I’m not usually the type of person who goes public when it comes to saying things I’m grateful for or thankful for. It’s between me and my good buddy Jesus and his old man. They always get a chest thump and "peace out" from me.

Having said that, I guess I should go ahead and just get it out there. The "how to" books all say you should write things out to "release" them,  rather than standing around a fire pit and screaming things out to release them. Others say to write things on a slip of paper and burn them, letting the smoke carry it all off to the ethers.

Whatever.

So, I’m going to start my list here and now:

I am grateful and thankful for all the men and women who serve in our armed forces. It really takes a special person to suit up every day and serve their country and community. I extend this to firefighters, EMS workers, police men and women, utility workers, waste management people, and anyone who does service doing "the dirty work."

I am grateful to all the old boyfriends who loved and left me, for one reason or another. I realize you were doing me a big favor. Thank you for that.

I am thankful and grateful for all the teachers I ever had. Teachers take abuse in all forms ... from administration, to kids, to parents ... they are usually the least acknowledged group of people as a whole as there ever were. There is always heated debate when it comes to the pay that teachers receive, but they deserve every dime they get and more. Kids these days are getting less and less respectful of teachers — and anyone older, in general — and teachers have so little resources to deal with foul-mouthed, spoiled, rotten little mankers.

Parents, take heed. Your golden boy or girl may not be as sweet as honey once they step outside the house. Snap out of it!

I am grateful for all the friends I have that are now in the twilight of their lives. Hubs recently commented that I should be happy to be back around "old friends." I commented that "old" is the operative word.

Most of them are well past the 70-year mark. And all are just as funny as ever, even slightly more so now that dementia seems to be touching each of their lives. As people get older, they are less inclined to worry what others think of them. They are less cautious about the stories they reveal, the hidden gems that once were embarrassing now make for hilarious — or frightening, as the case may be — tales that should become part of a family’s history.

There were some dearly sweet older folks that passed on before I was able to dig the good stories out of them, but I know I’ll get to hear them when the time is right.

I am grateful and thankful always for Hubs, who, even when I pick on him mercilessly because he so richly deserves it, keeps coming back for more. He’s a good egg who works harder than anyone I know. He’s always aware of what our needs are and works extra hard to provide every little bit of comfort we could possibly need. The Kid and I are richly blessed. Anyone who will kill a bug for me and not complain about it is all right by me.

Grateful and thankful as always for my siblings, because they provide quite a bit of fodder for me. We’ve never smashed bottles over each other’s heads, but we have had our battles. Now that we’re all settling too nicely into middle age, our biggest concern seems to be "who is gonna cook the holiday dinner?" It’s a little thing, and I’m grateful that that is the only big dilemma in our family.

I’m grateful and thankful for the churches. Keeps folks off the roads on Sundays and leaves me wide open for shopping and movie going.  

I am grateful and thankful for having been blessed with nutty as all get out parents and grandparents. Lovely people, but man ... wuz they crazy! Pops liked to sing and dance around the house, would beat the heck out of a steering wheel when he was driving — whether it was to a Louis Prima song or cheering on the Braves — and stab your hand with his peeler if you tried to steal an apple while he was making pies. 

Ma nagged like nobody’s business. We learned very early on that the best way to deal with her was with humor. If you imitated her well enough, she’d actually parade you in front of her friends and have you do it. You could turn her mood on a dime if you supplied her with a joke or parody. She didn’t just nag us, she nagged our friends, too. They ate it up.

They tried hard to be tough as nails but they were no match against seven offspring ... and a dog or two who would always want in on the action.

The grandparents were sweet as could be (by the time we got them) — and when they’d disappear back into their bedroom early on a Saturday evening, you can be certain it wasn’t for some sweet lovey dovey pillow talk.

Heavens no. 

Saturday night was wrestling night, and they’d be glued to the set in their bedroom, cheering on their favorites. Grampa would bang on the arms of his rocker, and Nana would pound her sweet little fist into her hand, and come out later a little shaken.

"Time for a cuppa tea ...."  She’d giggle about it all afterward.

They were quite a pair. 

All of us were very thankful and blessed to have Frank and Margaret for as long as we did.

Lastly, I am thankful to be living in the United States of America. I am grateful for all the people who want to keep it "The Greatest Country on Earth."

May we be blessed that it will remain so.