Everywhere I go I find a pal

WITHOUT WORDS

Peter Weinschenk, Editor, The Record-Review

It’s Thanksgiving on Thursday. This is a time to take stock and consider all we have to be thankful for.

Here’s my short list.

1. My wife.

2. My kids.

3. My brown quilted Patagonia jacket with a hood that fits so nice.

4. D’Andrea teardrop (medium thickness) guitar picks. They have just enough flex.

5. A turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, squash, peas and cranberries.

6. Tacos and enchiladas made with leftover turkey.

7. Folger’s instant coffee crystals. They make the perfect beverage.

8. Golden toe socks. They wear like iron.

9. My new, favorite band, Newen Afrobeat, from Santiago, Chile.

10. My VitaMix blender, useful for making breakfast smoothies.

11. A sunrise in late fall.

12. Stoneyfield plain organic yogurt. It’s consistently good.

13. Button-fly bluejeans. A California classic.

14. A C7#11 chord. It fills the space.

15. New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt. He’s great.

16. The First Amendment.

17. The two-volume collected essays of Wendell Berry, agriculturalist.

18. My red fleece hat that has no commercial or political message on it.

19. Nasonville mozzarella cheese. Very good.

20. Quantum theory. Otherwise, the world would make sense.

21. A No. 8 Gray Ghost trout fly. It comes in handy.

22. Flax and millet bread from the One Love Bread Co. It’s as good as bread in Europe.

23. Low fluoro cross country ski wax from Fast Wax. Pretty slick.

24. My Felco grape sheers. Very ergonomic.

25. Grape nuts. A satisfying cereal before bed.

26. My Petzel head lamp. Plenty of lumens, yet comfortable to wear.

27. My Timex Expedition watch. Takes a lickin,’ keeps on tickin.’

28. This year’s blueberry crop. The fruit was sweet, nice size.

29. Pilot G2 gel roller pens. Gotta love them.

30. My Starbucks stainless steel coffee thermos. I take it everywhere.

31. Kapatsana. It’s a good yoga pose.

32. Pepper. Hands down, the best spice.

33. Honey almond granola. It’s the cinnamon that makes it.

34. The stars.

35. Snowplows. Obviously.

36. An actual paper letter from a friend.

37. The last remaining hair on my head.

38. My BPA-free Nalgene water bottle. Indestructible.

39. Millie Ringle mittens. They are so warm.

40. Whole Foods 365 brand peanut butter. It’s the best.

This is pretty much a sampler of favorite things I am grateful for.

Hopefully, you can find time this holiday to, once again, count your blessings.