Feeling grateful

I am currently at 35, 000 feet (trust me, the captain just said so), on my way from Tucson, AZ to New York City, thinking about how grateful I am.  Now, first of all,  I haven't taken any drugs, lest you wonder how I could be grateful about going from a climate in which the sun set in pinks and purples over the mountains yesterday evening after a day of sitting in the 68 degree sun reading a novel and I am now headed to a climate of 8 degree temps.  
I just read a quote that says something like:  "The smile on my face doesn't mean my life is perfect.  It means I appreciate how I have been blessed."
That is precisely how I feel today.  I am grateful to have faith and serenity in my life, something I might have been lacking when I was younger.
I am extremely grateful to be married to a husband who is patient with my quirks and doesn't laugh outloud too much when he sees me doing the exact same things that used to annoy me when my quirky mother did them.  Come to think of it, he may not laugh outloud at those times (like when I press "30 seconds" on the microwave four times instead of simply pressing 2 minutes for my hot water----it's habit) because he is silently contemplating whether or not he has to re-up the marriage commitment at 22 years.  
I have three Labrador Retrievers who love me unconditionally.  I know this because one of them (L.N., who just happens to be the largest, as luck would have it)   sticks to me like Velcro every night in bed.  I think she honestly misses me being a part of her pack when I am traveling.  Dave misses me, then, even more as well, since L.N. exchanges me for Dave as her Velcro strip.  
And, as I just turned in my first draft of my new book to the publisher (and I get ready for the onslaught of edits I will have to make before it is ready for print), I am extremely grateful for being able to do the kind of work I love to do---helping educators and administrators get even better at what they do via consulting, writing, and presenting workshops across the country.    Granted, there are times I must endure airline food, personal habits of airline passengers that I may find questionable (oh no!! I just realized I forgot to put on deodorant this morning.  I may soon be one of those people!), and possible delays or cancellations of flights, but the fact remains I love what I do and I'm doing what I love.  
Just for today, my hope is that you are able to find those things for which you can be grateful.  

Happy Communicating to all!

Shelly