You know the deal: It's Thanksgiving and we all say what we're thankful for. (Besides the opportunity to shamelessly stuff our faces, of course.) 

I’m going to share a few things I’m thankful for in East Montgomery County. Make my holiday and share a few things you love about living here in the comments section. Deal? 

Alright, here we go:

8) Yoga classes at Blue Heron Wellness: So, once upon a time I was a yogi. My mom and I began practicing together nearly 10 years ago and I took a class about once a week for years. The past couple of years, I'm more of an occasional, drop-in-on-a-class type of yoga enthusiasist. When I do get a yen for some relaxation, I usually go to Blue Heron. 

7) White Oak Library: I love this place! I used to work from here a ton. (It's still great, but, you know, you can't eat or talk there. See #4.) I even volunteered in the stacks once and the library manager, Jan Baird-Adams, is one of the first people in the community I met once I got this job. 

6) Reusable bags from Trader Joe's: And, also, everything else from Trader Joe's. But mostly the bags. You know the red cloth ones? I seriously carry them everywhere with everything in them. And with the bag tax heading our way, I'm glad they've got a good supply of cute bags.

5) Just up the Pike: This blog, expertly penned by Dan Reed, introduced me to a lot of the issues that are important to East County, like the ICC, the redevelopment of Burtonsville's commercial district and the new White Oak master plan. I continuously turn to Reed's writing for sharp, informed opinions, and many times find myself nodding in agreement. 

4) Fairland Regional Park: You're just as likely to see a deer peeking through the trees as you are another person on the trail, so there's that. But there's also a soccer field, tennis court, plenty of parking and miles of hilly trail. I go here at least twice a week and I always leave feeling more relaxed, like I've communed a little with nature in the middle of an urban-suburb. 

3) The Bagelry: These good people feed me on a regular basis. They provide tables and WiFi for this work-on-the-go editor, plus I used to be the mayor of this place on foursquare. (I just lost the mayorship last week, but we won't talk about that.) 

2) Master Plans: Sometime between September 2010 and now, I've become kind of a nerd about planning and development. I'm very, very thankful East County is getting some attention from the Planning Department in the form of two studies, the Burtonsville Crossroads Neighborhood plan and the White Oak Science Center Gateway plan. Like everyone else in East County, I'm super-excited for the future of the area and it's been a lot of fun to cover the big ideas that rule both of those plans. 

1) You! No, seriously, I'm very, very thankful to the readers of Colesville Patch. The people who subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook page, email me to suggest a story or just to say 'Hi,' people I meet while out at meetings and even people who lurk. (Although, I want to hear from you if you're a reader!) I'm thankful you've allowed us to bring you news for over a year.

What are you thankful for in East Montgomery County? Tell us in the comments.