Ramblin' Renee