On this day after Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for.  The real problem is figuring out where to start.

Let’s begin with all the kids and grandkids who came to Thanksgiving dinner yesterday at Grandma’s house yesterday.

I’m thankful for the feast itself.  Yes, there were the usual suspects on the table—turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, fruit salad, pumpkin pies.  But there were also some new veggies available—parmesan dusted cauliflower—which, if you’re trying to stick to the “plan,” does just fine in place of mashed potatoes.

I’m thankful for my first mother-in-law, Mary Grandma, whose turkey dressing recipe was front and center.

I’m thankful for our health, and for the pieces of our health that Bill and I have managed to regain in the course of the last six months.  When I mentioned the “plan” above, I’m not talking about a diet.  I’m talking about a fundamental change in our way of life and in how we do things.  Yes, I’m still walking—even in the wind and rain.  Yes, I’m still exercising.  And I’m thankful for the fans who have sent along their own personal progress reports.  One lady wrote to say she is down 60!! pounds since reading my May 1 blog.  Compared to her, I’m a piker—I’m only down 50.  And this week I was able to wear a size 16 dress that I bought and wore once in 2004, and haven’t worn it since.  I found it lurking in the back corner of my closet, tried it on, and it FIT!!

Why am I writing about this, still?  Is it bragging?  No.  It’s a way of keeping score and keeping myself honest.  If I stop giving you walking updates, it could be the same as not getting on a scale because you already know it’s going to be bad news.  Nope.  Keep checking on me, folks.  That’s part of your job if you want to keep me healthy.  By the way, as of today, my yearly daily step average is 9,970.

I’m thankful for my fans, all of them, and for the notes they send me:  For the nurses, and the doctor who wrote to set me straight on a medical issue in Dance of the Bones;  For the lady who wrote to say she had blown up a map of Cochise County until it was the size of a paperback, put it in a cellophane wrapper, and then uses it as a dust-jacket on her paperbacks so she always has a map handy when she’s reading a Joanna Brady book; for the fan who was kind enough to let me know of the passing of another fan down in Oregon; for the lady who wrote to me this week to tell me that my books had been a godsend to her during the last few months when she was going through a rough patch.

And I’m looking forward to the holiday season—the hubbub, the shopping, the decorations, the frenzy.  I love it.  I’ve always loved it, and I’m glad I still do.

Happy Holidays people.  Enjoy them.