Thanks, just thanks.

Today, is the 4th Thursday in November - the day set aside for "giving thanks" for all we have been blessed with. I cannot even begin to count the myriad of gifts I have received; especially since my eyes have been opened even more to finding them on a daily basis! So in honor of Thanksgiving, I'll share just a few.

I come from a rather large family, so we gather every other year. This year I am in the PA chimney corner, celebrating the day with my youngest son, Michael, who is a student at Edinboro University. Along with his girlfriend, Morgan, who is sharing her apartment this weekend with my husband and me, we are putting together the traditional Thanksgiving meal later today. 

We arrived safely on Tuesday evening following a non-eventful 5 hour drive along mountainside roadways, just as the sun was setting. We shared delicious college town pizza and spent some time just catching up. 

On Wednesday, we spent some time at a nearby mall - where I found the best deal on some shoes I actually needed. After picking up a few last minute grocery items, we headed back to have dinner ready when Morgan got home from work. 

When dinner was finished, we spent time chatting with the southeast PA corner kids in Philly. My son Joe, his wife Ali, and  my 1 month old grandson Sebastian visited with us via FaceTime. The rest of our evening was once again spent just hanging out, chatting and watching a movie together. In between, I made some phone calls to friends and connected with some others online.

This morning in the quiet, I am alone at the kitchen table, enjoying a cup of coffee and a slice of pound cake Morgan made last night. Her cat is sitting with me just delightfully purring away as I type this post out on my phone. Soon the kitchen will be busy as we put the turkey in the oven, and assemble the green bean casserole before heading out to a matinee at a nearby movie theater. We'll have this last full day to visit before we make the return drive home in the morning. (The visits continue with the Philly kids and some of the extended family meeting up on Saturday.)

So, nothing extraordinary, nothing earth shattering about these last few days. Just simple gifts. Everyday blessings that we so often take for granted: safe travel, gorgeous sunset, really good pizza, shoes at an incredible price, phone calls to family and friends, a coffee pot pulled out of storage just for me, and of course the time we'll spend preparing and sharing the meal later today. 

I've been charged with keeping my eyes open as we move into Advent and on to Christmas. Seeing the gifts that surround me on a daily basis, accepting them and unwrapping them carefully, sharing them with others, and "giving thanks" to the one who has provided them - that is what I am truly thankful for. I have everything I need, and I am truly thankful. Happy Thanksgiving!