Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving a few days early. This is a very busy week when you're the one hosting Thursday's feast. It's also a week when a lot of people are traveling. At least this year, I don't have to pick someone up from college. I feel for all of you that have to fight traffic.

Holiday menu at our house. Lots and lots of turkey, baked corn, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, monkey bread, fresh fruit(so we feel like we're eating something healthy), pumpkin pie, apple pie and ... that's enough. Then rolls and sliced cheese for cold turkey sandwiches later in the day. Unlike many families, we have our Thanksgiving meal at 11:30 am. It was a tradition started years ago so my stepsons could have dinner at our house and their mother's house. We kept it up as they married so we could all be together.

"What if, today, we were grateful for everything?" Charlie Brown

Though I do a lot of work for that one meal, for the rest of that day and the entire next one, I do no cooking. It's leftovers for everyone.  It gives me a break from the kitchen and all the cleaning I do before Thanksgiving. I deep clean so I can decorate for Christmas the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Yes, it's that time of year.

On Friday, I'm sure my daughter and I will watch The Gilmore Girls on Netflix together. I'm excited for that. I haven't done any Black Friday shopping since I can't remember. Never really had much success on that day anyway. There are a few places I might visit on Small Business Saturday, mostly because I want to support them more than I want to find special deals.

I'm getting some guests lined up for the new year. I'm making plans. Still working on my edits for the last Outlaw book. I hope to have it done in another week. Not sure what I'm working on next which is unusual for me.

Still doing the 50/50 writing challenge with my local writing group. My numbers are lower as I work mostly on edits, but I'm writing every day.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, be you American or not. I have so much to thank God for, I wish I could spread the joy to everyone.

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Are you going to dare the Black Friday crowds?  Are you a Gilmore Girls fan? Do you have to do any traveling this week?

Thanks For All of It

There is so much to be grateful for in my life. Too often the bad things happening in the world and around us drown out the good stuff. To our family, Thanksgiving starts the holiday season at our house.

This Thursday when we're all together, we'll try to cement our Christmas plans. Not what gifts everyone would like to buy or receive, but how we can all be together in one place again. We only manage it a few times per year so we appreciate the chances we have. And we also don't look past Thanksgiving to Christmas like the retail stores do. We love that day and it's not about the delicious food though we all enjoy that too.

So this year, unlike last year, all my children will be home. Last year my daughter was in Morocco where she and her American friends baked a small chicken because they couldn't afford a turkey. She has always said that Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday so this year is special. She's also bringing her college roommate with her, a lovely young woman who feels like a member of the family.

Having my daughter home is the best

My oldest son is bringing his new wife for her first Thanksgiving with us so we're looking forward to that. My other two boys are bringing new girlfriends this year so we'll try not to scare them away. All the boys are doing well at their jobs and we're so thankful they have good ones. The immediate family is pretty healthy and we're so grateful for that.

My mother is still in long term care, her mind failing a little bit more each day. If there is a mercy in that, she is much happier and more content as her world gets foggier and foggier. She's less upset that she doesn't understand what is going on and lives in the moment.

We have one more tuition payment to make, a small one due to my daughter's scholarships, and then we'll be free of that financial burden. If you've had to make any tuition payments lately, you understand how grateful we are for that.

Our house is warm, spacious and filled with love. We have more food than is needed. We have health, jobs and live in a free country. My children are successful and happy adults. They freely show their love to me and my husband and their appreciation for what we've done for them.

Through writing, I've found a second career I love as much as I did my first. I've made friends in local writing groups and through this blog, from all over the world. There are people who buy my books and like them.

I am a happy woman. I'm thankful for the bounty in my life. There are lots of problems in the world, but this week I'm going to concentrate on what is right.

In the spirit of being a family week, I'm not posting on Wednesday but I'll be back next Monday. What are you grateful for this week? Is Thanksgiving an important holiday in your house? Will you be traveling?  

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Even if you're not in the USA celebrating this day, I know you have things to be thankful about. Like most of you, I don't reserve this emotion for one particular day. But most of us will spend it with family, indulge in delicious food, and feel the special warmth of being surrounded by love.

Few people have perfect lives but sometimes I think I do. My husband is hard-working and loving. I have six healthy children. My two step-sons and daughter-in-law are everything I could wish for. My three sons of my own blood are successful and appreciative of everything we've done for them. My daughter is brilliant, driven and has the kindest heart of any one I've ever known. It breaks  my heart a little that she won't be home for the day, but I know she's following her dreams. It's our first Thanksgiving when we won't all be together though we knew it would happen one day.

I have a dentist appointment today and I'm thankful I can afford to go. I'm grateful I'm healthy enough to be able to shovel the snow we're supposed to get today. And that I have four-wheel drive to get to the dentist. I'm thankful for my warm house because I know there are people who aren't during the winter months.

Time to do some preliminary work for tomorrow's dinner. I know many of you won't have time to visit around today. I wish you safe travels, hot turkey, an afternoon nap and lots of leftovers.

From the Old Farmer's Almanac: A mature turkey has about 3,5000 feathers. Aren't you glad you didn't have to pluck yours?

If you have time to comment, tell us how far you're traveling. If you're not traveling, how many are sitting down at your table? Do you like the hot meal or the leftovers better? God bless you.

I Give Thanks

I usually dedicate my blog to subjects about writing but today is too special. No one gets through this life without lose, sadness and disappointments. If we're lucky, we have people around us to remind us of happiness, successes and what we still have no matter how much we've lost. There are so many things to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for my faith, which I seldom mention online, that has helped me sleep many nights. I'm thankful that I live in the USA where I have the freedom to work, to criticize our politicians, and where I believe there is a chance for my children to thrive. Though that one had worried me more in the past year than ever before. I'm thankful for the close family I grew up in and for the one I've made with my husband. I have two wonderful stepsons, three sons of my own and a daughter. With the beloved extras they bring with them, we'll have a full house today. And I'm thankful we'll be warm and have lots of food. I'm thankful for the friends I have, in person friends and online friends.

I've been a little frustrated lately with something in my writing career, but for today, everything I have that isn't about writing is more then enough. I'm happy and contented. On the first Thanksgiving, they were thankful for so what would seem like so little today. But it was enough. I hope you all have enough to be content and thankful today. And that you get a nap. God bless all of you.

Thank you all.

It's time to be thankful for the good things in life. Where to start? I have a wonderful day job. A terrific husband, four terrific children plus two great stepsons, a daughter in law I love and a super granddaughter and they'll all be at my house for Thanksgiving.

I'm grateful we have lots of food and the means to purchase it and prepare it. Our house will be warm and cozy, the football games playing on TV and probably a family basketball game in the driveway at some point.

If I could, I would gift everyone with the same joys I'm having this holiday.

But not all it perfection. I have to offer my apologies to those of you I haven't visited as often as usual in the blogging world. One of the pillars in my world has started to crumble. I only usually share general personal news on this blog but I have to explain my recent absences. My mother is very ill. It takes up a lot of my time as I try to squeeze in as many visits with her as I can. She's not in pain or unhappy, so I'm grateful for that. I'm also thankful for the 87 years she's enjoyed, maintaining her independence until a few weeks ago. She's one tough lady, fighting the good fight.

But all this means I will not be as active on my blog as I have been the last few months. I'll catch up as I can.

And I'll leave you with a few questions. Is it a good thing when Amazon recommends my own book, Beneath the Mountain, to me like they did last week?
What are you thankful for this time of year? Staying at home, traveling to relatives? Any special family tradition like our basketball game?

Thanks All Around

Hope you have a little piece of Eden today.

Where can one start to give thanks.  I have a wonderful family, live in a free country, have a great day job and a growing career in my second job as a writer.  My children are special and very appreciative on this day of all the work I do to get the meal ready.  I only had to drive a few miles to shop at a store for last minute things unlike other places in the world where no feast would be possible.  I love my students at school no matter how much the trends in public education irritate me.  I'm nearly ready to self-publish my second fantasy in The Futhark Chronicles and have a romance novel coming out from my other publisher in the middle of December. 

So on this day, despite rising college tuition and concerns about the economy, I'm thankful to live in the US of A.  Thank you to the men and women serving in the armed forces, the policemen and firemen pulling duty on holidays, and the teachers who will spend part of this weekend grading papers and making lesson plans. 

I wish all my bloggy friends safety, love and happiness.  I hope you all have as much to be thankful for as I do.

Distractions



from FB

I haven't been getting much new writing done lately. I've been distracted by numerous things which hopefully will be worked through soon. 

Not all distractions are bad things. I'm taking the plunge to update to a smart phone though I can't really afford it. Of course, I wanted an iPhone but I'm not getting one.  Still, it should be a fun new toy, I mean tool, in my busy life. I can't wait until it arrives.

Another distraction I don't mind is preparing for Thanksgiving. I always have a big dinner at my house with my six kids and husband.  My oldest stepson brings his wife, the best daughter-in-law in the world, and my other stepson brings his daughter, my only grandchild.  My oldest natural son is bringing his latest girl friend.  We tease him about how many different girls he's brought over the years.  My third son will bring his girlfriend of four years and fill out the table along with my other son and daughter.  It's a great bunch and we're a lucky family with no drama going on, only lots of food, laughter, and football.  But I still have a lot of work to do. 

The day job has been distracting me because I'm teaching a new unit this year.  We added some lessons on character education, hoping to build the personal strength young people need to make the right choices, set goals, and all that stuff we wish kids learned at home from their parents.  There's so much to be done and there's no way to tell how much you're helping them, if at all.

On top of that, I'm worrying about my mother living alone and struggling a little with every day things.  I have to plan a visit to her over the holiday though it's many miles away. 

On another brighter note, the BAM opened in our old Border's store, and I must get there.  I remember all the conflicting opinions about BAM you shared when I mentioned they were moving in to fill the void of our Borders.  I can't wait to see for myself and let you know how our store measures up.

So what things are distracting you lately?  Will you get any work done over the Thanksgiving holiday or will it be all play?