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It is the evening before Thanksgiving and I have a lot to be thankful for. Today I spent some time thinking of all the things and people in my life that make me feel grateful.

I am thankful for western medicine. It was just over a year ago I had a heart pacemaker put in. I am grateful to all of the nurses, techs and doctors who took care of me after my heart stopping working properly. I am thankful that we now have technology that prolongs our lives. If it were not for modern technology I would not be here. I have more surgery ahead of me but I am confident I will be well taken care of.

I am thankful that my boss hired me when she did. As others struggle to find work I went from one job to another. My boss is very patient and understands my medical concerns. She has made my transition for executive secretary to accounting administrator easy and even fun at times.

I am thankful that my son has grown up to be such a respectable and noble young man. He has never given me cause to worry. As he gets ready for his first year of college I marvel at his focus on getting done what needs to be done; from filling out his admin forms to looking for scholarships. This kid is showing a lot of maturity and dedication. I will miss him when he is gone, but at least I know he has what it takes to succeed.
I am thankful that my mother and I now have the kind of relationship that I had always wanted when I was younger. We have become good friends who can laugh about things and talk about serious issues. I think we both finally figured out we need each other.

I am thankful that the internet has become a place where people from all over can connect. Whether we visit blogs or belong to social media groups the internet has become a world of friends. I am also grateful that colleges have started to offer classes and degrees online. Because of this I will meet my educational goals.
Finally I am thankful for every person who takes the time to read my blog. We do not formally know each other, but because we connect through words, I feel a connection to you not found outside of the blogging world.
Happy Thanksgiving my friends. I wish you a stress free day filled with love and laughter.

I joined the classics challenge a few weeks ago promising to read at least three classics and one retelling. First up for was the epic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The poem tells the tale of Sir Gawain of the Round Table and his challenge of the Green Knight. During the first celebration of King Arthur’s reign the Green Knight (an immortal) rides to the castle in order to trade blows with a worthy knight. It is an old Irish challenge based on the epic Fled Bricrend in which the hero Cuchulain plays a game with a immortal being called Uath. Cuchulain strikes Uath in the neck causing him to lose his head. Uath picks up his head but comes back the next day. Cuchulain being the good hero offers his head. Uath strikes Cuchulain but leaves his head intact and declares Cuchulain the winner for being honest enough to offer up his head.

The Green Knight challenges Arthur’s knights as a way to honor Arthur as the new King of the land. To the embarrassment of the court no knight stands up. Arthur finally does to show the Green Knight respect. Sir Gawain is horrified that Arthur would offer his life for the knights so he takes his place. He tells Arthur “I am the weakest, the most wanting in wisdom I know, And my life, if lost, would be least missed, truly. Only through your being my uncle I am to be valued”. Sir Gawain then offers the Green Knight his word that he will offer his head as part of the game. Sir Gawain strikes the knight and all watch as the head rolls away from the body. The body then picks up the head and turns it to Sir Gawain saying “in one year’s time come to my castle to finish the game.
The story is about Sir Gawain’s travel to the knight’s land. He does not know exactly where the knight lives so he stops at a castle to ask directions. It is in this castle and what happens in it is where the bulk of the story takes place.

I enjoyed the story in its poem form far more than I thought I would. The words flowed and the language was easy to understand. I found myself so absorbed in the story I finished it in one sitting. The story was a lesson on honesty and valor. This is one classic read I would recommend, for the sheer joy of reading a poem that feels like a novel. Why don’t they write books like this anymore?