Thankful Things For Me

This is what I am thankful for nowadays.

1. Having great taste is women or maybe blind luck. Either way I ended up with the prize of the bunch. Pam puts up with my insanities and shares my love of Wine, music, travel, dogs and food. She also attracts some of the best people who we are lucky to call friends.

2. Figuring out my health before it got any harder than it was. Lethargic and 270 is not a great way to move into your golden years. It may have taken a thorocotomy to get me moving, but it was worth it. The thing I didn't factor in then was that I would have to learn as much as I did about food to really protect what I was working on. I had no idea what a GMO was or why anyone would buy organic even as I changed my diet at the beginning of this.

3. Returning to a teen-like need to question authority. That sounds odd, but I now know that we must do our own research to protect ourselves from what I once took for granted. Two years ago if my doctor had told me I needed statins I would have gone like a lemming to the pharmacy and paid my copay for a jar of toxins. How are we supposed to react to a drug manufacturer who sets a penetration they want for their product even if they have to remodel the tests and alter the recommendations to get there? Trust me, I purposely use the word "penetration" here.

4. Having a young, energetic dog for a training partner. Athena keeps me moving - sometimes whether I like it or not. She has her little show to let you know she wants something and when she wants to go for a walk she licks her leash or harness. Even her need to patrol the yard regularly adds steps to the day.

5. Learning how to cook freely so that I can incorporate new ingredients into my dishes making them healthier without giving up any flavor. It's nice to know that Quinoia is a great protein and fiber source, but if you don't know what to do with it so what? Luckily, there are sources on the Internet for recipes for lots of great ingredients. Even my little blog here has some such recipes.

6. My blog readers. Knowing that you are all out there waiting to hear what I think is worth writing about keeps the pressure on to find a nugget to pass on regularly. I'm sure that last sentence was badly structured, but you get the idea. You all keep me honest especially when I'm always saying -

More soon....