Thankful

This is that month when I always feel like the blessing in my life are undeserved....That I have been given so many amazing opportunities and been blessed by so many people in my life. It's so easy to get frustrated and busy and frazzled, but there is something about November that always beings us back to the real things in life : family, friends, and home. This year has been a tough one in some of those areas, and equally an amazing one. We've dealt with aging parents and the issues of being so far away from home during an illness, and celebrated the safe homecoming of soldiers from half a world away. We've said goodbye to old friends who have been taken from us, and we have welcomed new little lives into the fold. We've cried over sick kids, and celebrated pending births. We've looked at ourselves and seen only faults, and we've celebrated our success. As we approach the holidays, I always find myself looking back at the year, and where we are and where we have been, and where we are going...and start the planning for next year, but for today, I'm just being thankful, for the myriad of people, gifts, and challenges that help us grow.

I am thankful for :
 -- my family -- who are a most amazing renegade bunch
 -- my friends -- who serve as trampolines, bulletin boards, and test kitchens
 -- my co-workers -- who make it all happen
 -- the boss man -- who challenges me to be a better manager, a better employee, a better  me
 -- God - you knows my every fault, and loves me anyway
 -- my vendors -- some of whom are like family
 -- my home -- my personal refuge from the fray
 -- memories - of good and bad times, that make us stronger, better, faster, kinder, and more sympathetic
 -- my body - which propels me through this universe on a daily basis, and protects me from the germs, bugs and other dangerous things out there. Seriously, the immune system is a magical thing.
 -- hope - because even when everything seems wrong or incomplete, there is always a solution, if you only depend upon hope to show you the way

So, to all my friends and family, this month is about you. Celebrating the good, and the bad, and remembering that we are all here for a reason, whether it is to inspire another, help another, encourage another. Let us all be thankful for the others in our lives that guide, help, challenge and support us, even though we might not want their guidance, help, or support. Let us all remember that thanksgiving is an act, not a holiday.

And that concludes my public service announcement.

Have a great day everyone! Happy quilting!


Catherine