1. God

2. Setting aside criticism for a look at the bigger picture

3. Admiring Debbie’s accomplishment

4.  A man  I don’t know wrote a very funny article and he used data and references

5. Wreaths

6. Giving

7. Answers

8. Without questions

9. Warm afternoon

10. You know what the music means

1. God

2. Eric installed the new kitchen lamps

3. Putting away chairs

4. Thanksgiving leftovers

5. Live recordings of John Fahey

6. Lunch with Hannah who is committed to her course of study

7. And when she realized one of her friends had a problem with her, she engaged with this person directly and honestly.

8. So many places and instances for gratitude

“real “thanksgiving” requires us to pause long enough to feel the earth beneath our feet, to gaze up into the spaciousness of the sky above, and to stop and take a good, long, loving look at the precious faces sitting across from us at the dinner table.” Katrina Kenison 

1. God

I saw the poem on Ruth’s blog  but  didn’t know that she has passed.

We didn’t meet in person.  We met here.  And then exchanged emails.  Honored with her words, whenever I received them. Words of appreciation and encouragement.

I was so moved by the Dance for Ruth and the benefit for her, and grateful to Crystal for her role in both of these events.

And the love of Dave and Kylia and Kari, and how much she loved you.

She also loved watermelons.

And wrote of a beautiful childhood memory of irises growing along the east side of her childhood home.

And her enjoyment of the largest steam engine train.

And Ruth worked in a gallery for many years as well as teaching.

I love Ruth’s story about, and love and appreciation for, her brother Gene

There was also a story she told about the preacher who decided to do something about complaining in his congregation

Ruth wrote, in gratitude to her husband and daughters, “Life is too short to spend it worrying.  Life is for living, laughing and loving.”

That’s how I will remember you, and this community that surrounds you.

1. God

2. Extreme gratitude? (another wonderful phenomenon from Brain Pickings)

3. “Gratitude is hard work until you realize
the value of those around you.” Leadership Freak

4. Cassie for hosting our family

5. Give me cornbread when I’m hungry

6. . Corn pudding too, no doubt

7. My father likes turnips and doesn’t get to eat them often so he enjoyed them at dinner

8., Each person at our table saying what he or she is grateful for

9. Reading expressions of thankfulness from friends all over

10. An old photograph of my grandfather in an antique car that I hadn’t seen

1. God

2. Every day is Thanksgiving

3. An unpleasant encounter – and some day I will see it as a courtesy

4. Hannah arrived home safely

5. The glass is always full

6. Herbs indoors

7. A clean house

8. Corner of the forest

9. The Bird Medley

10. Good news about David

11. Emily and her theater crew, a successful play

1. God

2. Everywhere

3. is somewhere

4. Sometimes warm and wet

5. Driving with the window down

6. Humor at the right time

7. David seeking help from his teacher

8. Making connections

9. The North Pole  Pooh found it

10. A free cup of coffee on Friday at the cafe

1. God

2. In someone’s blue eyes

3. A wry smile splits my mouth

4. Any progress for me may be asymptotic

5. Cassie meeting a friend

6. Emily’s success with her stagework and grace under pressure

7. Surprise thanks from David

8. Thinking of Hannah what’s she gotten up to

9. Inscrutable fortune cookies

10. Sonny Rollins’s unmistakable tone

1. God

2.  I don’t think I’ve had a bad boss

3. And thinking of my first one, Bob.  He had to teach me a lot about working in an office with other people, and consideration, and attitude.  He didn’t raise his voice but would correct me directly and clearly.  And he always said hi in the morning.

4. I learned a lot from Bob, but wonder if he didn’t give me a special give.  He had the knack for finding a misshelved book anywhere in the library.  A sixth sense for it, practically.  I’ve only met one other person who could do likewise on a consistent basis, and that’s me, and I must have learned it from Bob.

5. Grateful to have worked with so many people who have taught me so much.

6. Sometimes it pains me that I have repaid kindness with ingratitude, if not cruelty.  Accepting the place where I was, that I didn’t know any better and to acknowledge other people’s pain.  And not make it worse.

7. The things I complain about other people are present in myself.

8. And having to learn that over and over again is not the worst that can happen – if I am open to learning and changing.

9. Rule 62

1. God

2. Calm

3. Sight of geese flying above

4. Apples

5. Open doors

6. Open minds

7. Resisting the arrest of thought’s movement

8. The equilibrium of being not even wrong

9. Library networks and interlibrary loan (yes, Crystal ;)

10. Lindsey’s words give me courage to face the “close and holy darkness.”  And what an extraordinary image – our life is an eclipse

1. God

2. Writing things down

3. Leeks

4. Warm November day

5. Leaves for the compost

6. Lazy afternoon

7. Seeing my mother

8. Cooking with a soup with kale and tomatoes and carrots and barley and fresh herbs and lentils

9. A hot flame for accomplishing such a thing

10. Someone to cook for