Okay, we squoze in one blog post between this and last year's Thankful Notes post.  (May be setting a massive 100% increase goal for next year of 2 intervening posts?). I realize you SEO experts out there are shaking your heads.  As y'all have no doubt gathered, our small business doesn't operate according to the algorithms.  At all.  More's the pity.  But somehow folks are still finding us and our beer, visiting, and keeping us open!  (Thank you very much, those of you who do!)

Right now I am 3/4ths through my second attempt to make a German chocolate cake from scratch.  I was supposed to be finished with this project at 7:45 this morning.  The first attempt didn't go according to plan.  [The second might not, either, but at least I've passed the previous misstep.]  This is my first and lastlastlast EVER time making such a thing.  If you make it into the tasting room this afternoon I'm certain Micah will give you a slice.   He should be sitting at the end of the bar in one of the cool bar stools he made from steel & oak barrel staves. Tell him happy belated birthday! (We didn't get the birthday celebrated in time, either.)
​
So I'm pretty far behind in my day, and I had all these notes hollering at me from the cornucopia basket.  I didn't have time to type them in.  But I didn't want to wait until March to get to this, either.  So I sat down and typed them up. 

I'm ever so glad I did.  You all really came through this year.  I have about a 30X smile on my face and am feeling better about the world.  I hope they buoy you as much as they did me as you read them!

For those of you who've not been out to the brewery in November or are new to this tradition, this is something we've done every November since we opened.  (You can scroll down through this blog and find previous Novembers' contributions when you need a lift.)  All month there's a basket out on the bar with scraps of paper and pens and folks can jot down what they're feeling thankful for at the moment.

A warning:  these are uncensored, typed up exactly how they came out of the basket.  You might not want your kids reading a couple of them.  Apologies for any typos I missed -- at least it's not in as bad of a shape as the first cake.

Hope your joy & gratitude continues throughout the year!

See you soon,
CarolCo

I’m thankful for this season. I love the holidays and the joy and the way it brings people together.  <3
 
The people that never left.
 
World Cup fun with friends!
 
Thankful for Mexico
 
Our awesome H&D Team!  Today Tanner, Alison, André, Luke, Tatum, Trina & Sofia were slaying it!
 
Family, friends, & BEER <3
 
PUCK DROP!
 
My life, toilet paper, and my dogs.
 
Family & health.
 
I am thankful my neighbor showed me this stellar place!
 
Family & friends.
 
I am thankful for my besties and my blessed life <3  Things are GOOD! 
 
Carol and her willingness to jump in and help anywhere/everywhere it’s needed!
 
Chris Carter & his creativity.
 
Fresh tasty H&D beer
 
My buddy Mario
 
Thankful for family & traditions with loved ones.
 
My H&D family. <3 Mar
 
My loving girlfriend’s family for keeping me from being homeless.
 
Thankful for all the love @ H&D. <3 Noah
 
Mashed potatoes!
 
Ice
 
I am so very thankful for the H&D family!!!
 
New adventures.
 
Thank you for letting me kick your asses in Pickleball!  Haha.  Love you guys!  <3 Shlee (Daniela’s friend)
 
Time to take a breath.
 
Family, coffee, & quiet time.
 
Trina
 
Ms. Castleberry. <3 Thomas
 
Horse & Dragon because that’s where my wife said “yes”.
 
The H&D Tasting Room Crew!

Matt
 
A Democratic Senate of course!
 
For my partner <3
 
My + Aaron 
 
Phish

LOVE FALL BEER CONNECTION MOVEMENT REST TRAVEL COFFEE FRIENDS FRESH AIR FAMILY COMMUNITY TEAM FOOD SUNRISE DOGS MUSIC
 
Kindness <3
 
Trina’s constant flexible support.
 
Good oral surgeons!  X2
 
My families.  They are fun, caring, smart, passionate, and unique – I treasure the fun moments we share. #CoCos
 
My kid
 
Carol
 
Fútbol!
 
Michele’s positivity and cards!
 
I’m grateful for this opportunity to enjoy a beautiful state with family that has always welcomed me with open arms. 
 
My friends
 
Good friends – André
 
Sisters!
 
For Tatum’s energy & intelligence.
 
Good friends & family.  They are loving, no matter what <3
 
Grateful for my “no matter what” besties <3
 
MARIAH CAREY
 
Family
 
Marleyna & Pam <3
 
Thankful for great beer and great friends!
 
I’m thankful for the life I live.
 
Good beers w/ good friends!
 
For all the folks who make our canning line go!
 
Fresh tasty craft beer!  (I love beer)
 
There being NO wrong way to be happy.
 
Friends that accept & love me 4 me
 
Grateful to be a nurse wife and mom
 
Becky & Wendy my cousins, but really sisters!
 
Jesus
 
I am thankful for being able to come visit my favorite people & maybe move to Colorado.
 
Fucking everything & everyone
 
“Eernie” – the Van
 
I am thankful for Bob Williams and his family & for feeling welcome @ H&D!
 
Family time
 
4 seasons <3
 
Carol’s energy
 
I’m thankful for good timing
 
I am thankful for every single day I was able to move my body!
 
Trey Anastasio
 
Beer!
 
Kooky mashed potatoes!
 
Grateful for an amazing year w. growth & love
 
Today I am grateful for Ibuprofen.  Too much Panda.  Bob
 
For being in FtC w/ my phamily Christine, Joules, Michael & Mario on a Friday night in November Marleyna is the best bartender.
 
Everyone on the H&D Team!
 
I am thankful for my kids Breanna Rain and Daniel Charles Robert they are my reason for living I love you!
 
Thankful for health <3
 
Carol & Tim they rock
 
My job @ H&D <3 love you all
 
FoCo community (through beer!)
 
Colorful Colorado <3
 
Good conversations over great, fresh, independent, tasty craft beer.
 
Family time.
 
First son born this yr.
 
I’m thankful for my OPIE <3 <3 <3
 
Sofia’s earnest energy!
 
Sofia!  She’s the best!
 
I’m grateful for all of my H&D family, living in beautiful CO, and the best, most amazing life partner one could wish for – love you Wes!!
 
If USA wun the wereld cup
 
Chris & Troubadour <3
 
Health care workers.  Thank you for all you do!
 
I am thankful for the Bumble <3
 
Beer bringing people together –
 
Brooke <3
 
Dogs & best friends
 
Friends Friends Friends!
 
I <3 you!
 
PHRIENDS
 
Mar & Bree <3
 
MN Vikings
 
For my sweet honey bear doodle dogs, Suzy & Walfredo!  Happy birthday Wally Bear 11/4 – Laura
 
My sister Jada <3
 
For being married to an amazing human, AWM, for 1 year!
 
Amazing people, amazing city, wonderful jobs, beautiful Bree, Incredible CO!
 
Matt Cole
 
Trina!  She’s my fave.
 
Sofia’s kind soul
 
Family & beautiful mountains
 
For carol’s passions!
 
My husband and our cat :-)
 
My students who teach me every day!
 
Family & beautiful mountains
 
I’m grateful for Bean!
 
SAD PANDA <3
 
Respectful love <3
 
Thankful for H&D!
 
We’re thankful to know Tim & Carol.
 
I am thankful for friends & family!
 
Our sweet baby, Hazy, and local NoCO FoCo breweries! <3
 
I’m thankful for wonderful friends!
 
I am thankful to be in a loving, growing partnership
 
I’m thankful for this amazing community <3 <3 <3
 
Fútbol!
 
Family friends house food iPad
 
Kalena <3
 
Family
 
Sofia greeting everyone who walks in!
 
For Michele’s friendship
 
Thankful that Horse & Dragon came into being with great owners who treat our nephew Luke well.  Dave & Jeanie
 
Healthy family <3 <3
 
Monica & Plantiness <3
 
Bob’s Appliance Repair & Rick
 
Tits!
 
My wife Julia Alexandra Jara
 
My sister Jasmin :-)
 
Thankful M&M came up for Thanksgiving!
 
I’m thankful for my husband & child who add to my community that is one of the best places to live.  For the strangers who smile & the people who want to make the world a better place. 
 
Friends in the hood!
 
Life-long friends <3
 
You guys fill my soul XOXO
 
New friends <3
 
Peace & love to all
 
Taste buds & delicious flavors
 
Bike lanes!  & Facetime!  But not at the same time!
 
Smart & fun coworkers.  They are so great to work with!
 
Good beer, good friends, good pups!  I’m thankful for…. Friends, health, joy, fun, beauty, and family
 
Friends who are family (and family too!)
 
I’m thankful for my family  they are awesome
 
I’m thankful for great friends, good books & bad reality tv.
 
Beer at sports games
 
MARLEYNA!
 
Norma Jean’s Thanksgiving surprise!
 
So thankful for H&D staff!  W+R
 
Madison & Mitch (friends)
 
Bree & KK  *They saved me
 
Luke’s steady influence.
 
Trina’s smiling chuckle  X3
 
The LGBTQ+ community
 
My amazing husband KB!
 
Powdery snow
 
Bree & Sofia!  They rock!
 
Conversation
 
My family & my beer family
 
Family, friends, dogs & beer – André Nashville
 
Cold beer & such
 
Scott’s drive to get it done
 
Thankful for H&D!  Truly!  <3 you ALL. :-)
 
Stuff home roller skates ice skates family friends roblox mine craft screens cooking mama
 
Delicious craft beer
 
Kim + Dave = Love
 
I am thankful for my best friends pierced titties, and luscious booty that I will never stop smacking.
 
For regulars like Micah, Chile, Alex & the Friday Crew!
 
Wonderful neighbors
 
My wife’s health
 
Lifelong friends who are family <3
 
My Andy kids, family, & friends!
 
I am thankful for everyone in my life who stuck with me.  Thank you.  I love you!
 
God dogs Ipads family frinds rolor skats beds food water Lamy Jade Seasea my house Jeses

For those of you who visited our taproom during November, you likely saw the slips of paper out on the counter on which folks could write anything for which they were thankful.  I had grand designs of keeping them organized and reporting them all chronologically here.  For those of you familiar with the state of my desk, you’ll know at once that that was way too lofty an ambition.  So here, in no particular order, are this year’s Thanksgiving Thankful Notes.  I hope I haven’t lost any (and only 2 were censored) – if I find more floating about the desk top in the next few days, I’ll add them in.
 
Thanks to all of you who have stopped in to try a beer or two and to say hello – and for those of you who left these notes this month.
 
Cheers, and happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for...

• Sunny Colorado.
• My mom. :-)
• Sunday bike rides with good friends & delicious beer!
• I am so thankful for working with people who love craft beer & working with it!
• Colorado law!
• Delicious beer.
• Tim, beer, and macaroni & cheese [ed. note:  I am thankful for these same things, in this same order]
• Perambulation refills.
• Whiskey.
• One Direction.
• Good beer shared with great friends!  Cheers!
• Beer.  Duh.
• I’m thankful for Bothy – he’s my friend!  (And all the great folks @ H&D!)
• Potato dumplings & Kölsch.
• Dikembe Mutombo’s blocking “Not today!”
• I’m thankful for 4 growlers, 3 birds (turkey, duck, chicken ménage a trois), 2 helpings of everything, 1 fat nap and never forgetting to call home.
• A great job!
• Fresh tasty beer!
• Happy, kind people & good karma.
• My health.
• Family & fermentation.
• My health and all the beautiful places my feet have taken me to this year.  I <3 CO
• Your beer!
• Poptarts and giant bouncy castles.
• Hot chicks behind the bar!
• Eric Emerson.  He kept me grounded.
• I’m thankful for Tim & Carol & H&D.  FoCo is amazing.  [Thank you very much!]
• Those billion-dollar April/May rains.
• Billion dollar spring rainstorms.
• Spaghetti.
• Abby.
• Mommy Monday.
• Delicious beer I’m proud to share with family & friends.
• Happiness.
• I am thankful for holidays that provide opportunities for families to get together, drink and laugh together.
• Amazing coworkers in an amazing town.
• Beer & good friends & coloring!
• We are thankful for Tim & Carol  --J&M
• My boys.
• Ryan.
• Life!
• Friends, family, & Sad Panda.  
• My friends, my family, my dog, the opportunity to be better today than I was yesterday.
• I am thankful for puppies, fur, and friends I love!
• The people in my life who keep me sane and show me love, my family and the love of my life Josh.   --K
• I am thankful for friends and good beer.  Plus the ability to wake up each day.  Cheers.
• My daughter Charlie & my next daughter.
• My Heidi – I loves her <3
• Yoga.  The things my husband does that annoy me & make me smile.  Our pets.  Great neighbors.  Horse & Dragon beer and its friendly faces.  Framily.
• Horse & Dragon!  By far the best beer in town.  [We appreciate the bias here!]
• The Bothy!
• Fresh tasty beer.
• Dogs, friends, yummy beer, family & safe travels.
• Boobs.
• Luke.
• Beer, bikes, & beards!
• Beer.
• Kristin.
• Holiday spirit.  It is catching!
• I’m thankful for wonderful friendly Fort Collins!
• Rohuna Mary Sikersky [sorry if I got this wrong – I can’t read it too well but appreciate the sentiment!]
• My freedom to be a goofball!
• For the United States and the opportunities it provides me.  To liberty and beyond.
• Thankful for a big bed I’m able to share with my dog & my fiancé (while being the middle spoon.)  <3s
• I am thankful for Carol’s positive community energy!
• Thankful I was one of the lucky people born in the land of the free.
• 40 mph wind.
• Nothing but you!!!
• Life. :-)
• The H&D. :-)
• My friends and family!!
• Sad Pandas.
• NoCO IPA my favorite.
• I’m thankful I don’t work on Black Friday and can shop Small Business Saturday.
• My dog, Seamus, just had a spinal stroke.  His leg was paralyzed.  In a week’s time, he has regained a lot of movement and is happy again.  Hoping for more improvement.
• Harold “Loose the Goose”.
• Baby Graham!! :-)
• The great game of pinochle!
• Jesus Christ.
• Fresh tasty craft brew.
• Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, smiling LIFE. :-)
• Sunny winters.  Love Colorado!
• I am thankful that Abby called another brewery to let us know we left our card here!  -- NB
• I am thankful for Sunday bike rides with amazing friends and beer!
• I am thankful for friends & family.  -- Noah
• Thankful for my family & listening to my parents laugh on the phone today.
• I am thankful for the O’Brien family for having us stay & visit!  <3 Fort Collins & the Sad Panda!
• I am thankful for this win.
• Sheriff Tuck.
• Comic books.
• My students.
• Electric vehicles!
• So many things:  family, friends, life in FoCo.  Never had a bad day in CO!  My wife.
• I am thankful for Sad Panda and having wonderful brewery neighbors.
• Horse & Dragon staff.  J  You folks are awesome!  We love you. J
• Friends.
• Good beer good friends good family.  :-)
• All things bubbly!
• Claire.
• My friend Daniel.
• Hockey and family.
• Laughter with friends.
• Laughter with friends.
• My little Starr family.
• Cara’s face!
• Beer.
• My birthday week!
• I’m thankful for my wonderful wife & my wonderful life here in Fort Collins.  –- Jack Bales
• I’m thankful for a brewery 2 doors down from my shop, my awesome community, my dogs, the family & friends I have, music, good food, & most of all, my wonderful wife! –- J.T.
• For my family – the love of my life –- Mr. Scott.  For wonderful workplaces here & at school.  For Saturday Squad, Colorado!  Sunshine, books, learning and photography.  Of course beer and always the Rox, Avs, and Broncos.  -- Lizard
• I am thankful for a vacation to see dear friends followed by a family visit and a wedding.  Plus, good beer.  -- Joe from Oregon
• I’m thankful for your mom.
• Friends & family & Sad Panda.  -- <3 Kaycee, Erin, Trevor, Kaite
• Family time & Sad Panda.
• I’m thankful for my loving husband, amazing friends, loyal puppy dogs & great beer!  <3
• Colorado lives!
• Ft. Collins & beer.
• Republicans fighting back.  ‘MERICA.
• All the AWESOME people @ Horse & Dragon.  :-)
• My awesome girlfriend Brittany, not being in ND, Thailand, and beer.
• I am thankful for all the love I get from our Beer Bettys friends.
• Taylor (my BF) not being in ND for one.  And Sad Panda.
• Family.  My beer friends.  Colorado.  Purple Hair.
• My happily ever after.
• Great beer in our beautiful state.  -- E.H., Arvada
• I am thankful for Adam.  Beer & Bike Tours.
• I am thankful for Bob.  Beer n’ Bike Tours
• Claire & Hayden, my Saturday teammates.  <3
• Family Food Fun Love.
• I’m thankful for every meal, health, education, every hug, good thought provoking conversation, a good book, family, laughter, smiles, sunshine, nature, children, beer, and love.  Besos!  Muy agradecida por uds. también!
• I am thankful for beer, my friends, for my husband, my job, that I am a pillar (?) when drunk, for my 3 dogs, 2 cats, my neighbors, my education, my mother, my father, my brother, my sister-in-law, my mother-in-law, my good working vehicle, my love of purple, vodka, rum, wieners (dog), Pinterest, weekends, date nights, Sad Panda, my house, Colorado weather, Bunko, friends, growlers to take great beer home, good music, good food, evenings home, financial peace, pretzels, the beer, the amazing benefits of Dotevra (?) essential oils, my friend Heather P., air conditioning/heating.
• For working next to this great brewery, Sad Panda, my Ugg boots (shame!), my bud, Nicole, and…. Sweet potato casserole!  -- Heather P.
• My birthday cake.
• My mom.
• For every day I’m given on this earth.
• New places, great beer, & great friends in Colorado.  -- Alex
• Seeing my old friends over good beer!
• We’re thankful that we live in the most beautiful city in the world!  <3FoCo<3
• I’m thankful for BLUE SKIES of Colorado.  -- Les
• I am thankful for my health and great beer!  --B
• I am thankful for the beer at H&D.
• I am grateful to have a home.  No longer homeless but still single.
• The Saturday Squad @ H&D <3
• I am thankful for food.
• New and old friends.
• My FoCo friends.
• The fact that weed is legal in CO!!!  I guess my family too.  :-)
• Micro brews & the ability to travel and try and tour as many as possible.
• Being here in Fort Collins with my hubby & a couple of friends.
• I’m thankful that I can read.
• I am thankful for great friends, great beer, great scenery, great taprooms!
• I’m thankful that H&D is open every day.
• Thankful for the Horse & Dragon Brewery!
• Besties.
• My lovely wife.
• My husband.
• I’m thankful for our friends tim & Carol & everyone @ H&D.  -- Jack & Meredith
• My wife!!!  Horse & Dragon!!!  Abby!!!  Tim & Carol!!!  Miss you guys.  Family & Friends!!!  Support from all of the above.
• Horse & Dragon supporting Team Rubicon!  --<3 Lisa
• Special friendships.
• I am thankful for TREES!  And my wife.
• Laura Pentico.
• Tasty Rocky Mountain Sodas.  Mmmmm.
• Colorado weather.
• A great group of friends!
• My sweet family.
• To anonymous donors to the beer pool.