"A - You're Adorable" -- 2011

I stole this idea from my friend C.Beth, two years ago . I really enjoyed doing it too. I haven't re-read last year's list(or the year before's) to avoid planting a word in my head.  I hope that will keep me from duplicating.  Amazingly enough, I actually remembered in time to do it again this year! So here is List #3....that's right! It is the

Third Annual Alphabetical List of

Things I Am Grateful for this Thanksgiving Season

(Whoo Hoo!!)

Here is my A to Z list of things I am grateful for, like.......

A - Accessories!  They can make (or break) an outfit, a room, or a lifestyle!  In the words of the insightful Clairee Boudreau ("Steel Magnolias"), "The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize!"

B - Bacon!   Cooked crispy and just right, there is no finer companion for pancakes and a BLT is hard to beat.  However, keep it out of my casseroles, potatoes, salads, and so on. 

C - Children!  Their innocence, their curiosity, their observations, their cuteness, their potential.  They bring joy just by being there!

D - Driving!  I've always loved it.  Long trips, short trips, makes no difference.   Being on the road is the ultimate freedom!  I dread the day when I can no longer drive, it pretty much is the end of independence.

E - E-Books!  I never thought I would embrace anything electronic, but having a gazillion e-books on my Kindle actually has improved my reading experience in the area of convenience and ease of access.  Not to worry, however, I still must hold a book in my hands from time to time!  It's like comfort food, sometimes you've just got to have some!  :)

F - Friends!  After my wonderful visit in April with my two dearest friends, I realize how much I am grateful for friendships that last for decades!

G - Green!  For months and months we had nothing but brown, but at last,with just a little rain and cooler temps, the grass, trees, shrubs, and plants are green again.  Now the weeds aren't the only thing green outside.

H - Highways!  Thanks to President Eisenhower over 50 years ago, the U.S. has a highway system that makes it pretty easy to get from any Point A to any Point B almost all the time!  Except of course, this also requires one of the greatest annoyances of modern life....ongoing and never ending road construction!

I - Insurance!  Most of the time the concept of insurance irritates me.  You are essentially betting against yourself.  However, when insurance pays the bulk of hospital charges, collision repairs, dental work charges, to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars, I realize again how grateful I am.  I'll try harder to remember that when I pay those premiums!

J - Jonquils!  One of the early spring flowers that gives me hope every year that winter is really over!

K - Knowledge!  I am grateful to those who pursue it and share what they learn with the rest of us.  I am continually amazed by the things that I learn everyday.

L - Love!  The love we give, the love we receive, the love we seek, the love we find.....love for people, love for things....the search for love, the comfort of love....in all its permutations.  Life would be unbearable without it.

M - Mikey!  Speaking of love, how grateful I am that we met and had the good sense to recognize that we were soul mates, best friends, true loves, and partners.  This man is the perfect man for me!  And I am grateful beyond measure for the life I have lived with this man.  My guy, Mikey!

N - Nuts!  Love them all....peanuts, cashews, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds....healthy, natural, crunchy, easy, good for snacking, good for cooking (i.e., peanut butter!).  An essential part of Thanksgiving!  Really!  What would Thanksgiving be without Pecan pie??

O - Orchestras!  Music is one of the essentials of life, but the human voice is limited.  It can only make one note at a time; but put a bunch of woodwinds, strings, percussion, and brass together, playing a gazillion notes together and you have the beauty of the fullness, harmony, rhythm, and joy of music at its best.  For everything from sonatas to marches, an orchestra can make the music come alive.

P - Puppies!  Simply the definition of cute!  Funny, clumsy, excited, joy on four legs.  If a puppy can't make you smile, you must be emotionally stunted!

Q - Quince!  I am grateful for the lovely quince, because if it weren't for quince I wouldn't have any Q to be grateful for!!  :)

R - Retirement!  Retirement is a wonderful concept.  Before it became financially possible (thank you FDR!) for people to stop working and receive social security, people would either work till they dropped or relied on the good graces of their children after they were too old  or feeble to work.  retirement is much more dignified.

S - Solitude!  I have always enjoyed time to be alone.  Time to read, to think, to sing, to wonder, to just be alone.  Sometimes I absolutely must escape from crowds, even a crowd of just 1!  Without periodic solitude, I would lose my mind.

T- Theatre!  Watching, Acting, Directing,  great writing, wonderful stories, humor, pathos, tragedy, farce, music, dance, drama, mystery, all of it!  I am grateful for every minute I spend in the theatre!

U - The United States of America!!  With all its foibles and follies, it is still the only place on this Earth I would be willing to call home!

V - Veterans!  For every man and woman who served, fought, or died with any branch the U.S. Military in defense of our country or for the concept of freedom anywhere in this world, I give my thanks and gratitude, especially Uncle Norb, Uncle Tom, Uncle Joe, and most particularly my dad, Jim, who served with the Americal Division on New Caledonia and Guadalcanal during WWII in the South Pacific.

W-  Words!  English Words!  Because of being a big reader I have accumulated a vocabulary that is better than some, not as good as others.  I am grateful that our language is complex enough to support tens of thousands words.  I don't pretend to know even half of them, but I know enough of them to make it possible for me to write a blog that some people find amusing, or thoughtful, or interesting.  Without words how confusing life would be!

X - Xerox!  I was already working at the time of the debut of the first photocopiers from Xerox.  Oh my, how those machines changed how America (and the world, I guess) did business.  As a working secretary at that time, I was more than glad to discard carbon paper, mimeograph machines, and onionskin!  Of course, instead of making 2 or 3 copies of anything, we could suddenly make 50 copies (with a lot less work) and sending them to every single soul who might possibly be interested!  It was definitely a good news/ bad new situation!  Still, it made life easier in the long run. 

Y - Yellow!  My favorite color.  It makes me happy to wear it, to decorate with it, see it in artwork.  I just love yellow and I undoubtedly always will.

Z - Zoos!  There is something fascinating about watching animals in synthetic habitats that call us to see these creatures up close.  A well-run zoo is a joy to explore.  I've spent many happy hours visiting my favorite animals.


Whoo-Hoo, I did it again!  26 things that I am truly grateful for.  There are others, of course.  The things we are all grateful for....our families, our health, our friends....those never change.  But it's nice to be thankful for some of the less universal things that bring joy to each of us!  The point is at Thanksgiving, we take the time to look at our lives and recognize those things.  So what are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?