Giving Thanks

Hands down, this Thanksgiving was a whole lot better than last year’s. After all, no one had to call the cops or social services at any point during this year’s festivities. That has to be considered a bonus.

So, with that in mind, here are a few things for which I’m thankful this year.

Relative Reconnections: My brother-in-law is bringing my niece for a visit after Christmas. We haven’t seen her in a year; Mom had worried she might never see her granddaughter again. So this is a huge thing.

Extra Credit: I’ve spent the last four years digging out of the credit crunch caused by getting a pink slip. It’s nice to finally reach the point where banks want to give me the joy of being in debt again. I don’t think so. But it’s nice for them to try.

NetFlix and YouTube: The Hollywood writer’s strike is looking like it will last far too long, which means no new TV shows pretty quickly. Old movies and great strike videos on YouTube are the some of the few ways to get some much needed laughs in the weeks and months ahead without The Daily Show. [If you want to know why the writers are striking and why you should support them against the blood-sucking studio moguls, check out the great blog at http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/.]

Warm Puppy Doggies: Miss Brontë reminds me that nothing else matters but good food, good company and lots of love. Plus it doesn’t hurt if someone is willing to rub your back and scratch you behind the ears.

Great Family and Friends: I have wonderful people who love me, put up with my occasional wackiness and even laugh at my jokes.

Pottery Passion: There’s nothing better than having an obsession – you could even call it an addiction – that benefits aforementioned family and friends. Everyone should have the sort of enthusiasm for something that has a positive side effect, like built-in Christmas gifts.

Now all I need to do is make it through the holidays without any drama.