Having just returned from two weeks in Europe, it is great to be back in our beautiful, prosperous country.  Yes, even in these hard economic times, we have so much to be grateful for and a much higher standard of living than many foreign nations.  The housing market in some western European countries is much more difficult than ours - with very little space for much higher prices.  Food prices are soaring much faster, and gasoline or petrol is almost double what we are currently paying here.  Even with the weak dollar abroad, we are living a quality of life that many people in other countries will never achieve.  We hear nothing but negative media and depressing news about our economy.   But we are truly a blessed country, with more than we ever will realize we have.  The economy will recover:  homes will appreciate in value again, the mortgage crisis will be over, and jobs will be created.   What we always need to remember until that happens is what a wonderful country we live in and be proud of it!