I have many things to be thankful for this weekend and among the foremost are my generous and kind friends Colin and Alison who let us stay at their house for a month until we could get ourselves settled in our own place. They and their delightful children welcomed us with open arms sharing their rooms, food and attention with us.
After a full day shopping, visiting, buying, cooking and eating on Saturday, our truck arrived on Sunday and we then spent a whole day moving and unpacking. Today was also spent moving and unpacking, but fortunately with a lovely afternoon with margaritas in the backyard also.
Over this weekend we:
- shopped
- purchased mattresses
- searched for beds and other furniture
- Had a house-warming party with Colin and Alison and kids enjoying fire roasted pizza at Incendio in Gastown
- helped to cook a turkey dinner (and ate said turkey dinner)
- moved all of our stuff into a storage unit or condo
- unpacked the kitchen
- unpacked the living room
- transported all of our things from Colin and Alison’s
- made up our bed (I write while sitting on a foamy leaning against the wall)
- unpacked all of our clothes (a difficult feat considering we have no dressers or bookcases)
- took my grandpa for Thanksgiving pizza lunch at Me & Ed’s
- Didn’t write the Daily EO daily (they would have gone something like this. Moved and unpac. . . . zzzzzz.)
Here are some other things I am thankful for:
- My husband Emile is the brave and supportive and he made this move happen.
- Our truck with our possessions arrived on time and under budget and tax-deductible and so far unbroken.
- I discovered that Benalyn is more effective than Safeway knock-off Nyquil.
- Thanksgiving Dinner was a delight of new and different sides than I usually do. Yum.
- Sushi restaurants serve non raw fish options so we can go as much as Emile wants
- Whoever the guy was that decided to have the lit sails of Canada Place change colour during the night.
- My in-laws are so close by telephone and supported this move whole heartedly (despite a few tears on both sides)
- That I never reduced my credit limit from $15,000 despite certainty that I would never ever break a 5 figure balance.
- I am climbing in the call rotation from my grandpa – I can now help when he needs something.
- That my weird habit of sticking kleenex up my nose when I am sick is tolerated by my husband as long as we are in the house alone.
- My family is close by – comparatively so.
- That pottery can go in the dishwasher.
- I have a job. In my field.
- I no longer live in the house with a huge bag of Jelly Bellys so I can now lose the bean weight added.
I could go on and on and on as I realize what I have. I only have to travel a few blocks east to see the crushing poverty and addiction that some struggle with. I miss the rural life in Huntsville of course – but neither of us regret the decision to come to here and make a different kind of life.
Thanksgiving Weekend 2012 Extra-Ordinary: I live in Vancouver. Family lives here. Friends live here. We are going to make a home here.
The Daily EO 
I hope you meant to say that you want to make a different life, not a difficult life!
Love mom
Corrected.