Random bits of gratitude

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and I haven't blogged nearly enough about the things that I am grateful for! Here are a few things that have been on my mind recently, in no particular order:

• Good music: A little over a week ago I went to a friend's orchestra performance and was reminded of how grateful I am for good music as I listened to Violin Concerto No. 3 by Camille Saint-Saens. It was beautiful. Whether it's a song that makes me tear up in church, a song to sing along to in the car, or a song that makes me want to get up and dance, I can't deny the power good music has upon me, and it's ability to bring me joy.
  

• Leggings: With the cold weather upon us, I am so grateful for leggings which are both cute and warm. Win-Win! Since I have to dress up for work and I have only two pairs of dress pants, I end up wearing dresses and skirts to work a lot. And with two males in the office, the temperature is never quite as warm as I would like it to be.
  
• Clorox wipes: I cleaned three different bathrooms this week and don't know what I would have done without these things. Clorox wipes are my favorite cleaning product and I go through them like crazy!
  
• No snow! I know this will shortly change, but I consider it lucky that we have made it to almost Thanksgiving without any permanent snowfall. Despite our need for the moisture, I prefer to prolong the days of driving and trenching through the snow as much as possible.

• Close friends: I have recently expressed my need for people in my life, and I cherish the friendships that I have developed over the years. I recently had the opportunity to enjoy a road trip down to the Grand Canyon with just such friends and had an absolute blast! But more about that trip in later posts . . .
  

• Literature: I love to read. The vast amount of good books available overwhelms and astounds me. I love books that teach, books that enlighten, books that entertain, . . . pretty much all kinds of books. I spend the majority of my lunch break at work reading. If I don't have a book or two that I am in the middle of, I don't know what to do with myself. Speaking of which, I just finished my book today so a library trip is in order. . . any good suggestions of what I can read next??