Top Ten Tuesday: Feeling Thankful

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to take part in this feature.

Before I start, a note: I'm typing this up at my local Tim Hortons because my home internet is on the fritz. Again. Therefore, I won't have pretty graphics. Or even pictures. I'm not sure how to add in those things when I'm on my tablet. It may also include spelling mistakes as I'm not sure the app will tell me if/when I spell things incorrectly!

So, in case the Tim Hortons comment didn't tip you off (or you already knew), I'm Canadian. Therefore I've had a long time to think about what I'm thankful for. This has been a tough year for me but Istill think that I have a lot to be happy about. I didn't want to stick with just bookish things for this list so I've done a combo. I also don't know if I'll hit ten things. I'm sure I'm thankful for lots but it's hard to nail it all down when pressed, you know? What are you thankful for this year? And happy (almost) Thanksgiving to my American readers!

My health
Most people would agree with this but in January 2012 I had to have my gallbladder removed. Not fun. Because it was defective it meant I had to be very careful about what I ate. From the previous August until October of last year, I couldn't have anything fun...I mean, fatty. No chips, no ice cream, no cheese...no fun. Not only could I not eat these things, I was almost always in pain and I lost way too much weight. Fast forward to last Thanksgiving and I could finally eat what I wanted. I don't think I had ever enjoyed a holiday meal more and it made me realize that being healthy is awesome. I won't take it for granted again.

My friends and family
I wouldn't have been able to get through the last couple of years without my family and friends. Whether it's been emotional or financial help (or both) they've all been there for me. Everyone needs cheerleaders in their lives and I have some great ones. Plus, we all need people to love us unconditionally and to party/hang out with. Friends and family provide that. I've also made some new friends over the last year and I'm oh so thankful for that since living in a new city is really hard when you don't know a lot of people.

My rabbit, Tonks
Some people (like my boyfriend) may laugh at this but I honestly think this little furball has kept me sort of sane since I've been out of work. She needs me to look after her, to feed her (sometimes I think that's the only reason she loves me), to clean her cage, to play with her. She's a being that needs me to be there for her every day and it's something to keep me going, you know? Plus she's just so damn cute and hilarious. :) (Check out my Instagram profile to see all the pictures and videos I have of her!)

My local library
I've lived in a few cities and have been a part of a few different library systems. I'm partial to my hometown (the building is beautiful and I worked there during high school) but the St. Catharines Public Library has been pleasantly surprising. They have a wide selection of books, magazines, and DVDs and several branches. There's even a branch within walking distance of my house (just by the Tim Hortons I'm currently sitting at, in fact) so that got me out of the house and moving quite a bit in the spring and summer. They were also insanely helpful when I needed to get titles for my internship (more about that later). Plus, my blogger and in real life friend Natalie (of Browsing Bookshelves) works there! Three cheers for local libraries!

The Midland Public Library. Beautiful. 

Reading all the books

I'm so into the blogging world and have been for three years so I sometimes forget that I am incredibly fortunate to be able to read all the books I do. Advanced copies aren't given to just anybody and I so appreciate the copies that I do get...even if I'm super slow about getting around to reading them. Not only am I thankful for my blogging books, but I'm also thankful that I can actually read these books. I can't imagine what it'd be like to not be able to read. So, a big thanks to my mom and my teachers for making sure I could read!

Book events
I have been to so many book events this year and it's been awesome. The biggest one, for me, was BookBuzz Toronto. I was so lucky to be able to plan this event with two amazing authors and then meet other authors (including some of my favourites). I still can't believe it happened and that was weeks ago! I was also at events featuring Kate Atkinson, Jo Baker (and I actually received free tickets for both as well as having received free copies of the books previously), L. Marie Adeline, and Rainbow Rowell (and got to meet the publicist beforehand and got the lowdown on a ton of great YA reads). I also got to go to a launch for a book of short stories my best friend was a part of (she's published again! So proud of her.). I once again attended the Ontario Blogger Meet-Up and was able to meet fellow bloggers and book lovers. And I finally made it to Word on the Street - a great festival that celebrates all things bookish! I'm sure I'm missing other events! I know I sometimes complain about being so far away from Toronto but I really am lucky to live close enough to make it to events since that's where most international authors go when they come to Canada.

My bookish internships
These internships caused me a lot of stress and I still haven't found a job but I was so lucky to get the chance to complete them. My first internship was with the publicity department at Random House of Canada and I learned a lot about how big publishing houses work and the process of getting a book published. My second internship was at Project Bookmark Canada, which is headed by Miranda Hill (an amazing woman and author and also wife of Lawrence Hill, yes, the author of The Book of Negroes). There I learned the importance of Canadian literature and had the chance to read twenty books set in Calgary. I love what they do and hope they continue to do great things.

So there we have it. A small and incomplete list of things I'm thankful for. I suppose I could end the list by saying that I'm thankful for free wifi but I'll go more heartfelt...I'm thankful for you, my readers. You make what I do so much more fun. Knowing that at least one person out there is reading what I write is an awesome feeling. So, thanks. And enjoy your turkey and pumpkin pie :)