Thanksgiving again

and a lot to be thankful for, a job that pays my bills and buys a few extras in life, a house with a dry roof, a small town that I love being a part in, some great friends, Jake home and working a part time job he really likes.
A co-worker left last night, leaving me to put in close to 11 hours, but her home was on fire with an electrical problem being the likely cause.  Today I am replacing the main disconnect, our utility company found the problem before it created a fire and took my house.  The house does have good and safe wiring, but that disconnect below the meter I would have never worried about, knew all that stuff was part of what was replaced/redone when the house was re-wired, due to an electrical fire.  So, I never worried about it or those wires from it into my breaker box.
I am going to be replacing the box outside and the wires coming in today, Ameren will come do a temporary disconnect so I can safely do the work and son Ben should be here to help make it an easier job.  We are going with #2 wire coming into the  house, should easily hold the load even when the heat, or air cond is on and we have tv going and so forth.
It could have been my house, but it wasn't and she has insurance, which not all here do.  And everyone got out safely. 
Jake is heading back to college and he could be called back into the Marines, but for this weekend, he is home, here for chili and corn bread tomorrow after he cleans the sale barn, and then to his dad for a few days to be well fed and have some quality time with people who matter.
People on the east coast still are a long way from recovering from Sandy storm, many still with no electric, heat or jobs.  I am a long way from that with a slowly improving house, a stable job and my power outage today will be so I can make the house safer, not because I cannot pay the bills or because the house is gone or so badly damaged I no longer have a home.
I think of my only daughter, her 38th birthday is Sunday and I hope and pray her life is going well and that she is happy. But I stay out of her life, and out of the lives of her children, love them all but know the conflict does no one any good.  I am not perfect but her childhood was not the nightmare she has created in her mind and I am not to blame for the direction and choices she has made as an adult.
I think of Mike, and hope he is doing better, both with his health and his finances.  Time has eased some of my hurt, and I have found a lot of good memories to look back on.  I hope this Thanksgiving finds him surrounded by those who love him and whose life makes his richer.
I still relish and treasure my way of living, still dating that guy 8 blocks away, still glad I live in my own home and the only men who have lived with me have been ones I have given birth to, for more than a handful of years.
So far this fall our weather has been mild, and I have 1 more window replaced and the east and west soffits replaced or repaired, small bit of progress but at least I am making progress.
Yes, this blog is very much I and me, guess because it is mine.  But my life and world is not all 'me' stuff, it is a more stable and richer life than it was a year ago.  So, yes, I have a lot to be thankful for this thanksgiving season.