Thankful.

I love this picture.

Look at those two women! They could be any two anonymous women bustling down the big city sidewalk of any great place, on their way to grand adventures in New York, Chicago..... anywhere.

So, you won't be surprised to find out that they're in Amarillo, Texas. That's my Grandmother on the right and my Aunt on the left. My Aunt Oleta worked at a department store downtown in Amarillo for a lot of years. I figure that's where they're going to or coming from when the newspaper snapped this photo.

I love their hats and coats, their tiny clutch purses, the nylons they're wearing. I love the fact that my grandmother is wearing her 'driving gloves'. She always wore them. I can remember sitting in the backseat of her old blue car, (sans seat belts) and watching her drive through the streets of Amarillo in her driving gloves. She would point out landmarks, talk to me, and always, always held the screw on the top of the car when we passed under railroad bridges. My grandmother also showed me the girdles and other 'old time' undergarments they wore, and knowing about all that, I can't believe the smiles on their faces.

I'm thankful for the women in my life.

My grandmother told me a story one time about a lesson she had learned. Many years earlier, she had been approached by a lady at church. That lady had 'informed' my grandmother that the hem on my grandmother's skirts was too short.

Can you imagine the nerve of that church lady? I can't. I was insulted for my grandmother, who just laughed when she told me the rest of the story. She told me that she never got mad at that church lady. She went home that afternoon and lowered the hem of every skirt in her closet one inch.

Why, I asked? Why would you indulge a person like that? A busy body, know-it-all, that had no business telling other ladies what to do. Why would you do that and give her the satisfaction?

My grandmother told me that she knew her hem wasn't too short. She added that she didn't care about the hem of any skirt. If it was one inch higher or one inch lower, it didn't matter to her. My grandmother didn't want to be the one that got in the way of that lady learning about Jesus. If that busy body church lady was so concerned with my grandmother's skirt hem, then that lady might miss the chance to learn about God.

My grandmother was funny. She said, 'I'm not getting in the middle of that!' (Eyebrow raised, smirk on her face.)

Today (and everyday), I'm thankful for the women in my life.

Now, it's time for an open forum.... post your replies, let's hear what you're thankful for, and I don't want to hear anything about turkey.