Early Thanksgiving

I'm about to head to La Roda, a tiny pueblo about 15 km from Estepa, to celebrate my first of two Thanksgivings. I'll be celebrating this one with Viola, the other American auxiliar de conversacion working in my school. Can't wait :) I've made 2 loaves of zucchini bread and bought ginger (for the pie, I'm assuming) and a bottle of wine.

In light of Thanksgiving, I've been thinking about how much I've been around complaining and correction and discontentment lately. Some of it from within myself, but even more so from some of the people around me. Which, of course, influences my own perspective on people and situations. In negative way. So.... the best way of counteracting that is probably the practice of Thankfulness. For big and little things. In spite of any momentary annoyance, confusion, loneliness, or unpleasantless (Which truly, there isn't all that much of here. Overall things are quite nice and slow and pleasant, though sometimes a bit uneventful.)

Anyhow, with that, here's the beginning of a list of a few of the things I'm currently particularly thankful for.

*Thanksgiving at Viola's house!
*Having plenty
*My zucchini bread came out perfectly this time in spite of being baked in a toaster oven
*My toaster oven
*The postal service (and the letters from good friends that it brings)
*Skype
*Finding funny and/or classy postcards to send to friends
*Mandarin oranges
*My pocket dictionary
*Having had a good education
*Mom bought a plane ticket to come visit!
*Kids waving at me from the school bus as they're leaving every afternoon
*Lunch on Wednesday with Nuria
*Living with people that I have to speak Spanish with
*Knowing people in town I can speak English with
*Siblings
*Internet access
*Yesterday's trip to Cordoba
*Conversations with MiguelAngel on the way to school and back. And his awesome taste in books. And the fact that he makes good recommendations, has a bunch of them, and lets me borrow them.
*The Manolito Gafotas book series
*Potable water
*Freedom of expression
*Windy days
*The sun
*Music (and the ability to listen to it digitally in the absence of live music...)
*Fresh bread every Sunday
*Potlucks
*Salsa class
*Kids in matching outfits
*The inclusion of and presence of elderly people in Spanish society
*Having time to rest. And to think. Even if I don't use it very intentionally or well sometimes.
*My 5th grade science class
*Bilingual education programs
*Warm blankets
*Tables with the heaters underneath in the teachers lounge
*the Tienda China