Ten on Tuesday - 10 Things I Love About Thanksgiving

1. Family - I love being with my family and Thanksgiving is the perfect day to do it.

2. Food - I think we've established that I love food, and Thanksgiving is a veritable smorgasbord of comfort food - mashed potatoes & gravy, butternut squash, green bean casserole, creamed onions, stuffing (I prefer mine with sausage, just so you know), rolls with butter, and of course, the roast turkey. I think I gained 5 pounds just talking about it all.

3. Pie - Isn't this separate from food? Well, it should be.

4. History - Kinda weird, I know, but Thanksgiving always makes me think back ... to the Pilgrims, and Plimoth (that's how they spelled it, ya know), the hardships they endured to ensure their freedoms. I'm always a bit reflective of all of our history, and it's strong here in the northeast.

5. Football - 'cause really, what would it be without football? Whether it's the old high school rivals duking it out in the freezing cold of Thanksgiving morning or the pros on TV, it's a great day for football.

6. Clean, crisp air - I love autumn, especially in New England. There's really nothing like feeling the crispness in the air, seeing your breath come out in plumes, and hearing the crunch of leaves under your feet.

7. Decorations - cornucopias, gourds, pumpkins, corn stalks, hay bales, etc. The girls have already brought home some cute ones - currently we have a scarecrow and a black cat on our back door :)

8. Black Friday - I'm not going to get up at 4 a.m. (or earlier, perish the thought) and actually go out with all the other loonies (no offense if you are one). I will, however, check out the online sales and shop from the comfort of my home office, in my PJ's, with a cup of steaming tea or coffee.

9. Laughter - might seem like a strange thing to have on my Thanksgiving list ... but when you mix great food and family, there's usually laughter in the air, and I love it.

10. Thanksgiving - I mean the true Giving of Thanks. I thank the Lord that I have my wonderful family, some great true friends, my health, and lots of great opportunities to add to my awesome memories.