Thankfuliscious

We had a wonderful Turkey time, spent both with family (Wednesday evening) and friends (Thursday).

Mr. G. with unidentified sleeping guy at the Fleetwood Diner.

In the true tradition of the season, I thought I would list, in no particular order, ten things for which I am thankful. Just to note, I am not including Mr. Ginley or my kid or family in this list because, of course, I am thankful for them every day. And yes, I appreciate my good health. This list is for some of the other stuff.

1. I'm going to start off with John and Lisa, mostly because they are top of mind for hosting our Thanksgiving feast for the third year in a row. We couldn't get a better meal in a fine restaurant anywhere. Everything was delish, and the company was great. Our only regret is we didn't get to visit more with our hosts, who were busy preparing the meal for us.

2. Cats. Maggie joined our merry band this year to make us a trio. Yes, I know, I am often saying, "Kitties of world ain't nothin' but trouble," because she has stolen Mr. Ginley's favorite pen or splashed all the water out of her fountain (which we had to put away). But, as nature intended, her cuteness saves her ass every time.

3. Coffee and chocolate. Coffee is the nectar of the gods. For those of us who imbibe, no further explanation is required. (Mr. Ginley would substitute Vanilla Coke here, that's his prerogative.) As for chocolate, we can both agree it is, as the kids (used to) say, "bomb diggity."

4. Weekends. Yes, I realize I'm not mining for coal or cashiering at a dollar store, so my job isn't hazardous or anything. Nevertheless, I am thankful for these two days during which I can get all the stuff done that I'm too tired to do weekday evenings.

5. Indoor plumbing and heating. I know that if I had to, I could run outside in all weather to do my business, but I'm grateful I don't have to (bed pan or no bed pan). And hunching over a pile of burning logs, while it can be romantic, is not a habit I'd choose to take up on a permanent basis. I love my furnace. Good furnace.

6. Growing up in an era with rapidly changing technology. Sure, I may not be as zippety-do-dah as my son in terms of picking up new technology. But having experienced stages of progress, I have a much better understanding of why things work the way they do. So if we did lose access to technology for awhile, I would able to put my wits to use and figure out a work-around. (And being off the grid would not throw me into a tailspin.)

7. Good newspapers. Without them, we'd have to rely on social media for our news. And that's never a good thing.

8. Hippie Hash from the Fleetwood Diner in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I experienced this for the first time yesterday, before we left for home. Yum. Yum. Yum. For those of you who've never partaken, it's hash that is chock full of veggies and topped with feta cheese. (And yes, I had the "meaty" version, so it had corned beef in it, too.) Yum.

The hippest of hash.

9. Entertainers. Musicians and actors and comedians. The folks who create and stir up memories and make life palatable by making us laugh and cry and think about something besides ourselves.

10. Words. Enough said.