All my blogging buddies seem to have done a Thanksgiving post, so I guess I should too. We only had one meal to go to today, and I managed to stay away from the most carbalicious dishes; so I’m not in the usual Thanksgiving evening coma, thank goodness. I loaded up on Josh’s grilled turkey, which was excellent, so I’m thankful for that, too.

Other things I’m thankful for, today and every day:

• My wife, Angel, who puts up with my reclusive nature, and manages to get me to parties like today’s without making me feel like I’m being dragged there. She takes great care of me when I need it, and makes it seem like a pleasure. We complement each other so well that it seems like we’ve been together for ages, and I don’t mean that in the bad way.
• My family, especially my parents, who always give me a point of solidity and sanity to cling to when the world seems to be going nuts. Just by being who they are, going about their lives the way they always have, with their greatest focus on home and family, makes me remember what’s important. Time spent with them always makes me feel centered.
• My faith, which took a beating and was nearly comatose for a while, but has rebounded and grown up over the past couple years, for reasons I’ll save for another post. Also, the people at St. Rose, who have given me a church where I feel like I belong again.
• My clients, who make it possible for me to do something I’m good at and make a living from home, without punching a clock and going to pointless meetings. I’ve had ups and downs in this career, but this year has been the best yet, and things only look to get better.
• Good health and good food. Several years ago, I weighed 290 pounds and climbing, had constant acid reflux and fatigue, and was well on my way to diabetes. Thanks to low-carb eating and some work on healing my adrenals, I’m losing weight and am healthier in every way. Overall, I’m probably healthier than I was at 25, if a little heavier and a little balder. It’s helped to have a lot of real, quality food, both from our own garden and from my family’s farm.
• My dog, Pepper, who gives me a reason to get out of the house and get some fresh air more than once a week. For a few years, she was the only living creature I’d see some days, and she probably kept me from going stir crazy more than once.