Morning gratitude

The past few days have been trying. They have been a test of my patience. I fear that in some ways I failed the test, allowing it to chip away at my attitude and drag me down. So, I am stopping this morning to remember all of the things that I am grateful for, the things that make life good, very good:

-Rainstorms and some strong breezes have covered our leaves in orange, coral and yellow leaves. It's actually beautiful, very beautiful.

-Last night I went to see "American Gangster" and to dinner with a friend last night. Nothing better than a little venting with a friend, and a few hours of Denzel, right?

-I have been making coffee at work each morning. I had no idea how wonderful it would be to have a warm cup to get my day started.

-We have been invited to a brunch to celebrate the wedding of my brother and sister-in-law. It's about two hours from here and in the same city as a very dear friend and her family. I am excited about the prospect of piggybacking our family event with a lunch and visit with her.

-I am nearly done with my Christmas knitting. What seemed very daunting at first has proven very manageable, particularly since I limited my list of recipients this year.

-Etsy makes me so very happy. I have actually ordered the bulk of my Christmas shopping thus far from there.

-I love cranberry sauce. And even though I expect next Thursday to be very stressful in light of this week, I am looking forward to cranberry sauce. I may even buy some just to eat here. I may even make some green bean casserole too, just for us.

-And tomorrow is Friday, meaning come 5 p.m., we have two days of our own.