There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American. ~O. Henry
Thanksgiving is a great time to pause and think about our blessings. Family is certainly a blessing that has me counting. And grandkids are easy to name in that number. One through nine for us – all beautiful children who can make this grandmother smile. This is a picture taken on Thanksgiving ten years ago. The oldest granddaughter didn’t want to go walking with us that day. They’ve all teenagers or older now, but still great kids. It would be fun to get them to copy their poses and let me take a new picture. We still have the gate. 🙂 Maybe if they are all here Christmas and it’s not snowing, I can talk them into it.
I’m also thankful for the rest of my family too. My loving parents who have passed on but who live in my memory. My husband, my children and my in-law children, my sisters, my sisters and brothers through marriage, all those sweet nieces and nephews. That’s one of the good things about living in the same place forever and having many family members who have done the same. So many great connections and family who are not only related by blood but by love and common experiences.
I’m thankful for my little country church and all the faithful Christians I’ve worshiped with there over the years. I’m thankful for the Lord and the many times He has blessed me and forgiven me.
I’m thankful for those everyday blessings of life – blue skies and rain, flowers and trees, hummingbirds and snowbirds, breaks in the traffic when I’m merging onto a busy interstate, a car that starts when I turn the key, a child’s smile, a baby’s first giggle, a dog’s wagging tail, for the things I see when I walk my dogs – just to name a few. So many little gifts of life to enjoy and appreciate.
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder
So this Thanksgiving I want to be conscious of my treasures. I can’t leave out the blessing of being able to live my dream of writing books and being able to share my stories with readers like you. Each book a blessing. Each reader a blessing too. I thank all of you who read my books and my words here on my writing journal. Thank you.
I’m thankful for a book last summer, When the Meadow Blooms, where I was able to feature my love of nature on the farm setting. I’m thankful for the kind reviews of the story. I’m also thankful for a new book, In the Shadow of the River, coming next year and for the unknown blessings it may bring me in the months to come. And I’m thankful for a new idea, new characters and the words to begin a new story to share. Right now that story has a lot of unknowns, but I can hope some of those unknowns will turn out to be blessings.
Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. ~Native American Saying
So may you have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving Day with many unknown blessings headed your way. As always, thanks for reading. Oh, and for those of you who didn’t know the way I didn’t know, saleratus means baking soda. A saleratus biscuit is a soda biscuit – the kind my mother used to make every day for breakfast.
So what are some of the blessings you are counting this year on Thanksgiving?
I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving and a beautiful weekend.
Comments 6
Happy Thanksgiving to you Ann and all those many family members of yours!
I’m thankful for my family and the good health we continue to have. I’m thankful for the many wondrous things in nature and the pets we have. I’m thankful for modern conveniences to help us get our work done and transportation to get us to a grocery store and money to pay for the things we get. I’m thankful for a comfortable bed at night in a warm house. I am thankful for all of God’s blessings.
Author
Love all your reasons for thanksgiving, Connie. I can agree with all of them. I especially appreciate word processors and computer keyboards that are so easy to type on instead of those manual typewriters I started writing on. Well, I started out writing with an inkpen in a notebook, but I changed to writing on a typewriter as soon as I got a little older and started trying to write something that might go out and find readers. And what would we do without a car? I was in Lexington to take my sister to a doctor last month and accidentally put the route home in as walking instead of by car. All those hours it was going to take me to walk made me especially glad that we can just get in a car and go. Always appreciate your comments. It makes blogging more fun.
Thank you for your lovely Thanksgiving wishes, Ann!
Among my many blessings, I am thankful for meeting you — first, through your books (recommended to me by my friend in California who was born and raised in Kentucky); then, through our ZOOM “Across the Miles” Book Club this summer; and, most recently, at the Book Fair in Columbia, Kentucky.
Your frequent posts and your wonderful books definitely make me feel like we’re friends!
Author
It was so fun meeting you both ways, Roberta. I very much appreciate you recommending one of my books to your “Across the Miles” Book Club this year. I love it when a book club picks one of my stories to read and discuss, and it’s always great when I get to meet with the club in person or online.
I had a good time coming to Columbia and meeting you and your husband. Maybe our paths will cross again on down the road.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your family. I enjoyed reading your letter today. I enjoy reading all your writings. Looking forward to reading your new book.
Author
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Marlene. That makes me happy. I do hope you’ll enjoy my showboat on the river story when it comes out in May next year.