I have been reading with interest the 100 things lists some are doing, and have decided to do one with a bit different focus. Looking back on my first "survivor" year, the negatives are obvious and don't need repeating here. I have decided to start the new year concentrating on the things I am thankful for, so here goes. I am not going to set any particular number to it, we'll just see where it goes. Rather than retyping "I am thankful for" each entry, I will use " as ditto marks, please be sure to read it as such. Thanks for reading!

 

I am thankful for my Lord and God and how he helps me everyday

 

" the fresh, crisp, Northern Minnesota air I breath everyday

 

" having a wife that makes sure I have a good meal in the refrig to eat while she is sleeping after a night shift

 

" having had two good marriages in this life

 

" having had 28 great years with my late wife

 

" having had 6 years with Lesley so far, looking forward to many more

 

" the snow that is gently falling as I write this

 

" having a new ATV to plow aforementioned snow

 

" mosquito nets and repellant

 

" two great dogs and companions

 

" a great family in New Zealand, mum, son, two lovely grand daughters

 

" the ability to usually put back together what I take apart just to see how it works

 

" 4 wheel drive vehicles

 

" 62 trips around the sun

 

" homemade bread anytime I want it

 

" a brain. The stroke proved I have one, abeit a bit less than I had

 

" Saeboflex

 

" Active Release therapy

 

" Dr Shane McCormick in Thunder Bay, Canada

 

" this forum to express myself

 

" the ability to do so

 

" friends that showed up unexpectedly before Christmas with pizza and a real Christmas tree for us

 

" the same friends that then proceeded to decorate said tree

 

" the local Dr that lives nearby and unexpectedly showed up Christmas Eve night with his John Deere tractor and cleared our driveway of fresh fallen snow

 

" sudoku

 

" football

 

" netflix movies

 

" airplanes

 

" the opportunity to serve my country for 20 years in war and peace

 

" the miracle of three babies born in the past three months on our short road here in the country. Only 8 families live on this road. Must be the well water

 

" growing up in the country as a boy with my springer spaniel companion helping deliver the newspapers

 

" going to a small country school without all the programs and "advantages" of a big city school

 

" my next cup of coffee

 

" my life getting better as I make it simpler

 

" telephones

 

" I can still carry my canoe

 

" I can still fish alone

 

" there will probably not be anyone else in sight on the lake

 

" the lakes are frozen and I will be ice fishing soon

 

" there are fish in the lakes foolish enough to bite on my feeble lure presentations

 

" I have a wife that likes to fish, still working on the football

 

" there are less than 5,000 people living in our county, which is the size of the state of Rhode Island

 

" we are too remote for more people to come here to live

 

" we have one stoplite in the entire county

 

" the days are getting longer

 

" I can watch the Northern Lights

 

" I graduated from high school

 

" the teachers were kind

 

" I have been in 30 countries

 

" I have been in 49 states

 

" I am living exactly where I want to be

 

" I have everything I need, almost everything I want (still want a snowmobile)

 

" a wife that has stuck by me thru thick and thin

 

" a three month old baby boy to babysit for our neighbor

 

" if I play my cards right, he will be able to carry my canoe for me when I no longer can do it myself

 

" on the 5 mile trip to town I am more likely to see wildlife than another car

 

" snow sticks to pine trees

 

" I know a God that loves me

 

" I sleep well at night

 

" our dog "Tippy" has grown from a tiny puppy to a 40lb companion in just 10 months

 

" Dickons for naming our dog "Tippy"

 

" that Tippy is housebroken

 

" I see miracles around me everyday

 

" our freezer and cubbords are full

 

" I am still eating the Christmas ham

 

" there was a Christmas ham to eat

 

" the sun will rise in the East tomorrow morning and I have good reason to believe I will be able to watch it

 

" the bills are paid

 

" I wouldn't trade my life experiences for anything on this earth

 

" I have to opportunity to hopefully give some others a bit of joy and something to think about reading this