Thanksgiving Day

49.  The Goob-home this weekend from college. Doesn't need anything.  Happy to hang out with us today. Thankful he had a safe trip home.  Thankful to have him here.
51.  People who invite us for meals.  Last evening we had BLTs at the Baxters.  Today we had Thanksgiving dinner with the Kunkels.  So thankful to be included and treated like family.
53.  Thanksgiving food.  Sweet potato casserole.  Turkey.  Stuffing. Ham. Green bean casserole. Pecan pie. I did not have my camera with me today.  So you will have to trust me that the turkey was absolutely beautiful.  The pies were exquisite.  Thankful for new Thanksgiving food as well.  Broccoli casserole?  Winner.
60.  Gluten free bread for sandwiches. Gluten free carrot cake. Gluten free pie crusts.  Casserole without glutenous toppings.  Thankful the STP had plenty of food choices, but more thankful for the accommodating people who thoughtfully prepared them.
65.  My stage of life.  I wouldn't trade my kids or grandkids for the world and I would have loved to be with them today, but I am seriously thankful that I didn't have to fill anyone's plate but my own.  I didn't have to worry about what anyone else was eating.  I wasn't responsible to tell anyone I thought they needed a nap.  Being old has it's advantages.
66.  Naps.  Enough said.
67.  Cranberry Jello salad.  I think this recipe came from Speecie.  Thankful for people who invited my parents (and their nap-needy kids) to share their holiday meal and their recipes.  Thankful for traditions.
69.  Leftovers.  Thankful Josh taught us the value of taking Tupperware to Thanksgiving dinner.  Thankful for hosts who were willing to share.  Looking forward to a turkey sandwich for lunch tomorrow.  (Leftovers already appeared on this year's list at number 17.  I am still thankful for them today, but can't in good conscience count them again.)
70.  A brisk walk.  Slept in this morning and then walked 3 miles with the SLD and the STP.  Thankful for people who organized the Greybull Turkey Trot.  Our official time? 54:47  Not much trotting on our part, but a good time with good people.  And 350 calories burned?  That's a slice of cherry dessert.

Serious Catching Up To Do

Not that I haven't been thankful...just that I haven't recorded it.

38.  My house.  A pellet stove to heat the big room. A couch to nap on.  A refrigerator to keep my food cold.  A bed to sleep in.  A shower with hot water.  All good.
44.  (oh, yes, we can count each of those seperately) My girls.  So blessed to have each of them.  The still pregnant Princess Anastasia.  The Queen of Queens Abigail-- mother of the best grandkids in the world.  Princess Amidala my favorite.  So glad to see their adults selves.  So blessed to have them in my life.
47,48.  Booked Flights and anticipation. Headed to PA in January.  To love on the new baby.  To celebrate Christmas with my family.  To celebrate my Mom's 80th birthday.  It may be a little early to pack my bags as Expedia suggested, but I'm thankful to have something to look forward to.

Late Thirties

37.  A complete parhelion sighting.  Thanks to some vertically aligned hexagonal ice crystals in the  very cold atmosphere this morning.  Just thinking yesterday that I don't stop to take pictures of the sunrise/sunsets as I travel anymore.  Then there was this morning phenomenon.   I double (sun) dog dare you to top that.

38.  Payday.  Worked a few extra hours the last two weeks.  Thankful that it is reflected in my paycheck.  Thankful that I am able to work and to pay the bills.

39.  Bathrooms with flush toilets.  Not the least of which is the one in the House Next Door.  The toilet was one the first things we demo'd out of the house and almost the last thing to go back in.  So close to being finished with the remodel phase of the upstairs.  

Mid Thirties

34.  Thirty percent off coupons.  Making a new sweater from Kohl's affordable.  Thankful for the chance to spend an afternoon shopping.

35.  Two hour car rides.  To Kohl's.  Long enough to finish Balthazar's stocking.  Thankful the STP drove and I could use the time productively.

36.  Hot chocolate with whipped cream.  Drove through McDonald's drive through on the way home and treated the STP.  Seriously, that's like as close as we're getting to an overpriced specialty drink.,

Early Thirties

31.  Yarn.  Snuggled up this cold wintry evening--knitting. Thankful for those summer weeks 'vacationing' at Grandma Weinzierl's house in Summerhill where I learned to knit from my Aunt Millie.
32.  Christmas stockings.  Started working on Balthazar's stocking.  (Hope he is here in time for Christmas.)  This will be the 12th stocking made using thispattern in our expanding family.  Thankful for this family tradition.
33.  Warm clothes.  Glad to have a winter coat and mittens to pull out this morning. That, and my heated car seat and I could almost appreciate the frozen world around me.  Let it snow!

Nineteen Going on Thirty

19.  Peaches.  What seemed like too many peaches in the middle of a very busy week turned into some of the best peach cobblers and a couple of jars of peach/cherry jam.  And every time I spread it on anything I remember the wonderful week we made it.  Peach cherry jam tastes like this:

20, 21.  Phone calls and long drives to and from work.  Some days I sing my way to work.  Loud and exuberantly offkey.  Some days I review my bible memory verses.  Some days I call my mom.  Friday afternoons I talk to my favorite daughter who gets off work the same time as I do, two time zones away.  Love having that time with no interuptions to just chat and giggle.  Like time spent on scaffolding.

22.  Small group.  Working through  'The Good and Beautiful God' with my small group.  Spiritual soul training for this week includes silence and counting my blessings.  Counting the people who walk the walk with me among my blessings.

23.  Grace.  God's Riches At Christ's Expense.  So thankful for the grace extended to me on a daily basis.  Good things that I don't deserve.  Nothing but thankful.

24. Sunsets. The STP was interested in shooting mule deer.  I was interested in shooting the sunset.  A picture is worth a thousands words and there really are no words for this:

25.  Paint.  Accent wall in the HND kitchen because after I patched the big holes I didn't have any matching paint. New paint brush.  New gallon of paint called Whisper of Nature (also known as 'Green'.).  Just the selection process makes me happy.  This week I will eek out time to actually apply it.

26.  Weather forecasts.  Thankful for the heads up that the temperature will drop 60 degrees over the next twenty four hours.  I am not ready for winter, but it would be worse to be surprised.

27.  Football.  Sunday afternoon football is the best napping background noise.  Ever.  

28.  Mercy.  Not getting what I do deserve.  Thankful that God's mercies are new every morning.  Love having a fresh start every day.  

29. The Tonight Show.  Jimmy Fallon makes me laugh.

30.  0212

5+96   Dogs that type.  Evidently 0212 5+96 means "You aren't paying enough attention to me and I need a treat right now."

Sixteen Through Eighteen.

16. Not my child.  News out of Laramie this weekend about alcohol related fights that left one student dead and another seriously injured.   Makes a momma's heart beat faster.  Thankful the Goob was neither a victim nor a suspect.
17.  Leftovers.  Enjoyed a BBQ pork sandwich with slaw for supper tonight at work.  Three sandwiches in two days.  I'm good with that.
18. Voting.  Exercised my right to vote today.  In a close race for mayor of Dodge City every vote counted.   Thankful they counted mine.

My Small Town

13.  The Dodge City Building Center.  I live across the street from the Building Center. They have a big dog that I have to step around to shop there.  I have an account and I don't have to tell them my name to add to it.  They have a paint computer that tracks all my paint colors, They gave me my own paint deck. The BC is like Cheers and I am like Norm.  So thankful.
14.  Ron's Food Farm.  Best name ever for a small town grocery store.  Today I bought a little head of cabbage and a green pepper. An apple which claims to taste like a banana, a spaghetti squash and fresh baked rolls.   So privileged to have good food available and be able to afford to buy it.
15.  The Post Office.  Stopped by after work today to mail a package.  Anything perishable, fragile, liquid or potentially hazardous?  Why, yes, at least two of those.  In three days it will be on the doorstep of TBGITW in NYC.  Even though the Goob thinks stamps are archaic, I am thankful for the service that lets me send a treat (and maybe a trick) across the country.

10,11,12

10.  My church.  I am privileged to worship with a great group of people.  Especially good worship music and excellent sermon this morning.  I am thankful to be grafted into this branch of the vine.



















11.  Fellowship dinner.  The first Sunday of each month we stay after church and eat lunch together.  A family dinner where you can count on the usuals--hot dogs and fried chicken.  And where it is safe to try a new recipe. Who knew carrot cookies could be so good?  (I had two, but I counted that as two servings of vegetables.)  Or even to stay and eat if you brought nothing, because we all have days like that.  And you're family.

12.  My recipe collection.  Today I made barbecued pork that I learned to make when I lived in Fort Payne, Alabama and hot potato salad--a recipe I picked up in South Fork.  Food that reminds me of people and places along the way.  For someone who doesn't particualrly like to cook, I am a big fan of food.

Let's be Thankful

As is the custom,during the month of November, I will attempt to list 100 things for which I am thankful.  As always, I am thankful to God.  And the order is not relative to the importance, value, or level of gratitude.
New this year, I will try to list three things every day.  And I will try to expound on the items.
I started early, so if you want you can catch up here and here.

7.  Grout.  The bathroom in the house next door was grouted this week.  Thankful to be one step closer to having the project done. Thankful that I chose white instead of gray grout.  Want to see why?  I will post pictures on the House Next Door Facebook page. Because I am too lazy to upload them from my phone to my computer.
8.    Hot beverages.  I really identify with Sheldon's mom here.  Offered myself a cup of green tea this morning to start my day.  Like sipping encouragement straight from the mug.
9.  Day Light Savings.  Added my hour to the middle of my day today.  Used the time to empty my rain barrel, shovel some gravel, put away my laundry, and vacuum the basement stairs.  If I had to live an extra hour this was a beautiful day to do it.