Anna brought home a turkey last week with “I’m thankful for vacations at the lake” written on its feathers. She was referring to Lake Okoboji, where we stayed for a family reunion this past summer. Her memories don’t yet include Kelly Lake, in Northern Wisconsin, where we normally spend some time each summer. I, too, am thankful for vacations at the lake, as well as friends and family and our house and the myriad of other things everyone thinks about and appreciates at this time of year. But today, as I was shopping alone at the Sam’s Club through the kindness of a friend (whom I very much appreciate!), I decided I am quite thankful for the kindness of a stranger. Here’s an example of the string of friendliness I received today: a man, a fellow shopper, helped me retrieve not one, but three gallons of milk from the back of the refrigerator case, where my short arms wouldn’t reach. Yes, it’s a simple thing, but it’s also a thing which many people would never take the time to do. So this year, in addition to my usual plate of thanks, I am thankful for anyone who shows the slightest kindness toward a fellow shopper/driver/human, who passes on the holiday spirit though a simple action/gesture/smile, who takes time to be neighborly to a stranger. Now pass the hankies.

Yesterday, nearly THREE MONTHS after telling them they sent the wrong item, RC2Corp (makers of all things Thomas) finally mailed me the correct train with a letter that began, “It has come to our attention that we may have shipped you a Percy Hard at Work engine rather than the Mail Car. To remedy this situation please find enclosed a Mail Car. We hope your child will enjoy playing with this and all of the other Thomas & Friends products.”

So… is that an apology? We may have shipped the wrong thing? And we’re going to “remedy the situation” by sending you the correct part. Yeah, that makes me feel better about waiting for three months to get the right part. An apology and acceptance of responsibility for their ridiculously long lag time would have been much more appropriate than some intern’s sad attempt at a form letter.

Luckily, Jake has just about outgrown Thomas so I will never be tempted to buy anything else from RC2Corp. Buggers.

Between the time I took this picture and finally wrote this post, I have completed mitten number two, finished both mittens, and am now wearing them daily since the weather took a sudden turn toward cool. They turned out quite nice, I must say, although one has something funky going on at the cast-on edge. Of all the complicated things I can do with needles and yarn, I have to admit that it’s the basics that still stump me sometimes. Casting on (loosely). Weaving in ends. I once mentioned my lack of confidence in the basics in a yarn shop, and they thought I was joking. Surely, if you can work on dpn’s and wear the finished product without unraveling, then you must have mastered the basics. Alas, I shall never be a master knitter.