Many thanks to Lizzi’s Ten Things of Thankful this week.  I am ‘borrowing’ her moment by moment theme, which means I am blatantly plagiarizing my blogging mentor.  And she doesn’t even know she’s my mentor.  Outright stealing then.  Here we go.  I am so thankful for:

1. Many moments of sheer joy as weather forecasters predicted snow.  More joy as the snow fell.  Prayers that no one would lose their power as the sheets of ice followed.
2. My dearest widower who has fed the birdlings throughout this storm.  He used a metal rake and hauled himself, step by step, up the treacherous icy hill to the feeder.  My dear one has poured out pounds of seed daily for the chilled ground-eating flocks (and squirrels).  What a widower!
3. The pleasure of watching the birdlings eat and eat and eat.
4. Our power remaining on!  And the neighbor’s giant tilting tree has not fallen!  This oak started leaning after hurricane Fran and continues to tilt a bit more every year.  Yeah, not the best photo but Cee‘s blog is helping me!
5. Special texts today from special friends!  Growing up isolated and warped, I never learned how to be a friend.  I am grateful for the women who have patiently loved me into relationships.  Still learning, still stumbling, but hands are always reaching out to catch me.
6. My sister.  She also grew up in that crushing environment where we were pitted against one another for shreds of “affection.”  My sister somehow became a remarkable woman, generous beyond words.  Her life is a living sacrifice for those who desperately need love.
7. Stacey, whose spunky spirit makes her oblivious to the little phonological glitches of her world.  One cute glitch: Stacey has heard her sibs and others talk about Plan B.  She hears Plan V, and drew a picture of same (with help for spelling ‘plan,’ of course).  When her sibs looked at it and said “B!  B!” Stacey continued to draw V’s with great joy.  She’s a survivor.
8. Carrot cake, which my dearest widower and I ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the storm.  Not out of necessity.  Out of pure gluttony.  Oops, that’s an oxymoron.
9. Awesome worship music.  My current favorite is Keeper of My Heart by Kari Jobe. 
10. Chocolate.  Enough said.