We hope you have plans this Thanksgiving to enjoy some happy times with friends and family. If you do, and if you are giving thanks, it may go as follows: Each person in turn professes something for which they are thankful. Many will pay tribute (if they are smart), to his/her “beautiful wife, handsome husband or significant other,” etc. Some might also say, “my good health, the love of my family and friends, living here in Georgia, or the United States, or God’s many blessings.” These compose 80% - 90% of most everyone’s verbal expressions of thankfulness.
So, what about the less obvious ones? We thought we should mention here some simple pleasures for which we both are thankful, to round out our full gratitude list for this Thanksgiving season from both our perspectives.
We are thankful for morning coffee together...
Sheri: I do love my coffee…well, these days for me it is only decaf, but I have realized it is the flavor I love, not the caffeine. A warm cup of coffee (or decaf) with my honey is the best way to start every day!
Bill: Coffee on the beach at sunrise is even better! And then right after the coffee, we always get married. Surprised? Well, it's a tradition we started on the day we married. Every night we take our rings off and place them together in a box on the nightstand. Then in the morning after coffee, with rings in hand, we ask each other to marry. Sheri says, “yes” just like she always has every day since we married in 2011. I agree that coffee is great, but our ring tradition is my favorite “forever deal” for which I am very thankful!
We are thankful for clever conversation...
Sheri: A clever word always keeps things interesting and keeps us both on our toes. You never know when a clever word or two will spark inspiration for a new article or new song lyrics!
Bill: Speaking of clever dialogue, I photographed this aquatic duo pictured above at the Georgia Aquarium where all sorts of wild and domestic dialects are spoken. Bet these two are telling fish stories, like "What did the fish say when it swam into the concrete wall? “Dam”!" Seafood anyone?
We are thankful for infectious smiles...
Sheri: Even on a gray and rainy day, smiles always seem to make things a little better, don’t they? I need to remember to smile more often!
Bill: Speaking of smiling, here's a joke: Who is better? Mr. Better or Mr. Better’s baby. Well, Mr. Better’s baby is a little better. Sorry for the “dad joke,” but it makes me grin to tell it.
We are thankful for family fun...
Sheri: I love family vacations, but they can be chaotic at times. Just getting everyone to agree on the same thing at the same time is a rare blessing.
Bill: So how many attempts (and fun) do you think we had jumping into this shot? It started out sounding like this: “Shall we all jump on the count of three…or after three?” “Am I going to get my hair wet?” “The water looks cold--is the pool heated?” “Will we look silly?” In the end, after successfully adjusting my camera timer with enough delay to allow for me to join the party, I was able to successfully capture family pool party fun. Whew, that was fun, right?
We are thankful for waterfalls...
Sheri: I love the feel, sound, and spectacular view I get when I approach a roaring waterfall… even the ground begins to rumble…Mother Nature speaking!
Bill: Yep, and there is a refreshing mist in the air. In fact, it is a real art protecting your camera from that mist, while still getting in position for the shot. Your senses tingle as you begin to choreograph the shot, getting the best image from the best vantage with the best light, best foreground, best background, so that the image can tell the story. Of course, not slipping on damp rocks needs to be part of my choreography!
We are thankful for just relaxing together...
Sheri: Cruises are one of my favorite ways to relax. I love to find a double lounger and read. I like to read fiction, where I can let my mind drift away from everyday demands; whereas Bill prefers non-fiction since he is always busy learning something new.
Bill: I agree: sun lounger for two on a cruise (we call it a "deck nest") is a terrific way to relax. Occasionally you look up to be sure your partner is cozy, share the moment, engage in a bit of people watching, and plan the next kickback event…like a nice lunch buffet or some chocolate melting cake.
We are thankful for enough time...
Sheri: I am thankful for having enough time...but what is “enough”? When I am super busy, I feel like there is just not enough time to finish all that I want to do. But when I am not busy, I feel like I have time hanging over me, waiting for some unknown thing to happen. What I want is infinite time together, stay happily busy, and keep wanting more time!
Bill: Agreed. I also think about quality and quantity of time. It is difficult to put three pounds of treasure into a two-pound bag. Ever heard about the butcher that was in such a hurry not having enough time, that the butcher accidentally backed up into his own meat grinder? Turns out that the butcher got a little behind in his work (ouch!). We all get the same number of hours and minutes in a day, so what we do with those moments, you might say, is timely. We sing about a lot of special moments in time in our most recent album “Moments”.
So, there you have it: a few simple pleasures from our shared crayon box of life, for which we are extremely thankful. Bet you have a few colorful ones to share too? This time of year, it always seems worth pondering.
We wish you a wonderful and thankful Thanksgiving!
Positively yours,
Sheri & Bill, Story Tellers Through Word, Image and Song
InOurView.com offers a collection of blog articles, original photography and original folk pop songs inspired by everyday life from our positive view. Positively Speaking, “Sheri & Bill...Story Tellers in Word, Image and Song”
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