Happy Thanksgiving

Today is my favorite holiday, a day for sharing company and food and giving thanks. Over the past few days, I've read quite a few posts of gratitude. Here is mine:

I'm thankful for my family, and for our health.

I'm thankful for the roof over our heads and food on our table. I'm also thankful that our children have learned to cook so well. We will all be preparing today.

I'm thankful for my job.

I'm thankful for my silly cat, and thankful that he hasn't eaten anything dangerous in the past three months.

I'm thankful that our friend has found a probably bone-marrow donor match. I'm very thankful about that.

I'm thankful for the hummingbird feeder and for thyme in the garden.

I'm thankful for writing and reading and inspiration, and for the community of writers that I get to share all this with.

Thank you.

Thank you!

Thank you to all who offered encouragement and support, here or in email, this past week.

I've received several more rejections since last Monday's post, and I've managed to weather them with my usual routine (a small sigh, a moment of disappointment, and then onward).

And now onward into Pie Week (aka Pie-palooza). Details coming soon.

Gratitude

Yesterday afternoon, while I waited for the bus, I was able take a moment and appreciate a week of leaving for work at sunrise and leaving for home at sunset. So much glorious color right in front of me.

This morning, I'm able to take a quiet moment and be thankful for family and friends and a job and a home and good food and good company and good poems and our new president-elect and each day that brings its own measure of hope and beauty. For me, it's a day to focus on the good things. The sadness and horror and hurt are still out there, but for this one day, let them not take center stage.

Thank you, everyone, for what you bring to the world.

Thanks!

Sometimes in the bounty of rejection letters, I lose sight of the acceptances—not to mention the other happy little good things that are going on. As the year winds to its final day, I want to take a moment to focus on the acceptances—a little "accentuate the positive" action—and to acknowledge some of the people and publications who have been supportive.

These thanks go out to David D. Horowitz, of Rose Alley Press, who is such a tireless supporter of poetry and who has been so kind to me and my work.

These thanks go out to Illya's Honey, which has published my poems over the years, and to JAMA, which has published my work recently.

To Floating Bridge Press, for being such a great press for more than a decade, and to Cranky, for being one of the best new cool kids on the block. These are just a few, plus Crab Creek Review and Heliotrope and others.

These thanks go to John and Christine, for being wonderful. And to Greg and Judy and Susan and Anne and Darby and Mercedes and Laurie and Bonnie and Nancy, for their friendship and for continuing to inspire.

Finally, to my family, who puts up with me and loves me through all of it.

Here's to one year closing and another opening up just like some winter rose.