Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh boy, Thanksgiving. It's one of the best holidays. So much food. So few expectations aside from just eating it. 

For the last few years, I've made a list of small, silly things I'm grateful for, and you know, they're so fun to re-read. It just reminds me of the season of life I was in at that time and sometimes it's kind of funny to go back there. There was the year when I was grateful for my coffee maker on an automatic timer because I was three years deep into motherhood induced sleep deprivation. And then last year when I was grateful for HULU for getting me through the boring parts of quarantine. Man, that'll be weird to read in a few decades. I've been grateful for shampoo, Stephen King, and my dogs learning not to bark at the garbage man at 6am. 

Small things - they sure make life grand. This year was no exception.

Battery powered candles. Duke once punted a lit candle off my kitchen table and I had to throw away an entire rug because I was never getting that wax out. Now I have those battery ones all over the place and the number of times he knocks those suckers over....I'm grateful everyday for that switch. 

Armchair Expert for the countless hours I spend commuting and laughing alone in my car. Ed Sheeran is a lovely episode, but if you're looking for my forever favorite, it's hands down Dog the Bounty Hunter. 

Our new Christmas tree. The first time we came to look at our house, I walked into the living room and was sold on high ceilings, imagining a monster Christmas tree in there. Then for the next six years, I set up our cheap 6-footer that I've had forever. This year, I finally pulled the trigger on a big one, and when it arrived last night, Duke and I made quick work of setting it up. It's just lights until after Thanksgiving, but I love it already. 

The library, cheap book stores, and garage sales for supplying so many wonderful books that I've enjoyed all year long. 

***

More than anything though, I'm grateful for my family. For our relative health and safety. Our warm house and the resources we need to take care of each other. I am so in love with Ryan and Duke and the life we have together. Forever grateful for the destiny that made us a family. And I don't even mind George, either. Grateful he barks at everything and helps me feel safe. 

Happy Thanksgiving, you guys. Give it a few hours and you'll find me perched on the couch, full of cherry pie, watching A White Christmas with a five-year-old tucked up next to me. Small things. Life sure is grand.