Thankful Thursday: November 27

Last year I was challenged to be thankful, and this year I brought it to my blog: Thankful for the little things, thankful for the big things, thankful for the ups and downs, thankful even when things didn’t go at all as I’d planned… Thankful, thankful, thankful! The thankful journey has been an eye-opener, a wonderful experience, and a constant reminder of the beauty and poetry woven throughout all areas of life.

This week, as I pondered the upcoming holiday, I looked back over all my Thankful Thursday posts from this year. Each one brought back beautiful memories of happy moments. And for every one I wrote down, there have been hundreds of others, even thousands! I’ve been blessed beyond reason. As a reminder, I selected one thank you from each week to post today on Thanksgiving Day. This year I’m thankful for:

Petite parcels of information exploding, living and triumphantly lifting heaps of soil, introducing baby green leaves to the life-giving sun. (5/15/14)
Childhood amusement in and joy from sparkler swinging, sandbox digging, bubble chasing, marshmallow roasting, and flower picking a scraggly-beautiful bouquet to take home to Mama. (5/22/14)
Neighbor-niece prancing prettily along the sidewalk, sparkler wands waving and curls flying wild. (6/5/14)
A pair of hand-penned quotes, packed, stamped, given wheels and wings, and sent on their merry way to meet an old friend at her doorstep… (6/18/14)
Hunter green table and bench with lovely mountain porch breeze and refreshing view. (8/28/14)
The beautiful, inspirational examples of others in word, work, life, love, laughter and art. (9/4/14)
Secret birthday plans and pear pie! (9/11/14)
Evening cricket choruses as I gaze over wildflowers and watch pink-peach powder the dusky blue sky. (9/18/14)
Scrumptious crumbles of creamy smooth goat cheese paired with crispy almonds and drizzled in olive oil. (9/25/14)
Woodworking artistry: reconstruction of water-rotted floors and construction of stairs leading, at long last, to a lofty sleeping space! (10/2/14)
Half a decade hand-in-hand with my man in The Land of I Do… (10/9/14)
Early morning walks beside grass blades and violet leaves garbed in suits and gowns of dainty ice-lace and sprinkled with sunbeams jewels. (10/23/14)
Tree trunks, train whistles, leaf piles, blooming smiles, kitty purrs, flower-y kitchen counters, delightful dahlias, and Dave talks. (10/30/14)
Riverside wild cherry tree cloaked in lively winged diners rising en masse on an invisible trail across the blue sky, leaving behind bits of berries and bare stems. (11/6/14)
So many selfless people who serve, sending themselves to unsafe, unsettled situations, so that we can gather family safely about us. (11/13/14)
A stopped train blocking the tracks, an unplanned detour, a drive through my husband’s old stomping grounds, and a walk down memory lane with him and his ever-abundant stories… (11/20/14)
An abundance of new beginnings and an every-present, ever-growing store of joyful hopes, dreams and possibilities… (11/27/14)