Thanksgiving is next week, and if you haven’t figured out where you’re eating turkey, it means your family is coming to your house! In the tradition of many newspaper columnists, I would like to take this time to share the things for which I am most grateful.
St. Louis: I am at a point in my life where I can live anywhere I want to. Nothing is really tying me to St. Louis, other than all my friends and family, but putting them aside, I like our city. I like the four seasons (sometimes all in one day), our inferiority complex, our friendliness and our neighborhoods. Sure ,there are lots of things I would change if elected Queen of St. Louis County, but really I am quite happy in the middle of America and suspect you are, too.
Dent County Animal Welfare Society: Some of you may remember my family adopted a puppy, Stella, 1 ½ years ago from DCAWS. Stella is a mutt, a mix of husky and shepherd. More important, she has attitude. Walking her usually results in my arm being yanked as I am forced to chase squirrels and follow her into the underbrush. She is the only living thing I can’t intimidate. I try and try, but she just gives me a side glance, hops up on her favorite chair and turns away. The dog puts me in my place, and I am grateful that someone does, occasionally.
New Words: My favorite new words of the year are co-lander, hangry, slangry and rbf. Not familiar with these terms? Let me help. Co-lander is not something you use to strain your pasta. It is a person who arrives with you on the same plane. Hangry, which actually made it into the Oxford Dictionary this year, is a combination of hungry and angry. Slangry is a word invented by a friend to describe his daughter who was sleepy, angry and hungry. And finally rbf, stands for resting bitch face. I had it until I injected it away! Rbf now is referenced in Wiktionary, and yours truly is cited as one of the sources. I know it is not the Encyclopedia Britannica, but it’s a start.
My Readers: I attended a writing workshop this summer because somewhere inside of me is a book just waiting to get out. Anyway, one of the exercises was to address our ‘beloved readers.’ Now, I haven’t known you long enough to consider you beloved, but I do like you. So I thank you for reading this column and Town&Style every week. I know you have choices in reading material, but you should know I take my job seriously. My column will not provide you with any information necessary to make life decisions (that’s why I write BackTalk), but I hope I make you smile.
So this Thanksgiving, when you go around the table and share what you are thankful for, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and not say friends, family or home. Instead say something that will surprise your tablemates. Perhaps it’s your new slippers, your comfy bed or me, your favorite columnist. Regardless, enjoy your holiday and please eat until you have to unbutton your pants.
[Contact Patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.]
