Thankful...

Ahhh, Thanksgiving morning.  The dogs let me sleep in a little, it's peaceful, quiet, almost sunny, and lovely.  I whipped up toaster waffles and some "Betcha-Can't-Believe-it's-not-Bacon" for breakfast while streaming a little of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from Times Square (with no chance of any silly-sappy commentary from Jim Nantz) and sat down with my cup of coffee.  (This is almost the definition of a perfect morning according to my version of Webster.)

Thanksgiving is one of my favorites.  Having a whole day to just be thankful is a real gift.  And the food isn't bad either!  One of my favorite Thanksgiving celebrations was being able to make a dinner for friends one year.  Three turkeys, 11 side dishes, 4 or 5 pies, and 12 pounds of mashed potatoes later it was a terrific day with lots of laughter in the company of some 30-40 terrific people.  Which is the whole point really.  Spend a little time with the people you care about, that's where the magic is.  And be Thankful!  And while Thanksgiving these days seems to require not much more than a pie from my kitchen, it still gives me the opportunity to reflect on how blessed I am.

True to form, I started thinking about what I was thankful for last night while in pie-making-mode for 3 hours.  I'll share with you the short list:  Thankful for the ability to get what I need to make a pie.  Thankful I have a job and people I work with that I enjoy most days.  Thankful that I'm on day 1 of a 4 day weekend with no chance of snow in the forecast.  Thankful that I like to make pie in the first place.  Thankful that I have a kitchen with enough room to contain that kind of mess.  Thankful for the patience and strength it takes to wrestle 2 cups of flour and 2 sticks of butter into a pie crust.  Thankful for the laugh provided by Jake stealing apple peel with the tenacity only found in the certainty that this is some kind of most-amazing and special treat.  Thankful that my dogs beg for fruits and vegetables and leave my "Betcha-Can't-Believe-it's-not-Bacon" alone.  Thankful that when I wake up in the morning I have 4 little eyes and 8 furry legs that are just overjoyed that I'm awake!  Thankful for the friends and family to share a pie with.  Thankful that my brother-in-law likes pie more than anything I could possibly ever purchase at The Sharper Image.  Thankful that when God handed out families I got a two-for-one deal with best friends too.  Thankful for girlfriends to laugh with and cry with and talk with and sit with.  Thankful for new friends and old friends.  Thankful for the joy in each of their lives.  Thankful for the chance to be a friend to each of them.  Thankful that my family is healthy.  Thankful that my friends are healthy.  Thankful that I'm healthy.  Thankful, Thankful, Thankful.  And oh so very Thankful  for you.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

May Your Day be Overflowing With Blessings (and Pie)!