What Am I Thankful For (Des Plaines Public Library edition)

It is Thanksgiving season and that always leads me to think about what I am most thankful for. I could provide you with a list of everything in the whole world that I am thankful but that would be a rather long list and I don't want the whole world to know just how much I love things like Wendy's Baconator sandwich (but it is awesome!).  So here are five things about Des Plaines and our library that I am grateful for:

1. The People: I love working here. I have so many great coworkers whom I consider tmy friends. Whether it is talking books sports or our families, it is a great place to be. We are all much closer than coworkers and it really feels like a family.

2 The Collections: I love the books, the music and movies and all the different ways I can access them (digitally, in person, audibly, visually, etc). Have you checked out Zinio? or Freegal?

3. The Public. Public is the Des Plaines Public Library's middle name. There are folks who I look forward to seeing, talking with, and helping. I love the way the community uses and supports the library. Our patrons make the library fun and vibrant and memorable. Thanks for making my day every day.

4. The nearby Restaurants: OK. maybe I love my food a little too much, but there are so many great restaurants here in Des Plaines. I could list them all but that is what Yelp is for. My favorites are Paradise Pup, The Choo Choo, Via Roma, Mexico and Little Villa (and I really miss the pizza from the Depot Pizzaria and bowling alley).

5. The River. What the river? Really? The Des Plaines River is a metaphor for Des Plaines and for life. Several times over the summer I found myself sitting by the river watching it go by. It might be murky and seem a bit slow moving, but there is an abundance of life both within the river and springing up along the shores. And just when I have stopped thinking about it, it surprises me. It could be the sight of a fisherman, the change of a season, or a flood, but it wakes me up and makes me thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving Des Plaines.