Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello, cyber-friends!  Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope everyone is safe and warm and ready to enjoy a long weekend.  I know I am ready!  I'm glad to be celebrating this year with some beautiful gal pals, though I admit I am thinking longingly of Thanksgivings-gone-by.  I do miss celebrating with my entire extended family, especially my darling maternal grandparents.  I seem to miss them more every day.  Maybe it's because I'm reaching backwards in time, because the present can be so devastating.  When, when will this national nightmare be over?!?!  Ugh, no, never mind.  I don't want to think about it.  Today's a day for happy thoughts, not thoughts of that horrible man or the people who support him.  

Moving on.  I'm also thinking longingly of my Thanksgivings spent in Italy with dear friends.  I'm ever so grateful to have had those experiences - hopefully, I'll get to have more in the coming years!

As always, I have plenty of things to be thankful for this year, such as:

• my amazing family - most especially my mom, who always takes such good care of me;
• though my dad is pretty great, too;
• and my goofball, laugh-riot sister;
• and Scooter, my doggie sweetheart;
• PLUS my incredible nephew, who is just the most wonderful young man in the world;
• my beautiful GNO gal pals AND our wonderful guy pals/plus-two;
• and my wonderful extended family, with the coolest aunts, uncles, and cousins around;
• all of my dear, darling friends who lift me up daily;
• Icy Hot roll-ons;
• Molton Brown pink peppercorn bath products;
• Justin's dark chocolate mini peanut butter cups;
• tater tots;
• Bagel Bites;
• Great British Baking Show;
• the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree;
• resilience;
• bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches from a NY bodgea;
• new Craig Lucas plays;
• modern medical science;
• Laver Cup;
• my wonderful yellow blanket with butterflies on it that my nephew made for me, because he knows yellow and butterflies are my favorites;
• apple cider doughnuts;
• Victor Garber;
• serving only one day on jury duty;
• press comps;
• the new coffee bar in our office building;
• the chance to work with some of my idols;
• the NY Times crossword puzzle phone app;
• being able to see so many plays by women of color;
• Kentucky mules;
• Snoopy;
• yoga pants;
• Ample Hills ice cream;
• Randy Rainbow;
• Pixar short films;
• avocado toast;
• the Atlantic Theater's mix-fests of new play readings;
• my hallway mirror which always makes me look more trim than I really am;
• Boqueria;
• Paul Rudnick's Twitter feed;
• keeping up with my college pals;
• my smart, talented, lovely goddaughters;
• the Seamless phone app;
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez;
• those wickedly funny co-worker/drinking pals;
• Starbucks snickerdoodle hot chocolate;
• my new bed placement, linens, and mattress topper;
• my righteous indignation;
• The Band's Visit cast album;
• daydreams;
• reveling in my dear Fellows' successes;
• cable on demand, for the times when the DVR didn't record Murphy Brown;
• oh, and the Murphy Brown reboot

I'm sure there's more, but let's stop there.  I'm feeling much thankfulness now, so that's a good thing.  Enjoy your holiday, everyone, and thanks to YOU for joining me here!

Thanksgiving in Rome, 2007

Thanksgiving in Tuscany, 2016