The Showers of Blessings

Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude, family gatherings, and feasting—but it’s not just an American tradition. Cultures around the world have embraced the idea of giving thanks for a bountiful harvest and life’s blessings for centuries. The origins of Thanksgiving, the dates, and ways to celebrate differ, but the spirit and the gratitude are the same. People around the world take time to appreciate the harvest, family, and the blessings throughout the year. The global Thanksgiving is a beautiful reminder of the universal joy in giving thanks. The major countries and times that celebrate Thanksgiving are: the USA on the fourth Thursday in November, Canada on the second Monday in October, Liberia on the first Thursday of November, Japan on November 23, South Korea on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar; the United Kingdom on the Sunday closest to the Harvest Moon, usually in late September or early October, Germany on the first Sunday of October, and the Netherlands on the fourth Thursday of November.

I’m thankful for my health. We can’t freely enjoy life without reasonably good health. Previously, I mentioned my allergy during the last two winters. The nonstop runny nose and constant sneezing hurt my rib cage and exhausted me. After many tests, I was tested to be allergic to dust mites. The bedding protector and purifier are effective in stopping my misery. I’ve had low back pain as long as I can remember. The narrowing of the spinal discs put pressure on nerves, and the pain radiated to most parts of my back. Early this year, I had two radiofrequency ablation treatments. The procedure used a needle-like electrode to emit radiofrequency energy to heat the abnormal tissue and block the pain signals from being sent to the brain. There’s still discomfort in my back, but not painful.

I’m thankful for my family. Hubby and I continue to have a regular connection with my daughter’s family. The grandkids spend one afternoon a week with us, plus special occasions, such as school holidays, date nights for their mom and dad. Autumn is doing well academically in second grade. She’s reading graphic novels and has started reading the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. Nora is in kindergarten. She includes fine details in her drawing and writes short stories. Both Autumn and Nora will dance in The Nutcracker performance. I look forward to attending the show.

There’s no school this week for the grandkids. They go to art camps in the morning and spend time with us in the afternoons. Autumn wrote a gratitude journal as one of the projects at the camp. By the ways, her cats are super interested in the two gerbils.

Autumn and Nora found these huge mushrooms outside the school.

I’m thankful for exercising consistently. Hubby and I have kept up with exercising throughout our adult lives. Before his retirement, he went to the gym several times a week and ran every other day. I went to the gym and walked in the neighborhood several times a week. Sometimes we went together to the lake near our California home. I walked around the lake once while he ran three times. We worked out at the gym together twice a week since his retirement in 2016, and we’re still doing it after we moved to Portland. This routine helps us to be accountable to each other. It helps me, especially when I get busy with my other tasks.

I’m thankful for our extended family. We fly to California to spend Thanksgiving with our extended family every year. There was a government shutdown earlier that caused some effect on the air traffic controllers. We worried about our flights being delayed or cancelled. It was a relief when the government shutdown ended. The airline sent us a flight reminder, and it was an indicator that our flights would be on time. We’ll leave early in the morning on the day of Thanksgiving, have dinner with our family, and return home the next day.

Terri’s Webster Schrandt’s The Flower Hours: Happy Thanksgiving Mushrooms

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

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