What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

During this holiday week, it's good to stop for a few minutes and consider the things we're thankful for. I've come up with a few items to top my list.

I'm sure you have yours too. As for me, I'm especially thankful that:

- The people I like best in the world share my street address.

- I was on hand to watch the clock turn over a new century.

- Al Gore invented the Internet. (It's handy, especially for those of us who live in the "hinterlands."

- I get to read out loud to kids every day, and they call it a job.

- I can bake chocolate chip cookies whenever I want.

- I grew up on a farm.-

- My parents taught me that boredom is a choice.

- My Dad still telephones on icy mornings, to remind me that the roads are slick.

- My Mom still cooks us "Grandma Breakfast" if we phone ahead for reservations. (Ina's Diner never closes.)

- We own a Labrador.

- I live where I can see the horizon in any direction.

- I took eight years of piano lessons from Ruth Dodge.

- I've lived in cities populated by more than a million people, and counties of just a few thousand.

- Ella Fitzgerald decided to record music.

- George Shearing decided to record music.

- Somebody decided to record Mozart's music.

- I've been married for 21 years.

- My last doctor's visit was about a sore throat.

- Most weeks I laugh more than I cry.

- I have friends. (See above -- "Most weeks I laugh more than I cry.")

- I've pitched a tent and camped in the Rocky Mountains.

- I've fallen off a horse, caught him, and climbed back on.

- Frank Capra filmed "It's a Wonderful Life" and Jimmy Stewart agreed to star.

- Somebody cooked the world's first batch of popcorn.

- Winslow Homer cultivated an interest in watercolors.

- Shari Lewis went to work every morning, and brought Lamb Chop with her.

- Jim Henson went to work every morning, and brought Kermit along.

- Tolkien kept writing.

- At family reunions, the old folks sit around and tell stories.

- I am free to make choices.

- You are free to make choices.

- We live in a country where the No. 2 pencil wields political power.

- I can step outside at night and hear the coyotes howl.

- I modeled in the 4-H style show, even though my hems were crooked. (It's hard to see straight after midnight, the night before.)

- I have fond childhood memories of churning butter.

-I was in elementary school before I learned you could buy bread in a store.

- At the fair, I've ridden the Zipper at least 10 times in a row. The Octopus too.

- Once every year, I fall asleep in front of the Christmas tree.

- I only snooped and found my Christmas presents early one time. After that I knew better.

- When nobody was around, I used to pretend I was dancing in the living room with Fred Astaire.

- When nobody was around, we used to play Olympic Vaulting on our black sofa.

- When nobody was around, none of us broke our necks.

- The best times I've had in life were all because of the people involved.

- I had good teachers. The people at my school knew my name.

- The world is full of wonderful, generous, gracious, down-to-earth people and I've had the privilege of meeting more than my share of them.

- People keep writing silly jokes and publishing them in "Highlights."

- Many years ago, Dr. Seuss wrote "Horton Hears a Who" and I believed it.