Thanksgiving - Some Things That I'm Grateful To Have In My Life

I've never really been aware of Thanksgiving before. We don't celebrate it in the UK. But hearing all the lovely people I follow on Twitter tweeting excitedly about their Thanksgiving plans has got me thinking.

So here are some of the things that I am thankful to have in my life.

I’m thankful for autumn days when the grass is jewelled, and the silk inside a chestnut shell. For bacon, for tasting so damn good. And also for eggs, especially when turned into hollandaise sauce and slathered on other eggs. I’m thankful for Tesco, who bought such a surplus of my favourite wine that they keep selling it at half price, and for Spain, for producing so much delicious Rioja. I’m thankful for whoever invented microwave popcorn. For Heals, for selling the prettiest silver and white patterned china. For the internet, and for 500gb hard drives. For my three iPods, which so beautifully house my music collection. For the sun, which occasionally breaks out from behind the Manchester clouds. For Clarins, for inventing Eclat du Jour, and YSL, for inventing Touche Eclat. And also for Bare Minerals, who work so hard alongside Clarins and YSL for keep up the illusion that my skin is flawless (it isn’t). For Analon, for ensuring that no matter what I cook, it never sticks to the pan. I’m thankful for my seriously awesome dogs, and their unconditional love.

I’m thankful for my career, which has been good to me. For Manchester, for being a big, dirty, exciting city to build a life in. For my Mum and Dad, for teaching me that walls are meant to be covered with floor to ceiling bookcases. For my brother, for always being hilarious. For this blog post from The Brick House, which made me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my cappuccino. For my wonderful friends. For the gospel choir who sang on our wedding day and filled our ceremony with so much joy. For cointreau, for tasting so fine over ice, and for Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy. I’m thankful that Anne Fontaine makes such gorgeous white shirts, and that Jigsaw make lovely snuggly jumpers. I’m thankful for power tools. I’m thankful for blue, for looking so damn good with brown, and cream, and red. I’m thankful for my glorious husband, who brings me an espresso in bed every day, puts my bathrobe on the radiator every morning so that it’s lovely and toasty when I finally get up, humours me when I beg to watch the Tom Cruise dance in Tropic Thunder just one more time, and who lights up my life each and every day.

I’m thankful for Shazam, who can tell me the name of any song I hear. For the underfloor heating in our bathroom. For Jo Malone’s nose, and Modigliani’s eyes, and Benny Goodman’s ears. For Sam Phillips, for writing my favourite Happy Song. I’m thankful for Bruce Springsteen, who just keeps on writing the best lyrics and tunes in the business. For Billie Holliday, for having such an extraordinary voice. For Seamus Heaney, Sylvia Plath, Shakespeare, ee cummings, Frank O’Hara and Keats. For Siri Hustvedt, for writing What I Loved. For the Coen brothers, for making The Big Lebowski. For creative inspiration, for finding happiness in the littlest things, for being a glass-half-full person, and for the fact that I still wake up  really early on Christmas morning because I’m too excited to sleep. I’m thankful for Candace Bushnell, who has single-handedly ensured that every bartender in the city knows how to make a Cosmopolitan. I’m thankful for my Grandpa, who taught me how to deconstruct a painting, and who filled our house with art. For my Grandma, for being a friend, and for teaching me how to make the World’s Most Delicious Chocolate Honey Pots (I’ll never share the recipe). I’m thankful for being able to take thirty minutes every week to give myself a manicure. I’m thankful for the fact that sometimes my biggest problem is deciding which Etsy letterpress Christmas cards to buy. I’m thankful to be a citizen of a country where human rights are respected. I’m thankful for the opportunity to travel across the world, and for the gift of free speech.

I’m thankful that my morning cappuccino tastes so good, and I’m thankful that my favourite Greek island has stayed so unspoiled over the past ten years. I’m thankful to Auto Trader for hooking me up with my fabulous wheels. I’m thankful for all the people who read this blog, and take the time to comment on my ramblings. For the beautiful eucalyptus trees in our garden that are growing so very tall. For my health, and the health of my family. For the NHS. For the right to vote. For salt and vinegar crisps, and jam roly poly. For living on an island like England where I’m always close to the sea. I’m thankful for the freedom and choice that allows me to write this blog because I want to, not because I have to. So I mustn’t forget. No, I mustn’t forget. To say a great big thank you, no, I mustn’t forget.