What I’m Thankful For
So I know November is the month of thankfulness, but I always seem to be behind the curve so I’m just going to say what I’m thankful for today, on December 1:
1. Vacation Trip to the Carolinas. Last week, Addison and I spent a delightful week off in the Carolinas. We visited her mom in Asheville, NC; her dad and stepmom in North Augusta, SC; and my family in Easley, SC. It was just wonderful to see everyone and spend time together. From a fabulous trip to Biltmore House to some rousing card playing to a delicious meal of no less than 20 dishes — we were treated to quite a good time. It’s tough to live far away from family and miss everyone all the time — and this visit was so rejuvenating.
2. Denver. Although seeing family was lovely, being back in the Carolinas, even for just a week, reminded me of why we left. A genderqueer lesbian like me just doesn’t fit in the South. As a result, coming back to Denver has felt really good, really right. After just a year, Denver feels like home to me. It feels like a place that fits us. I’m so incredibly thankful that we’re here.
3. My job. Today, I celebrate two months in my new position: Deputy Director at One Colorado. I started as Online Communications Manager, then became Communications Manager, and now Deputy Director. In just a year, I have been able to learn and accomplish so much, and I’ve been given so many opportunities. After many years of wondering what my path in life really is, I’m so happy that I’ve found work that energizes, challenges, and fulfills me. I’m incredibly lucky.
4. Our friends. It’s tough to be far away from family, but it’s true what they say — sometimes you make your own family. And that’s exactly what we’ve done. With every passing weekend, our calendar fills up as we enjoy dinners and brunches, game playing and events with some of the most incredible people we’ve ever known. We’re so lucky to be surrounded by such awesome folks.
5. Addison. My wife is the most incredible person I know. Everyday, she inspires and supports me. She takes care of me when I’m sick, even though I can be a grumpy bugger. She feeds me and dresses me when I just can’t decide what to wear. She listens to me rant and rave. She makes me laugh, and she surprises me. Addison is truly my other half, and I don’t know what I’d do without her. The work that I do, the battles that I fight for equality, I’m fighting them for her and for the family we hope to have someday.
-Jess
Hello all! Jess and I hope you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was better than expected! Or at least mine was. I think Jess was a wee bit homesick! : ) It was hard to not be around family, but I was feeling under the weather, so having a long weekend to relax and recover was nice for me. We started our Thanksgiving celebration by getting into the Christmas spirit! I had downloaded some new Christmas music the night before, so we listened to some holiday tunes, and got to work! We put up our Christmas tree, set up our one Snow Village house, put garland around the breakfast bar, hung snowflakes from the dining room fixture, and we’ve got our wreath on the front door. It looks totally cute! I’ll post pictures later. Our friend, Ray, invited us over for “Orphan’s Thanksgiving” on Thursday night. Everyone except for Jess, Ray, and me, had already celebrated with family, so it was their second (or in some cases, third) meal of the day. We went over at 6 and we stayed until midnight. Dinner was wonderful, and Ray made his famous sangria, which is to die for! Our friends Rachel and Courtney brought some infused vodka; it was amazing, too! So we had turkey, dressing, asparagus, salad, home-made cranberry sauce, pasta and bread. After we ate, we sat around and talked about gay stuff and I made everyone go around and say what they were thankful for and make a toast. Then we played Apple to Apples. It was a really fun evening. Friday I woke up with a head cold, so I had to call in sick to work. Izzie wasn’t feeling so hot either, so we ended up having to take her to the vet. (She has a virus and an ear infection. Yuck!) After Jess took care of us sick girls, we settled down and continued our “Harry Potter” movie marathon and enjoyed home-made chicken and dumplings. And now we’re on to Saturday. Saturday was the day that changed everything. I finally felt good enough to bake, so Jess and I made our pumpkin pie. And it was the most delicious pumpkin pie ever. It’s a Paula Deen recipe, so we had high hopes, but I will never make another pumpkin pie recipe ever again. It was (and still is) that good. Here’s a link to the recipe. If you like pumpkin pie, you simply have to try this recipe! I used Pillsbury pie crusts; it was so flaky and delicious! Actually, we ended up with 2 pies, because our pie pans are so shallow. And now it’s Sunday. We walked the dog in City Park, and now we’re just relaxing with some “Friends.” I’m still full of snot, and we have tickets to the Nuggets game tonight, so I need to rest up! I hope everyone had a great Thanks giving! ~Addison
