Thanksgiving is coming, and it’s never too early to make a
gratitude list. Here are a few of the many things for which I’m grateful:
(Whoops! I started to type “Things I’m grateful for,” but my brain
and fingers rebelled. Why? Number ten on my list explains the temporary paralysis.)
10.) The teachers who taught me grammar. (All mistakes are my
fault, not theirs.) I’m especially grateful for Sister Grace Anthony and Sister
Frances Johannes of the now-defunct East Orange Catholic High School.) For fun, try Colin Falconer’s Grammar Quiz.
9.) Animal friends and would be/could be animal friends. If you haven’t seen Twenty-Two Words' gone-viral photos of a little boy napping with his puppy, here they are. (Oh, go ahead and click. You
won’t be sorry.)
8.) The Texas Hill Country is the place I go to catch my
breath. Often, in the morning and evening, a purple haze rings the hills.
7.) Lemons from my tree. For the second year in a row, my
little Meyer lemon tree has borne fruit, and Thanksgiving will be zestier for
it.
6.) My hearing. I will never be matter-of-fact about it.
Two+ years after my first cochlear implant, I’m gushingly grateful for every
sound.
5.) Rain. The drought in Texas continues, but parts of the
state, including Houston, have moved from severe-drought status to near
normalcy. That said, it will be a long time, if ever, before I take rain for
granted.
4.) Blogging friends and supporters. I’m thankful for you
every day of the week, month, and year. Your posts enrich my life. Your
comments on my posts make me laugh and think.
3.) Writing friends. Not all my friends are writers, but the
ones who write understand there’s a time for the writing cave, and a time to
come out and mingle. Two of my critique partners live in another part of the
country, and we’ve never met in person. Nevertheless, because we share our first
drafts, we share ourselves. My two in-town critique partners are my best
pals.
2.) The joy of cooking. I do housework grudgingly and leave clothes in
the dryer for days, but interesting recipes make me swoon. I’ll prepare
Thanksgiving dinner without complaint. Yes, the rush-rush of
multiple tasks will leave me panting, but chopping and stirring will bring moments of zen. I put dinner on
the table night after night and take plenty of shortcuts, but cooking’s my
therapy, and holiday cooking is therapy on steroids.
1.) Family.
I lucked out in the parents-and-siblings department and chose well
husband-wise, but I don’t discount luck there, either. How much do any of us
know when we say, “I do?” I, for one, didn’t anticipate the upheavals caused by
relocations, job changes, and children. I’ve learned a lot. Today, my adult children are fun and interesting to be around. I’m not, however, one of those moms-of-grown-kids
who swears she’d do it all over again. There’s no way I’d relive my children’s
teenage years.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and thanks for stopping by and reading. I'm grateful to and for you.
