It’s the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and that can only mean the Ten on Tuesday topic must be 10 Things I’m Thankful For. I thought about trying to come up with entirely unique things this year but I don’t think I can. I will try and put a different spin on all of it, though.

1. My friend Bob’s remission from stage IV pancreatic cancer. This is nothing short of a miracle and I am thankful every single day that he is doing so well. There is some stuff going on with his wife right now that really sucks but Bob’s remission is our bright spot.
2. Farmers. Truly, where would we be without farmers? I love our CSA and I love the Farmer’s Market and I love that farmers protect our open space.
3. Photography. I love that I can learn and grow and get better at taking photos. I am thankful for my website and the clients I am cultivating.
4. One Little Word. This is the first year that I have participated in this project and I have learned a lot from it and had some fun, too.
5. Technology. It makes my world so much easier. Need to send a press release? Use email. Need to ask someone to help out with something? Facebook message. I’m fighting with printers right now but all in all technology makes my life better.
6. Kind and generous people. I joke around a lot that I “hate” people. I most often say this when I’m in my car. The truth is, though, that I am extremely grateful for kind and generous people. Specifically, those who are kind enough and generous enough to donate to the food pantry. Most of us have so much and there are many who have very little, it’s good to be generous when you can.
7. Dale. Okay, I was trying to come up with all unique things but I just can’t write a thankful list and not include the love of my life. He’s my safe place and my anchor and the bright spot in my every day.
8. Our kids. Hannah, the one I brought into the world, and Brant, Jessica and Luke, the ones I was blessed with when I married Dale. They make me laugh and they make me proud and, while the road hasn’t been easy, it has all been worth every moment. And with these kids also come other family members and two grandkids, too. Pretty cool for the girl who had no family.
9. My job. It’s stressful sometimes but I know it’s where I am meant to be. Dale helped me out with delivering Thanksgiving dinners and he kept pointing out the humorous situations I deal with every day and it helped a lot to see things from his perspective. It’s not only nice to have a paycheck and help support my family but it’s also nice to feel like I’m making a difference in people lives, whether it’s through a book they need or a song they want to download or a can of peas. It’s all good.
10. All my stuff. The cameras and the TVs and the laptop and the cars and my home and all it’s comforts. I’m a lucky woman to live where I do and yes, I know it’s all stuff, and I don’t need most of it but it sure makes my life good.

I honestly think it doesn’t matter whether our lists include the huge things like health and family or whether our lists include the little things like iPhones and Netflix – it’s the idea of being thankful that matters. It’s stopping and taking a breath and looking around and saying . . .

I have much. I am grateful. I am thankful.

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