Nice Notice - 11/27/08

The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.

Nietzsche
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It's Thanksgiving day
In the USA.
The wood is stacked,
The livestock shacked,
The harvest stored
Thank the Lord.
The family is here,
A time for cheer.
Tra la la.

To spend a holiday alone, particularly on a cold gray day, can be a slightly scary thing. But it does give me a chance to quietly think about the things I am grateful for.

As I slowly approach my 70th birthday I am thankful that I am still alive.

I'm thankful for having had the opportunity to spend my life in the arts, which has given me a constantly changing perspective on the scenery of life.

I am thankful for the great composers, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner and others who have given me the unending blessing of their music.

I am thankful for the great writers, Shakespeare, Milton, Dostoyevsky, Sandburg and others who have given me such great literature to accompany me on my journey.

I am thankful for the great artists, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso and others who have inspired me with their paintings over the years.

I am thankful for the great philosophers, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Nietzsche and others who have challenged my thinking and kept me alert.

I am thankful for my few but fascinating friends around the country who are people to remember and think about every day.

I am thankful for my great, interesting, loving journal buddies in Google Land. none of whom I have ever met.

May you all have a rich, blessed and happy day.

DB - Vagabond