Ten Things of Thanks ~ Thanksgiving addition.
Just left church and our preacher’s message about gratitude.
One of the benefits of going to church is listening for an hour to your thoughts. When the sermon starts, it gets really quiet and your thoughts get really loud.
So after sitting nestled in a comfy chair with my hands wrapped around a warm coffee mug. Immersed in my thoughts filtered through the pastor’s words, I’m . . .
Joining up with Ten Things of Thankful. Sunday before Thanksgiving addition.
10. Thankful that even great writers — one’s that go down in literary history — pray to God to get another submission.
Some very early writings of Flannery O’Connor have been found. Her prayer journal of sorts. I love her for so many reasons — number one being she wrote most of her most famous work 30 minutes down the road. An excerpt:
“Please help me, Dear God, to be a good writer and to get something else accepted.”
9. That we have heat.
I have written this week on our heater woes. And that we might have to buy a new furnace. But thanks be to God we do have heat today in our little apartment and we can afford to pay our heating bill.
8. My children.
Raising children can be the most challenging and most utterly confusing thing I have ever done — the Lord has given me three to rear. Through natural birth and adoption. Though some days I fear that I am utterly incapable of handling all that comes, I still have three beautiful warm bodies to hug on.
7. My church.
It’s great when you can go to a place and have the preacher’s sermon step on your toes a bit and still feel happy to be sitting in your chair, grasping your cooling coffee mug.
6. Rocks. Gathered on a walk with my son.
Granite from Georgia is used in Washington’s monuments and buildings. And a heck of a lot of tombstones in the Southeast.
5. My defrosting turkey.
There she is. All 22 pounds of her. A gift from my friend Annie.
When Annie found out that I didn’t have my turkey yet, she gave me the one she got from the local grocer. She already had her hen from her Thanksgiving stash from the local food bank. I said I’d love it — if someone didn’t want it. She said she wanted me to have it.
I love my Annie and I love this bird.
4. For my husband.
Though he does make me crazy and vice versa. We really do have a good time.
3. Running slow half marathons.
On Thursday, I’ll run the Atlanta Thanksgiving Half marathon for the umpth time. I’m much slower these days than when I ran my first one in 1994. Next Thursday morning is forecast to be 25 degrees. Thanks to God that I can still get out there and collect my thank you for participating medal. Bundling up with 10,ooo+ other folks, as we move forward 13.1 miles.
2. Good friends. Friends who get you. Friends you don’t have to be anything, to be with. Just yourself.
(And great bloggy friends. Who send you love from across the country or the Atlantic ocean.)
1. Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. To me, it’s the only one that is pure tradition.
What the cranberries taste like. Who carves the turkey. That I always put Christmas music on my iPad and listen to it as I run the half marathon. That I make and give away pecan pies. That I fix collard greens for my garden. That the excitement of the holidays is just that ~ anticipation. Not tired, worn out, crumpled gold and red wrapping paper.
What about you? This Sunday before Thanksgiving. Hope yours is grand.
