This holiday season, I decided to try something different. Instead of writing a list of all of things I am grateful for and, believe me, I am very grateful, I thought what if you walked a mile in someone else’s shoes and wrote down all of the things they should be grateful for. Just maybe, there would be a deeper sense of appreciation for what we all have.

So I chose Claudia – mostly because she is such an easy target!

 

Baby Brad Pitt with Thelma 3 days old!

Claudia has a new baby donkey named Brad Pitt and of course his mother is either Thelma or Louise. (Actually, I can never remember which one is the mother and which one is the friend along for the ride, so to speak.)

Custom made Myopia- colored halter by Round the Bend Tack

With Claudia all roads lead back to her various animals, which are all pets. I know because I have waited for more than an hour while she conferred with the vet before our weekly meetings, and this is not just an every once in a while sort of thing!

So, her son and his wife have moved back home (be grateful for that) and surprise, they brought a cat and a bunny. So that makes by my account thirty- three animals at Cutler Farm to be grateful for. Well, I might be exaggerating a little given that the chicken count is an ever-changing day-to-day inventory.

Number three son recently became an Ensign in the Navy while solving all sorts of engineering challenges in his other world. Lots to be grateful here.

Famous Cutler Farm Rooster

The neighbor across the street who dislikes roosters – seems to have been silenced. (Or maybe it was the rooster who seldom crowed but when he did it sounded like he had the flu!)

Claudia can still eat those salty chips – even though her mouth is occasionally a painful spot and she winces with each little bite, but another year of Cape Cod delicacies. So let’s be grateful that the pleasure of a chip trumps the hurtie.

How beautiful is this!

The New York Times still prints a paper edition. Claudia had to get a new phone – thanks to a mishap in the barn (I know back to the animal theme) but there are always mishaps out there but her favorite techie repaired her aging laptop. No need to replace. More money for hay and chicken feed.

She still has me – forever grateful.

End of the day light

And the field behind her house is one of the most beautiful sights on an early winter’s day when the fading sunlight filters through the last of the red leaves in such magical way. Appreciate where you live.

Sonia Claudia Gavin Jackson Hole

Claudia still looks good on a horse – especially in the wild West in July with her youngest son and her dear friend Sonia. Be grateful you can still fool them.

Mostly, she should be grateful that she does not have to write one about me because I beat her to it.

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

So in conclusion, yes I did make fun of my dearest friend, but who else to tell you that in spite of the angst we feel when life does us wrong, laughter and gratitude are the pillars of survival.

 

Just Sayin

In gratitude

Lucy and her friend Claudia