We all know there is a major recession. Things haven't been so bad since the Great Depression in the 1930s. Lately, experts are saying that the economy is leveling off, unemployment rates may not be as bad as originally predicted and stocks could go up after all. Regardless of financial news, people are finding positives to these bad times.

A survey conducted by Michael's, the craft store, talked with 500 customer households to find out the perks of this slump.

83 percent said that making homemade gifts and spending time with family is a "bright spot" in the recession. There has certainly been a return to basics in some accounts. There's been a rejuvenation in the Victory Garden that was made popular in the 1940s. This time, it's not a focus on growing food to help America win a war, but on helping ourselves be healthier and stretch a buck. Gardening is more popular than ever, with celebrities such as First Lady Michelle Obama rolling up her sleeves to grow veggies for her family.

Celebrity parents such as Reese Witherspoon and Brooke Shields are making news with their manners rules - from "ma'am" and "sir" to chores and allowances, reports Evonne Lack on www.babycenter.com. Her article states that many are feeling even more inspired to encourage old-fashioned good behavior. "After all, in hard times it's all the more important to have kids who show kindness, help out, and act pleasant," she writes.

America is also doing better by green standards. As many families have less money to spend on non-necessaries, there is less of that in landfills.

For the second year in a row, the amount of waste generated in the United States has gone down, according to a new report from the consulting firm Waste Business Journal. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the decline in 2007 - from 513 million tons to 508 million - was the first in more than 20 years, said James Thompson, the firm's president. In 2008, the tally fell further, to 505 million tons.

In general, there are many things to be grateful for, and Americans are looking for them right now. Maybe a little gratitude is a good thing, even if it is caused by bad times elsewhere.