Gratitude

We're grateful for lots of things. During our predinner discussion we mentioned the delicious meal cooked from ingredients that went from the hand of the farmer to ours, while travelling just a few miles from farm to table (island is 13 miles long). We mentioned health, our jobs and the people we work with, our new home, the beautiful idyll we are lucky to live in.

But most of all, we mentioned family. By that, we mean each other, and we mean the amazing people who raised us and our awesome siblings, and we most of all mean our son, who is the lucky beneficiary of an extended family filled with love.

We had a magnificent Thanksgiving, followed by a black Friday filled with very successful on-island shopping. During the break my mother-in-law even watched Jolyon two nights... once with father-in-law so Stephanie and I could go see our favorite local rockabilly bad, and once alone so Stephanie, father-in-law, and I could go see New Moon at the local cinema. I was indeed grateful for the incredible commentary offered up by the teenagers behind us, which made me laugh so hard I hurt at times. (Sample, in response to Edward's taking his shirt off: a chorus of "Eeeeeeeeeeewwww," then a "Put it away! No one wants to SEE that!"). I would pay extra to have their snarking for the next one in the series!

All good things come to an end, so today we sent the in-laws home via ferry. Then we visited the animal shelter to find another kitty. We've settled on "Ray", a sweet orange longhair with an absolutely laid-back, friendly demeanor, who was unfazed by Jolyon shrieking.

I think we're going to be very happy with the new addition when we bring him home tomorrow!

Edited to add: we are, as one might expect, naming him Horatio. This ensures that Ray is still in there as a middle syllable and fully revivable as a nickname, but the full name is now consistent with our naming style. (And honestly, when Priscilla isn't Priscilla, she's "Goober Monster" which is four syllables just like Horatio.)

Doesn't he just look more like a Horatio than a plain Ray? Any quips about "Hor" anything are easily quashed by the fact that we are big believers in spaying or neutering our pets. Besides, kitties don't go to elementary school to get bullied about their names, and while we might get teased about it, we can always retort that it's better than the alternative of giving the name to our child.