Something to be thankful for

Have you heard that the holidays are upon us? Chances are you have. Thursday is Thanksgiving and here in the Bay Area, despite falling home prices and falling leaves, the weather is still warm. At 9am this morning my daughter and I left for our daily walk to her daycare wearing only light jackets. Later that morning my sister called to tell me that it was snowing in Boise, where she lives-the first snowfall of the year. I listened with envy, wishing I was also dancing in the snow.

Thanksgiving in my family is very small, just my husband, my daughter, and me. Years ago my husband and I decided that Thanksgiving would be about us. Sometimes family can be...well...a little much so each year we leave our home and leave our family and head to the mountains. South Lake Tahoe is our destination and each year we stay at the same little hotel a few blocks from Heavenly. Some years there is snow, some years there isn't. Some years we ski, some years we hike. But what is consistent is the dinner. Every year our Thanksgiving feast is at LewMarNels, a lovely restaurant near the water. The staff never changes, and neither does the food. But this is what we like about it. They offer a 5 course meal complete with fondue, soup, salad, choice of entree, and dessert. Each year we fill up our stomachs so much that it hurts to laugh.

This tradition is one that we look forward to every year. Not only does this form of family community remind us how lucky we are to have each other, but how thankful we are.

Despite these economic times, I know there is something that we can all be thankful for.