At 6:00 a.m. rising to the alarm, I must start the day by making a treat to bring to Thanksgiving dinner at my brother’s house on Martha’s Vineyard and the dogs must wait for their walk, and any way, it’s only 19 degrees out, and if we’re lucky it might be 20 degrees by the time we cross on the ferry in the car and arrive on the island.

Did everything go as planned and as hoped for today? No. Always on a holiday there’s a glitch or two that forces a rearrangement of expectations. And, so I let go, and accepted. And the day went the way it was meant to go, and I’m grateful. I could sense all the little invisible vibrations of change rippling out in all directions, the world righting itself without my control.

What I was most looking forward to this day, the part that made me happiest, was the hike out to Chilmark into the Menemsha Hills where I spend a good piece of summer hiking with my dogs every glorious morning. I planned this hike with my brother yesterday, and it didn’t go as planned - there was a bonus, and his son Dusty, my nephew, cheerfully joined us for the trek at the last moment. He wanted to be with us in the 20 degree sunshine on the remote beach in a wind chill I imagine was nearly zero. I love that he wanted to be with us! We knew it would be frigid. So, we dressed properly. And the hike was exquisite, over the rocks, the white caps of low tide, the big boulders by the sea ice washed and glittering. We walked and walked over the dry stones and passed the special place where the three of us, plus my daughter, swam in the rain last summer one relaxing Sunday afternoon. Charlie and Suzi were wise enough to stay dry as they skipped happily along in the sand. I got to have a long listen to my nephew, his joys and his dreams, and my heart was full of Thanksgiving all day for the loves of my life and this wonderful earth and sea and sky and all this beauty I get to witness in every weather.