61 Things

This is my list of 61 Things I Am Thankful For! They are not listed in any particular order.

1. God.
2. I love and adore my family. My mother is so sweet. She ensures that none of her children ever feel alone or forgotten. Months in advance, she sent me a package and told me to only open it on Thanksgiving. I just opened it. It contains a delicious mousse chocolate bar and a new book for me to read. My little sister can drive and has driven me everywhere. But aside from that, she entertains me on Facebook with her photographs. She'd make an excellent cheerleader. The boys never cease to amuse me with their general awesomeness. And Daddy is a whole story unto himself.
3. Children! My favorite people in existence. Especially Noam and Brayden.
4. Chocolate! (Whether it's Godiva, Hersheys, Swiss...it's amazing.)
5. Chocolate ice cream! (And gelato...hurrah for Scream!)
6. The entirely random and wonderful people I meet via this blog/ at Tanakh Yemei Iyun/ on the subway/ on the bus/ in the airport.
7. Music. All sorts, whether it is soundtracks to movies, Plumb's incredibly lyrical renditions, Anya Marina's elevated dirtiness, Britney Spears' "Three" or Lightman's incredibly gorgeous classical compositions- I love all music.
8. Clothes that have sparkles/ glitter on them. Thus, the store entitled "Conway."
9. Borders and Barnes & Noble.
10. My digital camera.
11. My laptop!
12. The fantastic NCSYers whom I know and who shed so much light upon me.
13. The Adept! I am so lucky to be in his class. God bless The Adept forever and ever.
14. Rebbetzin Sarah Greer. I don't speak to her so often, but whenever I do, she is a marvel.
15. The Little Old Lady. I love this woman with all my heart.
16. Every book that I have ever read. This year, The Quiet Room and Still Alice are still on my mind.
17. That I am not in a mental institution because, thank God, I have my faculties and can walk through this world still.
18. That I am not homeless.
19. That I am not a drug addict.
20. That I have not been diagnosed with a fatal illness.
21. In 10th grade, my teacher wanted to stop me from dancing. Apparently I was not acting appropriately for a Bas Yisrael. Abergakames saved me, as she usually does, by writing: "And, Chana, you have to realize that you CAN do things that are important to you. It's true that you may not always be able to change things, because people are people, and all people have their own values, and they won't want to be changing them, most probably, but you can do so much, you just don't know. You do so much just by wanting to do so much, because you're a better dreamer than I, for I make up characters that I wish to be like, in some crazy form of denial of the real world, while you, on the other hand, are the best dreamer and doer there is. And sometimes there will be people who stop you from dancing, and sometimes you have to listen, and sometimes you don't, and so Chana, even when someone stops you sometime or other, never forget to keep dancing - dancing with the horses of the carousel, the horses of the wind, the horses that I like so much and love to ride, because a horse will always listen and never tell one's secrets.” You said that years ago and I still try to live by it every day. I'm so lucky that I had you to listen to me when I was navigating that place.
22. North Shore Country Day. Every day, when I wake up in the morning, I thank God for giving me my life and for ensuring I went to North Shore. It's extremely apropos to remember this school on Thanksgiving because they accepted me just before Thanksgiving. It was one of the best presents I ever received.
23. For all my memories throughout New York with Jordan. These cheer me often.
24. Sephora and the brand of cosmetics called "Hard Candy." They have glitter eyeliner and makeup and thus they rock my world.
25. For my adopted family AKA the rollicking awesome Queens people with whom I have davened at Landers on Rosh Hashana and otherwise partied hearty.
26. For Ari Greenbaum & Yoni rescuing me and Dana back at the beginning of the summer, and the fantastic friendship I now get to have with the Canadian.
27. For my Titian-Haired Goddess AKA the most fabulous layout editor ever, Sarah Clyde.
28. That Daughter of God & The Man With the Colored Coat are happily married and I got to attend the wedding!
29. That Brown & Brunette have a little baby boy named The First Man!
30. Tanakh. And thus, elements of Revel.
31. The Pond at Bryant Park.
32. Subway trains when they pull up just as you swipe through the turnstile. I breathe an "Ahh," of satisfaction and happiness. This is made even better when I actually get a seat on the train.
33. My Scarsdale Cousins!
34. The cousin who reads my blog and comments on it (hurrah for JawsBlog!)
35. For the many Shabbatot I have spent in The Golden-Haired Girl's company (because she hosts me so often! Thanks, doll.)
36. Hugs and kisses in any form, when bestowed upon me.
37. The fact that Sam is having a wonderful time in Israel! And has been transferred to a tank unit. And that he called me chamudah.
38. That I own ice skates!
39. That I got to meet Elie Wiesel!
40. That I got to meet the Anderson Twins (and watch them play saxophones plus exhibit their gallantry in paying for our taxi and eating overpriced bagels with us.)
41. For figuring out I can cook!
42. For knowing Jay, who fixes computers and set up our Internet.
43. Dunkin Donuts Coffee- not for me, who doesn't drink it, but for Dana, who loves it so.
44. This apartment/ my roommates and our various parties.
45. The fact that Dana bought me three pairs of Minnie-Mouse Socks and they are warm and comfortable.
46. The fact that Dalia lets me live off of her Advil. I may exhaust the bottle soon.
47. For having a New York Early Thanksgiving this past Tuesday night (because my Aunt & Uncle are attending a cocktail party tonight.)
48. That my mother and father are employed in this economy.
49. That Spock rescued me from my unhappiness this past summer. I enjoyed seeing Star Trek/ eating at Taboun/ going to the Botanical Gardens, etc, with you.
50. Isaac's Bake Shop in Brooklyn. Also, Eichlers.
51. All the beauty in the world. Whether it's waterfalls, glitter, neon lights or something else, all that beauty makes me glad to be alive. And that is a good thing.
52. Every single film or TV show I watch. But if I had to pick one, I would say CSI:NY. They are the most likable, fantastic characters. If I wanted to have friends like those who appear on television, I would want to have people like the ones on CSI:NY as my friends.
53. The people in my life- there are too many of you to list- who make it fantasmic. If you're on my listserv you're included in this, and if I've been to you for Shabbat, you're thricely included.
54. The word "spluck." Alexis, Malka and I made this up on the way to Rochester. Now, whenever we are mad, we can just say, "Spluck you!" and burst out laughing.
55. Orchard Corset. Because that store is the lingerie Ollivanders of the world. Plus it's hilarious.
56. Getting stuck in the elevator in the Marriot with my friend and only later realizing that a DIFFERENT guy who reads my blog was stuck in the elevator with me as well. He introduced himself to me via Facebook a couple days after we had partied in the elevator together. I love the randomness.
57. The fact that Perel is happily ensconced in her new pad.
58. Friendly's and outlet bakeries (also vestiges of our trip to Upstate New York.)
59. That I was chosen to go on Shaker Mill this year! Booyah!
60. That my sister is graduating at the end of this year. This one makes me tear up a little. Dustfinger darling, how did we get so old?
61. Fairy dust. Because I believe it's there and they say it shimmers all around me.