Here are the things I am thankful for this November. (Yeah, I know I was supposed to do this “30 Days of Thankful” thing before Thanksgiving. I was busy.)

1. I am thankful that I got to spend Thanksgiving in a cabin in the woods with my family.

2. I am thankful that my in-laws brought all the food for Thanksgiving dinner, even though they almost forgot to bring that baked pineapple dish with the toasted bread on top.

3. I am thankful that there was enough leftover pumpkin pie filling to make a batch of pumpkin muffins.

4. I am thankful that my daughter is willing to make scratch pie crust.

5. I am thankful that I got to spend some time in the kitchen with my son, who had to bring a dessert to his Boy Scouts meeting.

6. I am thankful that I did not send my good glass serving dish to the Boy Scouts meeting.

7. I am thankful that a house in our neighborhood already has twinkling Christmas lights up.

8. I am thankful it is not our house.

9. I am thankful that I never have been, nor ever will be, camped out on a sidewalk in front of Best Buy.

10. I am thankful that I never really liked Twinkies all that much.

11. I am thankful for coffee, each and every moment of each and every waking day.

12. I am thankful that the heater is still working despite that funny squeaking noise it’s started to make.

13. I am thankful that I got the medicine I needed last week, even though I had to go to four pharmacies to find it, and then it cost $10 per pill.

14. I am thankful that the election is over, and that maybe soon I can re-friend some folks on Facebook.

15. I am thankful that, on a retreat at church camp this month, we were so far out in the country I was able to see the Milky Way.

16. I am thankful for my yard guys, who planted roses for me when I wasn’t looking.

17. I am thankful for my friend Jean, who showed up on my doorstep with a loaf of cranberry bread, still warm from the oven.

18. I am thankful that I can’t think of anything to put on my Christmas list, because it means I must already have everything I need.

19. I am thankful that our table won second place at Trivia Night at Mellow Mushroom, even though part of the game required that I strut through the restaurant like a turkey.

20. I am so very, very thankful that my turkey strut hasn’t turned up on YouTube. Yet.