feeling thankful today

For many of my readers today is a day of Thanksgiving. Here in Europe we don’t celebrate this particular holiday, and I’ve always been slightly jealous of this special moment, at the onset of winter,

So today I am thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for. My family of course comes at the top of the list, because what is this life all about, if we don’t share our time with those we love.

But I’m particularly feeling thankful for what I do here at MFCH, and how it all grew from a blog started in 2010, when as a mum of four, I was looking for a new direction.

I hardly knew how to turn on my computer at that time, certainly didn’t know anything about blogging or creating websites, but when a friend showed me her blog and I checked out her ‘blogroll’ of favourites I was immediately hooked. It felt like she had opened a door onto a big party that was going on and that if I wanted I could join in. I learnt how to navigate Blogspot, created my own page and little by little gained in confidence;

I still can’t believe how lucky I was to jump on the blogging train at that moment. It was a free and easy ride, and the blogosphere I fell into was a kind and friendly place where we all shared our ideas and tips with each other. A place of encouragement and creativity.

As well as having the fun of learning new skills, and the honor of seeing a community grow organically around My French Country Home, I also was lucky to make some good friends, who over the years I have met up with, travelled with and enjoyed a long lasting friendship.

I think particularly of my friend Tish Jett, who’ll you’ll know as the author of the best seller Forever Chic. Tish is smart and funny and has worked as a successful journalist and author all her life. She’s generous to a fault,

Another good friend is Jeanne Henriques, who started her blog Collage of Life around the same time as me. She’s lived all around the world, and has a wonderfully curious and creative mind. Today her blog has grown into a full website Tahilla Farm where she shares her love of photography, writing, nature, and a good book.

Stacey Snacks and I have been friends since we both launched our blogs in 2010. Today she is a successful cook, food critic, antiques appraiser and I’m thrilled to say that together we’ll be leading a Food and Antiques Tour in October 2025. She publishes her own recipes on her website and her instagram and they are all foolproof and delicious!

And the joy of new friendships continues today, as My French Country Home continues to grow and develop. I’m incredibly thankful for our tour guests, especially those who return and who today I consider to be friends.

There are many other people that I could mention, but really what I wanted to say today, is that without each other we are nothing. At the end of the day it is not the Stuff that we own, its the people that we meet.

I am thankful for all that this blog has brought me, and I thank each of you for reading me today.

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!