This Is Where You Belong. So Be Thankful Dammit.

Can Turkey's Fly? Can they?

It's time for the Thanksgiving post. I know, I know, I haven't posted in what seems like forever and for that I am sorry. We have moved back to Calgary and if you haven't seen how much I have to drink during moves, check out that post HERE so getting a blog post in was a little rough. We are settled back in our Calgary home, the kids back in their school, me and hubby back at work so that took some doing and wine.

We talk a lot about being grateful on Thanksgiving and that's awesome. However, if you are only grateful on this one day, I have to tell you, you are doing life wrong. I think that the secret to getting good stuff to happen to you is to be grateful for the things you already have, as meager as those things seem. 

I know, it's hard to count your blessings when you are in the dredges of life. It's frustrating to see someone else being handed everything that you have to work hard for. I know it feels impossible to be grateful when you watch some rich old dude on tv win 30 kajillion dollars in the lotto that he played ONCE  and let's be honest, he's going to be dead by Thursday. You shake your head and say, 'where's my lottery? When it is my turn?'

Hot damn you are right. You are totally right. You deserve better, we all do. But try to imagine, for one second, someone who doesn't have what you have. And not in a 'there are starving children in Africa', although, there ARE starving children in Africa and I think we should totally take care of that. My solution is to tell the Kardashian's that feeding starving people is the new 'it' thing for fall and it will make their asses bigger. 

No, think of what your life would be like without the things that make it great. What if you had no job (as shitty as your job feels like sometimes), no friends (like NONE), no children (imagine this when they are playing nicely or hugging you, not when they are rolling their eyes at you), what if you didn't have your home, your couch, your socks, your cheese (dear lord what would we do without cheese), or be able to walk or talk or dance. What would that feel like? Honestly, think about it. 

You win the lottery every single day that you open your eyes and have a new opportunity to be grateful. You won my friend. This is your day, throw your hands in the air and fist pump in victory. You win. You are exactly where you are supposed to be in this place, on this day, with these people. 

This is where you belong. So be thankful dammit. 

Am I grateful that I have Celiacs? That's something I struggle with. I am thankful for being healthy and happy and eating well which fuels my body and allows it to thrive. Would it be easier if I could just make a normal pie crust? Yup. Is life about easy? Nope. So I am grateful that we can afford the gluten free flour to make the crust. I am grateful that mashed potatoes and turkey are naturally gluten free. I'm grateful that without Celiacs, I would not have started this blog and through the course of it, become a published author. These are good things and that is what I focus on.

And I get to spend my day, cooking and laughing with my favorite people in the world. 

That is what I consider a win. 

Find something to be grateful for, every single day, not just today. Today, try to ignore your Celiacs and be grateful for everything else. 

My thanksgiving feast :

A smoked turkey (thanks to the hubby and his monster smoker for that)
Udi's stuffing recipe Recipe HERE
Roasted Carrots and Beets Recipe HERE
Mashed Potatoes (call your grandma)
Green Beans Recipe HERE
Gravy Courtesy of Club House Gluten Free Gravy Mix
Pumpkin Pie Recipe HERE - I used President's Choice GF Flour
Homemade Whipped Cream (literally whip some cream with sugar - buy that canned stuff and I will hunt you down.)