Thankfulness Journal Days 17, 18, 19 and 20...

I am thankful for the stories I love to watch unfold on TV:

1) Downton Abbey- season 4 is right around the corner...
2) Sherlock Holmes- I love the modern day BBC version with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
3) Elementary- I like Sherlock here too... and the movies with Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr... I sense a theme here...
4) Carrie Diaries- my guilty pleasure.
5) Necessary Roughness
6) Covert Affairs
7) Blacklist
8) Hostages- yes I know, I am the only one still watching
9) Big Bang Theory
10) The Sing-Off- I like Jewel as a judge.
11) Bones
12) CSI
13) Criminal Minds
14) Scandal- but this week was hard to watch
15) Chicago Fire
16) Royal Pains
17) NCIS
18) NCIS LA
19) Mad Men
20) Grey's Anatomy
21) Modern Family
22) Nashville
23) Rizolli and Isles

Wow- no wonder my DVR is always full!

Thankfulness Journal Day 16

Tsh Oxenreider's 5 Christmas Carols are the five things I am thankful for today. Each brings its own joy to the celebration of the birth of Christ and the wish for peace on earth and good will tomards mankind.

Tonight I will be decorating our Christmas tree listening to these and other favorites. I can't wait.

Nelson Mandela and the gifts he gave the world...

Dear Mr. Mandela,
My thanks for all you gave the world...

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

"If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner."

"If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness."

"We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right."

As for my favorite quote- I came to find it was not Mr. Mandela.... but I believe he would share the sentiment...

"...Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

This passage is commonly mis-attributed to Nelson Mandela's 1994 Inaugural Address. It actually comes from the book 'A Return To Love' (1992) by Marianne Williamson (Thanks to www.aetw.org)

Thankful Journal Day 15

Today is focused on Christmas. I know some object to how Christmas has gone toward all the "stuff" and moved away from the Nativity story... But I am thankful for:

1) The Christmas specials I loved as a child, that still bring me joy
2) The decorations and lights that make the neighborhood so pretty even on cold wet nights
3) Cards from friends and my family- even my cousin Catherine, who doesn't even wait till December to mail them anymore...
4) My angel tree topper- I have had her since my daughter was a baby and I love seeing her perched on top of my tree
5) Fake trees- Love not having pine needles I need to pick up afterwards.

Thankfulness Journal Day 13 and 14

The five things I was thankful for yesterday include:


1) The love of my children

2) The peace of my home

3) The closeness of family

4) The laughter of life's folly

5) The honor of good people who surround me


The five things I am thankful for today include:


1) The joy I share with my friends when we talk

2) The joy of Christmas and all the preparation

3) The joy of surprise gifts in the mail

4) The joy of get togethers that are as fun as they are informal

5) The joy that is 40 lbs gone…

And today, the people I honor are the doctors I work with who support me in supporting EB families. I cannot imagine doing this work without them.

Thankfulness Journal Day Twelve

My favorite websites are what I am thankful for today:


1) BBC news, because it is not all about America

2) Pinterest, because I like to pretend I could ever be that crafty

3) Facebook, because my family and friends cover the globe and it is a great way to stay in touch

4) Blogspot, because I can pretend to be a real writer any time I want

5) Yahoo, for mail, cheesy news stories and Dear Abby

And I am thankful for the Chausmers, my friends who are also family

World AIDS Day

French scientist Francoise Barre-Sinoussi with her colleague Luc Montagnier  identifyied HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, a plague that has killed about 35 million people since the 1980's. This made testing possible for the first time.

They received the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

And their discovery has led to treatments and improvements in the HIV+ world.

I, for one, am grateful!

So for today, I am thankful for:

1) Francoise Barre-Sinoussi
2) Luc Montagnier 
3) David Ho for protease inhibitors
4) Ryan White
5) The CDC, doctors and researchers who have been fighting the good fight for decades.