THANKS giving

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,
November!
-19th Century British Poet Thomas Hood

I used to heart November. With it, came so many things I delight in, like Thanksgiving, and the first snowfall, and sweater weather, and the start of ski season, and that giddy genesis of the holiday shopping season when it's fun rather than frantic. As the bridge between my two favorite seasons - fall and winter- November was a month I loved and looked forward to.

Until now. Though baseball season officially was over in October, this November has thrown some major curveballs at us Warren's, and those sizable and oh-so-stressful setbacks have made the little inconveniences -like discovering your local post office doesn't accept debit cards or that in addition to your bread, you also brought the buzzer home from Panera - suddenly seem intolerable. Perhaps Louisa May Alcott was right when she wrote "November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year."

Yet whenever I am just about at that edge (you know the place- we've all been there and boy, is it ugly), perspective pushes me back a few steps toward sanity (sometimes a few moments after I make an ass of myself, but eventually nonetheless). Like when the primary piece of our new kitchen countertops snapped in half during delivery, and we learned we'd be living another week without a kitchen, we just had to laugh because really, we were still getting granite. Or when the waiter delivered my milkshake after I'd already finished my meal and I turned to Kyle and asked "Really, how can I be mad about a milkshake?" Or like when Kyle unexpectedly lost his job (the day the granite bill came of course), and though we've never been so scared, we realized that we were scared together, had enough money in the bank to get by and had a support system of friends and family far stronger than we'd ever known.

While arguing in the car (yes, we occasionally do that) earlier in the week, Kyle and I drove past a health clinic and noticed a man our age struggling down the stairs, his prosthetic leg limp alongside his crutches. Yesterday, I came across an obituary in the newspaper for an 18-year-old girl. Her death was tragic and of course came far too soon. But what left me crying amidst the lunchtime crush of a city cafe was a statement deep within the notice that the girl was predeceased by her mother, this past September. The loss of a job is nothing compared to the loss of a limb, or a life.

There is always someone out there who has it worse then you. Out of every challenge, comes chance. And as our neighbor reminded us earlier this week, "Life doesn't give you anything you can't handle."

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for perspective, however painful, and for the sudden scheduling freedom that is allowing both Kyle and I to "relax" and enjoy the holidays with family and with each other, rather than rush back to the office before the tryptophan from the turkey has even worn off.

And because Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year, here are 26 things other I am thankful for. Some are shallow, some are serious, some are just silly. All I am sincerely appreciative of, this holiday and always.

◊I am thankful for... the realization, that despite me being basically absent from this blog now for months, none of you have renounced me as friend or photographer. And as proven by the fact that you are reading this, the sky hasn't in fact fallen due to my blacker status nor have you given up on me. Thank you! (And, I promise to get caught up soon with a dozen or weddings to post about, plus lots of personal goodies.)

◊I am thankful for... Thanksgiving itself. What an honor to have an entire 86,400 seconds to consider and celebrate all in this world we have to be grateful for. Even better that it's among loved ones (who I am also thankful for).

◊I am thankful for... the many friendships that have been born and or made better this past year, especially the Moxie Manglers, In 5th Place) and the ICL team. I value you all more then you know.

◊I am thankful for... NBC's comedy lineup, especially The Office and 30 Rock on Thursday night and Saturday Night Live on -yeah, you guessed it- Saturday night (in particular, Kristin Wiig's Penelope sketches like this wedding one) which always lead me to laughter, no matter how horrible the day proceeding it was.

◊I am thankful for... Alder and Nikon, whose delight in their every doing is an unwavering source of contentment in mine.

◊I am thankful for... our neighbors on Kent Street, who are quick with a wave, a box of baking soda or a snowblower and whose watchful eyes allow me to actually feel far safer in this city then I ever did living in rural Maine.

◊I am thankful for... my iPhone. Need I say more?

◊I am thankful for... d'Affinois, the most buttery, luscious cheese to ever come out of France, and white truffle oil.

◊I am thankful for... handwritten notes. Few things make me feel so appreciated.

◊I am thankful for... the opportunity to run my own business, which has in turn brought blessings beyond imagination into my life, including dear friends, confidence, purpose and the flexibility of time (except from June through October) to be with my loved ones and pursue my other passions.

◊I am thankful for... the women of Alpha Kappa Camera, whose sisterhood was a surprising source of strength and schooling for me these past four months and I suspect, for many more to come.

◊I am thankful for... Whole Foods' $2 for $12 wines.

◊I am thankful for... that ski season is almost here (and that I live in one of the best places in the world to enjoy it)!!!

◊I am thankful for... Kyle, my rock (especially when I am in a hard place).

◊I am thankful for... Facebook! Yes, it's a total timesuck. Yet at the same time, it's made me feel more connected then ever, allows me to show simple support for my friends with a quick click of the "like" button and ensures I'll never miss another birthday.

◊I am thankful for... the ability to make my loved ones laugh.

◊I am thankful for... my strong eyebrows. I used to despise their darkness and be threatened by their thickness, but they are proof I am related to both my grandfathers (as if more was needed), and are a central part of my non-verbal communication strategy.

◊I am thankful for... that we live completely without credit cards (and the headaches I hear they bring).

◊I am thankful for... my teeth finally moving! Thanks Invisalign.

◊I am thankful for... my gift of storytelling (through words and pictures).

◊I am thankful for... the 25 plus people who showed up this past Sunday with just a few days notice for a surprise party to celebrate the awesomeness that is my husband, for no other real reason than he (and me) needed cheering up.

◊I am thankful for... Time Warner primetime on demand, which allows me watch my favorite primetime television shows for free, and without commercials. I just discovered this feature, and also that we can rent movies with our remote control and it's revolutionized my Friday nights. (Yes, I realize that I am a little late on this one.)

◊I am thankful for...the recent realization that the capacity to admit your vulnerability doesn't make you weak, but strong.

◊I am thankful for... that I have more than 26 reasons to be thankful and thus more reasons to be thankful then to be unappreciative and wanting.

◊(In honor of Black Friday), I am thankful for... these 10 items I simply cannot live without: anything from LL Bean, my favorite store in the universe (but mostly these Bean boots and boot socks); anything from Cole Haan, runner-up for my favorite store in the universe, Decleor's Ylang Ylang Night Balm; Lush bath bombs (try my favorite one, Waving Not Drowning); Mrs. Meyers Clean Day products in lavender, which make cleaning house seem chic; the Joy of Cooking, we have a zillion cook books, but this is my most trusted and the place I turn to corroborate any other recipe I come across; my blue Le Creuset cookware; Polka Dog cookies for the kids (also at Whole Foods); our white enameled Jotul woodstove; and champagne!

◊And last but not least, I am thankful for... the couples who give me the gift of documenting their wedding day (and of trust, of renewed respect for the meaning of marriage, of considerate compliments and of friendship that lasts far beyond the wedding day), including the ones below who made up this past wedding season. Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving.





What are you thankful for this year?