Jamie Janosz

I'm reminded today, to be thankful for the normal. Even for ice cubes. Following the hurricane, there was no electric and no clean water. Ice became a hot commodity in our community. We arrived at the grocery store and someone said they had just delivered 10 pallets of bagged ice. People were joyful - carrying two or three bags in their shopping carts. Milt and I rushed to the aisle only to find it was gone all of it...not one cube to be found. Ordinary ice. Ice cubes that I take for granted. I throw them out if they fall on our kitchen floor or if I accidentally put too much into my cup at the soda fountain. I've received a huge reminder that we are to take nothing for granted. Normal is so good. And everything that we love or hate or even whine about can change in the blink of an eye. The hot mug of coffee I am drinking is a gift. That bed that I slept in is a gift. That person who we hug or argue with is also a gift...a tremendous gift. Even the lon...

On this night before Thanksgiving, I thought I would take a moment to remember all of the many things for which I am thankful. And I am....SO thankful. When I was little, Thanksgiving was a flurry of turkey and mashed potatoes, stressed out female relatives slaving in the kitchen, endless piles of dirty dishes, turkey wishbones, football on the tv, wax pilgrim and Indian candles, crunchy piles of fall leaves, and long car drives to the Quad Cities where my grandparents lived. This year, our Thanksgiving will be simple. We are going out to dinner, so I have plenty of time to write, and pause, and just say thank you for all the blessings of my life: for afternoon walks with my husband on the new nature trail just blocks from our home. for unexpected vintage treasures, like the two yards of tiki fabric I found at the thrift store today. for my daughter, who is fifteen, sweet and smart, and has not yet tormented me with teenage angst. for a job that I love - teach...