Thankfulness Abounds

It's November!  I awoke today happy to have Halloween behind me and looking forward to the next two months.  In case you can't tell, this is my favorite time of year!

This month is a time to really focus on the blessings of life--the people and experiences that enrich our day to day existence.  Most of the time these blessings are nothing more than a note in the mail, an encouraging phone call or a batch of home made cookies, but (as I've blogged about before) it's really the little acts that add up to a life of fulfillment.

So...as an ode to all of the blessings in my life, I would like to christen November "THANKFULNESS ABOUNDS" month.

I'm going to post one thing (or maybe more than one) each day.

I hope you'll join me in the comments section.  Or, if you would like to guest post about your blessings one day, just email me at emilygpenn@gmail.com and we'll set that up!

To kick off a month of thankfulness, I'll start with a few items.

1) A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - this goes a little deeper than the surface since I know you are thinking, "That girl is really obsessed with the Peanuts gang..." While this sentiment may or may not be true...I digress.  If you take time to watch the movie this year, you will see the great Snoopy sub-plot is a nod to our ancestors who traveled to America seeking religious freedom.  One of my ancestors, Edward Doty, was actually one of the original few who made it across the Atlantic alive.  I am thankful for these brave souls who faced loads of uncertainty to charter a new land a new life for us all.  (I am also thankful for Charles Schulz)

2) FOOD!  Turkey!  Dressing!  I am already eagerly anticipating the delicious food that I will be consuming later this month.  Our family is going to Williamsburg for Thanksgiving this year and I plan on dining like George Washington!

3) The gorgeous foliage.  I feel like I am walking through a painting on my commute to and from work each day.  The falling leaves soothe me and create in me a desire to reflect on the past year as well as anticipate time with family in the coming weeks.

What are you thankful for today?