#365Gratitude Day 363: Sometimes people are really kind

Saw this on a friend's facebook page today.

"This vet had a heart attack back in September and Animal Control took his dogs since he couldn't take care of them. Since the man took so long to get better, the shelter sterilized the dogs and put them up for adoption. Now 3 months later, he's finally back on his feet. He visited them and put down a deposit (since he didn't have enough money for the full adoption fee). After seeing their reunion a bunch of volunteers got together and donated enough money to pay the full adoption fee and some extra, as well as dog food, treats, etc. This video is him finding out he gets to get his dogs back."

Beautiful.

Veteran surprise

This vet had a heart attack back in September and Animal Control took his dogs since he couldn't take care of them. Since the man took so long to get better, the shelter sterilized the dogs and put them up for adoption. Now 3 months later, he's finally back on his feet. He visited them and put down a deposit (since he didn't have enough money for the full adoption fee). After seeing their reunion a bunch of volunteers got together and donated enough money to pay the full adoption fee and some extra, as well as dog food, treats, etc. This video is him finding out he gets to get his dogs back.

Posted by Scott Johnson on Friday, December 25, 2015

#365Gratitude Day 362: Better as it gets older

My friend William gave me an amazing gift a while back.  He made me homemade beer, called DC Munch Beer, with an adorable ageplay pride label.  One or two bottles had special "Mako Edition" labels.  The last one of these, a big growler, has been sitting in my fridge, waiting for me to open it for a while.

"It's okay to nurse your beer."

Tonight, apropos of nothing, I decided tonight was the night.  Missy had to work, and I made dinner for myself and my sister-in-law Marybeth.  We had very nice lobster bisque (which I warmed, from a box).  I don't know how to make it yet, but I want to learn.  Plus, we had excellent fancy-shmancy grilled cheese sandwiches, with mushrooms I sautéed, and guacamole.  (Trust me, they're amazing.)  

MB was hesitant about the bisque, but I told her to be bold, and unafraid, and give it a shot.  She LOVED IT.  I decided to celebrate by cracking open the last bottle of my custom beer.  It's been in the fridge aging for a long while.

It was fantastic.

As is my friendship with the man who made it.  William is a great friend.  He's visited, spent lovely time with my family.  I've always liked him enormously, and over time, we've gone from casual friends to very good ones indeed.

I'm very glad for his friendship, which, just like his beer, continues to get better the longer it ages.

#365Gratitude Day 361: 36,000

I'm actively writing again.  Spent the better part of my day tinkering, editing, and retooling in my new novel, A Little Patch of Sunshine.  I'm up to over 36,000 words now.  I just started the ninth chapter.  I estimate the book is still not 1/3rd done, but getting close to that mark.

It feels really good.  Each time I do sit down to write, I become more certain about things I've ben mulling over for a while.  I think the process of reading what I've already got to folks is having the desired effect.  Been heating up this keyboard all afternoon.

It feels good.

#365Gratitude Day 360: The Sneakiest Christmas Ninja

As I've said before, I love my wife.

Part of why I love her is because she's got a deep, loving, giving personality.  Whenever something bad happens in the news, she's right there, deeply feeling sorrow with whomever's at the business end of the tragedy.  But she has this same empathy at the micro level, too.  She wants to do good things for people.  

An opportunity for just such a thing came up, recently.  We've got this neighbor who has a young daughter.  Her husband just moved out, maybe a month before Christmas.  "I just got separated at Christmas, yay!" said no-one, ever.

Missy got this great idea, and totally got me and my sister-in-law Marybeth into it.  We would be Secret Christmas Ninjas.  Missy ordered a doll for the daughter, online.  When it came, Marybeth wrapped it, really nicely.  I went to a local grocery store and got a gift certificate.  Missy wrote "Merry Christmas!" on it and sealed it up in an envelope attached to the present.

Then, Christmas Eve (yesterday), she sneaked it over to their front door, and did a ding-and-dash on their doorbell.

Watch.

After she jetted back from her mission, Missy parked herself in the one part of our house where sound travels through from their house, and could hear their delighted cries of surprise.

But the best confirmation came later that night.  Missy got this text message.

Neighbor: "Were you Santa?"

Missy: "Santa who? Huh?"

Neighbor: "We just had a mystery gift on our doorstep and I'm trying to think of who it could be."

Missy: "No idea! Merry Christmas!"

See?  I LOVE HER.

#365Gratitude Day 359: That look

So we had a very nice Christmas.  Missy and I got Marybeth something she's really, really wanted for a while.  Marybeth got me something I have really, really wanted for a while.  (Hint, it rhymes with Zicrophone Groom.) 

I got some amazing presents, including a custom-cross-stitched shark sweater that's beautiful (from Rachel), and an absolutely adorable BB-8 iPhone-controllable sphere droid.  (It's amazing.)

But the best thing was the look on Missy's face when I surprised her with a very nice necklace and ring.

She was not expecting any such thing.  And she got this wonderful look on her face.

You know the look I'm talking about.  That look of "I'm overwhelmed because someone is doing something so nice for me that I can't even process how much it means to me."

I LOVE THAT LOOK.  Wanna see it on Missy's face?

Who am I kidding?  Of course you do.

I love her so much.