Like bloggers all across the U.S. (as well as those of you with a large number of American readers), I find myself tasked with tackling a post for Thursday.  Not just any Thursday, mind you, but Thanksgiving Thursday.

Thanksgiving.  A holiday when a large number of people will be busy with family or friends, meal planning and food prep, parades and football. I can’t quite imagine it’s a day when a whole lot of folks will be surfing the blogosphere, so I’m not even sure how many people will stumble across this post.

Regardless, I’m sitting here trying to come up with something relevant but not…cookie cutter.

Here’s my best shot.

Let’s go for a three-pronged approach.  We’ll call it the Thanksgiving Trio, plus one.

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Things I’m Thankful For:

  • BrightSide – my best friend, my partner in crime, the guy who’s always got my back no matter how much of a nutty I pull, and the most wonderful father ever
  • T-man and Bear, our little ones (though not so little anymore) – full of light and love, big emotions and bigger dreams, smart and funny and spirited souls
  • Gracie and Phoebe, our four-legged kiddos – soft and furry, full of love and mischief
  • family and good friends that stand by us
  • the shelter and protection of a home
  • enough food to share
  • great books and moving music

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Things I’m Completely Ambivalent About:

  • flossing then brushing versus brushing then flossing
  • Le Sueur peas versus green beans
  • straight versus boot cut jeans
  • the particular order in which kids do their homework
  • sneaker brands

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Things I Could Happily Do Without:

  • ultra-skinny jeans that cut off your circulation
  • fluorescent lighting in fitting rooms
  • parents who send Oreos for morning snack
  • obnoxious graphic tees that all boil down to stamping “I’m gonna kick your ass” across your kid’s chest
  • new fangled tooth floss (pretty much any of those flat, easy glide flosses – I’ll take good old Johnson&Johnson any day)
  • most reality TV shows
  • “Adventure Time” (be grateful if your kids don’t like this one; if they don’t watch it already, don’t let them start)
  • the phrase “no offense, but…” – if you’re starting off with this then you’re obviously fairly sure you’re about to offend me, and I don’t need that kind of red flag waved in my face

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And now for the bonus “Be Ye Glad For The Littlest Things” list:

  • movie theater popcorn with extra butter
  • red toenail polish
  • long hugs
  • having the perfect throw within reach when you want to nap
  • really, really good nachos
  • and cheese fries
  • big, warm, sherpa sweatshirts when it’s freezing outside
  • Koozies

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For those of you who celebrate, have a very happy Thanksgiving!  And for everyone else, have a very happy Thursday!