Giving Thanks à la USA

I just now read reading the blog of my friend, MaryAnne, who lives in Georgia in a town which she refers to as 'Hooterville'. At her reading group this week, with Thanksgiving as the theme, they discussed the 10 things they were most thankful for other than the usual husbands, kids, homes, friends, etc.

Here is my top 10 of 'things' I am thankful for: (sorry to be such a copy-cat MaryAnne)
1. My computer (PC) and laptop
2. Central vacuuming system
3. Online banking, shopping and msn messaging
4. My medical plan which allows for $400 of massages and chiropractic yearly
5. Bathroom cleaner with bleach and 'scrubbing bubbles'
6. Miller Chill beer (Miller Light with lime and salt - available only in the US)
7. Austermann Step sock yarn
8. Addi Turbo circular knitting needles
9. My passport
10. My iPod and all the gadgets that go with it

I guess it's fitting to publish my list today as it was also the airing of Oprah's 'favourite things' for Christmas show from Macon, GA.

Today I had my bi-annual mammogram - woo hoo! Skip was very sweet to come with me and wait in the waiting room. I only got a couple of rows of knitting done before I got called in and finished in 10 minutes. We then went shopping for some necessities for my MIL who resides in a nursing home - socks, slacks, coat, etc. We then went for dinner at Durham Region's only Mexican food emporium, Mexico Lindo in Ajax. On the way home we stopped in at A & P. I had espied some large print copies of the Reader's Digest there a while back and hoped one would still be there to get for my MIL. Let me digress for a moment...

I ordered the large print edition of Reader's Digest for my MIL back in August. The first copy was to arrive in 4 - 6 weeks. I received a bill in the mail but still had not received the first copy. I noticed the wrong postal code was on the bill. I corrected it online and was advised that a copy of the magazine would be shipped. Now, a month later, there has still been no delivery. I didn't buy the magazine at the A & P when I first saw it because I thought it would come in the mail. It didn't so today I did.

We then stopped in at the liquor store to pick up some wine for our neighbours who looked after Ollie while we've been away. I saw a New Zealand white wine called "Cat Pee on a Gooseberry Bush" and a NZ red called "Sally Cat" and thought those would be good selections for thanking people who had looked after our cat. We hope to deliver the wine tomorrow.

It felt good to get several errands done in 'one swell foop'.

I then began composing our annual Christmas newsletter and got most of the text done. I just have to insert some photos and I'll be ready to start my Christmas cards.