Day 31 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so Thankful for Phobias and Fears.  I know that sounds so crazy but it's true.  By learning to deal with some of the things that I fear, I have learned understanding and compassion as well as how to cope with things undesirable.  I have known quite a few people over the years who were not blessed with much in the way of fear and when confronted with storms in their lives, it was very difficult - it was uncharted territory.   I also believe that being able to truly enjoy anything, you must know what it is to not have that very thing.  I surely don't welcome being afraid but I try to see it as an opportunity and work to find out what I can learn.  I fail many times but when I do succeed, it is with Joy and Thanksgiving!  I try to appreciate my Boogaboos!!!  ;o)

Day 30 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Prayer.  Even if you are not particularly religious, prayer can be a wonderful asset in your life.  There is scientific proof that prayer affects our brain in positive ways; it can bring you peace and calm when things are stormy as well as allow you to see things more clearly.  Prayer can be as simple as meditating your thoughts in a peaceful setting.  It is possible to do great things through prayer.

Day 29 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Movies!  Good, bad or indifferent, movies teach us so much about life and the fact that I can relax on my couch and see a movie on a Friday night with my hubby is pure delight.  They make you think and examine and see life as you might not ever be able to in reality.  We are so very fortunate in this time that we live in that the luxury of a good movie is only a click away.

Day 28 of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so very Thankful for Music.  It always amazes me how music can transform our mood, let us relive memories and bring unlimited joy to our lives.  Time can be marked by music that we remember during different times of our lives.  Music brings the melody to our lives - corny - I know but true.

Day 27 of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so very Thankful for the gift of Sight!  I know that many live without vision or with very little and they have very full lives.  I am just so thankful for the beauty, color and so much more that I am able to view each and every day.  I remember as a child having the thought that most of us do - which would I rather loose if I had to chose - sight or hearing.  I always fell on the side of hearing because with vision I can see the happiness in my boys faces, see them smile or watch them laugh.  I can see the rugged face of the man that I love and watch his many expressions.  Sight is a wondrous gift indeed.

Day 26 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for the ability to Learn because no matter our age or position in life, we still can learn something new.  I forgot this for quite a while and have begun a quest to learn all that I can - not just anything, but things that I have always had an interest in but never took the time to learn.  My focus is cooking, knitting and crocheting as well as new sewing techniques but the possibilities are endless.  If we learn until we take our last breath, our lives are quite full no matter the circumstances.

Day 25 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Teachers.  All through our lives teachers influence us, assist in our learning and leave lasting imprints on our minds.  Not all teachers are able to achieve this, but the ones who are equipped with this gift will remain in our hearts and minds for the rest of our lives.  Most of us can remember at least one special teacher who sent us in a good direction and whose voice we still hear no matter how old we grow.  One who understood our dreams and saw our potential when no one else may have.

Day 24 of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so very Thankful for Crafts and Crafting.  Crafting is all about imagination and creating much out of nothing.  The crafting community online is such a wonderful place to hang out and you can create anything your heart desires and do it many times by reusing and upcycling.  I am so thankful to be a crafter for once you are, you see all things in a different way.

Day 23 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Miracles!  I truly believe miracles happen all around us and while we can chose to believe or not...I fall on the believing side.  I found a wonderful quote that says it all and we have to open our hearts and our minds and just believe and then you will see them all around you!  Thanks so Susan Branch for this graphic!!!

Day 22 of Thanksgiving....

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 Today I am so very Thankful for Trees!  I know - it sounds like I am obsessed tree hugger....but that is not the case.  I love trees for their beauty and the wonderful things they give us.  Shade being just one of their assets, I believe that trees are such a great symbol of life.  Their graceful limbs as well as leaves and blooms are magic.  When you live in an area that has seasonal changes to the trees, they give you gifts all year long.  When Spring comes round and they bud up and sprout all over again, they give us a renewed faith in life.....that it continues and as barren and bland as they get in the months of winter......their beauty will come again.

Day 21 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Health.  I am not what you would call a super healthy person -  I would more than likely fall into the category of not so great.  But....I am thankful for where I am because it could be so much worse.  I have a good quality of life most days and I know that could change with a heartbeat.  For so many that is not the case.  Health is one of those things that we must treasure and take care of because it will go away if ignored.  It has to be nurtured each and every day both mentally and physically.

Day 20 of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so very Thankful for a place to call Home.  For many years of my life I didn't give this a second thought.  I thought that because I worked hard, I had a right to have a home - a place to call my own - a roof over my head.  Several years ago when both my husband and I lost our jobs, we came face to face with the realization that we more than likely would loose our house before he found a job.  It is no small miracle that we didn't ---- something that I am most aware of each and everyday.  The fact that others have not been so fortunate is also not lost on me.  That experience has given me the realization that there is no guarantee that we won't be faced with that same fate again - there is no real way to storm proof our home so that you can never loose it.  It happens every day all around us.......therefore I am joyously thankful for Home.

Day 19 of Thanksgiving......

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Today I am so very Thankful for a clean, warm, safe bed to sleep in.  In this country we take this for granted but we shouldn't.  There are people of all ages all around us who don't have a clean place to sleep, much less a warm one.  Each and every time I put clean sheets on my bed, I am reminded that many do not enjoy this luxury.  At the very least, children should be able to take this for granted and know that at night they are safe, warm and clean.  Those of us who enjoy this need to realize what a wonderful blessing it is.

Day 18 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Color in life.  Life is so dull without color and the absence of color brings grayness to our disposition.  This is different for each of us but for me color is such a necessary component to my mental health.  I personally love REDS and BLUES and Yellows - they amp me up and help my feeble brain to function.  If I surround myself with color my mood immediately rises to a new level.  I once worked in an office for a short time that was practically devoid of color and it was darkish with bad lighting.  I was miserable and when I left there each day, I felt like I had been released from prison. Needless to say my performance was not great and I left the job in short order.   It took me a long time to realize what color can do for us but I am so glad that I did.  Even just little spurts can bring joy to life!

Day 17 of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so very Thankful for Babies!  I absolutely love babies....big one, little ones, chubby ones - each and every one.  Babies are our proof that life goes on and just the smallest little smile or a cuddly chuckle can make all of our woes go away.  There is just nothing like a Baby - even just a whiff of their sweet smell can bring a big smile to our faces.  Their chubby little hands and ever so delightful toes are one of life's biggest pleasures.  My best most favorite memories are of when my boys were babies.  Babies keep this old world spinning......they are just delicious!

Day 16 of Thanksgiving

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Today I am so very Thankful for Writing, Journaling and Blogging.  By no means do I profess to be a writer, but writing and journaling have been a big part of my life for a very long time.  When times are tough I have scribbled volumes and now I am trying to concentrate on the positive.  Putting your thoughts on paper can be so freeing and cathartic --- it is nothing short of magical!

Day 15 of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Inspiration!  I am so very blessed because it is all around me and I try to soak it up like a sponge each and every day.  I find it in art, quotes, books, nature, my hubby, my children and so much more. I save snippets of this in every way that I can.  If you look hard it is possible to find it even in places you would never expect.  Inspiration breathes life into us all and keeps us putting one foot in front of the other - at least it does for me and I am so thankful.....it is a gift.

Day Fourteen of Thanksgiving.....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Hope and Faith.  For me they go hand in hand and I feel so very fortunate that no matter what happens in life, I have had hope and faith to get me through.  It can come from many forms depending on your individual beliefs but as long as you have it, that's what is important.  Maybe sometimes I am just delusional (small laugh) but so far hope and faith have kept me afloat.  I am so very Thankful for both!

Thanksgiving Day 13....

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Today I am so very Thankful for the Hard Times I have experienced in my life.   No, I am not hoping for more---I am just so thankful that the hard times help me to enjoy the good ones; they help me realize what is important in life and help us all to be more thankful for our blessings - big and small.  There is no sunshine and no rainbows without the rain and no peaks without the valleys.  The storms of life teach us so much! True joy can only be experienced when we are aware of how very fortunate we are.

Day 12 of Thanksgiving....

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Today I am so very Thankful for Laundry - Yes you read that right.  I am so thankful for Laundry because for one thing it means that we live life and have dirty clothes and sheets, etc.; it also means that we have what many in this world don't and that is a way to clean our clothing, etc. with clean water and soap.  If you have spent any time in your life without a washer and or dryer, then you only have a small idea of what it is like in places where there is no way to really get clothing cleaned much less sanitized.  For me Laundry is a small grace in life that I appreciate each and every day.  I don't always love doing it but I am always so very thankful that I can!

Day Eleven of Thanksgiving...

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Today I am so very Thankful for the Internet - Communication.  For many of us it is our window to the world.  From my chair I can travel, learn, visit, make friends, do good, keep up with my family and so much more.  It is the most amazing tool.  I have learned new knitting and crochet skills, read about quilting and sewing, applied for jobs in the past, took online courses and worked from home for over fourteen years completely through online access.  The possibilities are endless.  Now I volunteer for the Binky Patrol and collect items all through online contacts.  How Amazing!