Let's Talk About...Thankfulness

Ok. We are all thankful for many things in our lives. When it's time to go around the Thanksgiving table and recite all the things we are thankful for, I get a little choked up.

I am certainly thankful for my husband, my family, my friends, and my health. I am thankful for the roof over my head, the food on the table, my dog, Emma, and so very thankful for the angels among us.

I am thankful for my job, lunch with my friend and my book clubs. I am thankful for that incredible view of the Flatirons. I am thankful for the Boulder Star that lights up every holiday season.

But there is so much more. So, let's dig a little deeper.

Here are my top ten areas of thankfulness:

10. Traffic rules. Where would we be without everyone agreeing to stay on the right, stop at stop signs, and traffic lights? Where would I personally be without that most coveted protected left turn light? Probably in a ditch. What about headlights so we can see where we are going at night and so others see us?

9. Sunglasses. They don't just protect your eyes from the sun. They hide tired eyes, wrinkles and maybe age. I don't go anywhere without my sunglasses, and I leave them like a trail of breadcrumbs all over the county.

8. Sunshine. Boulder averages 300 sunny days per year. That's easy to take for granted. We have unparalleled weather, beautiful views, four seasons and we are nestled against the Rocky Mountains with access to Rocky Mountain National Park (I am so grateful for all the National Parks), trails, and skiing. We are all grateful for rain when it comes. Maybe not so much for snow.

7. Books and newspapers. Many think these have gone the way of dinosaurs. We all have a Kindle or an iPad but nothing beats holding a real book and putting in that bookmark before bed. And seriously, nothing beats going through a newspaper page-by-page without having some metrics decide what I might be interested in reading. Let's not forget maps. We are talking about real maps the size of a table. Not the kind that fits in your palm. Maps give perspective. Oh, and let's not forget movies and music. Especially music.

6. Google. What would we do without the Google? And online shopping, maps (I know what I just said), Wikipedia, wi-fi and the internet generally? I am thankful for my phone even though I may have an unhealthy attachment to it. How about electricity? Wait. How about plumbing? How about the garbage collector? Mail delivery? And let's not take water for granted.

5. Appliances. Seriously, what did our grandmothers do without a microwave oven, a dishwasher, a vacuum or a clothes washer and dryer? What about screens over our windows? I don't know about you, but I enjoy a relatively clean, bug-free home.

4. Air conditioning and heat. I run very hot or very cold, so these are life savers. I have recently become unnaturally attached to my heated blanket. My sister, who runs colder than I do, swears by her battery powered heated socks. Yes, that's a thing.

3. Personal care items. A good pair of tweezers goes a long way. I also love a good toothbrush. Travel-sized toiletries make travel (for which I am very grateful) a breeze. I always need a good pair of scissors at the ready. And I personally love mascara.

2. Chocolate. When I say "chocolate," I mean all chocolate and its cousin, coffee. Which brings us to to-go cups (brilliant), food delivery services and of course, pumpkin spice lattes.

1. Happy hour. I think that is self-explanatory. But at the end of the day, I love to go home to fresh sheets.

Happy Thanksgiving and thank you all for reading!