lots to be thankful for

Well I was a pretty gloomy puss yesterday, and it's not that I've recovered so much today. But reading the posts on Oprah's bulletin board reminded me that I am so lucky compared to so many. So I started thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for and it's a quite a lengthy list, including (albeit with a few qualifiers!) ...

• good health (well except for feeling depressed currently)
• a nice body - lean without making too much effort
  
• Dan
• my sweet doggies, Topaze and Hershey, and their wonderful predecessors Perky and Nicky
• my family - especially Mommy, Daddy and Auntie Bessie. (sure wish they were here, though)
• my house - spacious and full of potential; with a little TLC it will be spectacular!
• living in probably the best place on the entire planet: Canada!
• being so near to a beautiful waterfront that I can see and walk every single day
• a job I love and feel fulfilled in (usually!), with good pay and even lots of time off
• Dan finally having a good job with decent pay and - hopefully - stability
• winning a $2000 gift card to start the year - and the new 37" LCD TV we got with it
• my intelligence
• my love of reading - and all the books in my library
• libraries in general (bookstores too)
• my comfy lazyboy
• writing (sometimes!)
• delicious food - and plenty of it

Not a bad list, and I'll probably think of more as soon as I post this.

Essentially my sole problem is a lack of children. But it sure is a big problem. I know even according to research having children is no guarantee of happiness; there are happy moments but lots of not so great moments too. Not having them, however, is definitely not a guarantee of happiness - especially if it was an absolutely key ambition. In fact, there is a baby-sized hole in my heart that I don't think anything will ever be able to fill.