As we approach Thanksgiving I think about how many have gone by without really thinking about what I am grateful for or thankful for.  Not to say I don’t think about these things on a regular basis, because I feel extremely blessed in life and am so thankful for the people and experiences I’ve had.  But I think it’s important to recognize this holiday and what it stands for (other than getting a lot of tasty eats!) and to recognize that we all should acknowledge the things we’re thankful for in life.

• I’m thankful for being alive and healthy
• I’m thankful for my family who have been a rock for me my entire life
• I’m thankful for my many friends, especially those who enrich my life and make me strive to be a better human being
• I’m thankful for my job even though it can be hectic.  So blessed to work for an awesome company, especially in this economy
• I’m thankful for everything that has occurred to make me who I am today

I hope that everyone takes time to think about the things they’re thankful for this next week and strive to make it more than once a year.

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.  ~Edward Sandford Martin

Well not only being a favorite Bond film of  mine (I wanted to change my name to Domino after seeing this film and recall attempting to get my parents to agree to it), it is also an adage that I now realize has come to bite me in the butt, once again.

You see, I’ve become a beer drinker.

I never thought it would happen.  I’ve never really cared for beer much and only drank it when it was the only choice or when a group I was with were drinking it and I caved to the peer pressure of not asking for a cocktail or wine, lest I be laughed at. ;-)  But here I am, shamefully proud to say that I like beer.  Now mind you, the word beer encompasses a large variety of styles, not all of which I am a fan of.  However, about a year ago I started a journey of beer education thanks to a certain beer connoisseur I know and the love has steadily grown to make me realize how much I love a lot of beer.

Last night I drank one of the best beers I’ve had called Double Vision Doppelbock. What makes it so amazing it seems, are the barrels that it’s brewed in.  It has a lovely caramel sweetness & is one of the smoothest beers I’ve had.  Naturally, it was found at Monk’s Kettle, one of my favorite beer serving restaurants.  I felt pretty lucky to have tried it since it’s only there for a week (or until it runs out!).  My hope it to find it somewhere and buy as much of it as I can!  Sadly, the brewery is in Idaho, somewhere I’m not traveling to this year (which ironically is a shock as I seem to have been all over the country the past few months!).

SO the point of all this chitter chatter is to one, recognize to mind your P’s and Q’s and don’t mince words.  I really hope to never say never again in regard to trying something new (and I’m also considering naming one of my children Domino). 😉