Count your Blessings, Name them One by One...

The title of this post is taken from a song we used to sing in Sunday School, but for the life of me that's the only line I remember.

Anywhooo, my friend Chan is having a "Big Blessed Bash Contest" and this gives me a perfect opportunity to focus on the good instead of the bad, or the non-existent as the case may be. For many years I made myself miserable because I wasn't content with what I had. I wanted more. More, more, more. That's not to say I wouldn't be roll out the red carpet if more came along, even just a little more, but I have become pretty good at accepting "what is" and not always wanting more, more, more. Truer words have never been spoken (or written) than this line from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice:

"...where other powers
of entertainment are wanting,
the true philosopher will derive benefit
from such as are given."

Thank you, Miss Austen. I couldn't have said it better myself.

So, on to my blessings. There are so many, where do I start? I have an "embarrassment of riches" in my life. Not literal riches, (although money and jewels would be nice) but the kind of riches that truly count.

• Mom & Dad: I have wonderful parents who are in good health, they love me, and they love their grand dogs. Well, maybe "love" is too strong a word. Like? Nope. Tolerate? Just barely. Other than the one flaw of them not being head-over-heals in love with my poorly-behaved-wild-child dogs, they're the best parents ever.

• Family & Friends: I live with the best sister ever who loves the dogs (almost) as much as I do. She tolerates my wacko sense of humor, and calms me when I go off the deep end. I also have wonderful friends, bloggy and non-bloggy, to share the ups and downs with, and lend a helping hand when needed.

• A Job: With the economy still in the toilet, I am blessed to have a job, especially since I work at a non-profit arts organization. Not only am I lucky to be still working, but I so very grateful that the people here really "get it" that the dogs are my children, and there are times when I need to take off early or come in late, and that's OK, even though they are "just dogs".

What does each of the above have in common?

• My Dogs: My happy, healthy, funny, wonderful, quirky, exasperating, destructive, disobedient, never-sleep-through-the-night dogs. I love my four-legged children more than any mother could love any two-legged child. OK, maybe "as much as", but that's as far as I'll go. I am so very blessed to have three dogs, all in very good health. I know this cannot last, as Cooper is now 10 1/2 years old, but I am thankful for every day I have with each of the dogs.

OK, now I'm crying, so I'm going to stop for now and go give hugs and belly rubs to the best dogs in the world.