Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and, while I know the history behind the holiday is problematic, I still love that we celebrate it. For me, it's about gratitude above all. Yes, it's great to gather with loved ones. Yes, it's fun to feast on delicious food. Yes, it's delightful to watch football (for some people), play games, take long walks, nap on the couch, and just spend time visiting with family and friends. What's the holiday really about, though? Gratitude. It's a time to acknowledge all the wonder and goodness that life has to offer, even amidst the challenges and struggles we all face. As a religious person, it's also a time for me to really reflect on and fervently thank God for the blessings He's given me. I love that there is a holiday focused on thankfulness. Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you do take a moment this week to be grateful for what and who you have in your life and for all those little things that make your existence beautiful, joyful, and worth living. 

One of the things I'm very grateful for is YOU. Thank you for visiting my blog, for leaving thoughtful comments, and for making this book blogging community of ours such a delightful place to hang out. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

To celebrate the upcoming holiday, today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a Thanksgiving Freebie. I'm going to go with something non-bookish today and list ten quotes I love about gratitude. If you want to join in the TTT fun, head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

1. There is always, ALWAYS something to be grateful for. - Author Unknown

2. "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John F. Kennedy, U.S. president

3. "So it is not happiness that makes us grateful. It's gratefulness that makes us happy." - Brother David Steindl-Rast, American monk

4. "Count your blessings;

Name them one by one. 

Count your many blessings;

See what God has done."

- hymn, "Count Your Blessings," text by Johnson Oatman, Jr., music by Edwin O. Excell

5. "...live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." - Alma 34:38, the Book of Mormon

6. "Those who find gratitude in the little things find humility in the big things." - Lidia Longorio, Hey Humanity

7. "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - Epictetus, Greek philosopher

8. "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it." - Author Unknown

9. "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever." - 1 Chronicles 16:34

10. "Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance." - Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is about Characters I'd Love an Update On (Where are they now that the book is over?). This topic wasn't really lighting a fire under me, so I decided to go rogue and talk about Thanksgiving, which Americans will be celebrating on Thursday, instead. Although Christmas is my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving comes in at a close second. I love that it's a day centered around gratitude. It's not about getting anything (except really, REALLY full), but about giving thanks. There's a hymn members of my church sing regularly that says, "Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done." Thanksgiving is the perfect time to do this, to really focus on all the people and things that make my life so abundantly rich and beautiful. I hope you know that you are among the former. Your support, encouragement, and friendship means a great deal to me. So much so that I'm going to make a whole TTT list devoted to why I'm grateful for everyone who reads this blog.

First, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun. Hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

1.  Seeing your comments always makes me smile.

2.  You have the best reading recommendations!

3.  You give me a place to talk about my favorite subject—books. It's nice to be able to have conversations with other readers instead of just talking to myself.

4.  The fact that you take time out of your busy lives to visit my little blog makes me feel good about myself and the many hours I log trying to make BBB a fun, helpful place to be.

5.  Through your comments (and your blogs), you've helped expose me to new book genres, thus helping me open my mind and expand my reading interests.

6.  Your blogs give me even more places to hang out and geek out about our favorite hobby.

7.  You help make up a great and wondrous online community that I have always found to be warm, welcoming, and empowering.

8.  I'm always inspired by visiting your awesome blogs. There are so many talented writers, reviewers, and designers in the book blogosphere!

9.  You encourage me to use my own talents to make BBB the best it can be.

10.  Your kindness and loyalty make me feel appreciated and loved—and who doesn't need more of that in their lives? 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading my little blog. It has truly been a blessing to get to know all of you through your blogs and through the wonderful comments you leave me here at BBB. 

For those of you who celebrate, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. My aunt-in-law does the majority of the cooking for our annual family feast. She doesn't love fighting the crowds at Costco for pies, though, so that's my yearly task. I'm writing this on Monday, just in case I don't make it out alive. Wish me luck!