I'm Thankful: 12 Thing I Could Not (Would Not?) Live Without...

This Thanksgiving 2008, I decided I would figure out which blessings I'm most grateful. 

1 Magazine subscriptions: RELEVANT and SOJOURNERS shove me into those uncomfortable zones which are necessary to seek answers to the difficult spiritual questions I find myself bumping into rather often, PRINT and HOW remind me to be humble (There apparently are people better than me at what I do?! Really? Who knew!?), MENTAL_FLOSS feeds my brain a rich diet of factoids, tidbits and snippets of intellectual cuisine, MOTHER JONES gives the dash of environmental-fright to propel me to be just a bit better steward of this resource we call Earth each month, the ECONOMIST shares unbiased, full-coverage news with this self-confessed (not to be confused with self-obsessed) news aficionado, COUNTRY HOME and COUNTRY LIVING energize me to design thoughtful spaces within my house and beyond, and VOGUE, MEN'S VOGUE, and BABY COUTURE help me see trends as they apply to women, men and children coming up in culture and couture .

2 The NEW YORK TIMES Sunday Edition. I mean, my goodness, is there anywhere else you can get a more information-rich resource that, each and every week, covers: the Headlines, Arts & Leisure, Book Reviews, Style, Business, New York Regional beats, Sports, Travel, also sums up the previous week's main stories in the Week-in-Review and even includes the New York Times Magazine? The answers is a swift no. I understand, people, that it's cumbersome to recycle the often 1.5 pound thing, but it's worth it!

3 The iTunes Music Library. I labor my way through the almost 4000 songs in my iTunes library on a regular basis. Working from a computer screen quite often would push me into insanity if it were not for that constant music to keep me energized and focused through the otherwise silent world.

4 Apple's MacBook Pro. (Well, really any machine with an Apple logo on it.) The Windows horror stories frighten me. None of my Mac's have ever let me down, and my current precious is powerful enough to upload files while rendering video and graphic work. Beautiful.

5 My five Creative Heroes, those ridiculously-inspirational artist-designers I look forward to soaking up, and feel honored to call my friends and peers. I am prescribed to take daily doses of others' creativity to keep me fresh and relevant to the creative needs of the world around me. These Creative Heroes inspire me to excel in whatever context I'm working. 

6 The iPhone. It brings together all the pieces of my life magically: digital camera, iPod, cell phone, email, Internet, Facebook Mobile, text, notes, calendar, YouTube, GPS, alarms, contacts, Wiki Mobile, satellite radio and PAC-MAN.

7 Facebook. I'll admit it, I LOVE being able to sort through the goings-on of all my friends and family to pick out just which ones I want to comment on or inquire about. I love how easy it makes sharing with everyone and connecting to people you might not otherwise be able to have a close relationship with.

8 Books. Let me come right out and say it: being a conscious-creative, I am a whore for information and inspiration. I love the process of seeking out the next resource I'll devour—which is quite often better than the resource itself. I gobble everything from non-fiction political or political-with-a-religious-twist books to anything published by the brilliant teams at VOGUE (especially VOGUE LIVING), from the Bible to fun-and-fresh ideation-filled books. 

9 Movies. There was a time in my life that I went to the movie theater (Cinema de Lux at the Greene, before that it was Showcase Cinemas South) at least twice a week. My main concentration is artsy indie movies, something the Neon or Little Art Theater would showcase, like THE KITE RUNNER, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, THE SQUID & THE WHALE, SON OF RAMBO, THE ORPHANAGE, ROCK SCHOOL, INNOCENT EYES, THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, and many others.

10 Trader Joe's and Dorothy Lane Market. I am one of "those people" who rebels against the Wal-Mart's, Meijer's and Kroger's of the world to fight the lonesome battle for the little guys. These two grocers-and-then-some provide all I could ever need or want culinarily. 

11 My 1960 Sears & Roebuck Free Spirit bicycle. I found it at a vintage store and after trying to bargain them down (apparently they don't do that?), I paid full price for it—a whopping $40 dollars. The fabulous candy apple red paint is still perfectly intact and, after scavenging a half-dozen antique stores, I found the perfect wooden crate (with 60's-ish advertisement still preserved) to serve as my carry-all. I'm often seen at the above grocery stores or the local library, art gallery or my parent's house with items in tow.

12 The thesaurus. Seriously, I don't get why everyone doesn't use one of these every single day. I pull mine open (a digital version on my Mac-of-choice) at least one time throughout my day. I guess it's only me, but I have this deep need to use just the right word, else I feel what I'm writing has no real impact. 

Praise God that even in these rough economic times, the simplest things in life bring the greatest pleasures. Amen.