A DAY OF THANKSGIVING

**original photo via adventures in cooking

happy thanksgiving, everyone! and even if you're across the pond or welcoming summer down in the outback or sweating it out on a caribbean island this twenty-seventh day of november, you can give thanks, too. but only if you want to. because it's finally here! thanksgiving is finally here and as far as I'm concerned, it's the best day of the year. the family football game, the macy's thanksgiving day parade, the double batch of sweet potato casserole I'm whipping up later on this afternoon. it's wonderful, isn't it? it is such a wonderful day to take a step back and reflect on all of the wonderful things we have to be grateful for. our basic needs--food, shelter, safety, health, and in my case, diet coke. and even our not-as-basic needs--our ability to communicate with loved ones over thousands of miles. 

I know that I've harped on about this holiday and how it means so much to me and I want to fill you guys in on why. seriously, sometimes, I don't even think mitch gets it. true, he is canadian and they celebrate their own thanksgiving. but growing up, I don't even think he ever looked at that second monday in october as his favorite holiday. and not because he wasn't thankful. he's a thankful guy. I think he just needed a bit of perspective, which he found when he met me, of course ;)

I explained to him that thanksgiving is more than just a day to give thanks. truthfully, we probably all give thanks throughout the whole year. on the whole, I feel like we're a pretty grateful people. when the person in front of us at the grocery store sees that we only have three items and lets us go ahead in line. when our husbands (or wives) wake us up because we slept through the alarm and they don't want us to be late for work. when there always seems to be enough money in the bank account. when a friend lends us a shoulder to cry on. I know we all give thanks for those things throughout the year. but I told mitch that thanksgiving is a time to feel more than thankful. it's a time to feel blessed, you know? it's a time to look at life and feel absolutely satisfied and pleased in every way. it's a time to gather and share and settle differences just like the native americans and the pilgrims did. but don't even get me started on that because then I'd go on and on about how I wish I could have been there and it would probably just be redundant and bore you to tears.

I guess what I am trying to say before I go tuck into a slice (or two) of apple cake for breakfast (#1 reason for being a grown-up!), is that I'm grateful for this space and for you guys and for sharing and for pilgrims. even if you're not celebrating today, know that life is grand and let that feeling fill you up because it doesn't always seem so, but it is. life is grand. happy thanksgiving, everyone.

love, arielle

p.s. if you are already, or fancy, following along, head on back to monday's post to enter in this cookery book giveaway.