Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving and I thought I'd take a moment to share a few things I'm thankful for this year. It's certainly not a comprehensive list. It's simply a little look into the past year and some of the things that have put the Happy in Happy Go Marni.


I'm thankful for my family. My mom Joyce and I talk every day and are as close as a mother and a daughter could be. She is my baking inspiration, an accomplished physical therapist, and the strongest woman I know. My dad Mark is brilliant and artistic and creative and fun. I call him for advice or to run ideas by him and he always has great feedback. My sister Beth is an amazing pediatric physical therapist, adventurous and curious, and always happy to try new restaurants or see shows with me, not to mention share precious sister-talk. My brother Zachary is a walking, talking dictionary. He just finished his masters degree at the London School of Economics and I'm so happy he moved back to the states. He can pretty much spout off any historical info on demand and shares my passion for social media.

I'm thankful for my LA community. I surround myself with supportive, fun-loving friends and together we explore the city, take turns hosting dinner parties, share or exchange clothes, and listen when someone needs an ear. It is a truly wonderful network of friends and I am so lucky!

I'm thankful for my KitchenAid standmixer. I didn't get this machine in 2009, but it's the gift that keeps on giving. I get so much pleasure from this machine that it's just about the biggest ROI purchase I've ever made. Baking in the Happy Go Marni kitchen would not be complete without my KitchenAid.

I'm thankful for my DVR. I watch a lot of TV series. But I'm also a busy girl, who works hard, commutes 2 hours a day, still manages to go out, see friends, play piano, frequent the sushi bars, bake, and fit in sleep. I don't let my TV shows dictate my life. The DVR allows me to watch shows in between the rest of my activities. My guilty pleasures of Glee, 90210, Melrose Place, Parks and Recreation, Private Practice, Big Bang Theory, The Middle, How I Met Your Mother, Iron Chef, Ugly Betty, Family Guy, and others can all wait!

I'm thankful for my cookbook collection. This collection grows every year. I have a disease called Must Buy More Cookbooks. It's a bad disease. It has infested my living room. There are two giant bookshelves near the couches and the only things in them are cookbooks. That's how many I have! Even when I'm not in the mood to bake, I'll still pull a cookbook off the shelf just to read it, study the recipes, the forward, the index, the photos, whatever. It makes a great night cap to an evening, just before bed. I mark the pages of these books with post-its, each one indicating a recipe I plan to try one day. At this point, with probably hundreds upon hundreds of post-its used, it's not realistic I'll get to them all and that makes me really sad and frustrated. There aren't enough hours in the day!

I'm thankful for my job. I am fortunate to have such a wonderful job with great coworkers, a supportive and involved boss, and work that constantly challenges me both intellectually and creatively.

I'm thankful for running. It was just over a year ago that I discovered running. At the time, October 2008, I started in order to train for a half-marathon in honor of my friend Rachel who was diagnosed with lymphoma. But even after the half-marathon ended, I ran in two more races and have kept up my running ever since. It's an incredible full body workout, a great stress reliever, and it allows me to catch up on whatever music I've just downloaded to my iPod.

And finally...

I'm thankful for my blog readers. I have a great time baking and writing up these blog posts and it's doubly fun to know that others are enjoying reading them. Hearing that someone made a recipe off my blog and it was a success is very rewarding. Hearing that my step-by-step photos are helpful is also really rewarding. I've met a lot of wonderful bloggers and non-bloggers through this blog. It's surprising and awesome how much fun this blog has brought me. So thank you to you, dear blog readers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

5 comments:

Mom said...

What a beautiful Thanksgiving message! I'm thankful for you - sharing our common interests and wonderful relationship! Can't wait to see you at 8 a.m.!!!

Tiffany K. said...

Today at church the pastor shared a sentiment that is similar to your top cartoon. He recommends instead of one Thanksgiving, we should spend everyday ThanksLiving.

Thank you for sharing a part of yourself with the us. I know you've made my corner of the world more delicious! ;)

I also hope that my daughters and I can have as good a relationship as you and your mother when they grow-up.

~Tiffany K.

Tzviah said...

Oh, Marni! This is such a sweet post. Your parents and sibs must have been beaming when they read it. I didn't feel extremely reflective this Thanksgiving, but your blog post is inspiring me to work on it!

Carolyn Jung said...

What sweet sentiments. Might I add, I'm also thankful for bloggers like you who give me support and inspiration no matter how many miles afar. Happy holidays, Marni!

Marni said...

Mom - Awwww. Ditto that. And I loved getting to see you.

Tiffany - That is very sweet of you to say. It's been a lot of fun sharing recipes with you and getting to know you more and more through this blog!

Tzviah - Thanks so much. :) I definitely had you in mind for part of my message. You are a bright spot in my life!

Carolyn - I'm glad I can be an inspiration for you. You are certainly one for me. Happy Holidays!!

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