Skipping School

What would you skip school for?

Would watching this: http://social.macys.com/parade2010/?cm_sp=GFA-_-thanksgiving-_-n#/home do it?

How about eating http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.94249314.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php%3Flisting_id%3D32060398&usg=__h75Ely1AX20a3KxpMKY0fBkqMc4=&h=600&w=900&sz=85&hl=en&start=0&sig2=34Wi7WSv8xkyvuxyClA-UQ&zoom=1&tbnid=ns4xNgw57qxMbM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=153&ei=hjjrTMnHM8iKnQfanbHeAQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgrandma%2527s%2Bpumpkin%2Bpie%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D511%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=612&vpy=198&dur=410&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=123&ty=126&oei=hjjrTMnHM8iKnQfanbHeAQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0 this?

Maybe the prospect of sitting in a confined space with your mother for hours on end? http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=london,+on&daddr=mifflinburg,+PA,+USA&geocode=FUbQjwIdRkgo-ykLm42oDvIuiDGVawWaadfHKA%3BFU5acAIdOlho-ykzDX7_VBjPiTEiv8RjdWpRzg&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=42.02342,-79.02874&sspn=3.166489,10.777588&ie=UTF8&ll=42.081917,-79.057617&spn=3.163644,10.777588&t=h&z=7 ... I'm calling it quality time!

If not, I'm sure that the sales you know I'm going to find this weekend are going to be worth it! If you're not familiar with Black Friday, you should be!( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping) )

If we get sick of the mall, I'm thinking of going to the Horse and Buggy Museum. http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&expIds=17259,18167,26473,27692,27698,27744,27746&xhr=t&cp=35&wrapid=tljp1290484303665050&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=horse+and+buggy+museum+pennsylvania&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=horse+and+buggy+museum&hnear=Pennsylvania,+USA&cid=0,0,14215671893939436345&ei=VTrrTI-QM5D2sgbSxqyFDw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBoQnwIwAA

...going to Pennsylvania takes me back to my childhood! It's not just about Tastycakes, Cowtails, friend bologna sandwiches, and Manischewitz wine--although all of these things are lovely (and delicious)--it's about going home--that`s what`s worth skipping school for!

I'm going to round this out with a few thankfulness quotes:

"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?"
As a side note, there is no gym in the town where I`m going. I`m thinking of `forgetting` my runners. Periodization requires a week off or at least easy every once in a while, this way I`ll force myself to take a rest!

"Difficulties are opportunities to better things; they are stepping stones to greater experience. Perhaps someday you will be thankful for some temporary failure in a particular direction. When one door closes, another always opens."
Phew, changing programs and adding an extra year onto my undergrad is okay! I opened a new door to let me explore journalism, teaching, whatever else tickles my fancy without feeling pressured and rushed to get there! Yay for learning from our mistakes!



"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."