As the years go by I appreciate the subtleness of Thanksgiving more and more.  Yes, in many ways it is a holiday that is being eclipsed by Christmas and other Fall/Winter celebrations but maybe it’s all a matter of perspective.

I’m thankful –  Thanksgiving is simple.  The activity around it is grounded in using seasonable food to share a special meal with loved ones.  What is more essential and represents human celebration and tradition more than that?  The intellectual component is just as authentic.  Making time to give thought and thanks to the elements (human and otherwise) in one’s life that contribute to well-being and happiness.

Recently, I heard a well-known, wildly successful, public spokes-lady make a comment about, “trying to save Thanksgiving.”  My thought was, “hopefully not with a lot of trimmings, trinkets and extra traditions that lead to commercialism with a capital C and blow away the easy beauty and richness of simple celebrations.

Keep perspective, keep Thanksgiving simple.  We Americans need some simplicity in our lives to keep us grounded, right?

In keeping with simple gratitude I’m thankful to be a daily gardener possessing a special keenness towards the natural world. By keenness, I don’t mean a special talent, skill or understanding.  I just mean a connection that makes me feel incredibly motivated, inspired, hopeful, incredulous and sometimes even fearful (certain creatures, you know… :)).

To express my gratitude of the natural world, I’m sharing some shots of the places and moments I’ve been lucky enough to experience over the years.  Some from years ago and others recent but all in my memory and thankful thoughts.  Thankful to have witnessed such genuine beauty…

And, I simply can’t sign out today without expressing thanks to my loving family and friends.  Thank you all for being in my life.  Everyone enjoy a Simple Day of Giving Thanks!