In Which Thoroughly Obsessed Thursday is Thankful. And a Day Early.

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s that most wonderful time of the year where family and friends come together to celebrate the awesomeness of being family and friends. I’m a huge fan of this time of year in general; I like that it’s getting colder and that the trees are looking sinister, and I like that it is suddenly a really really great idea to sit at home under a blanket and read a book.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because everyone celebrates it (Well, everyone in America. Hello British readers!). There’s no need for political correctness around Thanksgiving, no wondering if you just wished someone to have a pleasant holiday that they don’t even celebrate. You just say “Happy Thanksgiving” and smile when the other person wishes you the same.

Everyone has different traditions, but woven through it all are a few basic truths: we will eat turkey and potatoes and cranberry sauce and pie, dammit. And then we will have the ceremonial watching of the football (GO PATS!).

In the spirit of being totally cheesy, please find herewith the things I am thankful for this year. In no particular order:

*My family. It’s crazy, we’re crazy, and I’m at that time in my life where I seem to be acquiring a whole other branch. You can’t pick your family, but if I had been given the choice, I wouldn’t have picked anyone else.

*The continued health of my family. Despite my own run-ins with fatal disease this summer, we remain a remarkably hale and hearty bunch. We have friends who are having scares, or who have recently received some bad news, and they are in our thoughts every day. I am so grateful that it looks like we’ll get through 2010 unscathed (with some of us doing better than ever).

*At the risk of alienating everyone with my grossness, I’m thankful for Boy Scout. I’m not going to say more than that, though, because I already just threw up a little in my mouth.

*My MacBook Pro. This mighty machine has made my life at least 3 times easier, and at least 4.35 times more efficient. Thank you, Apple, for creating something that helps me keep my sanity.

*My beagle. He’s a regular pain in the ass, but he sure does give us something to talk about. And he’s too cute for me to hold any sort of long-term grudge about the burying-a-dug-up-bone-in-my-bed incident.

*My books. Obvious much? But in the past year the importance of books and reading in my life could not have been more apparent. I love to read, and I love to read romance novels. I’m just really thankful that there are so many awesome ones still waiting to be discovered (same goes for “television shows”).

*This forum. I’m thankful for the interwebs and the fact that a girl like me can get on her small soapbox and talk about one of the things I love most, and some of the things I don’t. Thanks for reading.

From my home to yours, a very happy, healthy, and overstuffed Thanksgiving. Just remember, it’s not shameful to go back for thirds.