I'm Thankful for These 9 Things in My Life

 Giving Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. My family is pretty casual, so we don't usually hold hands around the table and one-by-one express what we are thankful for. The members of my family typically hold their cards close to their chest. It doesn't mean we don't have feelings, we just don't share them as openly as some other folks might.  I do feel I have MANY things to be thankful for this year. Here they are for all the world to see:

1. My kids! Everyday, I hug and hold my babies tight. In the morning and between the time I get home from work and the time they go to bed, which sadly is only about a 3 hour time span, they are kissed, and told "I love you several times". I am incredibly grateful for them, and know they mean it when they repeatedly tell me, "I love you too, Mom."

2. My husband works his butt off. He deals with some pretty crazy stuff, risking his own personal safety almost daily for his family. He can be moody, and isn't the best communicator. But he is one solid dude. He's thoughtful, responsible and has his heart in the right place.


3. I have a roof over my head. I complain all the time how our house is as underwater as the Lost City of Atlantis but you know, nobody is making us stay here. There are people who have lost their homes and are living in their cars or shelters, and don't have any other options or anyone they can count on to help them out for a while. I know if anything happened, I have family who would support us in the short term. We'd never be out on the street.

4. I can put food on our table. I can buy my family fresh fruits and vegetables. I can choose to buy organic. My kids never go hungry. My heart breaks when I think of those who have to tell their hungry family they have nothing to eat, or that they must "find" food.

5. I am surrounded by wonderful friends. Some are lifelong, some are new. Most are IRL (in real life) some are social media friends that I share common interests with such as blogging or running. I KNOW that if I have something going on in my life, I have people to turn to or talk to. It horrifies me when I hear of suicides, and friends and acquaintances have no idea that anything was wrong. It's of no fault of the friends. What bothers me about it is that the person who killed themselves at some point felt they had no one to turn to, no one to listen, no one to trust. They were so desperate that the best option they had was death. Even as a sullen teenager suffering what I thought at the time were devastating problems, I vowed NEVER to EVER kill myself, that there would always be a better way, another option, a way of starting over. I love my friends.

6. I have a job. Sure, my commute SUCKS. But would I like to drive 50+ miles each day for this job, or sit at home and have no money and nowhere to go? I work for great people who treat me incredibly well. I work in a pretty cool industry in the heart of where it's all happening. Nationwide, the unemployment rate is much higher than it is in my area. Sure, our cost of living is through the roof, but at least there are jobs.

7. My PARENTS. Of course, without them I wouldn't be here. But they've done a lot for me over the years. They supported my education, stressed the importance of work ethic and responsibility in me from a young age. They adore my kids. My mom worked for 30 years, full time, and finally retired. Only to be roped in to watching my kids for me for the last 5 years so I could work, with only one break for nearly year when I was unemployed. I know its hard on her, its a tough job being with these two crazy boys 3x per week.I also know this can't go on for much longer. She's not getting any younger and I know she'd much rather be enjoying her leisure time in another way. We are very fortunate to have had her help for this long.

8. My "Uncle" who has survived a terrible form of cancer. He went from a healthy, strong, vivacious retiree who loves to vacation in Hawaii and Mexico to having surgery and being in a coma, and has taken over a year to regain his strength. He is back, mostly as good as new and is now going to undergo some type of experimental surgery and further treatment to keep him around longer. He and his wife have never been anything less than generous, giving and loving to our family and our prayers will be with them in the coming months.

9. Lastly, I am grateful for new beginnings. I found out tonight my sister is ENGAGED! I am so excited for them to start their lives together, and I hope it means nieces and nephews for me and cousins for my boys!  (Not to rush them, of course).

Tomorrow we are going to my parents. BIG thanks to them for hosting.  I am looking forward to spending time with those I love, including my cool Grandpa, and enjoying a delicious meal. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Milk and Hormones Don't Mix!

I'm pretty disturbed about the stuff that I'm reading about milk these days. Dairies are using growth hormones to increase milk production in cows. The FDA says its safe, although several nations have banned the use of these hormones. What's interesting is that the cows that are given these hormones have a 50% higher instance of fetal loss, ovarian cysts, infertility, etc., according to a study by the Center for Food Safety. I just can't imagine none of this would filter down to us.

I don't consume that much milk myself, maybe a 1/2 cup with cereal here and there. But I think about my kids! My 21 mo. old drinks about 24 ounces a day or more. There is a recent news story in Time Magazine about the early onset of puberty of girls in China, with fully developed breasts and vaginal bleeding, even in infants and toddlers. Tainted formula may be to blame, as these children tested for abnormally high hormone levels. While I am sure the standards for food safety are much lower in China, I still can't stop thinking about what the risks are of ingesting even smaller levels of growth hormones here in the US.

I think what really bothers me the most is that I would love to buy organic milk all the time. But at $6.00 a gallon its just not affordable for someone like me who goes through at least 3 gallons a week. Sure, I could buy organic milk at the cost of cutting out something else. But I just think that Americans should be entitled to food and drink that we can trust will be healthy and good for us. I know organic products are more expensive because they are made by smaller operations that aren't subsidized by the government...but it just seems backwards to me!

I finally did bring myself to watch Food, Inc. this past weekend. I was aware of a lot of the issues on a general scale, but not to the extent as described in the movie. I have to say I was profoundly affected by it. Corporate involvement has changed the way we eat, by "engineering" our food in such a way that creates more profit. Feeding chickens hormones that make them grow faster so they can produce more supply, giving them bigger breasts because Americans prefer more white meat. And don't even get me started on the beef. You'll have to watch the movie, or even better yet, read the book if you really want to know the truth. I just want to get back to the basics. My plan will be to grow most of my own vegetables, or support local farmers. The money I save on growing my own can go toward the purchase of organic milk because I just won't buy a cow! I have greatly reduced the meat consumption in our household, partially for financial reasons, partially for health reasons. I would like to find a local farmer that sells beef and poultry. I didn't think there would be so many, but if it interests you, check out this site: Eat Wild to find one near you.

I'm not standing up on a soapbox giving any lectures because I'll be the first to admit I'm not qualified in any way, shape or form. I just think most people don't really realize where the food they eat comes from and how its made. All of us lead very busy lives and probably don't even have time to think about it. Knowledge is power and I just don't think anyone out there would truly prefer NOT to know.

What are your thoughts about chemicals and hormones in our food supply? How do you feel about eating locally grown food?