Welcome to the final installment of my Gratitude Series. I thought it would be fun to acknowledge my recent 37th birthday by blogging about 37 Things I’m Grateful For (in no particular order). It was.

If you missed the previous posts, here are part 1, part 2, and part 3.

30) My kids
I feel so lucky to have had healthy pregnancies, uncomplicated births, and two healthy, bright, curious kids. Seeing the world through their eyes is such a trip.

31) Coffee
Which I desperately need because #30. I love the taste of coffee. I love the smell of coffee. I love knowing it will be there for me, warm and comforting, every morning. Mornings are hard for me, but coffee helps.

32) Coconut
If it weren’t for the coconut, I would have had a very hard time accommodating Lady Bug’s (many) allergies. I have yet to find a coffee creamer that is dairy, egg, soy, and wheat free, that you can buy in the store, that also tastes good. I have tried black coffee. After ten days, I gave up.  I just couldn’t find a way to like uncoupled from a rich dessert. The best coffee creamer I’ve come across is a version of a homemade concoction a friend turned me on to:
Take a can of the full fat coconut milk
Add 1 tablespoon of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, or agave are all great) and 1 tablespoon of vanilla.
Put it in a container with a lid and shake it.
It’s good enough to eat with a spoon (I may or may not do this every day).

Coconut milk is also the basis for many vegan desserts, like this deliciousness.

33) Fior di Latte Gelato
Speaking of allergy-friendly foods, this is the only place I know of that offers vegan gelato. They use almond milk as a base. It is creamy goodness. They have a kiosk at the farmer’s market and a brick and mortar shop on Pearl Street. (Don’t even talk to me about sorbet. It’s allergy-friendly but it’s a waste of calories. You might as well eat a popsicle. If popsicles are your jam, sorbet it up, by all means. It’s just not for me.)

34) Random nice people
They are everywhere. They hold the heavy door for you when you have a stroller in one hand and a kid’s pinky in the other. They hold your baby when you’re on an airplane so you can use the restroom. They offer to wait by your car and watch your baby in the 7-11 parking lot, while you clean up your 3 year-old, who just puked all over herself, in the bathroom, and when you say “That’s really sweet, but no thank you,” they still stay to hand you copious paper towels, and though you appreciate it, it’s not nearly as important as the simple gift of not being the only adult dealing with hot vomit and a sad kid. They’re the older, handsome man who stops you in the bulk aisle to say “I hope you don’t take offense to this but, if those kids in the cart are yours, it’s really nice to see a woman who takes care of herself after she’s had babies.” They are the kind lady who lends you her phone when you find yourself with two kids and no phone or keys at the Farmer’s Market.

35) Boulder Media Women
This is a networking group of local women, including writers, editors, designers, and other creative professionals. They are generous with their knowledge, they are welcoming, and they are kind. If you’re not in it, and you are a female freelance writer (or similar) in the Boulder area, you should be. (Sorry, men).

36) Being here, now
Horrible things are happening all around us; gun violence, war, famine, natural disasters, to name a few. When I read the paper, I am struck by how lucky I am to have been born at the time and place, and to the parents that I was. It’s only a matter of chance that I have yet to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

37) Bananas
They are the one food that my kids consistently like. They travel well. You don’t have to wash them. When they brown, you just peel them and store them in the freezer for a smoothie, banana bread, or banana ice cream. My sister turned me onto this treat. All you do is put a frozen banana in a food processor. (Not a blender. It has to be a food processor because of the S-blade). You could add chocolate chips, nuts, coconut flakes, or whatever you have, but it’s great on it’s own or just with a little rum (for the grown-ups). It has the same consistency as soft-serve ice cream.

What are you thankful for this Pam’s birthday/Thanksgiving season?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments.