This morning's sunrise.

Hey its Terrific Tuesday again! How’s everything in your neck of the woods?? Over the river and through the woods, it is time for Thanksgiving. My turkey is purchased and hopefully thawing as we speak. I made it to the store two days earlier than normal with my hard earned Food Lion certificate. Ha. I am really bad at thawing a turkey.

At the Community room of the Roanoke Times I am notorious. A couple of years ago I rode  around on a Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve, with a scarf and hat on a frozen turkey I purchased on the way in to work. It perched in my shotgun seat, belted in for the long haul. He looked like “Riccco Suaveee!”  We were able to cook it that night and I am sure the Butterball people cringe at someone doing that to thaw a turkey, but we are all still alive five miles west of Fincastle.

Be thankful. I  am blessed in may ways and stressed in many ways. It has been a rough year for almost everyone I know. I just keep hoping that life will improve for all of us. Hope springs eternal with the thoughts of carving turkey breast. I, like many, force myself to get up in the morning and believe I can handle the day ahead, blessings, @1%!!, bumps,laughter, tears and fears. I pray every morning to do so. My answer? I start my day watching the sunrise as proof certain that life goes on no matter what. I watch it set as many afternoons as possible knowing that through the dark of night, tomorrow it will be there to warm and brighten this Earth. “Joy comes in the morning.” Perhaps the sun is the best sign to me that no matter what befalls, Derechos, hurricanes, loss of work, no money, bad health, hate, war, bum luck, lack of confidence in the future… the continuum proves otherwise. The sun will come up. Things will be better.

My Daddy used to say, “Despite your whining and complaining, Sis you really are a glass is half full kind of person.” I believe it was about a true of statement ever to cover me. He left out I laughed a lot. Or that he was just like that, too. But yes I am whiny and will complain, but I pick up the boots and trudge on and try to do for others as well.

Reach out to someone else. Ask for help when you need it and pay it forward when you can. In the good book,  it is all about being kind to one another and to treat everyone as we hope to be treated. Don’t cast the jaundice eye to those who say one thing and do another. Forgive and move on. My friend Rabbi Kalman said recently, “In the Vitamin Store of Friendship– B1.”

Most of all be thankful for those who love and support you. Be thankful for those who employ you. Be thankful for those who help you and you don’t ever think about them– like public servants, the medical field, EMS, law enforcement, teachers and so many others in the invisible horizon.  Be thankful even “if low though you heart may be breaking,” over any number of things. Somethings are beyond our control and some things we messed up all by our own little self. Do better.

Be thankful the sun will come up tomorrow. Have Faith that it will, have Hope that tomorrow will be better and Love those around you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

See ya next week.

After doing volunteer work to to aid the hungry, my son and his youth group friends inflated their rubber gloves and called them Thanksgiving turkeys....They, both the kids and the gloves, are my symbol this year to be thankful for what I have.