Far-away friends and other things for which I am grateful...

You know those friends who live far away, and who you don't talk to often enough, but when you do talk to them, it is as if no time has passed? Do you have those? I adore those friends. There's no need to spend too much time "catching up", and we can just dive into what's going on right now, and what compelled us to reach out. In fact, I'm going to make it a goal to call at least one of those friends tomorrow - on Thanksgiving - for no other reason than to tell them that I am grateful for them. 

Cy Twombly

I've been away from the blog for a long time. My sister mentions this every time we talk - "no updates on the blog, I see", she says. "Yes, I know", I say. I haven't forgotten, I miss it, I will come back... And then life goes on. And then it can feel difficult to come back, because what do I say? Do I need to fill in the gaps? I missed an entire season! All of our glorious summer! Most of our soccer-filled fall! But I've decided to let it go, to jump back in to what's going on now. 

Life is good. I have been working quite a bit, taking on more responsibilities and feeling good about what I'm accomplishing; but I did have the scales tipped way too far for a few months, and it has felt good to be able to come back up for air. I'm finding my balance again. It includes a decent amount of work, because I enjoy it; but it also includes time on my yoga mat, with my kids, listening to music, staying informed, and keeping up with my favorite entertainment (Stranger Things 2 was awesome).

And now the holiday season is upon us! I'm a little behind where I'd like to be, but I'll be fine. The shopping and the lists have begun. I've decided to take a break from holiday cards this year; mostly because I don't have any decent pictures, but also because it's nice to give myself a break. Maybe I'll be able to do more baking and cooking this year instead. I'd like to make some cranberry-orange marmalade again - it's my fave. 

But first, Thanksgiving. My favorite day of the year. Time with family and good food and movies and relaxing and gratitude. I'm grateful for so much. My funny and cute partner for life, my sweet boys who still cuddle at 8 and almost-11, my warm and cozy house, my strong body that requires more maintenance these days but still gets me where I need to go... I have so much. Regardless of whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving where you are, I hope you all take a minute to give thanks. And I'll see you back here soon. I promise.