Thankful

I feel like I'm a pretty appreciative person all year round. I like to take the time to enjoy the simple things, and I take pleasure in what I do, not only when I play, but when I work too. Regardless, it doesn't hurt to put it all down on a list on the day we're meant to seriously consider all that we're thankful for.

So here's a list in no particular order:

1. My family. There's countless reasons to be thankful for your family. For instance. today my mother took me out to lunch. We had pleasant conversations, and she complimented me multiple times. She even bought me apples for a pie I'm going to make tomorrow. (Yes it's from the cookbook, and yes it will be on the blog.)  My niece and nephew visited last weekend to show me her new uggz, and while they were here, my nephew busted out his impression of my cat. There's my sister who supported me during my entire young adult hood. And of course,there's my father who does so many little things to help out everyone simply because he can. (I'm hope that's a trait he passed on to me.)

2. My friends. I'm not an expert cook by any stretch of the word, and without them I'd be clueless about how to make some of these recipes. Of course, I'm not saying I'm only hang out with them to improve my cooking skills. They're a solid group of intelligent people with keen wit and good hearts. People like that are hard to come by, and yet all of mine are that way. I must be an awesome magnet.

3. My cat. He stares at me all the time. Flattering or creepy? You decide. (Sometimes he also licks my hair, which is nice? Gross?)

4. Jason Statham. I appreciate how he doesn't take himself too seriously and can consistently up the ante in his action scenes from movie to movie. I am working on my Statham impersonation, but without the chiseled jawline and shiny pate I fear it will never be good enough.

5. Cooking. I always thought of myself as an unlikely chef when I was younger, but I'm glad it's a hobby I picked up. There's something very therapeutic about laying out all the ingredients, cutting them neatly, cooking them just so, and then eating a delicious meal made by your own hands. It's also healthier for you too.

6. Cooking for other people. Sharing the experience only makes it better.

7. My job. This includes my students. They're a sweet bunch who make everything worth it. Seeing them grow has been more rewarding and has helped me grow. I'm pretty sure no other career path would have been as beneficial for me.

8. My blog and the people who read it. I think it's really cool that through a blog of me cooking stuff, I'm reaching people all over the world. I have readers in various countries, and I have over a thousand page views so far. This blows my mind completely.

9. Books. I highly value the power of the written word, from a simple blog post that shares an experience across the internet to a secret scribbled on the back of a postcard to a cherished novel by an author that travels over time to touch readers from generation to generation.

10. Music. I play guitar and ukulele, and I feel like I'm super cool once I learn a song. (Right now, I'm working on getting good at fingerstyle, and "Blackbird" by the Beatles.)

So there's ten things I'm thankful for. Today I'm off to a Thanksgiving meal with my family at a restaurant. Originally we'd been planning to eat together at my sister's house, but that fell through. I'll admit I'm a little bummed about this since I was looking forward to cooking things for the meal and taking pictures for the blog. But, it is also kind of nice to not have all the pressure of making things on your shoulders.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!