Thankful

With last week's troubling events that took place down the road in Tallahassee and the fallout from the Grand Jury decision in Missouri this week, it's easy to forget how much we have to be thankful for this holiday.  

As I write this, I am sitting by the fire in my family's home in Seaside, FL.  It's a cold, wet day on the Gulf Coast, but the fire is warm, the smell of pumpkin bread is in the air and the laughter of children breaks the silence.  I spent the morning grocery shopping with my mom and Marian, gathering all the ingredients for the biscuit dressing, the green beans, the sweet potato casserole (the brown sugar and pecan topping make it almost like a dessert), the obligatory jello mold (something my mom feels makes Thanksgiving dinner complete, though having been born after the 1950s, I can't understand why) and of course, the pecan pie!  

By Thursday evening, we will have eaten more than our fill of delicious food.  Our good friends will join us here on Friday, and the mood of thankfulness will shift to that of excitement over football.  The trash talking will begin with Scott (a Gator) and my dad (a Seminole), while everyone will be asking the Crimson Tide if they've "got a second."  

It all seems so simple, and maybe that's what makes it so special.  Traditions this time of year bring comfort and remind us of the journey we've taken since last year.  What are you thankful for this year?

I am most thankful for these three!

Linking up with:
The Pleated Poppy
Tucker Up
Pampers & Pearls