Sipping air into bursting lungs, Lea sucked in her tummy and tugged at the zipper as she strained to pull it up. ‘It’s no use. There’s no way I can do these up!’ she thought. In the mirror, her midriff looked like botched-botox flesh-lips. Yuck! ‘I wish I had stuck with that Natasha Turner Hormone Diet!’

Lea wriggled out of her trousers and went to look in her closet, frowning as she rifled through her clothes. She needed something nice but comfortable – at Thanksgiving you were expected to overindulge otherwise you’d insult the cook who slaved over the meal. Listlessly, she pulled out the beige pantsuit she bought at Macy’s two years ago. This would have to do – maybe with the red t-shirt to draw the eyes upward.

It was Saturday, the first of a three-day weekend, but there was no putting off the usual chores – laundry, vacuuming, cleaning – followed by the one-hour workout to which she was committed. Chips and beer indulgence could be excused because of it. And this weekend, with tomorrow’s feast, she really needed it!

Stopping for a rest after vacuuming, Lea looked out the glass wall of her living room. Glorious fall colours – scarlet, gold, russet. She liked living in a part of the world that had four seasons, each with its own beauty. ‘If only it would stay this nice at least until the end of October,’ Lea thought, already starting to dread the chilliness and rain that would surely come.

‘I wish I’d chosen a lighter colour of flooring’ Lea thought yet again, as she pushed the mop across her dark chocolate bamboo floors.

Three hours later, invigorated by her workout, refreshed by her shower and soothed by the heat of the sauna, Lea sat down to a simple meal and a nice cold beer. Now, which movie would she watch?

Two and a half hours later, as the credits rolled on “Dirty Dancing”, Lea went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on her nighty. She drew the blinds and switched off the lights, took a moment to get her bearings. Then, one more trip to the loo before she crawled into her big comfy bed. ‘I wish I could sleep in tomorrow’, but she was resigned to getting up for church then Thanksgiving dinner at her parents’ house.

Twenty-four hours later, Lea was getting into bed again – this time with an over-full belly and a swirl of thoughts as she contemplated the various family problems she’d heard about. It made her all the more grateful for the peace of her solitary home. As she whispered prayers, interspersed with thanks, sleep gently stole her away.

The next day was a holiday – no 6 AM wakeup. Yay! But Lea refused to fritter away the day. She had set the alarm for 7:45 AM, so she could get up to watch Joyce Meyer at 8:00. Muted radio voices, laughter, songs played quietly. Lea snuggled into her warm pillow and blanket, ‘Just 5 more minutes’.

It was the rich aroma of fresh-brewed coffee that got her out of bed – thank you, Cuisinart! She poured herself a mug, topped it with cream, switched on the TV and nestled into the sofa cushions. Mmm, delicious.

“If you’re not happy with where you are right now, look back at the choices you made in the past week, or month, or year. Can you see a pattern? You can change your life – right now. How? Starting making better choices! What you need is backbone, not wishbone.” Joyce was wearing dark jeans, a hip-length top in navy, purple and gray swirls and the inevitable dangly earrings. She looked good for a 65 year old granny.

Lea got up to pour herself another mug of coffee. She did want to change her life. Yes, she was blessed and had lots to be grateful for – and she was. But she knew there was more to be had from life. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she wanted it.

She sipped her coffee and listened to Joyce’s encouraging words, until her mind wandered and she mused, “I wish I knew what to write for this week’s theme.”