Thursday Thirteen - 26 - 13 Things For Which I Am Grateful

This weekend is Thanksgiving here in the Great White North. This is a perfect time to reflect on everything I'm most thankful for:

1 - Brad, my magnificent husband













2 - Connie, my best friend for the past 34 years


















3 - Giggling with my sister, Michelle
















4 - Living at the Mini Walton's, with my Mom, Gram, Brad and Xena


















5 - Fiorinal, though my version is called Tecnal C, and is two tones of blue. It's my cavalry-over-the-hill when my migraines rage.














6 - My asthma puffers. I remember life before puffers. When I was a kid, the only thing I could take for wheezing was a syrup. It didn't work very quickly or very well. Life is much better now.













7 - Family dinners - this is a family dinner this past summer at my sister's boyfriend's place. That's me with my cousin Charlie and our visiting Uncle Warren in the background.











(Below) My sister's boyfriend, Newt, and my Uncle Charlie

At left, my cousin Julianne, her mom (my Aunt Noel) and our visiting Aunt Louise







Out on the deck, my cousin Charlie, Uncle Warren, Charlie & Heather's daughter Emily, Charlie's wife Heather and Aunt Louise












8 - My writers' group

Mary Louise, me, Kelly Boyce, Cathryn Fox
















Deborah Hale, Julianne MacLean, Lily Cain














Lorraine, Paula, Annie Mac, Kelly Boyce, Lori













9 - The writers' retreat

At Heather's cottage near Lunenburg, 2005

Ruth and me















Clockwise from left: Kelly Boyce, Nikki, Lori, Elaine, Heidi, me (back turned)














At the cottage next to White Point Beach, 2006














Nikki, Lori, Kelly Boyce and Heidi watching a movie














Clockwise from rocking chair: Deborah Hale giving a craft-of-writing session, Kelly Boyce, Lori, Nikki, Elaine, Heidi, Stella MacLean















Dinner at White Point Beach Lodge
L - R: Elaine, Heidi, me, Lori, Kelly Boyce, Stella MacLean, Nikki















Retreat, 2007

Renee Field and Christine d'Abo collage their story ideas















Annette















Heading to the Lodge for dinner: L - R, Elaine, Annette, Pam, Nikki, John, Heidi, Christine d'Abo, Renee Field, me














Brainstorming session with Elaine, Annette and me















10 - My new computer and internet service - my pathway to all of you.











11 - My roses

It seems that I may have run out of image file space within this blog post. At any rate, I'll leave the pictures up that I've done already, as I'm sure you can imagine the beauty of a rose. I have eight different rose varieties in the garden so far. I love them all!

12 - Starting up my blog this past February. It's made me reconnect with so much of my creative spirit.

13 - The peaceful, surrounded-by-family beauty in which my dad passed away this March. We were lucky to have an extra year together after his initial diagnosis. My grandmother (his mother) was able to drive here in time from Michigan, along with my aunt and two cousins. We spent a lot of wonderful hours together in the hospital, where the staff were beyond kind and who took spectacular care of Dad. My mom (his ex-wife) was included by my step-mom in Dad's last days, confusing the attending physician at first to find two Mrs. Phillips! My step-mom and I slept in his room for the final few nights, and my sister joined us for the last night. He was surrounded my his mother, sister, two daughters and his wife when he took that step into the next world. It really was a beautiful and awe-inspiring experience. I'm most thankful of all for that, and will be for always.