On being thankful. Days 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26.

22. I'm thankful my baby brother was able to share Thanksgiving with us. He came all the way from his home in Vietnam and once again, proved himself invaluable with a big bag of potatoes. I don't know how they get peeled when he's not here.

23. I'm ultra thankful that I have lived 51 years without one time going Black Friday shopping. I had to run in Walmart for bread and lettuce after I went to the gym, and I was very thankful those two items aren't on the hot list this year.

24. I'm thankful to be 51 and therefore exempt from full-contact Twister. There were eight young ladies in my living room today playing the most competitive version of this game I've ever seen.

Joy won this match when Marly tried to do a backbend over the top of her and lost her footing.

25. I'm thankful for the great music we've been singing at church lately. We have a new (ish) music director, and he's picking the best worshipful hymns. I'm really enjoying it.

26. I'm thankful for My Fitness Pal, which reminds me when I'm stuffing food in my mouth for no reason. Seriously, I must eat 2000 calories a day when I'm not thinking about it. Try tracking your intake for a day and see just how much you eat that you don't need.

27. (Yes, that's tomorrow. I'm getting ahead.) I'm thankful for my public library. I get to walk in, take whatever books I want, wave my little key tag, and all it costs me is the gas to get there. (And real estate taxes, but don't ruin my happy vibe.) Here's what I picked up today:

I saw Unsaid recommended somewhere (I don't remember where); I picked up The Cost of Hope from the new-books shelf because the author has the same name as my boss; and I just liked the title of The Year of Learning Dangerously. I love reading. My idea of a perfect vacation is a condo on the beach with a big stack of books. Give me a beach chair, an umbrella, and a good book and I'm a happy camper.

Be thankful ~