In honor of the upcoming holiday, this week's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is about what we're thankful for. I made just such a list in 2013 and last November I wrote about book-related things I'm grateful for; since not much has changed I had intended to do something totally different (bookish goodies to give as Christmas gifts). But I dilly-dallied, and then yesterday afternoon when I planned to work on it we went to see "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (it was so good!), so I'm just gonna throw this together! For more well thought-out lists, see the two mentioned above. Happy Thanksgiving, all!
1. My family.
Plus my awesome husband, Jarrod, who's missing from this picture. I'm so grateful I got to spend SIX WHOLE WEEKS with my parents this spring during our move from Ohio to Hawaii while Jarrod was taking a class. And I got to see my brother graduate from college. Many people get to spend time with their families whenever they want, but I'm lucky to see them once a year. And a month and a half was such a wonderful treat!
2. Our crazy kitty.
Lily Green Eyes. (And yes, she is crazy.)
3. My five senses.
Reading "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr this year made me really imagine what it would be like to be blind -- or without any one of my wonderful senses. I'm so thankful to be able to see, smell, hear, taste and touch this world of ours.
4. Libraries.
I'm so very grateful for free access to books -- as well as for the time I've spent working at libraries. (I sure do miss the one below!)
5. Books that make me think.
I learn something from nearly every book I read, fiction or non-fiction, but it's a special book that really makes me stop and think about the world and my views on it.
6. Books that take me away.
Another magical thing about books is that they take readers on adventures -- sometimes even to completely new worlds, like the three below. I love a little escapism from time to time!
7. The ability and finances to travel.
Travel is one of my passions and I feel so lucky that we've been able to do quite a bit of it -- and that I have a husband who's willing to accompany me wherever I want to go. The picture below is from our trip to Niagara Falls last year.
8. Snail mail.
I love sending and receiving letters and postcards. I love washi tape and rubber stamps and stickers. I love penpals and Postcrossing. It's such a joy to find a real, actual letter in my mailbox!
9. E-mail.
As much as I adore snail mail, I'm also incredibly grateful for e-mail (and technology in general) because it allows me to keep in touch with friends and family as the Air Force moves us all over the place. I e-mail my mom and my grandma every single day, and I love starting each day by reading their e-mails to me over breakfast.
10. To be a woman in the 21st century.
I've read enough historical fiction and non-fiction to know just how lucky I am to be living today. Sure, it's fun to romanticize past times (who doesn't think being a '20s flapper or a 17th century princess sounds kinda fun?) but the truth is that things pretty much sucked for women until the last several decades. I'd love to travel back to Victorian England for a week or two, but I'm so grateful to live in a time where women and men are valued equally and we're not treated as fragile, simpleminded, hysterical, childbearing property. Oh yeah, and a little thing called indoor plumbing doesn't hurt either.
1. My family.
Plus my awesome husband, Jarrod, who's missing from this picture. I'm so grateful I got to spend SIX WHOLE WEEKS with my parents this spring during our move from Ohio to Hawaii while Jarrod was taking a class. And I got to see my brother graduate from college. Many people get to spend time with their families whenever they want, but I'm lucky to see them once a year. And a month and a half was such a wonderful treat!
2. Our crazy kitty.
Lily Green Eyes. (And yes, she is crazy.)
3. My five senses.
Reading "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr this year made me really imagine what it would be like to be blind -- or without any one of my wonderful senses. I'm so thankful to be able to see, smell, hear, taste and touch this world of ours.
4. Libraries.
I'm so very grateful for free access to books -- as well as for the time I've spent working at libraries. (I sure do miss the one below!)
5. Books that make me think.
I learn something from nearly every book I read, fiction or non-fiction, but it's a special book that really makes me stop and think about the world and my views on it.
6. Books that take me away.
Another magical thing about books is that they take readers on adventures -- sometimes even to completely new worlds, like the three below. I love a little escapism from time to time!
7. The ability and finances to travel.
Travel is one of my passions and I feel so lucky that we've been able to do quite a bit of it -- and that I have a husband who's willing to accompany me wherever I want to go. The picture below is from our trip to Niagara Falls last year.
8. Snail mail.
I love sending and receiving letters and postcards. I love washi tape and rubber stamps and stickers. I love penpals and Postcrossing. It's such a joy to find a real, actual letter in my mailbox!
9. E-mail.
As much as I adore snail mail, I'm also incredibly grateful for e-mail (and technology in general) because it allows me to keep in touch with friends and family as the Air Force moves us all over the place. I e-mail my mom and my grandma every single day, and I love starting each day by reading their e-mails to me over breakfast.
10. To be a woman in the 21st century.
I've read enough historical fiction and non-fiction to know just how lucky I am to be living today. Sure, it's fun to romanticize past times (who doesn't think being a '20s flapper or a 17th century princess sounds kinda fun?) but the truth is that things pretty much sucked for women until the last several decades. I'd love to travel back to Victorian England for a week or two, but I'm so grateful to live in a time where women and men are valued equally and we're not treated as fragile, simpleminded, hysterical, childbearing property. Oh yeah, and a little thing called indoor plumbing doesn't hurt either.
What a wonderful list, Lindsay! Thanksgiving is not a Norwegian tradition, so we do not celebrate here, but I wish you and yours a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving :D
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Mari! I love Thanksgiving -- it's a great time to reflect on all we have to be grateful for while also stuffing ourselves silly! ;)
DeleteLovely list!! Love that picture of your cat - those eyes!! Libraries are amazing and on my list too. I wish I could travel more so good for you guys. Love your last one :) Have a happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Grace! Lily is definitely a cutie. Her eyes are enchanting!
DeleteI'm not really a cat person myself but your cat has really amazing eyes! I love reading about the Tudor era but I agree, I wouldn't have wanted to be a woman growing up then. It sounds pretty miserable!
ReplyDeleteThank you -- she is a cutie, isn't she? Don't tell her, but we're actually dog people. Our beloved boxer, Conan, passed away about two and a half years ago. We're finally ready to get another dog, but the Air Force sent us to Hawaii where boxers are in extremely short supply!
DeleteGood list of thankfulness. I have some of the same as you! Imagine that!
ReplyDeleteRight?! ;)
DeleteFantastic list!! Have a great Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteYou too, Lori! :)
DeleteKitty!! I love your list and I think you've definitely included all the important things. I'd love to be able to travel more!
ReplyDeleteHere are my Top Ten!
Your kitten is so adorable! ^_^ I agree with so many of these, but being a woman in the twenty-first century I defintly agree with! I'm not quite an adult yet, but I'm very grateful for all the privileges we, as women, have nowadays.
ReplyDelete