I’ve been planning for over a week to write about things I’m thankful for. After a busy week of work and family and travel, I sat down to start writing it today and just got tongue, errrm, finger tied. I wanted to not only write about the things and people I’m thankful for but also WHY I’m thankful for them. While I can give you reasons WHY I’m thankful for these people/things, I don’t feel I can do any of them justice so I decided to stop trying.

So instead, you get a list of things I’m thankful for and in no particular order. You can make your minds up for yourselves on the WHY bit.

But first, some art that made me smile today:

Cheeseburger on a trampoline, first seen here.

THE MODERN FAMILY … leftover sweet potatoes … my bike … Christmas lights … THE MODERN FELLA … cookies, chocolatey/peanut buttery things, gelato and other treats … my iPhone … magazines and books … MY MODERN FRIENDS (both in real life and among the blogworld) … fleece-lined slippers and hoodies … a job that I enjoy more often than not … A SENSE OF HAPPINESS AND PEACE IN MY LIFE … runs and workouts that make me feel good … days off of work … THE ANIMALS IN MY LIFE (the most important being Lucydog) … sleeping in … good food … opportunities to travel … MY HEALTH … the change of seasons … greeting cards … finding beauty in unexpected places … MY FAITH AND RELIGION … good music and movies … a sense of accomplishment … Sassy Ann’s (the bar with the ’80s music) … INSPIRATION AND PERSPECTIVE … that the house hasn’t burned down/flooded/exploded (recently, anyway) … finding that perfect something while shopping … blogging … THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS MYSELF THROUGH WRITING … a steady income … coffee as a morning wake-me-up and afternoon treat … the Tennessee Titans’ comeback from 0-6 (5-6 now, baby!)

… just to name a few

Here’s to being thankful year-round.