Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to take this early opportunity to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy Thanksgiving with family and/or friends, gathering at some point around a table to share a meal. Equally important will be everyone celebrating Thanksgiving by giving - charities need help now more than ever. If I could stand for hours (still difficult because of back pain), I would be serving dinner to those less fortunate. I'm grateful I can contribute money instead of person power.

I'm thankful for you! I have an extended family: my blog readers. The Internet has given us an opportunity to cross paths in ways most of us wouldn't have imagined 20 years ago. Now, I can chat with readers like Eileen, Val, Clarisse, Ava, and Lovethescents (to name just five of you) - so many miles away - and I get an occasional opportunity to meet a few of you at local events. It's fun to share our worlds and our love of beauty in all its forms. So, thank you for being a big part of my world and for allowing me to be a small part of yours.

I'm grateful for Giorgio Arman Beauty, Le Métier de Beauté, CREED, Chanel, Sisley, RéVive Skin Care - you name it, companies that make my days exciting. I'm also grateful to UPS and FedEx! Those guys make me happy. Maybe it's superficial, but days with a delivery are so much better than those without. I also want to mention my fellow bloggers - especially Gaia and Kari - whose friendships are important to me. Gaia had something to celebrate this week; she's now an American citizen!

You can tell I'm rambling...otherwise my Mom and Charlie would have been at the top of my list. Mom is 89 now, and she's doing well. Charleston (aka Charlie) is the love of my life. I have loved every cat in my life. Somehow, Charlie is different. He's literally a best friend. I think he feels the same way about me, although yesterday may have been an exception. He had to go his doctor for his annual shots. He was not happy.

I'm grateful for all the non-profits that help animals in need and the environment. What would we do without them? I'm afraid that there would be many more endangered species, more helpless animals roaming the streets, and a lot less green space. Please remember them (organizations like Best Friends and the Nature Conservancy) in your year-end giving. I'm also appreciative of the on-the-ground charities, like SHARE in our local area, that help those truly in need.

When I think about it, I have many more things to celebrate this Thanksgiving, including all my friends (one of whom just called from California). So, while I do the "usual things" tomorrow including watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (yes, dorky), probably drinking too much white wine or Champagne leading up to a full meal, and sharing that meal with my Mom, I will remember to be thankful for all of the people and things that are important to me on the other 364 days of the year.

Wishing you a great day tomorrow and a fun weekend,

Charlestongirl

Photo courtesy of theholidayspot.com