This Thanksgiving I'm Thankful For ...

1. K and J--my two beautiful daughters who never disappoint me; they love me and each other and their families above all
2. Their children--how lucky I am to have 7 wonderful grandchildren, plus ...
3. My smart, loving step-grandson who taught me what being a grandparent was about (not to mention how to build with Legos)
4. The semi-spouse--he's still a rock after 21 years, even through some tough times
5. Woofgang Pug--my four beautiful pugs, Lightning, Bluto, Lucy and Lulu
6. My two sons-in-law, each different but important to my daughters and my grandchildren, and C's father who loves his son very much
7. Bert--my beautiful black pug in heaven who demonstrated a pure love every day
8. My sisters-- loyal, smart, talented women, always dependable
9. Extended family--niece, nephews, cousins, wow!
10. William Ward for coming to America in 1638 and paving the way for the rest of us
11. Chestnuts--why would anyone not want these in their stuffing?
12. Health--I've been blessed with good health up to now; if that's changing now, and it may be, I will deal with it
13. The Atlanta Knitting Guild, for giving me the opportunity to make new friends in a new city
14. The inventor of the vacuum cleaner--Woofgang Pug sheds A Lot!
15. Knitting, which has been a huge part of my life since my grandmother taught me to knit (at about age 8) and which has calmed many a life storm
16. Friends, old and new, but especially Nydia, Linda, Cathy--we just keep hanging in there with each other and I value their support very much
17. Ruth--she has been wonderful to me; how can I rebuild our friendship that I ruined with my inattention?
18. Sobriety--I love knowing that I'm not going to wake up wondering what I did the day before (at least due to alcohol!) or get a DUI or make a stupid decision under the influence; my stupid decisions are all my own
19. My job--I've had lots of jobs, but my current job has really given me the chance to impact employees' lives on a daily basis; this cannot be underestimated as a reason to go to work.
20. My mother, who gave  me a love of tradition and holidays
21. My father, whose love was unconditional but whose expectations for me were high
22. My aunt and uncle, who took me into their home numerous times during my childhood and provided me with a stability I wouldn't have had otherwise.
23. My new cousin in Seattle (born in September)--congratulations Lucia and Sheldon!
24. Computer technology which has impacted every aspect of my life, from driving to blogging
25. Our country--whether you agree with the politics of the governing party at any given time, it's an incredible place and a great example of democracy in action
26. The internet, which has opened up people and worlds to me that I wouldn't have been able to touch otherwise
27. Mrs. Ravin  for directing me to my first job--what did she see in me that made her know it would change my life?
28. The vote, which allows each of us to have a say in our future
29. Frances Wolowitz who taught me that we have a responsibility to others in the community
30. Rachael Ray, for the Garbage Bowl (who knew I'd be living in a house with a septic tank and no garbage disposal?)
31. John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King for leading the way
32. Sargent Shriver for serving as my role model for how a leader treats his employees
33. Mimi McMindes who taught me to love Shakespeare and that I had a dramatic side
34. The Ryan White Foundation
35. Harper Lee for "To Kill a Mockingbird"
36. George W. Bush, for reminding me (and the rest of the world) what can happen  in a democracy when the desire for power overcomes the desire to do what's right, and why it's important for us all to get involved
37. The online knitting community for keeping me grounded and for getting me involved in charity knitting
38. Children in Common and all the other groups that bring knitters together to do good things for those less fortunate
39. The Episcopal Church for having the courage to stand by its principles in the face of attacks on those principles
40. Zicam, without which I would be miserable with a cold today
41. Prilosec which keeps me comfortable every day
42. The Dixie Chicks for proving that some women do have balls
43. Sudoku for giving my brain some exercise every day
44. The Washington Post for having an online version since I can't get a "paper copy" subscription; The New Yorker for being the best magazine ever
45. The semi-spouse's propensity for losing flatware and kitchen utensils and breaking glassware and dishes; we'll have a lot less to pack the next time we move
46. The Fairfax County, VA schools, which gave my daughters a good education and made them thinking individuals, despite their best efforts to avoid this
47. The NFL--I love football! (Go Panthers! Go Redskins! Go Falcons!)
48. My yarn stash--I could just knit from it without ever buying anything new
49. Atlanta's many LYS'es that mean I don't have to
50. My great semi-spouse who loves to cook for me and then doesn't mind cleaning up, too (Did I mention him already? Oh well.)