Because awareness begets gratitude and gratitude grows joy, it's Thankful Thursday. Please join me in a weekly pause to express appreciation for people, places, things and more.

drew myron photo

1.
Daffodils with Lunchbox
This is my Grandma's lunchbox, recently unearthed from deep in a crawl space. Grandma Lucy — we called her Lu — lived to the age of 97 and passed in 2006. Last week we found this metal box in which she had scratched her name and the year, 1930. In that same box, my father tucked his own object of time, this glass bottle from Arvada Gibson. Because I like connections, I see a theme: name your place, mark your days, save a token of ordinary life.

mather schneider photo

2.
A Bag of Hands
A chapbook of poems on love and immigration by Mather Schneider. Tough, tender and telling. This slim volume is included with a subscription to Rattle, my favorite literary journal (another gratitude) and available here.

andrew wyeth by usps
3.
Andrew Wyeth stamps
I'm writing letters and sending notes just so I can use these stamps.

jenny loughmiller photo
4.
Hundred Hearts Project
Jenny Loughmiller is making gratitude tangible, creating 100 paintings for all the women who have impacted her life.

drew myron photo
5.
Words of place
sage, scrabble, scrub, lonesome, vast

What's on your list? What are you thankful for today?