Cats & Saying Thank You

My husband and I have long been trying to guess the mixture of breeds in one of our cats.  When the vet shrugged his shoulders we realized it might be a long shot, but we still try from time to time if we see something that makes us go, ohhh - maybe he's part [fill in the name of a breed of cat here] that.

This morning my husband told me he'd seen a program on Animal Planet where he saw a cat that could be like the elusive heritage of the Fuzzums.  (The cat has a better name, but that's his nickname.  It's far more suitable.)  So I started looking for pictures online.  When I logged into the MSN homepage, I saw a link to an article about gratitude.  I read the article which basically said that saying thank you is good for you, but failed to offer a lot of empirical data to back that hypothesis.

Then again, perhaps it's hard to quantify something as intangible as the factors which make our lives better.  I have far too many things for which to give thanks, and so many of them might seem small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things - but they make my little world a better place.  I try to say thank you every opportunity that I have but if you - anyone reading this - have not been told by me that I am grateful to have you in my life then  please know it was an oversight that doesn't reflect how I really feel.  I believe that people come into our lives for a reason, and that means that you, my gentle reader, are here because I am blessed to know you - even if only via words on a screen.

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving 2009, I wanted to share a few quotes with you on the subject of being grateful.

• At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.
  Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. (Albert Schweitzer)
• Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful. (Buddha)
• Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. (Margaret Cousins)
• If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.  (Meister Eckhart)
• There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it. (Seneca)

Back to the cat - we still don't know what kinds of parents and grandparents Fuzzums had, but we're grateful for his little fuzzy presence in our lives - whatever mixture of breeds he might be. (And as a side note to which other cat owners can relate - we're very grateful that he hasn't gifted us with any hairballs today.)

Happy Thanksgiving in the United States - and happy Thursday/Friday to the rest of the world.  May you have a day filled with moments for which to give thanks.

The fact is - it's just opinion

I have blogged on and off for years, but I've never done it very seriously.  One reason for the casual attitude is that I so often treat my blog as a kind of online journal.  Bits and pieces are saved here, but it's all just my own opinions and observations with a few handy links tossed into the mix if I'm talking about a specific place or book or CD.  I applaud those bloggers who have worked hard and written so much to reach the attention of large segments of the online population.

In fact, some bloggers have reached the stage of being wined and dined by potential sponsors.  The LA Times has an interesting article which describes a few blogging moms and the attention they attract from both readers and potential sponsors.   I have to admit, if someone offered me a lifetime supply of free coffee to blog about their product - it would be hard to turn down that much coffee.  The cost savings alone could probably cover the remainder of my daughter's college tuitition.

Of course, being the poster child of Murphy's Law, here's what would happen if somebody gave me that offer.  They'd send me their coffee - I'd hate it since I am very picky about the coffee I drink - and then I'd have to go online and say that despite the free samples (and the promise of many more to come), I really hated the taste of their coffee.  

Personal moral of that story - It's just as well that I stick to random observations.

And with that thought in mind, let me add one more random observation which doesn't benefit me at all but can potentially help a lot of kids all over the world.  The Grobanites for Charity 2009 Holiday Auction for the Josh Groban Foundation starts today.   You can see their list of items here.  The auction runs through November 23, and there are buy now items as well as a variety of donated merchandise and homemade items available for bidding.  Scroll down the page to the bottom and you'll see that with the purchase of some buy it now buttons, you're purchase also makes you eligible to win other items including signed Josh Groban merchandise.

Have a great rest of the weekend!  :-)

Making a List & Checking it Twice - 10 Books I Love to Give

As we approach the holiday gift-giving season, I thought I'd start making my own lists of suggestions starting off with 10 books I'd love to recommend.  I confess, only one of these is actually a recent release, but all of my suggested titles are in print and available on Amazon.  They follow in alphabetical order by title.

The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) - This slim volume presents the story of Santiago, but it's such a well-written fable that it's timeless.  The plus side for this book is that it also comes in several, different editions which make it perfect for gift-giving depending on your budget.

City of Shadows: A Novel of Suspense (Ariana Franklin) - Do you like a good mystery?  Do you love historical novels?  City of Shadows is a perfect combination of these two elements.  Set in post WWI Berlin, it mixes desperate liars, Nazis, and a whiff of deposed royalty in the form of a puzzle and a desperate race against time.

Dead Until Dark (Charlaine Harris) -  I confess that I haven't read the Twilight series yet, but I had to include one vampire novel on the list.  It was a toss up between Charlaine Harris' Southern vampire series (which spawned the HBO series True Blood) and Mary Janice Davidson's which starts off with Undead and Unwed.  In the end I went with Charlaine Harris' and her heroine Sookie Stackhouse because who doesn't love a cameo by Elvis?

Everyone Worth Knowing (Lauren Weisberger) - This one comes from the same author who wrote The Devil Wears Prada - okay, it's the same basic storyline with a different setting.  Everyone Worth Knowing is still one of my favorites in the girl-meets-starry-lifestyle novel.    It's not a demanding book to read, but it's a fun one if you like to read about sex, alcohol, fashion, and a fabulously shallow lifestyle.

Jim Henson's Doodle Dreams: Inspiration for Living Life Outside the Lines (Jim Lewis) - This is a very thin book with a very big message.  The drawings were done by Jim Henson, but the quotes throughout (unless otherwise specified) were not Henson's own.  It's still a great little book that gives you a five-minute pick-me-up when you flip through its pages.

The Little Drummer Girl  (John LeCarre) - First published in 1983, this story places us inside the minds of the brilliant actress Charlie who finds herself taking on the greatest role of her life - an international spy whose mission is to save lives at the cost of her own soul.   The time frame is somewhat dated, but the message is just as relevant today as it was when first published.

Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West (Daniel Ladinsky) - No matter what your perspective of the Divine, it's impossible to read this collection of poems and not find something tugging inside your heart to hear the music that floats beneath the words. 

Madhur Jaffrey Indian Cooking  (Madhur Jaffrey) - I have several Indian cookbooks in my collection, but this was the first one that I bought.  It breaks down Indian cooking into simple steps, and it describes the spices you'll need to bring the magic of a good Indian restaurant home to your own kitchen.

The Magicians (Lev Grossman) - Although this book was marketed heavily as Harry Potter for adults, I really feel that the description does a disservice to the book.  This book is far more than just a bit of wand waving (there are very few wands used in The Magicians, actually), and I'm already talked three of my friends into buying it so I'll have to find them something else for the holidays.   (Note - This book does contain quite a bit of language, so if four-letter words are not your forte, don't get the audio version of this book.)

The Thurber Carnival (James Thurber) - I've been in love with James Thurber's writing for ages.  If you've never discovered his humorous style, this book is an excellent introduction.  Two words - puppy biscuit.  Need I say more?

This Is It

I went to see This Is It last Saturday, but I'm just now putting up my review of the film.   I absolutely loved it.

I was afraid that the movie would be sad with references to Michael Jackson's recent death. I probably held my breath for the first fifteen minutes, waiting for the sadness I was sure would be there. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by how upbeat the entire film made me feel. It has warmth and unexpected humor in places. What an amazing show that would have been if Michael Jackson had lived to do the concert.

There are a lot of numbers that you see Michael do with his dancers and his band - and those men/women are pretty amazing dancers/performers in their own right. Some of the songs are incredible - the new version of Thriller was spectacular with its film effects, and Smooth Criminal was another one that blended music/video performance.

Billie Jean really brought the audience to life in the theater where I watched the film. People had already been singing along at times, but almost everyone went wild for this song. Michael was truly in his element as he sang/danced that number, and it translated to singing, dancing, and even a few screams from members of the viewing audience. (We had a lively bunch in our theater!)

It was a really well done piece, and it definitely benefited from being shown in a large screen format. I give it two thumbs up even if you only liked Michael Jackson's music. I went with my husband (not a huge MJ fan) and my daughter (huge MJ fan), and it was a winner across the board.