I am grateful for sturdy hangers.

I am grateful for neighbors who are careful to park their cars in their driveways without blocking the sidewalks for those of us who walk.

I am grateful for dry basements.

I am grateful for people with interesting names, like the teller at the bank today. Blaide. I would have imagined black leather and many tattoos and piercings. I would have been completely wrong.

I am grateful for my husband, my Dad, and my brothers and sister who all enjoy working hard.

I am grateful for this new bread that makes me feel very healthy when I eat it, and I am grateful that it is full of stuff that apparently masks the discoloration, i.e. growing fuzz otherwise known as penicillin, because I am certain that I just ate the pale greenish/bluish on the crust,  so I am grateful that strep and all things sickly are held at bay.

That makes me grateful that I no longer have to eat Mom’s cheese. Cheese never goes bad, didn’t you know?  Just slice off the stuff that bears no resemblance to yellow or orange and serve. Eww.

I am grateful that Natia was not running scared in the weather but was safe inside.

I am grateful that the boom in the night last week was just boom in the night and not anything else.

I am grateful for a co-worker who showed me a very sad gorilla video that made me cry, so she showed me a second video to make me laugh. I am grateful for laughter on a dull Wednesday afternoon:

I am grateful for ironing done and a TV to watch while it was doing.

I am grateful for a safe trip for Sam last week and grateful to hear his excitement about his new job.

I am grateful for the simple pleasure of a Tequila Harry’s hard shell chicken taco.

I am grateful for funny Davis stories on Facebook shared by his mom.

I am grateful for my Dad, Director of Operations at all things remodeled.

I am grateful for Donald, the duck who greets me every morning this week at the kitchen window. He sits in the middle of the pool, if ducks sit in water, that is. And he quack quacks, which makes me smile. Duck sounds are funny. Everyone should appreciate the unique sound of a duck. And so, with that, I am grateful for one last silly video on a dull Wednesday afternoon: