"Counting Your Blessings" -- 2013

Sometimes we are not as focused as we should be on what a holiday is truly about.  Life gets busy.  We get hung up in the trappings of the day.  We neglect to take time to think about what is important.

Thanksgiving is perhaps the easiest holiday in which to actually prevent that from happening.  It's right there in the name:  Thanksgiving.  Giving thanks.  Being grateful for all that is good in our lives.  Acknowledging our triumphs.  "Counting Your Blessings."  Taking the time to understand that even in the worst of times there are still blessings in our lives.

Tomorrow is the day that we all (or at least most of us) will celebrate the bounty in our lives.  Sharing a day with our families, being glad for our good fortune and knowing that even though life could be better, it most definitely could be worse....much worse.

One of the best is a blessing we, if we are very lucky, all  share....the caring, support, and joy given to us by families,  friends, and the people who love us.  I am grateful for each and every one of you. I wish you a joyous day celebrating all that you have, all that you love, all that  brings you happiness.  I will be doing the same!

As has become my custom, below is my annual list of what I am thankful for above and beyond my family, my good health, and all the basic goodness of life:

26 Things I am Grateful For  -  2013

This year I give thanks for:

1.  Artists who share their perceptions of the beauty and wonder of the world we inhabit,

2.  Balloons which can lift our spirits even though they are just a bag of air.

3.  Children who give us such joy and will, one day, fulfill the promise of tomorrow.

4.  Dreams that come true (and nightmares that Don't!)

5,  Elephants those generally gentle giants who lumber through our world and fascinate us.

6.  Fun that keeps us from being overwhelmed by life.

7.  Games like board games, card games, computer games....challengers of luck, speed, brain power, and skills of all sorts.  Definitely one of the Fun things in life.

8,  Houses those cleverly designed, beautifully made, individual havens for families.

9.  Intellect the amazing ability found within us to learn, retain, and respect knowledge.

10.  Jewelry those beautiful, dazzling, and flattering adornments that enhance not only the way we look but also the way we feel.

11.  Keepsakes those things we collect as reminders of the places we've been, the people we've known, the things we've done and moments we'll never forget.

12.  Luck that fleeting and uncontrollable factor that can bring us great things just by being in the right place at the right time.

13.  Men the males of the species who are so easy to love, so difficult to understand, and so handy to have around.

14.  Nighttime and all those wonderful and fun things that can be done after dark...like theater!

15.  Oceans, most specifically the Atlantic Ocean, where I have spent a great deal of time in the sand, by the water, under the sun,  under the stars, and renewing my spirit.

16.  Pockets those handy little hideaways for tissues, change, keys, and hands which appear in all men's clothing but only occasionally in women's clothing!!

17.  Quilts one of the last remaining sewing traditions still practiced by a talented few, which result in beautiful, hand-made, bed covers made up of snippets of  cloth which often come from our pasts.

18.  Reunions those wonderful gatherings of your oldest and dearest friends (often from school) that you still connect with even after all the years.

19.  Sunshine that which provides our world with light, warmth, energy and at least for people like me anyway....happiness!

20.Travel the experience of going somewhere new, or somewhere different, or somewhere that's home!

21. Umbrellas those useful gadgets that give me something to be grateful for that starts with "U" that ISN'T underwear!

22.  Vision both the essential gift of sight and the individual gift of being able to "see" how a play should be staged, cast, and acted in order to create and direct a good production.

23.  Women the females of the species who make up the Sisterhood of mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, cousins, friends, forever friends, teachers and role models....each of whom is special, unique, original, and essential to one another.

24.  XXXXXs and OOOOOs all those kisses and hugs received over the course of my lifetime,  which allowed me to know I was loved.

25. Yesterdays all the days of my life and the lessons I have learned thus far that have made me into the person I am today.

26.  Zings all of those feelings of pure joy at priceless moments of excitement and happiness that come at suddenly special times when you least expect them.


There, that's it for this year, 26 things I am grateful for.  Some are new, some have appeared on previous lists, some are serious and some are just silly.  Nevertheless, tomorrow when we give thanks for all our blessings, I'll at least have a place to start!

Happy Thanksgiving, my good and dear friends.  Don't forget to count your blessings as well!

"Sing Me No Sad Songs"

In the last four days, I have lost two friends. That's hard to bear.

 The first, Kay M., I have known since I was about 15 as we were in high school together. She was a year younger than I, but in a small school, being in different classes isn't as much of an obstacle to traveling in the same social circle. The second, Doug A., I have only known since last July as he was our Tech Director for "Bus Stop".  Both deaths came as enormous shock and I am deeply saddened.

Of course, the two of them didn't know each other.  They were my friends at different times, in different places,  and for different reasons.  They probably would have liked each other.  I certainly liked them both.

Kay's mother, who lived with her,  had died during the last year when she was well into her 80s.  They had been very close.  Kay was divorced, her daughter grown, with children of her own and living half a country away.  Kay was an independent, bright, open-minded, and funny lady.  She was a writer.  She had literally just moved from FL to TX a few days before Christmas to be close to her daughter.  She went into the hospital within a day.  She had some sort of respiratory problems that took her life last week.

Two days after learning of Kay's death, I learned that Doug had also died suddenly.  Doug was much younger than Kay (in his early 50s), married, father of two daughters and was highly energetic, driven, and committed to whatever he took on.  He was the father of one of our cast members and offered to do lights for the show.  Over the course of rehearsals that turned into lights, sound, set building, re-wiring, some props, and he even fixed the air conditioning.  Doug was one of those people who saw a need and just did it!  And did it well.  He was extremely efficient and I was hoping to work with him  on many more shows.

There is a memorial service for Doug tomorrow which I will attend.  I don't know about plans for celebrating Kay's life, but I am sure that they will be forthcoming and will be fitting to the dear lady she was.

Although I considered them both friends, the reality is that I didn't know either of them extremely well.  In some ways however, they were quite alike.  The both loved life, had many, many friends, and were positive people, who got things done.  And I am positive neither of them would want their friends and families to be sad and grieve for a long time.  I know Kay, and probably Doug, would both say, "Sing Me No Sad Songs."

So I will try not to.  I will just say to each of them....I'm glad you came into my life.  Thank you for sharing yourself and your gifts.  I will miss you.  May you Rest in Peace, my friends.

"The Best Gift"

I have mentioned before that Mikey and I met in college choir at the Univ.of Ill.- Chicago in 1964.  Our first evening together was on December 10, it wasn't really a date. Our first official date occurred a few days after that.  Nevertheless, December 10 is the anniversary of when we began this long journey we've been on.

The choir was incredibly good.  Both Mikey and I had sung in high school choirs and treasured the opportunity to sing under the direction of  Dr. Edwin Fissinger, a dear sweet man and musical genius, whom we all loved. He was "The Sir" to us all and singing with him was one of the best experiences of my life.  He was a hard taskmaster when it came to music and he got the best from all of us!  We sang beautiful music with complicated rhythms and intricate harmonies and unusual arrangements, some of which were written or arranged by The Sir.  Mikey and I had the good fortune to sing in  the choirs Dr. Fissinger directed --  both of us in the Concert Choir and the Chamber Choir, and I sang in the Madrigal group as well.

The choir presented a Christmas Concert that night at Elmhurst College (I think), which is about an hour's drive from the campus of of UICC.  Like most such events, (from grammar school field trips to college sports team games),  the choir traveled via bus between the two schools.

That night after the concert filled with wonderful Christmas music,  Mikey and I sat together on the bus ride back to our own campus.  How many romances, I wonder, have begun on long, bumpy, noisy rides on a school bus?   We talked and laughed and even had a couple of those heart-stopping moments when two people discover that they have found their special someone....by the end of the trip, I was in love!  And the rest, as they say, is history!  We have been together ever since!  This will be our 48th Christmas together!  (Good grief, Charley Brown!)

I don't know why it never occurred to me before now, but our whole history for nearly half a century, grew from its start in the Christmas Season.  Perhaps that is part of the reason we are both such Christmas junkies!  Christmas time is like an anniversary of sorts and we indulge in our mutual love of all things Christmas every year.

I was remembering that whole time just a day or two ago.  Remembering that discovery process and remembering how wonderful it all felt to have an honest-to-goodness boyfriend.  And not only a boyfriend, but I pretty quickly came to the realization that Mikey was my Mr. Right!

But the biggest revelation was one I don't recall ever being aware of before:   Mikey, my Big Guy, my Mr. Right, was "The Best Gift" I ever received on that or any other Christmas!  Without this man and the love that came into my life that night,  everything would be different.  Everything!   None of the best and most wonderful things that have brought me to today would have ever happened!    I, of course, have no way of knowing where I might have ended up without Mikey, but I do know this:  I never would have found anyone else who would have been such a perfect life partner.  We suit each other, we fit together, we've weathered a lot of change over the years, but that start in December of 1964 was just the way it was supposed to be....and I'm pretty sure that Mikey might just feel exactly the same about me!

And we came together at Christmas!  Oh yes, "The Best Gift": indeed!

"Counting Your Blessings"

Sometimes we are not as focused as we should be on what a holiday is truly about.  Life gets busy.  We get hung up in the trappings of the day.  We neglect to take time to think about what is important.

Thanksgiving is perhaps the easiest holiday to actually prevent that from happening.  It's right there in the name:  Thanksgiving.  Giving thanks.  Being grateful for all that is good in our lives.  Acknowledging our triumphs.  "Counting Your Blessings."  Taking the time to understand that even in the worst of times there are still blessings in our lives.

Tomorrow is the day that we all (or at least most of us) will celebrate the bounty in our lives.  Sharing a day with our families, being glad for our good fortune and knowing that even though life could be better, it most definitely be worse....much worse.

A blessing which we in Blogland share....the love, support, and gratitude for our cyber friends.  I am grateful for each and every one of you. I wish you all a joyous day celebrating with your friends and family, all that you have, all that you love, all that  brings you happiness.  I will be doing the same!

As has become my custom, below is my annual list of what I am thankful for over and above all the basic goodness of life:

26 Things I am Grateful For  -  2012

Today I am grateful for....

1.  Artichokes, Asparagus, and Avocados....definitely "The A List"....yum-yum!

2.  Blogging....even though I am struggling with writing just now, I will not give it up!

3.  Choirs....a group of people lifting voices in song with glorious harmonies and beautiful music.  Pure pleasure!

4.  Doughnuts....a perfect glazed, raised, round, light as a feather, nugget from heaven!

5.  Elections....grateful I live in America were it is my right and my duty and my privilege to cast my vote!  Also glad that the elections have ENDED for this round!

6.  Freedom!.....to live in a country at a time when Freedom remains real and true and treasured!

7.  Giraffes....is there any better example of how evolution works to adapt each species to its own needs?

8.  Hearing....a baby's laugh, a barking seal, a cry for help, the voice of one you love...

9.  Intelligence....the ability to think, innovate, problem-solve, create, and learn!

10.  Jokes....Funny stories, witty one-liners, puns, satire....all that keep us laughing!

11.  Kids....Especially your own!  The best thing ever, the hope of the future, the miracle of birth, the gift of love!

12.  Language....the ability to speak, to communicate, to share, to express, to amaze, to say exactly what you mean!

13.  Men....Fathers, uncles, boyfriends, sons, "bad boys", husbands,  lost loves, granddads,  guy pals....where would we be without them??

14.  Naps....a few stolen minutes of peace, rest, escape, and dreams smack dab in the middle of the day!

15.  Okefenokee .....(The swamp in Georgia)....just because it is such fun to say.  Go ahead, try it....O-kee-fen-o-kee!

16.  Phones....Communication all around the world, connection to anywhere, anytime, anyplace, anyone!   Think about it!!  WOW!

17.  Quilts....the old-fashioned kind, with little bits of history sewn together to tell a story, made with care, and love, and beautiful handiwork.

18.  Reading....filling your mind with the written word found in books, magazines, billboards, medicine bottles, milk cartons....there is ALWAYS something to read!

19.  Summer....warmth, sunshine, days at the beach, fun, happy times, and vacation!!

20.  Trees....such a variety, all lovely, giving us shade, acorns, treehouses, foliage, places to climb, fruit, and flowers!

21.  Universities....amazing centers of learning, understanding, expression, and expansion of knowledge.

22. Valor....the courage possessed by so many willing to serve, defend, protect our homeland!

23.  Watermelon....Can't get around it, I just LOVE watermelon!!

24.  Xerox...One of the pioneers in making copies of just about any paper, book, photo, illustration, or post-it-note a piece of cake!

25.  Yellow.....a repeat to be sure, but I am ALWAYS grateful for YELLOW in any shade....gold, amber, honey, sunshine, saffron, sunflower, lemon, banana, squash....

26.  Zippers....a genius invention, truly!

Happy Thanksgiving All!

"A Capella"

Help!  I feel like I have lost my way in Blogland!  It has been weeks since I have posted something fairly regularly.  And I am finding it hard to pick it up again.  There has been a lot going on in my life since before Thanksgiving....Christmas, New Year's, my accident, Mikey's vacation, rehearsals, learning lines, the shows, my sister's visit.  It just seemed like I was always busy doing something else!  Well, its all over now, everything should be back to normal.  Still, I have procrastinated, lured by doing something mindless like computer games!  How ridiculous is that?

Okay, well, I guess the best way to get back to writing is to just start!  Here goes.....



Before I leave my most recent production behind, I want to devote one more post to the marvelous experience that this show provided.

I have had a rocky history in theater recently.  I've written about it a bit, but not in any great depth.  Nor do I intend to do so now.  The bottom line was that I missed being in a show.  All my upset had mainly to do with various personalities (and the people who go with them) that were a problem.  They would have said that I was the problem and for a while I might have believed them.

BUT....I don't think so anymore.

I had the great privilege of working with a truly great cast and crew.  I had only worked with one of them previously, the rest were all new to the theater group since I pulled back a couple of years ago.  Let me tell you about them.

Our Director is a very experienced actor/director with years and years of working in various community theaters all around the country.  She was easy to work with.  She was open to ideas.  She was willing to try different things.  She was supportive.  She was complimentary.  She was capable of giving direction without making a big fuss.  She didn't micro-direct, instead she relied on the actors' instincts when they fit her vision of the show.  She had a sense of humor.  She was knowledgeable and a real pleasure to work with.  There was no tug of war over who was in charge.  She was.  And she deserved to be.

Our Stage Manager was a true gentleman, who knew how to get a point across.  He was on top of things, always where he needed to be, helpful to a fault, supportive, and capable.  He kept us on track without dramatics.  Low-key and laid-back, yet nothing was left undone.  We stayed on schedule and he was responsive to our needs above and beyond what one might normally expect.  He was flexible where he needed to be and not above helping out an actor in a pinch.  He did a professional job, yet he was part of the gang!

Our light and sound guys were a bit removed from us....but that's just the nature of the game.  The sit up in the tech booth performance after performance hitting their cues every time!  Lights came on and went off right on schedule.  Sound effects were never early or late.  I caught no mistakes!  Just as it should be.  And the remarkable thing is they laughed everynight.  After nine performances and lots of rehearsals, they never lost interest is us or the show.  Real troupers!!

As for the actors??  Oh my, what a wonderful cast!  Each perfectly cast, each totally on top of their role, if mistakes were made, they were covered, each one of them very talented and able to bring their characters to life.  They delivered lines with great comedic timing.  They were completely believable in their roles.  And they made the play soar from one laugh line to the next....and there were a lot of laugh lines!  We started as strangers to one another (mostly) and ended as friends! 

We were blessed, too, by wonderful audiences.  Each performance was well attended (70-80 per show for all but one).  There were appreciative and best of all, they laughed when they were supposed to!!  Music to an actor's ears.  Our last audience was the best of them.  They laughed at everything!  They didn't miss once!  Actors respond to a lively audience, they want to do their best and it  turns into a mutual spark!

Of course, we were fortunate to be doing one of the funniest plays I have ever been involved in.  Anna Pie (an accent mark goes in there somewhere, but I can't get my computer to do it), the author, took a somewhat unusual situation and brought out all the humor inherent therein.  She also wrote the funniest line I have ever had in all my years of theater.  Taking it out of context and trying to explain it here would never do it justice and might give you a wrong impression of what kind of play it is.  But let me tell you, it was the longest, loudest laugh in the show....bar none!  

Sometimes in community theatre, there are weak links, someone who is not as talented or who isn't easy to work with, even sometimes one who just never gets it right at all.  But for this show every single person involved was good at what they do.  They were terrific actors/tech staff who made the show work night after night.  And what was the most remarkable of all....no one got mad at anybody else!  There was no angst, no squabbles, no one missing in action, no one who made demands, or was difficult to get along with.  Nobody ended up in tears.  Nobody ended up being an outcast or a diva! To put it simply, they were sane, cooperative, supportive, and good at what they do.  It was lovely to be a part of that cast.  I'd work with any or all of them again in a New York minute!  And unless, I completely misread them, I think they would work with me again too! 

They were theater people of the best kind.  They restored my faith that theater can be done without pain!  And even more, they restored the joy in theatre I have missed so much! 

So Jo, Geoff, Ron, Dale, Mallory, Bradley, Misty, Rina, Tamara, Allen, and Gary, thank you, all!  You are my kind of people!!  And I miss you already!

"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?

"A - You're Adorable" -- 2010

I stole this idea from my fried c. beth, last year.  I really enjoyed doing it too.  In looking at last year's list, I am still grateful for most of the items on that list! But it's time for a new list!  Amazingly enough, I actually remembered in time to do it again this year!  That's right!  It is the

Second Annual Alphabetical List of

Things I Am Grateful for this Thanksgiving Season

(Whoo Hoo!!)

A - I 'm grateful for the warm and wonderful colors of AUTUMN!


B - BLOGGING!!!  It has captivate me more than I would ever have imagined!

C - My simple, dependable, no apps, 12-year-old CELL PHONE!

D - Every single DOLLAR that comes into this house, even if they do turn around and fly right out again!

 E - ELEPHANTS, just because I like them!

F - I am grateful for all of the different types of FREEDOM I have! 

 G - I am sooo grateful for my mix of GENES that have kept me healthy to my complete surprise!

H - I'm grateful that HUMOR exists in our world.  Life would be so dreary without it!

 I - ITALIAN food, 'nuff said.

 J - I am grateful for the smell of JASMINE.

 K - I am grateful I can spell KITCHEN, but that's about all I'm willing to do with one!

 L - I am enormously grateful for the LOVE I have both given and received.

 M - I am grateful for MEMORY which allows us to re-live wonderful moments and precious times that will never happen again.

N - I am grateful for well-written NOVELS.  

O - I am grateful beyond measure that I've had wonderful experiences ON-STAGE.

P - I am grateful to whoever put PEACHES and PIE together!

 Q - I'm glad that QUIET doesn't bother me.

R - I'm glad to be RIGHT-HANDED.  Left-handers seem to struggle so.

 S - I am grateful for my SISTER (even tho she doesn't visit, rarely calls, and doesn't like to "share")  :)

 T - I am grateful there is a national holiday for giving THANKS!  Remarkable, isn't it?

 U -  I'm grateful that U-TURNS are legal in Texas.

 V - VISION!!  After my cataract surgery, I am grateful every day that I can see!

 W - I am grateful English has so many wonderful WORDS, makes you wonder why so few people can use them

 X -   Grateful for the word XANADU, because it's the only "X" word I could come up with!!   :D

 Y -  I'm grateful for every single one of my YESTERDAYS.

 Z -  I am deeply grateful that there are no such things as ZOMBIES!


Well, there you have it! This year's 26 Things that I am grateful for.  How about you??  What are you grateful for?

I'm also GRATEFUL for each person who stops my to read, especially those that leave a COMMENT and I am glad that I can wish you ALL the loveliest of holidays.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!