I'm stuffed!

...and I only had seconds on the stuffing!

I am thankful

Since it is just the two of us for Thanksgiving, we decided to get an already cooked organic turkey from Whole Foods and then make the sides we like: traditional sage stuffing (the way my mom used to make it, or as close as I can get it), cinnamon-honey glazed roasted sweet potatoes, and creamed spinach (from scratch, with fresh spinach and real cream). A good red with dinner, some gingerbread from Whole Foods topped with vanilla ice cream from Jeni's for desert, and my sweetie. We'll take my mom out for a drive; the weather is supposed to be gorgeous. What more could I ask for?

So tomorrow is supposed to be the day we give thanks, but I have a lot to do tomorrow, so I'm getting the thank-yous out of the way now. In no particular order, I am thankful for:

• Whole Foods, for selling cooked turkeys so I can just make a few sides and call it a day
• Self-striping sock yarn, for making my socks look amazing when all I do is knit around and around and around
• The never ending supply of coupons at Joann Fabric & Crafts
• Nordstrom Rack, where I paid $25 for a $180 party dress for the CCF Holiday Party next week
• My patient husband, who not only puts up with me, but pampers me even when I don't deserve it
• Macaroni and cheese (need I say more?)
• The ten pounds that I managed to lose this year (presuming I don't find them again)
• The Westminster Dog Show, which will either get my undivided attention or space on the DVR tomorrow
• The Lake Erie Monsters, for feeding my hockey addiction while the NHL and its players continue their adolescent girl fight.
• Mindfulness, which is helping me face the holidays with equanimity.

Enjoy the day tomorrow with those you love, those you don't, and everyone in between. May the turkey be moist, the sides plentiful, the conversation civil, and may your football team of choice win by a mile. Happy Thanksgiving!

Guess I have to start somewhere

After years of reading everyone else's blogs, I decided to take a stab at it myself. Guess I'll start with telling you where the name comes from:

• Sticks and strings: I'm a knitter. A serious, addicted, compulsive knitter. You may find me rambling about my latest projects, plans, and yarn finds.
• Wheels: I'm a cyclist. A slow, out of shape, but well intentioned cyclist. I recently signed up with Team in Training to do the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Our team starts training in March for the ride in July, but I'll be needing to get in shape before then. If you want to get a jump on helping me reach my fundraising goal, click here.
• Sticks and wheels also refer to hockey. I don't play hockey (and can barely skate), but I'm a huge fan of the Detroit Red Wings (with the winged wheel logo). Living in Cleveland, I'm also a fan of our local Lake Erie Monsters. Look for me in section 126, row 10, seats 5 & 6 behind the Monsters's bench, our season ticket seats. We'll be cheering on Patrick Bordeleau and all our boys at Quicken Loans Arena.