Thanksgiving Dinner was at L and T's place this year. I brought homemade whipped sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts heavy with butter, the southern way. We had a table full of food. Green bean casserole. Stuffing. Turkey. Tofurkey. Gravy. Roasted carrots, potatoes, onions. Mashed potatoes. Macaroni and cheese. Corn bread. My sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. Deviled eggs. Crackers and cranberry goat cheese. Strawberry and rhubarb pie. Lemon meringue pie. Bottles of wine. Champagne. Cocktails. I was stuffed to the brim with food and drinks. There were about 12 people sitting around the table with a vase of roses in the center celebrating Thanksgiving. I felt gratitude for having so much food and so much laughter on this night. People gathered outside after dinner to smoke cigarettes. I wondered about next year, about where this path I'm on will lead me, and whether or not I might have someone special to bring to Thanksgiving Dinner in 2010. I hope that your Thanksgiving was a warm one.

I'm thankful for believing in myself, possessing emotional strength, daring to place myself out there, and continuing to pursue my dreams. I'm also thankful for my friends, my cat, my house.

Between now and next November I would like to write my novel. That is the most ambitious goal of the year. Time starts NOW.