NoJoMo #24

Today I’m taking the NoJoMo challenge, and attempting to make a list of 50 things I’m thankful for:

My husband, who is amazing on so many levels, but has been especially great about letting me have an enormous amount of "me" time to explore my hobbies this year.
My children, who delight and amaze me on a daily basis.
My sister, who is the person I love best in all the world (I should probably feel this way about my mother, and it’s a little sad that I don’t).
My (good) brother, who can always make me laugh.
All my nieces and nephews. (I have eight, but to count them each separately would be cheating, right?)
Old friends – specifically my friend J in San Diego, my friend R in Anchorage, and my friend M in Miami, who always make an effort to stay in touch and make me feel loved and valued.
New friends, especially my D&D group.
Dragon*Con. I’m thankful that it’s held in my town and that I get to go – I already bought my pass for next year!
My pets. Seriously, they are all awesome in their own way – Ricky looks vicious but is a big sweetheart; Molly lets the kids pile stuff on her and never complains; Twinkie snuggles up with me every night; and Albert is just a bundle of awesome.
Our motorcycle.
The fact that two of our three vehicles (the bike and DH’s car) are paid off, and my van will be paid off next spring.
Our local library, which lets me reserve books online so I don’t have to spend hours wandering the stacks with my kids in tow.
Good health. I may be fat, but I have no real health complaints, and that’s not something to be taken for granted.
Graphic novels. I really got into them this year, and am totally addicted now – which leads me to my next item:
BooksFree.com, which is like Netflix for graphic novels. The shipping may be slow, but it’s still mega-awesome to be able to "rent" books that I can’t get from the library and don’t necessarily want to buy.
Owning our home. It may not be as large as I’d like, but that’s kind of a first-world problem. Overall I love our house and our yard, and I feel privileged to own a home at all given my credit history (and the stupid mistakes I made with credit cards when I was younger).
My iPhone4S.
Beaujolais Nouveau, a tradition my sister started years ago that still makes me feel close to family at Thanksgiving even when we’re not geographically close.
My tattoos, which remind me of specific times in my life, and make me stand out at least a little from the other stay at home, homeschooling moms.
Homeschooling, which pushes me to grow as a mom and gives me the chance to actively participate in my children’s education.
Classical Conversations, which has redefined our homeschooling experience this year.
DirecTV, which allows me to watch my beloved (and awful) Redskins, and also allows me to watch TV without having to deal with the atrocities of Comcast.
My new SIL, who is blunt and fearless and more able to engage in open conversations about our family’s dysfunction (even if she won’t acknowledge her husband, my (evil) brother’s, part in any of it) than anyone else in the family. I’m glad to have a relationship with her, even if I still have no desire to see him.
Having my Christmas cards stamped and ready to go. (Sorry, OD friends, I cut down my list a bit this year to save some money, but I still love you all!)
Being halfway done with my Christmas shopping.
Demonoid.me. If you don’t know what it is, look it up – it has greatly expanded my e-book collection this year 🙂
Facebook, which lets me stay in touch with people I care about.
A long list of good books I want to read, and the time to read them (sometimes).
City of Heroes. I haven’t played too frequently this year, but I still enjoy it occasionally.
Remembering to set the DVR for all the Christmas specials that will be airing in the next two weeks (some years I forget).
Looking forward to a long trip to Florida to visit my sister and my mom for Christmas and New Years.
My book club, which is comprised of a fun group of women of all ages who I get together with once a month to discuss books, drink wine, and eat yummy stuff.
Our church, which is considered one of the more "liberal" Catholic churches in the area – but that’s exactly why we like it.
The mistakes I made in my youth, which played a part in bringing me to where I am today.
The delicious food we’ll be eating later today!

Okay, I know it’s only 35 things, but it feels like a pretty comprehensive list. (Plus, if I listed my kids, my pets, and each of my nieces and nephews separately, it would be closer to 50, but that would feel like cheating.)

Happy Thanksgiving!