Top Ten Tuesday: Things I'm Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish and is jolly good fun even though I regularly forget to take part. This week, it being Thanksgiving in America it's all about things you are thankful for. I'm not American, but it doesn't do anyone any harm to reflect. So, in no particular order, I am thankful for:

My Daughter

This is Mila. She's pretty awesome with a feisty personality, a desire to travel to foreign lands, a huge imagination and a true love of all things Doctor Who and Harry Potter.  She's also developed an affection for the audioboo of Fire by Kristen Cashore - not the usual fare for a five year old but I'm not knocking it. In short, she's perfect. Yes, I am aware of my lack of objectivity.  No, I don't care.

Great stories

There's nothing like a really good story, is there.  They can transport you, move you, make you laugh, make you think and even be the catalyst for change in the world.  They are, and always have been, one of my very favourite things.

The end of my street... because it looks like this:

My job

I work in library. Prior to this I had a career in marketing, which was all very nice but how it took me so long to realise that my perfect job was obviously going to be in a large room, full of books and people who want to read them I will never know.  

Bookshelves full of books

I live in a very small house and really, I have perhaps a few too many books for the square footage.  At least, that's what I have been told.  But every night I retire to my boudoir, survey the shelves and am happy.

My wood-burning stove

I'm working of the top of my head here and it's cold.  Or it would be if not for this:

My family

Because they are really very special.  Even when they won't tell you exactly what they want for Christmas.

Travel

I love to travel and have been lucky enough to do a fair bit. I've lived abroad and visited interesting places both far and wide.  My very best dream would be to travel to all the settings of my favourite books. One day, I'll do it.

Christmas

Because it's just around the corner and it is my favourite time of the year, regardless of financial constraints or bad weather or trees that are really far too big for my living room.

My Book Club, the Lady YAckers

I am a member of the best book club in the entire world. Seriously.  Sometime we talk about actual books, sometimes we talk about issues in literature but generally we ramble on nonsensically and force books upon each other and have SUPER SEKRIT SANTAS. It's just THE BEST. I mean, are you in a book club that has its own Round Table of Knights and will fail a book should it not provide at least one perfect casting opportunity for Richard Armitage (ahem, KING Richard Armitage - sorry, Laura)?  No, I didn't think so.  Seriously, there is nary a day that passes when this lot don't make me laugh out loud which. Lady YAckers, kisses to you all. You can find us here. Only if you don't mind extreme bias and a lot of swearing.

And that's it.  The nice thing about thinking about things you might be thankful for is that you end up realising just how lucky you are.  Give it a go and tell me something that warms your cockles in the comments.

Oh, and to all Americans - Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy eating that weird thing you eat with the marshmallows and the potatoes.