Fancy Cocktails Over Cohen

I am grateful for many things… here are several under three categories:

I’m grateful for my family: With seven siblings, both my parents and ten nephews and nieces, plus all the amazing in-laws that married into the family, I feel incredibly supported.  Even when it is tough love sometimes, it is immense love.  I’m grateful for the dinners (especially when they make my favourites), the Halloween parties, the birthday parties, Canada Day, heck, every party, visits to work with coffees for both of us, cranberry sauce and chicken sandwiches with a Coke Zero on the patio, gift stealing at Christmas, every meal my mom makes with so much love, the calls just to check in, natural remedies and uplifting books to make me better, crying over Angel Too Close to the Ground by Willie Nelson, JT on Saturday Night Live, the hikes on a perfect day, Van Gogh in Ottawa, new year’s eve challenges, chopping wood, fancy cocktails over Cohen, fire pit singing and scorched marshmallows, paintball wars, water gun wars, any kind of war game really, family sports, movie night, egg tossing, swimming, watching the aliens while we’re in the hot tub, all their pools, the crazy stories that have left my stomach in pain from laughing (especially when it involves my stupidity), Super Bowl night, every soccer game, Hockey Night in Canada, even the Grey Cup, camping, letting me be part of their kids’ lives (they’re a little mine also).  I’m grateful for everything else they do, including every hug, kiss, pat on the back, and fist bumps.

I’m grateful for my amazing friends: for ‘storytelling’ phone conversations over beer late at night, Skyping over tea so we’re not so far away, browsing the shelves at Chapters and fighting over paying the Starbucks bill, chair yoga instruction on my bad days, venting over the glass of wine, showing me all the healthiest spots to dine out, long walks that damn near kill me just to remind me that I can despite the pain, Paint Nite at the pub, cooking lessons, pottery classes, book club and agreeing on the same books that suck so we can pick another one, discussions on how our money would be spent if we won the lottery, looking at the clouds, hide and seek in a dark park, touch football, the road trips, Niagara Falls and Niagara On the Lake wineries and breweries, face painting for our teams, high tea at Taylor’s in Dundas, your insanely funny kids, rock concerts (especially Rush and Our Lady Peace), evening events at the Royal Botanical Gardens (even though we’re always devoured by the mosquitoes), hitting local fairs, farmers markets, making me dinner, listening to my music on Sonos with the Phillips Hue flashing colour, and every other amazing thing.

I’m grateful for my 2002 Acura because it is still running and I LOVE my baby: my roomy drive where I do my best thinking, the Bose system for the ultimate audio sound experience, heated seats in the winter, the moon roof on the perfect day, an enormous trunk (just in case I ever have to hide the body for a friend) and being comfortable enough to sleep overnight in.  Having a motor that can potentially make it to 500,000 clicks with 3.2-liter VTEC V-6 engine, and 260 horsepower.  I really love my car and I ask my girl to hang on as long as she can.