Giving Thanks

I didn't participate in the daily thankful list that many did on facebook. It just isn't my thing to do that kind of thing publicly. But that doesn't mean that I am not thankful. I decided to do my list on my blog. 24 for every day from Nov. 1 until Thanksgiving Day. So here goes:

1. I am thankful for my husband, my kids, my grandkids, my in-laws etc.

2. I am thankful for my friends, my neighbors and acquaintences, etc.

3. I am thankful that I am not in debt anymore, except for my house.

4. I am thankful for a job that I love and that actually pays me very well to do what I enjoy doing.

5. I am thankful that I am no longer addicted to games on facebook.

6. I am thankful that I have caller ID on my television so I know who is calling without having to get up.

7. I am thankful for DVR's so I can pause my program and take a call if I want to talk to them and also so that I can record shows and watch them when it is convenient for me.

8. I am thankful for the gospel and that I have it in my life. (By the way, the order I put these items in has nothing to do with my priorities.)

9. I am thankful that God doesn't always answer my prayers and He doesn't always grant me my desires because some of them may have messed up my life bigtime.

10. I am thankful that nobody has "occupied" my yard.

11. I am thankful for my dog and that he cannot talk so that I can believe that he adores me and is 100% loyal all the time.

12. I am thankful for horses. Just because.

13. I am thankful that I live in a country where I can voice my opinion without fear of being put in jail for it.

14. I am thankful that I have been married more than half of my life and that it is way better than my wildest dreams.

15. I am thankful for lemons.

16. I am thankful for C-Pap machines so that both me and my hubby can sleep better. (Oh, in case anyone is wondering, he uses the machine, not me.)

17. I am thankful for Thanksgiving time so that I can have 4 straight days off work.

18. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon.

19. I am thankful for books.

20. I am thankful for music.

21. I am thankful for computers and all the things I can learn and do on them.

22. I am thankful for telephones and especially for cell phones so that we can stay in touch with our loved ones and friends at all times.

23. I am thankful that I am educated and can read, write, type, and blog when I want to.

24. I am thankful for my life.

I Am A Hick From the Sticks and Proud of It

I have had a problem with people who are not from a rural community all of my life.

They seem to think that living in the country somehow dumbs you down. (As if living near lots of other people and buildings somehow makes your brain enlarge or something.) I had a "city" cousin growing up that made it known to me from early on that she was just a little better and smarter because of living in the city. Now I thought this was just a childish notion. And she truly has grown out of it. But there are plenty of adults who still carry this attitude. Somehow they feel they are just a little "better" than country folks. These same adults think they are more educated or at least better educated than country folks. Isn't this a classic example of "pride". Pride is not a good thing. Not when you feel better or superior to others.

What brought on this tirade? Well, there is a man in our community who is from the city. He wants to retire to the country. He is a few years away from retirement but he wanted to get a head start on the preparations. So, he has built a house in Hiko. He works and lives in the city all week and spends every weekend in Hiko. The other day he said that he has always been influenced by many to feel like the people in the country were going to be less educated and not so "on-the-ball" as the city folks. But he said that his experience has been quite different. He finds the people in our community quite the opposite. He says that many of them have more education and degrees that he does not have.

Now I truly understand if someone does not like the country life. Most people are not accustomed to it. They can't do without the entertainment they need or the shopping close by. We, however, enjoy living here and don't mind traveling a little distance to enjoy the same things. We love the environment where our children learn to work and keep super-busy in many activities, which in turn keeps them out of trouble. We understand that if everyone liked this way of life, then that very way of life would go away. But we don't understand the need for city folks to feel superior or better than us who do choose something that they don't enjoy.

Now, I have had my say. And I feel better. Thanks.