Thankful Thursday, 78th birthday edition

Today I am a record. I am also grateful for...

• Still being alive. At this age that isn't necessarily a given.
• Having gotten out of Amerika in time. (Hoping I'll be able to go back and visit. But that's not a given, either.)
• Help. In particular, this week, help from pocketnaomi putting up four bookcases in the living room.
• Finding some beloved books and a few other things, in the process of unpacking. In particular, some songs I wrote at Carleton, and sheet music -- with chords -- for a song of N's that we'd both forgotten the tune for. It might have been performed once.
• Kids who remember my birthday, including an hour-long video call from my daughter E. (Still waiting to see if I get anything from R on top of the "in case I forget" email they sent a couple of days ago.)
• Support groups. It's nice to be among people who "get it". Different "it" in different groups -- widowhood in one case, cancer in another. But still.