I don't eat meat.  I don't eat turkey.  I don't eat chicken.  I don't eat ham.  (This is starting to sound like a Dr. Seuss book.)  I very occasionally eat bacon, but that's not meat; that's bacon.  Bacon is not meat, it's bacon!  

Despite my aversion to meat, I do enjoy the tradition of making Thanksgiving dinner.  I cook a turkey every couple of years.  I'm told they are quite delicious.  

I usually buy a fresh turkey, but this year I got sucked into buying a frozen turkey from my favorite grocer, Trader Joe's. 

10:40 p.m. last night. I was laying in bed running through everything I need to do to make tomorrow go as smoothly as possible.  The turkey is already brined. Do I have a big enough roasting pot? I think so. Do I have a thermometer?  No, but I know who does.
I need to calibrate my oven; it's a little off.  What time do I need to put the turkey in the oven?  Oh crap!  I suddenly recalled that it takes days to thaw out a turkey.  I quickly conferred with my reliable friend, google, who told me that my turkey will take 2-3 days to thaw out.  I jumped out of bed and threw the bird into the refrigerator.  

8:43 a.m.  this morning.  Checked the turkey.  Still hard as a rock.  Make that a boulder.  As hard as a boulder.  Quick, get back in touch with google. How do I thaw the bird today.  safely.  ?  Okay, ice the bird at room temperature, changing the water every 30 minutes.  Be careful that there are no tears in the bag.  Make sure the bird stays cold.  Make sure you change the water every. thirty. minutes.  I cannot spend all day changing the bird's water every thirty minutes!  I have things to do.  Important things to do. 

9:03 a.m.  Called Trader Joe's. Explained that I need to return my frozen turkey that I bought this past Sunday.  Explained that I forgot it takes days to thaw a turkey.  I apologized, and explained that I need to return it so that I can go elsewhere to buy a fresh bird. The gentleman on the phone told me that they only have fresh turkeys, but in any event, I was welcome to bring my bird back.  I bought the bird at a different TJ's, they must have different turkeys.

9:22 a.m.  Drove to Trader Joe's with my bird.  We walked up to the manager, my bird and I, and I explained my predicament.  "I'm so sorry, but I  bought a frozen bird and I neglected to take it out of the freezer in time.  I would like to return the bird so I can go somewhere else where I can buy a fresh bird."  

9:23 a.m.  TJ's manager politely explained to me, without making me feel like a complete idiot, that my bird was fresh.  I took a fresh bird and plunked it in the freezer!  He graciously agreed to exchange the bird.  All of the birds were bigger than my original bird.  Not by much, but enough to cost a little more.  No problem.  Except that in my moment of panic, I left the house without my wallet.  No problem, he said.  I left with a bird. A fresh, brined bird. A fresh, brined bird is now sitting in my refrigerator.  

Thank you, Trader Joe's. You're always there for me.  

About a year ago Jamie gave me a gift of piano lessons to take whenever I wanted.  Or, whenever I made time.  I still haven't made the time.  But, about a month ago I told him that I have changed my mind, and I wanted to trade in my piano lessons for swim lessons.  I don't know how to swim.  I know how to get myself from one end of the pool to the other without drowning, but I've never learned *how* to swim.  Watching me swim is painful to any onlooker.  It's about as entertaining to watch as it is watching Jamie snowboard down the mountain.  Flailing arms and legs, completely out of control and barely staying afloat.  

About two weeks ago I was telling a girlfriend how much Hudson loves his swim class, and how I would really like to take swim lessons and become a strong swimmer.  About one week ago, Jamie was given an opportunity to take a Total Immersion intensive swim course this week in Coronado, (http://www.totalimmersion.net/), but he has to work, so I get to take the course in his place.  Lucky me!  I got what I asked for in less than one month's time; not a bad turn-around time.  And I don't believe it had anything to do with "luck".  I set my intention on swimming lessons, and I put it out to the universe.  

This is not the first time I've set an intention and then watched it pop up in my life.  (Stay tuned for part two of setting your intentions for the most amazing story of getting exactly what I asked for).  The universe is filled with energy, and when you set an intention and hold it in your mind, that energy moves you in the direction that you want to go.  I know, some of you are thinking - energy, c'mon?!  Don't take my word for it, give it a try. Set an intention for something small, but something you don't see showing up in your life every day.  A ladybug, or a purple ball.  Be as specific as you can and then hold your intention in your mind until you see it.  Keep your eyes open, you've likely already seen it, but we're rarely present enough in the moment to really see what our eyes are looking at.   

As a new mom, my eyes are not only always on Hudson, but my thoughts are as well.  It's sometimes hard to even know what it is that I want anymore, much less to ask for it. I often get wrapped up in Hudson's world and my new life of being a mom that I forget what I, Michelle Mitchell, wants or enjoys outside of being a mom.  My swim lessons are Monday through Friday this week and it's really the first time I've done something completely for myself in nine months.  It feels great to be checking back in to my needs and wants for a change.  

It's far too easy to get fully wrapped up into my baby's world, which is why I have to pencil in time to ask myself what brings me joy  and then set my intentions accordingly.  Just as I've said in prior blogs, I know that I am a much better mommy when I do things for myself and enjoy life as an adult!  Hudson completely approves of mommy taking care of herself so that she can show up more fully when she spends time with him.