weapons of massdistraction

It could be so much worse. This I know. I feel lucky that my son and I have a safe and comfortable place to live. That the slow landslide, the years and years of attempting to save our house, didn’t land us in much more dire circumstances (as it has for countless others after the housing crash). I don’t have a lot of excess time or money but I try to share a bit of both when I can. This morning I Donated a Thanksgiving Meal Through Second Harvest Heartland - a $15 contribution provides 55 meals. And soon we will acquire our annual batch of goodies to drop off for Toys for Tots. The boy and I both enjoy shopping for that one, though not during the conspicuous consumerism frenzy of Black Friday. I shudder to think. It’ll be another Buy Nothing Day for us.

Five good things:

• Beautiful photos and article on the Sami, The People Who Walk With Reindeer
• Stanley Kubrick’s loose snapshots - stunning.
• Lovely and remarkably poignant….”A lonely desk toy longs for escape from the dark confines of the office, so he takes a cross country road trip to the Pacific Coast in the only way he can – using a toy car and Google Maps Street View.”
• I had no idea Durham, NC had it going on so much. Luchadoras! Teaser video shot by the spectacular Saleem. Who also shot another video recently - a short interview with a student at Duke - that was picked up by The Nation’s blog.
• Stanislaw Lem Google doodle: The best interactive cartoon animation ever rendered by Google. Seriously. AGREED.

As always I am thankful for my son. He is healthy and happy and hilarious. And thriving thanks, in part, to the hardworking special ed and general ed staff at his school. I am also thankful to have such a wonderful boyfriend. One who adores me and exudes a certain brand of calm and patience, and an understanding of my hectic single mom lifestyle that I am unused to. But I appreciate it ever so much. And I am thankful that my car is paid for and has brand new tires for the upcoming winter and a garage to hang out in. And I’m especially thankful that my nearly 13-year long ordeal with The Barn of Despair is (knock on wood) almost over. 2011 sure had its ups and downs but it seems like things are starting to straighten up and fly right. And for that I am very very thankful.