In the wake of Thanksgiving, I am filled with gratitude.  This year, my daughter CeCi (formerly known as Beanie in this blog) fixed Thanksgiving dinner.  I only added a few traditional dishes; things I said I wanted to bring.  CeCi carried on a newer tradition.  Her daughter Miss K wrote something she was thankful about for each guest.  A little way each guest gifted Miss K, without the guest’s name attached.  The “gifts” got distributed randomly to everyone.  Before the meal, each guest read a “gift.”  Miss K had some wonderful thanks for the guests around the table.  I wonder if she was thankful for my “flexibility,” or “my smile,” or “how smart I am,” or what. I’ll never know.

I know particular order, here’s the other things I’m thankful for this Monday:

• Bright sunshine:  Oh I am a creature of light.  Even the cold is beautiful on a sunshiny day.

• Chocolate Friday:  An annual day-after Thanksgiving marathon of sweet making instead of braving the Black Friday crowds.  This year we made over 45 pounds!
  
  I love the turtles, and the butter-brickle.  Or is the creamy peanut butter fudge that’s my favorite?  Maybe the peanut butter balls.  Wait, it’s the laughing I love the laughing the most.

• Public transportation:  Love-Bug and I rode in style.  We talked, observed people, and talked some more.  A full and relaxing day.

• Chicago Theatre, “Annie,” and an early Christmas present from Love-Bug (formerly known as Duckie in this blog.  She informed me that she now hates her early childhood nickname, Duckie.)  What a beautiful performance.  What a wonderful trip into Chicago.

• Music:  Miss G gave me a personal Christmas piano concert and I got a chance to play my flute with my flute-playing grandson, Mr. D. He’s a competition winner.  He applied the same tolerance to my amateur playing as he was to my untalented chess playing.
• Fresh water:  Since I swore off soda, water is my go-to beverage.  We are so lucky to have so much available at our fingertips.  Enough that we can take it for granted.

• Clutch PencilDri-lighter:  Doesn’t soak through, is erasable, and indispensable for summarizing the area news stories for my new freelance job.  I splurged several years ago, when I had money t

  

  o spare.  Even then, I knew it was a treat from that decadent writing tool store, Levenger store.  Now I can only find the refills.

• Nyquil:  Post-nasal drip from my hang-on cold keeps me up at night coughing.  NyQuil really is the “so you can sleep” medicine.  Now if I can only time it right so I can wake up, too.

• Dad:  It’s been 13 years since I had Christmas with him.  Today’s his birthday. Lot’s of misunderstandings and arguments along the way.  I’m really thankful that we got past the parent-child stage and began to see each other as two adults with more in common than not. (Today’s his birthday.)  I hope I never stop missing him.

  

Do you enjoy reading “Gratitude Monday?”  Perhaps you’d like to see other lists.  I am inspired by Laurel and her Gratitude link-up.  Just click the link below and you’re on your way.