When a big cold front blew into our area last week and pushed temperatures as low as 28, my pipes didn’t freeze and snow avoided falling. A winter wonderland in November is no fun when you can’t draw hot water to make coffee or you have no studded tires to drive on ice, now is it?

(Hey, don’t worry, it could snow before the year’s up, but I don’t really care.)

The cold air on a Friday night might have made for a brutally cold night of football, but you didn’t really complain about that, did you? Anytime your neighbors can congregate at a local stadium with something in common, blankets and knitted hats adorning such fanfare, a scenery of fall is created amid a lack of abundant foliage in our community.

Just five nights before a game at Bulldog Stadium, a fall setting began to settle on the way to a big church across Nederland Avenue. One could absolutely hear words of good cheer, fight songs and songs of worship filling the sanctuary. It was evidence that people love God and God loves football.

For these and other blessings, I am thankful.

Port Cities Rescue Mission has opened its doors again to those who need a roof over their heads and want to be fully sufficient. The mission had not been open in three years, but the support of individuals and churches have prompted another light in Port Arthur to shine.

Helping hands will be found giving time and donations to Port Cities, serving a meal at the Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas Hospitality Center or greeting visitors at Port Arthur International Seafarers’ Center. Some of us at home will treat ourselves to wild turkey, wild duck, chicken, sausage, gumbo, wild rice, dirty rice, cornbread stuffing, rice stuffing and an assortment of pies.

For this, I am thankful.

In less than two years, Texas Highway 87 will become safer to travel and a liquefied natural gas expansion project could be fully realized, bringing in much-needed jobs and millions to billions of dollars to a city that serves the world.

After today, students and teachers will enjoy a much needed fall break of their own. We’ll all at one point or another run across that hot new video game, microfiber sweater, New York Times bestseller or … wait for it … a vinyl record player at our favorite stores. Instead of fighting for a gift after Thanksgiving, we’ll all enjoy the company of others pouring into our local economy.

Last but not least, I’ve worked here longer than in any other location in 19 years of professional journalism. I guess there’s so much happening here and so many people I now call my fellow Texans.

For these and the most valuable blessings in our community — you — I am thankful.

I.C. Murrell is the editor of The Port Arthur News. He can be reached at ic.murrell@panews.com