100 Things I’m Thankful For This Thanksgiving
Today, in the US, is Thanksgiving Day, a day where we take the day off from work, surround ourselves with friends and family, eat ridiculous amounts of food, and watch football non-stop, only stopping long enough for another slice of pie. It’s just about a perfect day.
I know what a blessed and charmed life I’ve led – I’m so aware of it and genuinely thankful for it every day. I’m also thankful I have this blog to put my feelings down on paper (well, in words, anyway), and today, I’m grateful I get to share 100 things I’m thankful for with you.
I’m thankful….
- That Alabama is still in the hunt for the College Football Playoffs (#RollTide!)
2. for the new Mastering feature in Logic Pro X (thank you, Apple!)
3. I found something that goes great with the yellow-capped EZ Cheese (the new Ritz Toasted Pita Oven-baked Crackers). A match made in heaven.
4. that we put up our Christmas tree a little too early (it’s already been up for a few days), and that we keep it up longer than we probably should.
5. for SNL re-runs (especially the ones we can stream from the night before on Sunday).
6. my wife’s amazing new “Lasagna Bowl” recipe, which is just insane! Top 5 dish!
7. that my son or daughter-in-law will just pop over at any given time for a visit. It makes my day. 🙂
8. for recliner chairs (what my son calls “a pappy chair,” and yes, he has one, too)!
9. that Terry White is a dear friend. He is one of the greatest people I’ve ever known.
10. for Black Friday sales on plug-ins for my music studio. I wait all year for these deals.
11. we got to take a family vacation this summer with the whole family. It was just a blast!
12. for my wife’s warm smile and that I get to see it so often.
13. that Apple finally switched to USB-C ports on their phones (even though I still have a 14).
14. for the new Sola Keto Certified bagels. Way better than their old ones, and super low carb, for days that are not Thanksgiving.
15. for Ted Lasso. The whole series. Just wonderful.
16. for Rick Sammon. The whole guy. Just wonderful.
17. the non-stops laughs we have when we have a family dinner around the table (and how much my wife loves having us all together. If any of us accidentally eats a vegetable, it’s her best day ever!).
18. anytime we go to the movies. Even if the movie isn’t that great, I still love the whole experience.
19. for really good air conditioning. It what makes living in Florida work.
20. Taylor Swift. I saw her concert movie with my daughter-in-law (who is a total Swiftie), and I left being a Swiftie, too. She is pretty incredible.
21. that we always watch, “Love Actually” and “The Holiday” every year during the holidays. They always put me in the Christmas spirit (despite the many times I have tears in my eyes).
22. for the times I get Vondel instead of Ashika Island when I’m playing Warzone Resurgence maps at night with the guys.
23. they opened a Mandola’s Italian Kitchen not far from our house. Their chicken Piccata sautéed in a lemon butter white wine sauce is Bella Bella!
24. for all the times Dobson assists me on a photo shoot in the studio or on location.
25. for when my sweet wifey and I just chill on the couch and watch Big Bang Theory, Raymond, and her favorite, “Naked and Afraid.”
26. for Pine River Spicy Beer Cheese spread (you can get it at Amazon). Awwww, yeah!
27. for Rod Temperton, and all the awesome funk and dance songs he wrote during his lifetime (everything from Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Rock with you, and Off The Wall [among others], to Groove Line, Boogie Nights, Always & Forever, Gimme the Night [George Benson], Baby Come To Me, and so many more. The guy was a legend!
28. for stand up comic Nate Burgatze (and the fact that my wife got us tickets to see him live).
29. that my wife keeps her Christmas Classic Spotify playlist running all day. Our house is filled with awesome Christmas music.
30. Baker Mayfield is doing a better job than all the NFL pundits claimed he would. The Bucs aren’t tearing it up, but we’re doing better than anyone expected (in a pretty bad conference), and Mayfield has earned a lot of respect from his teammates and fans. #GoBucs!
31. For grammerly. Seriously. It’s a lifesaver.
32. for our awesome dogs: Maki, Nami, and Maggie the WonderDog.
33. that my photo rig is as lightweight and easy to use as it’s ever been. It just makes everything so much easier. I mostly use one lens (my beloved Canon RF 24-240mm), which is small, light, and awesome.
34. for Brad Moore, and all the years he’s run the guest blog post feature on my scottkelby.com blog. He’s done an amazing job with it, and I’m so thankful for all his efforts. Nobody could have done it like he did.
35. that first cup in the morning (and I’m particularly thankful for CoffeeMate. I couldn’t drink coffee without it).
36. Our local Vet, Dr. Farid Saleh at Ehrlich Animal Hospital. He is just fantastic (and our doggos love him). It’s great having a vet you have such faith and confidence in.
37. For Saturday college football. I look forward to it all week.
38. For my Apple Watch and all the times it reminds me to do stuff that I would normally forget.
39. This year, I celebrated 34 years of marriage to my wonderful, sweet, awesome wife.
40. That the dating show “Love in the Wild” was way, way better than we thought it would be. Way better.
41. For Larry Becker, and all the low-carb goodies he always turns me on to. He’s always got “the goods.”
42. For all the days and nights when I hear my daughter’s car pull in the driveway, so I know she’s home safely.
43. for all the folks who share such nice comments and just “howdy’s” on my social media accounts. It means more than you know.
44. for all the cool Generative Fill stuff Adobe added to Photoshop. It has blown my mind (and saved a bunch of images that needed saving).
45. people are pretty kind when they point out my typos here on the blog or on my social media posts.
46. beautiful days sitting on the porch, in a rocking chair with my wifey, while the doggos run around the yard playing.
47. for all the wonderful places and get to do travel workshops and all the great people I get to hang out with during the workshops. I’ve made some great friends from them that have really enriched my life.
48. I get to play music every day. It lifts my spirits every time.
49. that I still get to write books, and I’m extra thankful for Ted and Scott at Rocky Nook (who publish most of my books). They are top men. Top men!
50. at how great I feel when good things happen to the people around me.
51. that an Einstein Bagel shop is opening right near our house. I love their hot dogs wrapped in a bagel. Super yummy!
52. to all my mentors whose wisdom and whip-cracked have helped me immeasurably in my life.
53. my days start with a big hug from the love of my life.
54. For online guitar teachers like Carl Brown, Tim Pierce (my hero), JustinGuitar, Eric Blackmon, Rick Beato, The “Shut up and play” guy, Steve Stine, and John MacLennan, among others. I’ve learned so many songs, and techniques, from them.
55. For a mom and dad who always made sure I knew I was loved. We’ve passed that on to our own kids and it’s one of the best gifts you can give.
56. For Dave Gales, the man who bought me my first Bible (I still have it after all these years, ragged and pretty torn up at this point, though I read the YouVersion digital version now, which is great).
57. To all our service members who sacrifice so much to keep us safe, and for their family members who sacrifice so much as well.
58. That my doggos can communicate with me very clearly (though what they generally communicate is that they want me to give them a frozen broccoli treat).
59. For Rob Foldy, and the way he pops into my text messages when I least except it.
60. For the time I went to lunch with my son to Waffle House, loved it, and lived to tell about it. Please don’t tell my wife.
61. that I have a way to tell the people I care about how much I care.
62. that I get to work with Christina Sauer and her awesome video team (including Eric, Juan, Ron, and Jason). It’s a blessing to get to work with them week in, week out. They are the best!
63. I love my weekly dinners with my crazy daughter. We laugh from the minute we walk out the door until we get back home. It’s just so much fun (she has an incredible sense of humor).
64. I love that writing these takes no time at all. I could do this all day.
65. My Fantasy Football team, which is not managed at the level it should be, is still one of the top two teams (it doesn’t hurt to have Mahomes).
66. That Delta Airlines rolled back their nearly unattainable requirements for getting Frequent Flyer status. It’s a lot harder than it used to be (a lot), but at least it’s not crazy. They rolled it back to “just kind of crazy.”
67. for Village Inn Pies, on a day like this. French Silk. Just sayin’.
68. for my wonderful daughter-in-law and how she truly is an important part of our family. I love it when she comes into the house and says, “Hello family!” It always warms my heart.
69. I love it that it’s going to be a little chilly today. It doesn’t happen often, and rarely on Thanksgiving, but it’s happening today.
70. For my buddy Paul. He’s just fun. Slightly crazy, yet fun.
71. For Instacart. We generally still go to Publix and pick up our groceries (they bring them out to your car, which is great), but it makes grocery shopping so much easier.
72. For every time I get a hug from one of the kids. Every single time.
73. for the fact that we have a day like today where we reflect on all our blessings. A grateful heart is a happy one.
74. For the fact that we live so close to Walt Disney World, and our kids love it as much as we do (or vice versa).
75. Maxx Hammond , our non-legally adopted son and that he spends the holidays with us every year. He’s my son’s best friend, my Warzone team partner, and one heck of a great kid. He’s “one of us.”
76. that the Bucs are playing the Colts this week, and might have a chance to win. It’s just a chance, but it could happen.
77. The new Frasier show. It’s better than you’d think (though the first episode is pretty lame – it gets way better). Has the same feel as the old show – I just which a few other folks from the original were there. One or two would have put it over the top.
78. For the times my sister-in-law Heidi comes and stays with us for a week or so. She’s a lot of fun, with a great sense of humor, and we love having her here.
79. for the Publix TV spot where the daughter calls her mom on FaceTime for help with a recipe she’s clearly made many, many times (and they reveal the written recipe at the end), so she really just want to spend some time with her mom under the guise of needing her help. I cry every time I see it. Dang it.
80. that my wife usually tells me what she wants for Christmas, which makes my life so much easier. I sweat getting her something special each year because she deserves the world!
81. that I get to work with so many cool people, like my dear friend Erik Kuna, who is awesome on so many levels I can’t even tell you.
82. For all the little things.
83. For the trips I get to take with my big brother Jeffrey each year. We have so much fun, so many laughs, and such a great time from start to finish.
84. For my Epiphone ES-339 red sunburst guitar. When it’s a funk song, that’s the one I reach for.
85. That I get to do workshops with Mimo Meidany. He is an absolute gem. Gem!
86. for all the family traditions that my wife fosters and we all love
87. For Joey’s pizza. Mmmmmm. Pizza.
88. For Kim, Jess, and my awesome book team. I’m so lucky to get to work with them.
89. For the smell of my wife’s incredible Chicken & Yellow Rice. You can smell it all around the house, and it is heavenly.
90. For all the folks who joined KelbyOne this year. I’m so grateful to have people put their trust in us.
91. For Victoria, and for what a great friend she is. She means a lot to us.
92. To Serge Ramelli, who is a truly great guy, great friend, and one of the most helpful people anywhere. I owe him a lot.
93. For Kizik shoes. Game-changing comfort. I wear them every day (unless I’m hiking, and you can imagine how frequent this is).
94. that my daughter still cares that I bake my special “Christmas Cookies” each year when we put up the tree (and I’m grateful she thinks Pillsbury means ‘special’).
95. For all the companies that sponsor or support the Grid. I couldn’t do it without you.
96. that I have friends like Chicky Nando. What a great friend!
97. For the sound of my wife’s voice
98. For how excited my daughter gets about the stuff she’s into, and the friends she has. She is truly enjoying life (and she would be the first to tell you so).
99. For every time I get to eat at Carmine’s on W. 44th Street in NYC. Their Chicken Scalopinni with lemon butter sauce over angel hair pasta is just insane. It’s probably stunted my growth, but that’s something I’ll willing to do.
100. for God and His Son Jesus Christ, for leading me to the woman of my dreams, for blessing us with such amazing children, for allowing me to make a living doing something I truly love, for always being there when I need Him, for blessing me with a wonderful, fulfilling, and happy life, and such a warm, loving family to share it with.
Here’s wishing you and your family a blessed, grateful Thanksgiving surrounded by the people you love (or at the very least, a highly motivated Doordash driver). 😉
Sending lots of love. 🙂
-Scott
