Things to appreciate

I'm sitting here and I should be working on some documents for tomorrow's faculty meeting or lesson plans for next week, but I just wrapped a birthday present for my cousin's soon-to-be two-year-old son (the closest thing to a nephew or niece that I've got at this point...my cousin and I are two years apart in age and we were very close growing up, so it seems more fitting to call his son a nephew than a "second cousin") and all of a sudden I started thinking of all the things I truly appreciate now that we live so far away from home:

- Family members and visits with them. Over the past few years I got in the habit of visiting my grandmother and my dad at least once a month probably, which always meant seeing at least a few of my aunts, uncles, and cousins too. Now I can't just drive 2 1/2 hours to see them whenever I want, so I'm glad I took advantage of that when I could. Last year I went home every chance I had to visit because I knew I wouldn't be able to this year. I can't wait until December when we get to go home for my other cousin's wedding and Christmas with both Karl's family and my family. Luckily we have a few visits before then - my dad is coming this weekend, my mom, aunt, and uncle are coming at the end of October, and my friend Erin is coming in mid-November.

- The leaves turning colors during an Indiana fall. No changing leaves here, or signs of fall for that matter (when I left work today it was 100 degrees out...that's not fall weather!)

- The friendliness of the Midwestern people. I don't think I ever actually bought into that whole "Midwesterners are so friendly" schpeal until I moved out here, where it just isn't quite the same.

- A really good thunderstorm. The kind where you just want to curl up in your pajamas, drink hot chocolate or eat ice cream, and watch some old '80s movies (my personal preferences - Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Dirty Dancing, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Footloose...all of which I own).

That's all...nothing too thought-provoking or earth-shattering...no sports or politics or world issues...just a few thoughts that I felt like putting out there!

I hope everyone's having a great week.