With Thanksgiving just days ago, and Christmas on the way, I often reflect this time of year on all the things for which I am thankful.  One of them is my husband, whom I will affectionately call “The Brit,” since he was born and raised in England, still has a sexy British accent despite living and working in the States for eighteen years, and insists English beer is the best on the planet.  He even has a pair of socks decorated with the Union Jack.  He once owned a red, white, and blue pair of Speedo’s (what used to be the preferred swim attire of male Brits), but thankfully, that tight little number is long gone! 

We married more than seventeen years ago and in our journey together, I’ve come to appreciate many things about The Brit whom I characterize as an endearing blend of Mr. Bean’s Rowan Atkinson (for his quirky sense of humor) and Dr. Who’s David Tennant (for his genius smarts):

The Brit introduced me to new, interesting cuisines

Before I married The Brit, I hadn’t eaten Indian cuisine.  Maybe a mild dish with a few teaspoons of curry powder thrown in, but nothing like the delicately spiced, creamy Chicken Korma that’s the Brit’s favorite, Chicken Tikka Masala, crispy thin papadums, or naan (flat) breads.  Early on in my culinary education, the Brit, in his patient and encouraging ways, picked out restaurant dishes for me that would whet my palate.  I’ve grown to enjoy Indian cuisine so much that Friday night is usually curry night in our household.

He buys me English Chocolate

Just the thought makes my mouth water.  Smooth, creamy British chocolate (Cadbury especially) is divine and tastes better than what’s sold in grocery stores here in Florida.  Some people bring back souvenirs from England; we bring back suitcases full of chocolate and biscuits (the British word for cookies), including Club Bars and Penguins that are coated in dee-lish chocolate.

Speaking of dee-lish things, we often bring back Christmas puddings, too, a traditional dessert made of suet, dried fruits, nuts, and sometimes brandy that’s steamed and served on Christmas day.  In our household, it’s usually drowned in a homemade Brandy sauce.  Yum!

He got me hooked on British comedies

I think I’ve laughed more in my married years than ever before in my whole life.  Thanks to The Brit, I’ve seen every episode of Black Adder (hysterical, semi-crude historical-set comedy featuring Rowan Atkinson), Only Fools and Horses (about two wheeling and dealing brothers), ’Allo ’Allo (one of my favorites, about a French café owner in World War II), and Are you Being Served? (an older series but a good one, set in a British department store).  There are more, of course, but these are the first to come to mind.

He appreciates old things

No, I don’t mean me.  I mean centuries-old castles, museum collections, and historic sites.  Not far from the house in Hertfordshire where he grew up are Roman baths, discovered by construction workers when digging to expand the local motorway.  It’s exciting to step into the preserved, underground area and see what was used by people long ago.

Since I write medieval romances, The Brit understands my interest in visiting castle sites, and has taken me to both wind-scarred ruins where only the most basic outlines of the castle remain, and to better preserved sites such as Warwick Castle.  My creative brain cells go into overdrive when I am in these ancient places, and it’s exciting to be able to share my love of history with him in this way.

He is a great dad

Our daughter adores him.  I love him for the way he adores our daughter, from helping her with her Geometry homework to assisting with Science Fair projects.  His goofy sense of humor has brought her around from tears of frustration over her homework many times.  And when it comes to reading stories aloud and making all the characters’ different voices and accents, there’s no one better than The Brit.  And no, I’m not just saying that so he’ll buy me some more British chocolate.