It’s Thursday again – time to count my blessings! And I promise – back to the knitting tomorrow.  

1. Twinkle/Christmas/Holiday lights. Whatever you want to call them, around this time of year they start going up all over Anchorage, and I love them!  It’s not about Christmas, per se.  It’s more that it’s dark more than it’s light now, and starting to get a little bleak out, and they really cheer the place up! 
2. Random Acts of Kindness.  I like doing them, and like receiving them.  It’s nice when someone just smiles at you or opens the door for you or something.  And I feel good doing the same sort of thing back.  It doesn’t have to be a big thing, just something positive.
3. Wacky winter fun. Like with the lights, Anchorage does a lot to keep itself occupied over the long dark months of winter.  From a tree-lighting ceremony on Thanksgiving weekend, through Nutcracker performances and various other Christmas goings on and a big New Year’s Eve celebration downtown, right on to Fur Rondy and the Iditarod, this town has more winter wackiness than you can shake a stick at. 
4. Sticks to shake at things.
5. Ha!  No really. Internet shopping.  I’m almost done with Christmas shopping, and I didn’t even have to put shoes on.  Love it!
6. Little notebooks.  I have a notebook obsession.  Primarily Field Notes, but really any little notebook with a gimmick or a cute cover.  Good thing I like to write stuff down!
7. Good smelling soap.  
8. The heartwarming good bits of news you get every once in a while.  Sometimes, in amongst all the trouble and the strife, you see an article or story about something good that happened, or someone who did something nice.  And that’s the only reason I haven’t cancelled our newspaper subscription.  

That’s really just 7, because 4 was a joke 😉  Hope your day gives you a lot of blessings and a lot to smile about. Feel free to share some in the comments!