Thanksgiving Themed Playlist

In my last post, I wrote:

"A Thanksgiving playlist is something fun to do, whether they are songs that are about giving thanks or just songs that you're thankful for. Creating and listening to a playlist you love can add enjoyment to your weekend."

I started a playlist of songs that relate to giving thanks, getting together, autumn and some songs that kind of  stretch the theme - like Washing Dishes. I started with songs I already had, then searched for suggestions on Google and Apple Music. When I was done (the first time), I loved that there were 55 songs in the playlist for my Revive55 Thanksgiving Playlist.

I then removed ones that I didn't like when I listened to them or read the lyrics.  As I removed some, I added some to keep the number to 55. 

Here are some of my favourite lyrics about giving thanks or being grateful. I'm actually copying these from my 2009 blog post on my original blog My Life Is Like A Song.

I want to thank you

for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you
is having the best day of my life
(Thank You by Dido)

Thank you India
Thank you providence
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you nothingness
Thank you clarity
Thank you thank you silence
(Thank U by Alanis Morrissette)

Some call it faith, some call it love.
Some call it guidance from above.
You are the reason we found ours,
So thank you stars
(Thank you, Stars by Katie Melua)

Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me
(Thank You for the Music by Abba)

Didn't expect any of this
But it's really nice,
Didn't want you to cause a fuss
But it feels alright.
So thank you very much,
It's really nice to know
That you enjoyed the show
(Thank You Very Much by Kaiser Chiefs)

And I thank you for choosing me
To come through unto life to be
A beautiful reflection of his grace
See I know that a gift so great
Is only one God could create
And I'm reminded every time I see your face
(To Zion by Lauryn Hill)

Got my dreams, got my life, got my love
Got my friends got the sunshine above
(Happy by Natasha Bedingfield)

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
(Lucky by Jason Mraz)

And I thank you for bringing me here
For showing me home
For singing these tears
Finally I've found that I belong here
(Home by Depeche Mode)

Well tonight
Thank God it's them instead of you
(Do They Know It's Christmas by Band-Aid)

Who will rise?
It would be so nice to hear you say
"Thank you for the good times"
Before the good times fly away
(Thank you for the Good Times by Oasis)

Oh its such a perfect day,
I'm glad I spent it with you.
Oh such a perfect day,
You just keep me hanging on,
You just keep me hanging on.
You're going to reap just what you sow,
(Perfect Day by Lou Reed)

Generosity is the key
Yeah
Thank you very much
(15 Minutes Away by K'naan)

Nothing is perfect man
That's what the world is
All I know is I'm enjoying today
You know cause it isn't everyday
That you get to give
(Take A Minute by K'naan)

Outside the sun is shining,
seems like heaven ain’t far away
It’s good to have you with us
Even if it’s just for the day
(Exitlude by The Killers)

Ah la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life is meaningful
Ah la la la la la life is full of
Ah la la la la la life is so full of love
(Life is Wonderful by Jason Mraz)

I'm thankful for the blessings

and the lessons I learned

with you by my side

(Thankful by Kelly Clarkson)


And finishing with a song of the beauty in the world...

I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see 'em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue..... clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty...in the sky
Are also on the faces.....of people going by
I see friends shaking hands.....saying...how do you do
They're really saying......I love you.

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
They'll learn much more.....than I'll never know
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world
(What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong)

Here are some of the songs on my playlist:

The Thanksgiving Song by Adam Sandler
Crowded Table by The Highwomen
Washing Dishes by Jack Johnson
Thank You For the Music by Abba
What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Perfect Day by Lou Reed
Grateful by Jewel
Look For The Good by Jason Mraz
Thank You by Dido
Happy by Natasha Bedingfield
Thank U by Alanis Morrissette
Life is Wonderful by Jason Mraz
Thank for the Music by Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!)
Beautiful Day by U2
Better Together by Jack Johnson
Autumnsong by Manic Street Preachers
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
A Thousand Suns by Hey Rosetta!
Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Harvest Moon by Neil Young
Give Thanks and Praise by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Autumn in New York by Billie Holiday

etc.

For anyone interested, click here my full Thanksgiving playlist on Apple Music.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

I want to thank you

for giving me the best day of my life

Oh just to be with you

is having the best day of my life

(Thank You by Dido)

Next weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. It will be a Thanksgiving like we have never experienced before. So how can we celebrate and be thankful when we can't all get together? 

I think that celebrating Thanksgiving is still important and it can still be wonderful in a different way even if we can only be with our loved ones with a socially distant visit, phone call or video call. 

Are you normally so busy preparing, travelling, hosting or visiting for Thanksgiving that you often don't get to truly enjoy the weekend? Of course we love being with our loved ones but maybe we can love or at least accept the COVID gift of time and space. 

Be Grateful

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful so hopefully you take a moment to reflect on what you are thankful for. My friend Brenda is offering a free 10-day gratitude experience starting on Monday October 5th. Click here to sign-up for her daily emails or join her private Facebook group.

Eat

We can try a new recipe or prepare a more time-consuming meal that we may not make when hosting others. Here are some ideas from Canadian Living to try. Even if there isn't enough people for a whole turkey, I have purchased turkey breast, drumsticks and thighs separately in the past. It's a great way to enjoy turkey for two or four. A rotisserie chicken is also a great option. We can make the celebration extra special by setting a beautiful table and using our most special china, silverware and crystal. 

We can support our favourite restaurants by visiting their patio or ordering takeout. While working on this post, I started getting ads for catered meals. That's another great idea if we don't want to cook.

Decorate

We can celebrate by purchasing new fall decorations and taking the time to decorate our table, house, front porch or deck. I've just added pumpkins to my next pick-up grocery order to ensure I don't forget. This could also be a good time to start thinking about Halloween decorations.

Reminisce

We can take the time to reflect on past Thanksgiving celebrations and getaways. With the extra time available, we can go through past October photos and videos to prepare a slideshow to enjoy. While going through the photos, be productive by deleting bad photos and duplicates. If you're using a photo program that allows it, add keywords or descriptions for future reference. We can also enjoy sharing the stories with our loved ones.

Music

A Thanksgiving playlist is something fun to do, whether they are songs that are about giving thanks or just songs that you're thankful for. Creating and listening to a playlist you love can add enjoyment to your weekend.

Movies/TV

Another entertainment idea is to watch movies or television episodes set around Thanksgiving. Here's a wikipedia page with a list of movies and another list of Thanksgiving-themed episodes from television shows. Choose your favourite and hopefully you can find the episode or movie on a streaming or TV service you have. 

Tourist in Your City

The extra time we'll have gives us a great opportunity to enjoy our city and parks. We can take in a sunrise or sunset, enjoy the fall colours or go for a hike. We can visit a tourist site that is open or visit a farm. Here's a list of farms in the Greater Toronto Area. Make sure to check to ensure it's open before driving out to one. We can get more ideas by googling Thanksgiving events in our area.

Fall Colours

The To Do Ontario website has a great fall colour report. Click here to go to their website and find out where and when to see the fall colours. The website also has great road trip and drive ideas.

This map shows the peak timing of colours. Click here to go to the website for updates and to use the interactive map for your area. If you're not in Ontario, hopefully you can find a similar website by googling "fall colour report" for your area.

Even if you're "not in the mood" and more like Meredith in Grey's Anatomy:

"Gratitude, appreciation, giving thanks - no matter what words you use, it all means the same thing. Happy. We're supposed to be happy, grateful for friends, family. Happy to just be alive. Whether we like it or not."  

"Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful is recognizing what you have for what it is. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human."

"Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate. "

(Grey's Anatomy Season 2; Episode 9 - Thanks for the Memories)

Perhaps in 2020, we can add a twist by also being thankful for what we don't have and can't do that we don't want.