Hello Friends!
I hope my fellow Americans enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday with loving friends and family. We had a nice family gathering at our home with many laughs, hugs and plenty of good food. Life is hectic at times…and it always feels so good to take a break from the craziness and reflect on the good in your life.
Today’s post is just a reminder, that we all have something to be thankful for…and it is so important not to lose sight of that.
I thought I would share 10 pics of some of the many things I am thankful for in my life:
Adventures. This picture was taken at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. I fed, washed and rode this elephant (bareback)–a very out of the box experience that I will never forget. Elephants are soulful creatures.
Maine: Walking on the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, one can not help but feel thankful for the beauty. Maine is my happy place.
Hydrangeas in Nantucket. These beauties get me every time with their gorgeousness!
Lucy. She is a crazy chocolate lab…but has taught me more about unconditional love than any human could.
B12. The fluid in this vial makes its way into my thigh every month. Due to an intestinal resection, I need monthly B12 injections. I do this by myself. You think it would get easier (it doesn’t)…but I am grateful for the energy and health it provides my body.
Being married to my best friend. Most thankful that our paths crossed. He is the ying (calm) to my yang (crazy). And, sometimes, but less frequently, I am the ying to his yang. 🙂
Nature. There are so many wonders in this world…many in your own backyard. Keep wandering…
Dark chocolate. No need to explain, right? Love this stuff!
Exercise. I feel very grateful that I can move my body like I do. Stretching, lifting weights, walking or running.
Three kids that are decent, smart, loving, and kind.
What are you thankful and grateful for?
Karyn Miller
I’m thankful for the positive attitude I’ve had all my life- when diagnosed at age 28 with breast cancer, I asked the doctor “How long will I live?”. He said,” I’m sorry, but we have no stats on women under 30.” I said, “In that case, I plan to live forever!” Seems to be working, I’m 64 now and everyday is a gift to be thankful for!
Paula Moscariello
You go, girl…….
katescarlata
Love that, Karyn! Everyday is such a gift! Sometimes it is the best when we learn that early in life.
Esther
I thought long and hard about the many things I’m thankful for ..
I won’t bore you with my list but instead I will repeat something I said not that long ago ..
I’m thankful for the Fodmaps diet ..
But more than that I’m thankful for my nutritionist, Kate Scarlata !
She has given me hope and help when no one else could ..
Cheers to you Kate !
❤️
Esther
katescarlata
I am glad, Esther! xx
Megan King
I love this post and your list. Often we can forget the incredible experiences we have had, big or small. Its nice to reflect and remember what we are thankful for. I’m thankful to be able to travel to a new place every year, enjoy walks after work, dark chocolate anytime I choose, two cats that bring me joy, etc. 🙂
katescarlata
🙂 Yes, cats bring joy and relaxation to a home!
Mary Ann
Thank you, Kate, for your generosity in sharing recipes as well as new suggestions on the food maps diet. After following it for several years life has become much easier and more pleasant. One of my favorite items to enjoy is quinoa cakes. Easy to make and freeze nicely. I love reading your column and look forward to your positive outlook.
Geoff Faulkner
I was sitting in my car earlier this week, just before going shopping, and being thankful came into my mind also. I realized that I’ve never been almost 60 before, this is the first time ever. This is a new experience, what shall I do? I began to realize that if God had never decided to make mankind I would never have been born or had any perception of life and living. If I was asked “do you like living or would you prefer nothing?” I would have to say “yes, living is great and if there is an opportunity to do it again then the answer is also yes.” Kids are so full of energy because they see so many new things to experience and they go for it. Why should we be any different ! Yes, I am a Christian, and what type you may ask, well there is only one, the Bible type, not the alternative denomination type. And thank you Kate for all your Fodmap advice.
Paula Moscariello
I just hit the age of 60, after being told I would die in my 20’s, along came lung transplants and I received one at the age of 38. Then, once again, I was told maybe 5 more years of life. I’m into my 22nd year of my lung transplant. Then Kate opened another door for me when I felt no one was listening. This Thankgiving, I feel very hopeful. I’m just turning around my thoughts, looking at the things and people in my life another way. Thank god most of them are around, it would be so lonely without them. Thanks, Kate for the lovely post and thank you all for all your uplifting posts…..
Annie
Only having to eat low fodmap. It won’t kill me.
Kate, I wonder if you would do a post on garbanzo beans/chickpeas/chana dal? In the app tinned garbanzo beans/chickpeas are amber at (maybe 1/2) cup, but boiled chana dal (which I thought were chickpeas) are green at 1/2 cup, with no upper limit mentioned. Could you find out if they are like rice, which is fodmap free when boiled, but has fructans when popped, or if chana dal is very different from garbanzo/chickpeas, or if there is an upper limit, and it’s just not mentioned. It would also be good to know if urad dal has an upper limit (poppadums! Dosai!). The testing was done in the UK and published in a journal my institution doesn’t have access to.
I ask because asafoetida has led me to explore Indian food and I’m experimenting with making dosai and idli, which are rice and urad dal. India has an amazing range of flatbreads traditionally made with unusual flours because of religious fasting rules. This is after being upset to find my local Ethiopian grocery makes their injera with barley flour, but the Indian grocery next door is a wonderland of unusual flours.
Annie
Here is the reference if you have the ability to get it.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/09637486.2016.1163328?scroll=top&needAccess=true
Kelley
Thankful for God, husband, 3 beautiful children, family, friends, a young vibrant parish community, vitamin D from the sun, a vacation and your website. 🙂