How Will You Celebrate?

I am sitting here in the early morning quiet of the house, deciding what to post. I have caught up on several of my favorite blogs. At this time of year, I try to reflect on what I am thankful for. It may be hard for many of you to find something. As a small business owner, I am right there with you. I need brakes for my truck (Can you guess what my Christmas present is?), we have a lot of debt, just like so many of you.

We started the tackle store with great expectations. We knew that is wasn't going to be easy, but we also knew that we could provide people with an exceptional experience when they were here. We also cater to our locals. We love you gals and guys. Yes, women fish! We are trying to hang on through a tough winter.

So anyway, no one wants to go to a site and here complaints, what I want to give you is my top 10 list of what I am thankful for...

10-snowfall, I will take it whenever I can get it! It just makes everything look clean and crisp. Also Lugnut's feet have gotten too big to wear my boots so I get them back!

9-Stripers-(not strippers!) that sweet game fish may be our only hope this winter. They are here- now if we can just get some blitzes from the surf. Here fishy, fishy.

8-My boss, Shelly. She knows my financial situation and she is giving me as many hours as possible. Even though that means that I often leave when the kids do and some days I don't get home until after 6, I appreciate it. Especially on paydays!

7-Our friends. Sometimes we don't realize how much our friends can help us and are willing to do so. My friends Karen, Jennifer and Desiree are two good examples. Karen is like a mom to me and she kicks me in the pants whenever I need it. Thanks-I know I need it a lot. Jennifer and Desiree are great for being my sounding boards and helping me whenever I need it-which is a lot lately.

6-Our customers and my blog readers. Those of you who continue to support our store. THANK YOU. We have made so many new friends as a result of this business venture. You are the best. (I love my peeps!) I also love getting comments from those of you who read this. Thank you, it brightens my day to know someone is taking the time to read my rambling thoughts.

5-Desperate Housewives-I mean really, who can't thank that show? Anytime I jump on the pity party bus, I just watch good ole DH. Are we pinching pennies? Yep..so hard they scream. BUT we don't have a teenage son who got his best friends mother pregnant or an elderly woman trying to control our family through her fortune. Or my favorite right now, I am not married to a psychologically deranged killer who married me to get closer to our neighbors. Yep, not such a bad life!

4-My pets...Shadow and Tink. They are just good for my soul. Shadow is my protector and on days when I just don't feel like I can be superwoman, she can take some of the responsibility. At least no one will get the kids if she is outside. Tink is my constant companion. Her biggest fault is her revenge. If I leave her, which I have to do, she will pee in my bedroom. If the kids get on her nerves...you guessed it. We are still working on correcting this bad behavior. Pet whisperer...where are you?

3-My extended family. A few are coming here for Thanksgiving. Thanks for making the trip Auntie and Christine and family. It is nice to have a family Thanksgiving. Christine is the cousin I am closest to. It has always been that way. She lived in my town for awhile and also spent almost every summer there. We are almost like sisters. Actually, I think we are better than many sister because we don't harbor grudges from childhood. Many of my family seem to have sister issues, where they bring up some obscure incident from the distant pass and say, "This is why I can never be around her." Well...Christine did some mean things to me and I know I did some mean things to her, but its the PAST people. Build that bridge and get over it!

2-My immediate family- Mako Man and the girls. What a gift. Mako Man has been working like a dog lately and he is working this week so that I can spend some time with my family. THANK YOU. My girls are really stepping up to the plate and helping out. I am so grateful to all of them.

1-The thing I am most thankful for is God. I am going to borrow some things I read from Rachel Anne's post over at Home Sanctuary. Sometimes we get hit over the head with the Good Book. Its a big book and it hurts, but it is God's way of getting our attention. Maybe this whole world financial crises is a "thump on the head" moment from God. Maybe he is reminding us to get our comfort from him, not from material things. We can't take it with us. I hope that you spend a few moments today thinking about what you are thankful for.