Friday Fifteen - Things For Which I Am Truly Grateful

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~ William A. Ward



FIFTEEN THINGS FOR WHICH I AM TRULY GRATEFUL
(In no particular order, except the order in which they came to mind)

1. My friends, far and near, virtual and brick and mortar. Especially, my BFF Cathy (whom I've known for twenty-seven years! Wow!! Since before I was born...) and also Judy, Charity, Darcy, Alison and my other writing friends who I appreciate more than I can say. And my blogging buddies like Shauna, Alice, Tori, Melissa, Groovy, and others of you who I stalk on a daily basis. All of you help keep me sane!

2. My good fortune in living in America -- truly the land of opportunity. I am proud to be an American.

3. The fact that I am blessed with a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat and people who love me. Paul Overstreet says it best in his song "The Richest Man On Earth":

We've got a roof over our head
And the kids have all been fed
And the women I love most
Lies close beside me in our bed
Lord, give me the eyes to see
Exactly what it's worth
And I will be the richest man on earth

4. A decent library system so I can read nearly anything I want, without going into bankruptcy, and for Lee Ann, the librarian who handles inter-library loans, for putting up with my deluge of emails asking for books our local library doesn't carry.

5. My veterinarian, Dr. Comeaux -- the sweetest most patient vet in the entire galaxy. He puts up with my endless questioning, my worry and paranoia over my dog and her lumps. To the vet techs at his office who greet my dog with cries of "Bailey!" when we walk in, and give her lots of love so she doesn't hate going to the doggy doctor (the cheese helps, too).

6. Flowers. I love flowers of nearly any kind. I like the ones I grow on purpose, and even the ones I don't. Several of the prettiest flowers in my garden are "weeds" that found their way in there. They're beautiful, and I couldn't have found a lovelier picture if I'd have planted it myself.

7. My husband, for working at a job he hates so I can stay home with our daughter.

8. The editors at The Wild Rose Press for being so thorough and demanding, and for helping me to become a stronger more competent writer. Thanks, too, to RJ and Rhonda for their brilliant idea of starting TWRP. You guys are wonderful.

9. My daughter, who puts up with my moods and loves me the best anyway.

10. My dog, Bailey, who never fails to make me smile. She is the best, sweetest, kindest, lovingest (is that a word? lol...) pup in the whole world. Pinky swear.

11. Fresh fruit in season. I've eaten so many fresh strawberries over the past month, you'd think I'd be sick of them. I'm not. And cherries are finally nice and dark and, best of all, affordable -- so I can go hog wild and buy ten pounds and eat until I'm sick. The cherry season only lasts about five minutes out here in NH, so I make the most of it. The only thing better is when the tomatoes in my garden are ripe...

12. My new laptop. I can now leave the mushroom pit and live in the sunlight once again. I will be especially grateful for this when it's winter and my hands don't go numb when I type from the cold in the basement.

13. For my mother who is the best mom in the world (despite the fact that she insists upon abandoning me this fall for the nicer weather in California).

14. Butterflies. I saw my first black swallowtail today -- and I hope it's female and that she saw all the lovely parsley and rue I planted for her babies. No monarchs yet, but my milkweed is in bloom and must surely be sending out signals for those buggers to lay some eggs. Come here, pretty little monarch...

15. Birds. I can hear my cardinal chirping at the feeder as I'm typing this. He usually comes at dusk and dawn and usually brings his wife, but not always (I suspect her occasional absence must be due to nesting). Last year, in the fall, they brought their son to visit for a while as well. I could sit and watch my birds all day long. Someday, I hope to have a setup complete with mealworms for blue birds and sweet fruit for orioles, as well as houses for various types.

Hey! I'm at my fifteen... and I could still go on. Gratitude is a lovely feeling. What are you grateful for?