Thanks from the other side of 50

So I have been past the 50 mark one week as of today. I thought I should share what I am thankful for in light of reaching that milestone. In keeping with Pastor Ross' challenge, here are my 10 reasons I am thankful, now that I am 50:

1. Getting there. I have attended funerals of friends my age. I am grateful for the years God has given me.

2. Hindsight. I can look back at many times in my life when circumstances were not unfolding like I thought they should and see that it was God's hand that arranged as He knew it should.

3. My health. If you don't count the extra 15 pounds (I'm working on that) I need to lose, I am healthy. I can see, hear, talk (a lot), smell, run (a short distance), walk, breathe, sleep, and eat as I please.

4. Respect. As a woman, I realize that there are many countries, and even parts of the US where women have little or no value as a person; and the older, the less useful, so even less respected. I appreciate the respect given to me, simply because I am older. I feel valued, not disregarded.

5. Choices. I do what I want to do.

6. Ipods and podcasts. itunes downloading on my ipod is a far cry from holding a microphone from my cassette player in front of the am radio to record Donny Osmond singing "Puppy Love".

7. Boneless chicken breast. When I was young, my job was to cut up the chicken for dinner. Dismembering a whole chicken is one of the worst, and most reoccurring events of my young life.

8. Microsoft Word. Typing a letter on a typewriter was, at best tedious. Each mistake was carefully erased, then came the impossible task of spacing the lines back so that the next letter was in the correct position. Good luck!

9. Weedeaters. These are so much better than the grass clippers I had to use to edge around the mailbox, trees and flower beds.

10. Honda s2000. At 50, seldom do more than one of my kids want/need to ride anywhere with me at a time. For the last 23 years, I have driven tanks to accomodate my family, and did so gladly. But there is nothing like 74 degrees, top down, music up, shifting into 6th gear.......