THANKSGIVING DAY CONTENTMENT

I'm sitting here with a full belly and a full heart and four walls providing warmth around me. The space heater is glowing, Bama is sleeping at my feet, football is on the television. I spent the day with family. David is "puttering" about in another room. *sigh* All is right with my world.

The big things (for which I can be grateful) are pretty obvious--the health and well-being of my family, etc. However, in the hustle and bustle of life, I may not always take the time to notice the not-so-big or obvious things.

I'm grateful for . . .

• **the fact that our older home has "quirks" and aggravations that make it unique.
• **the Sunday paper.
• **a one minute commute to work each day.
• **an unbelievably considerate and attentive husband
  who loves to find ways to surprise and delight me.
• **two sons who make me laugh constantly.
• **a knack for finding "fierce" shoes on the clearance rack.
• **my DVR, which allows me to watch copious amounts of television
  (at my convenience, of course).
• **a love for books and the fact that I always have a stack waiting in the wings.
• **a "slew" of nieces and nephews...of all ages.
• **the smell of lavender.
• **that first fizzy cup of diet coke each morning.
• **blue jeans that fit and don't have to be altered to fit my nubby legs.
• **my new mattress topper (heavenly!).
• **the fact that olive oil is actually good for you.
• **spotting that magical red sticker on "end cap" items at Target
• **an endless supply of Extra Polar Ice gum in my purse.
• **music that makes me dance. think. cry.
• **coming home and putting on my Ugg boots each evening.
• **the ability to watch hours and hours of the Food Network from time to time.
• **those rare occasions when we get to smoke cigars and laugh on the back deck
  with my sister and brother-in-law.
• **a clear day here in the foothills--the Blue Ridge Mountains are visible in the distance.
• **the fact that my iPod is never far away because it's always in my purse.
• **parents who love each other and who have done so for over forty years.
• **a wireless internet connection which allows me to blog from the comfort of my couch.
  
  Sure, these may seem pretty superficial. Maybe. But they're simply the little things that make me smile each day.