Today is Joey’s birthday, and he has also recently moved into a new place, so over the last couple of weeks we’ve sent him a few gifts. One of the things we got him was a set of Pyrex bowls with lids, because we have them, and they are so great! You can do everything in these bowls! They go in the freezer, in the microwave, in the oven, in the fridge—you can even eat out of them! And since food is stored in glass instead of plastic, it’s a bit healthier for you overall.
It was my Mom that first turned me on to these Pyrex bowls, a couple of years ago. And as I was recently thinking about sending Joey some of these bowls, it occurred to me that I ought to take a moment to thank Mom for telling me about them in the first place. S0… “Thanks, Mom!” for turning me on to Pyrex!
Also, “Thanks, Mom!” for turning me on to Correlle dishware! It’s the best! We have the “Winter White,” which is plain and simple, and looks great. Corelle is lightweight, attractive, easy to keep clean, and best of all, hardly takes up any room at all in the cabinet, because it’s so thin. I love my Correlle so much, I can’t imagine having any other kind of big clunky dishware (unless it was clear glass plates, which I also love.)
One more shout out of “Thanks!” to Mom. I recently took a book from the library called “No Sugar, No Flour,” and really didn’t read much past the title, but I’ve been setting the principles in motion and have begun to lose a little weight, and also feel better. But it wasn’t this book that first turned me on to the idea of avoiding sugar and flour. It was Mom! About six years ago, just before I moved to Alabama, I went through a time where I lost about twenty five pounds, and I remember that the way I got started was by having a conversation with Mom in which she extolled the virtues of avoiding white sugar and white flour as a way to lose weight. That conversation put the idea in my head, and once I ran with it…the weight started coming off! Even as it is now! So, thanks again, Mom, for having all the good ideas that really work.
But I’m not going to stop here. Sure, Mom has given me some good ideas, but she’s not the only one. I started to think about it, and realized that all the important people in my life have at one time or another told me about something that I didn’t know about before, but which is now important to me.
So, since it’s Joey’s birthday today, let’s start with him. Joey is my Music Man. I can always count on him to find me a great new band to listen to, and the one I’ll mention here has become one of my very favorites, Blue October.
I remember the day Joey called me and told me “Hey, Mom, you should check out this band Blue October!” He thought of me because he knows I play violin (at least I used to) and there is some awesome fiddling in Blue October. I immediately took a listen to their song “Ugly Side,” and fell in love with their music. So, “Thanks, Joey!” for all the music!
Now, Mary and I have similar tastes in a lot of things, and she is always recommending books to me. One of the book series she recommended has become one of my favorites: Bloody Jack!
In this series, an orphan girl poses as a boy and joins the British Royal Navy, and later becomes somewhat of a pirate. From the first page, you can’t help but be captivated by the main character. Come to think of it, Mary also told me about Lemony Snickett’s Series of Unfortunate Events, another fun read. So “Thanks Mary!” for all the books!
Oh, and thanks for some music as well. Because of a shared interest in Steampunk, Mary turned me on to the music of Abney Park (again with the great fiddling!) And she also knows that I like music that is “big and dark,” so recently, when she happened to run across Placebo, she texted me that I might want to check them out. I did, and now have ANOTHER favorite band. How many favorite bands can you have? I don’t know. I guess it all depends on what kind of mood you’re in. But “Thanks, Mary!” for the Placebo!
When we get to Russ, there are a couple of really big, really major interests I need to thank him for: football and comics!
I sometimes feel that some of the people who knew me before I knew Russ, and therefore knew I had absolutely no interest whatsoever in football or sports of any kind, must now be looking at my sudden interest in football and thinking that I’m only “pretending” to be interested in football because that’s what all “good wives” do. Look. I don’t play those kinds of games. And football is just too time-consuming an interest for someone who isn’t really into it. But I have to tell you, Russ knows TONS about football, all the ins and outs, all the backstories, all the SOAP OPERA, and his enthusiasm is utterly contagious. Not only that, but I think it must be living in this town, where our University has won the National Championship for two of the last three years…well, it’s kind of hard NOT to catch Football Fever! So “Thanks, Russ!” for getting me interested in football!
Now, as for comics, I’ve always been one who enjoys stories, and to a large degree, the more fantastic the better. And the Marvel Comics of the 1960’s (which I’m going through now) are quite fantastic on so many levels! Again, Russ’ knowledge of Marvel Comics is encyclopedic, 
and his enthusiasm is contagious, so it’s great having our own little “book club” where we can talk about what we’re reading. And not only that, but I’m also very much enjoying putting down my thoughts about these stories in my other blog, Adventures in the Marvelous Zone.
These are the most important people in my life, who have given me so many good ideas. But there is one more, and I have not forgotten…no, I’m just saving the best for last. My Dad has always been a big advocate of saving money and being financially responsible. For many many years, his mantra has been “Save! Save! Save!” Well, I guess some of it must have finally sunk in (and I also think it helps being married to someone like Russ who, while not as fanatical about savings as my Dad is, still very much believes in being financially responsible). And so, with the encouragement and support of two of the three most important men in my life, for the first time in my life, I can say that I have no personal debt, Russ and I do have some money in the bank, and what’s more, I am part-owner of a comfy little house! (Russ and the bank are the other part-owners, of course.) So “Thanks Dad!” for being diligent about trying to instill in us a responsible attitude towards money. It’s paid off! (And by the grace of God, our house will be paid off in the next 12 years!)
I know there are a lot more things I could mention in thanking a lot more people. But these are the highlights. By the grace of God, I have people in my life who know stuff, and share stuff, that helps to make my life better.
