I have a tremendous circle of friends that support me on-line and IRL. We hash out our worst moments, celebrate our best, and basically chit-chat about everything in between. There is nothing off-limits with these girls and I love them dearly. Our on-line forum is much like the quilting circle an frankly, it keeps me sane.One of those best girls, is Shelley from Slightly Off Kilter. Shelley is the best hugger and maybe one of the wittiest gals I know. And she has begun a wonderful meme -- Thankful Thursday. It's an opportunity to take stock of my many blessings and I love that. I may not write my five things in my Oprah gratitude journal every night, but surely I can take time to do it once a week!So today I am saying thanks for my beautiful friends. I am so awesomely blessed and words cannot express how much my friends mean to me. This group of ladies, the ones that smile at me at school pickup with those eyes that say "I understand", the artist friends I love from afar, and the friends that have followed me through many years of childhood into becoming parents ourselves. All of these friends make my world spin and I say thank you!As a child I was not popular. In fact, I was quite a misfit. This didn't change a lot as I progressed through junior high and high school. But as an adult, I realize that I have accumulated a queen's ransom of friendship. I don't know how and really don't know why I have received such bounty but I am forever thankful.So thanks to Shelley for reminding me how important it is to be thankful and for those hugs!