I am grateful for this month. Somehow, the general public begins to focus on being grateful for people and things and experiences and blessings in their lives, and they are more open to sharing their gratitude during this month. If that is all it takes for people to focus on their blessings, then I wish every month were November.

Grace and gratitude belong together like heaven and earth.
Grace evokes gratitude like the voice to an echo.
Gratitude follows grace like thunder follows lightning. – Karl Barth

I am grateful to have found a sticker on the bottom of my shoe and another one all folded and dirty under my wallet in my bag – evidence of grandchildren nearby.

I am grateful for a positive review hearing for my CASA girl this morning.

I am grateful for Bingo friends who make Tuesday night an evening for which to look forward. I am fairly certain one of my ladies could be a double for Maxine, the grouchy old lady, at least in spirit. I’m also fairly certain two others could double as Mrs. Claus, the happiest old lady, at least in spirit. What a silly group of friends.

I am grateful that tonight is the beginning of our new small group. I am grateful that I am not concerned with a clean house or loads of food. I am grateful that we are ready to do this and will attempt to keep it simple.

I am grateful for an abundance of answered prayers and a lack of worry.

I am grateful for bird poop on the shiny clean car, because it makes me very grateful for a shiny clean car and for drive-through car washes.

I am grateful for guests who strip the bed and bring their sheets to the laundry room.

I am grateful for an end to campaign commercials and candidate junk mail. Bring on the Christmas materialistic commercials and sappy music that puts me in that expectant, anxious holiday mood. Ahhhhhh, gotta love two full months of Christmas.

I am grateful for a Halloween card from Delores!

And I am grateful for expiration dates that aren’t even CLOSE to expiring yet.