It's raining, it's pouring my old brain is snoring!!

Seriously, I want to crawl back into bed. The cats are generally there looking inviting. It's grey and rainy outside and getting colder by the moment.

But I have miles of papers to write before I sleep.... Ok, ok, I promise to lay off the poetic massacre. I do have miles of paper to write, it's finals season here and that means 3 15-20 page (double spaced) papers by the 7th of December. I've got about four (single spaced) pages for one of them solidly done so far and one ~12 page first version that I think I'm going to scrap for the class I wrote it for but recycle into the outline of the third so all is not lost there. I'm seriously thinking about posting them here when I'm done, just because.

What's really got my mind going at the moment is gratitude. Of course, it's Thanksgiving tomorrow so everyone's mind is on gratitude. Not too shabby, honestly. So here, in no particular order are some things I'm grateful for.

At the moment the roof over my head wins out. That's likely only because my husband is at work at the moment, otherwise he'd make the top of the list. I am deeply amazed and thankful for him every day. But with this rain coming down I am more grateful than ever for all the help I received to buy this house, and all the help I am continuing to receive in keeping and maintaining it. I love having HOME. I know it's silly but I never really felt like I belonged anywhere before. I was a little too keyed into the adult world as a child to feel ownership, it was mom and dad's house, I just lived there. Especially as a teenager and as a returning from college adult it was seriously mom's house, and I will abide by the rules as a good tenant in order to reap the benefits of living there (and there were many, that's something else I'm still grateful for - it was splendid to have a safe home to come back to when I needed it most). And my house is warm. I'm very grateful for the house and all the utilities that bring it to life.

Which reminds me that I'm grateful for all the love I have in my life. Which reminds me that I need to call my grandmas. I love my family and friends very deeply, even when it seems I'm never around.

I've always felt very lucky/blessed in my life. I've occasionally had to work incredibly hard for that luck, which helps keep me a little more humble than I'd otherwise be and I'm grateful for that. I'm not sure what kind of person I'd be without challenges, but I bet I wouldn't be nearly as happy.

Since my stomach is growling it reminds me to be thankful for the abundance I have in my life. I have enough that I can not only keep myself fed, but feed myself in the manner of my choice and preference. I have the luxury of saying 'no' which is just phenomenal. I can take care of myself and those I love with few restrictions and this is not true of the majority of the world. I am very grateful for the foods available to me even as a rail and rant and storm about how we produce, distribute and justify those foods.

I am exceedingly grateful for my skills and my ability to learn (skills for this paragraph but anything in reality!). Knitting has seriously helped me calm down, which is cool. I'm glad I can cook, bake and preserve food (see above). I'm glad I can spin and grow plants. I'm still deeply grateful at a level that is difficult to even dredge up being able to read. Books and words in general are right up there with air for me, yes, that necessary for continued existence.

Wow. I just realized I could go on and on with this. But I think I'll post it instead and ask you, what's got you smiling right now?