Thankful

1. One year after my dad nearly passed out in front of the Tollhouse Cookie kiosk in the Mall of America, he's healthy and strong and making plans for the National Final Rodeo in Vegas. And I’m thankful to know that my family, through the grace of God, can face uncertainty and cancer and chemo and take it all on, and that such things only have to be accomplished one day at a time.

2. The lovely little house on Ohio has a new owner, and we no longer have a mortgage. And that freed us to move out of the main street apartment and into one on the lake.

3. We had friends, on both ends, who helped us move. And as hard as moving is for me, it's nice to have friends across the country who love us.

4. I have a job that allows me to write for a living, even if it's about methane digesters and carbon emissions and futures contracts. It's interesting, and I learn something every day.

5. When I wash the dishes, Justin dries. He loads audio books onto my iPod and looks for music he thinks I'll like. He watches old screwball comedies with me and reads books I've loved so that we can talk about them. He walks the dog every morning and takes her out the last thing at night, too. He's a good man, that Justin, and I'm thankful he's mine.