Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

...Judi....in jeans....

I'm wearing jeans this Thanksgiving. Sassy jeans. No elastic waist anything. No flowy skirt. No one-size bigger pair of black stretch pants. No sweats. And no half-zipped jeans either. Believe me friends when I tell you....this is historic. Momumental. One for the books. So, when you hear those church bells on Thursday morning--you'll know why. They toll for me. When you see the parade on your TV screens--you'll know it's in celebration of this momentous occasion. They march for me. When everyone in the stands does the wave at those football games....you guessed it...they are standing up and sitting down in honor of me. And should you hear fireworks as you sit down to dinner....yep....you can thank me for that little display. And, if you snag a great bargain on Friday at one of those predawn sales....yep, once again....ME. As I've told you before....it's all about the jeans. Oh, and the shoes. Yes, and the turkey. And, of course, the stuffing. And, the pumpkin pie. And the pilgrims. But....mostly....it's about giving thanks. And me wearing jeans....on Thanksgiving.

Yes, I am thankful. For more things than I can list here. That's for sure. But sometimes I just need to pause and take in the little things. As much as I joke about the jeans thing--it really is big. Not so much that I can wear the jeans (even though that's great!!). But, the bigger piece of it is the fact that I am even considering wearing them on a national holiday devoted to overeating. So, as much as I am truly thankful that I'm physically able to wear the jeans--I am enormusly thankful for the change that happened in my brain that allows me to do so. The idea that I am no longer trying to figure out how to dress-to-eat is a completely different mindset than the Judi of the Thanksgiving of yesteryears. And, it happened without spending hours and dollars being deprogrammed at some new age brainwashing clinic. It slowly happened over these past 470 days. As the pounds came off, my thinking started to change. And...wa-la....all of a sudden, my fat- girl thinking gave way to normal-weight-girl thinking. My brain said--you can wear jeans on Thanksgiving. And, there was no inner voice stopping me from giving life to that thought.

At the moment, my band is still being a little bit pesky. It's still not into accepting much more than thin mush. But, I'm doing what the doc told me to do and not pushing the issue. Will I be able to eat turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving? I don't know. No matter what---my band will not stop me from enjoying the day, being thankful for the ability to enjoy the day and it will definitely not stop me from being ever so grateful to have my children and my loved ones beside me. Even though my dinner mates will come to the table because of the food....the food will have absolutely nothing at all to do with the gratitude I will feel at having them surrounding me. Am I a little worried about not being able to eat on Thanksgiving? To be honest--no. I'm more worried that others will be concerned. Because--for me--I figure I've had many Thanksgiving meals over these almost-50 years and I expect to have many more in the years to come. There will always be turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie. But, there won't always be that moment.....I can't let worry or a feeling of being deprived rob me of it. The only other sort-of-worry I have is to make sure I don't get too tipsy drinking the luscious Beaujolais Nouveau I selected for dinner (especially if I can't eat!). My band will have no problem with that.....

As for the jeans I'll be wearing.....
Have no fear, friends....they will not be the jeans from this picture. I heard everyone loud and clear....they are not the jeans for me. No, I have my eye on a sassy pair at Coldwater Creek. I have 2 gift cards I'll use to splurge on them. And, a coupon.

Talk about a dream.....try to make it real...........
great words from a great philosopher named Bruce....a guy who knows a thing or two about jeans.....and dreams