what I'm thankful for

Thanksgiving draws near, and, as we are constantly reminded throughout the Week of Turkey, there are so many things we take for granted in our day-to-day lives. So many things to be thankful for. Of course, what immediately springs to my mind are the big things- my family and friends, my house, my cat, my church. Then food gets thrown on the list as I devour cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
Certainly, these are all things to be grateful for. Heck, they should be at the top of the list.
However, I was recently pondering several smaller things that don't make the cut. They're not as significant, to be sure, yet if you think about it, we really are indebted to them. At least I am.
I compiled a list for your convenience, as seen directly below these words :)

| Pillowcases. Or, as I like to call them, Exchangeable Pillow Shields. (a) When they get dirty, you throw them in the washing machine. No need to wash the pillow. (b) They come in thousands of colors and patterns. Room makeover just another pillowcase away. (c) They can transform into a large sack, to keep stuffed animals, PJ's, and goodness knows what else in for a sleepover or long road trip. Useful? I think so.
| Sporks. Now I know this is random, but I really fall in love with restaurants that have sporks. Especially Chinese places. It's like, the waitress hands you chopsticks, and you die a little inside. Then you unroll the napkin, hoping to find some utensils... and YES! A spork! Now you can capture the meat and scoop up the rice in one bite. Score.
| Pixar movies. I love 'em with a burning passion. I cry bucketloads of tears watching almost all of them. Again and again. It never fails. But I also laugh at the clever jokes and marvel at the incredibly detailed story lines. Again and again and again. Pixar is a shining light in an age of generally cruddy movies. Thanks, Pixar!
| Comfortable hoodies from Target. Seriously, they've saved me from freezing numerous times.
| Mechanical pencils. So much more convenient than regular pencils. Always sharp. They sell in lots of colors. Sometimes they come with special, colored lead. As an added bonus, they squeak on certain types of paper!
| Jo from Little Women. I know it's extra super nerdy, but I love Jo. She's such an inspirational character for me. She's a writer... she struggles with scenes, she thinks about her characters 24/7, once she even lost an entire manuscript (been there, done that!). She's clumsy and sometimes she feels like she doesn't fit in. She's overly dramatic. She's hungry all the time. Yeah, I like Jo.
| Alarm clocks. I'm honestly thankful for alarm clocks. If alarm clocks didn't exist, I'm positive I would show up to every class and every church meeting quite late. Even though I want to destroy them in brutal ways sometimes, alarm clocks have saved me (and, I'm sure, countless teens) in the mornings.
| Picture frames. Think of the alternative. Taping pictures to the wall, tacking, gluing, velcro-ing them? Give me a picture frame aanyydayyy.

So, yeah. Just a few things that popped into my head. I would encourage you, yes YOU, to think about it. What are some small items in your life that you're grateful for?
Enjoy turkey! :)

typewriters

Back before there were computers with keyboards, there were typewriters.

I love them. A lot. I love the clicking sound the keys make. I love this font that the ink conforms to on the new, white sheet of paper. I love how you have to push back the carriage return every time you finish a line. I love how, unlike computers, there's nothing else to distract you, like email or YouTube videos... just you, the typewriter, and your ideas. There's the simple factor as well; you don't need a charger cord, you don't need any internet connection, and you don't need to download Microsoft Word for a couple hundred dollars.

I don't know. Maybe I'm a nerd, but I find it extremely appealing. Or maybe it just seems like a very writer-ish thing to have. Anyway, I really want to get one ;)