i'm thankful

since thanksgiving is tomorrow i'd like to share what i am thankful for and encourage you to take a moment and give thanks as well. here goes:

• the muppets - they bring me such joy, these cranky bastards especially:
  
• creative expression - thousands of people have touched me and brought joy and understanding to my life. i'm so thankful for creative types who are brave enough to take what is inside of them and share it with the world. this whack world might piss on them, but i will always be their biggest fan.
• my family - no matter what i do or how bad i mess up, they love me unconditionally. this means the world to me.
• everyday acts of compassion and revolution - there are a lot of amazing people who impress me with their compassion, their fight, their spirit. since i don't have the BIG THINGS i want in societal terms, i'm thankful for the small things because they give me a reason for optimism.
• my chosen family - i am blessed with amazing friends who have become a part of my tribe, my chosen family, and i know that there is nothing that time and distance can ever do to break our bond. this is special, and i am so thankful that they are in my life.
• potatoes - i love potatoes so much; fried, french, mashed, raw, on top of shepherd's pie. potatoes are my comfort food, and i look forward to eating a lot of them over the next few days.
• health - i've had some crazy health problems in the past and i'm an aries so i can't stand being sick, laid up, or unable to rush around and act independently. i am so grateful that i am in good health. when you miss death by six months (ala cancer) or you can't walk (ala broken bone), you start to view things differently. i'm thankful i am cancer-free. i'm thankful that i can take long walks everyday. i'm thankful that i am here because there's a lot more i want to say.
• lady - i'm so glad this adorable dog came into my life almost a year ago. she is my best girl and my stalker, she truly is. i heart her.
• my voice - i'm thankful that i am brave enough to trust my voice, use my voice, and share my voice. i'm thankful that i have found a vocation that allows me to use my voice in a meaningful way, and that i now have the nerve to use my voice more than ever.
• edith - edith is a chimpanzee who changed my life. she was born in the '60s at the saint louis zoo. like many chimpanzees born in captivity, she was shipped off by the zoo when she was no longer a cute baby who brought in visitors ($$$). she was taken from her family at three, shuffled around to numerous facilities, and then ended up in a roadside zoo where PETA found her in an empty, disgusting concrete pit - hairless and living off of rotten produce and dog food. i've wanted to help non-human primates my entire life, and after i learned about edith's plight i decided to act on this desire.
• LOST - psychological disclosure is fantastic! i'm addicted to this program!!!
• ms. pac-man - this might seem trite to some of you, but not to me!!! ms. pac-man chills my mind out, puts me in the zone, and brings me great joy.
• the moon - my last home had these gorgeous bay windows and because i was on the top floor i didn't need to cover the windows. i started looking at the moon every night (i couldn't help but notice it) and i've continued doing this. no matter what happens during the day, the moon is up there and glorious every night.

there's more, but that's enough. you need to think of what you are thankful for yourself, and we both need to expand on this and give thanks each day. it's good for our hearts.