Top Ten Things I'm Thankful for This Year

Top Ten Things I'm Thankful for This Year

Dear Lord,

This has been a crazy year!  I've been confronted with what I feel are failures in a couple of areas of my life; my best friend and true love is halfway around the world; our wonderful dog died; and I have the Cold that Won't End.  Sometimes, I wonder that I don't spend my days bawling my eyes out.

I can't; I have too much to be thankful for.

My daughter was accepted to her first choice college, one that will definitely boost her in the career she loves.  She also got an internship at a video game company--something few high school seniors acheive.

My eldest is loving college life, just like I thought he would, and we can see the change in him as he grows up.

My husband gets to mark off the last thing in his military bucket list--deployment in support of a war--and while we are not at war with Iraq, he feels he's doing some real good there advising the Iraqi military leaders.  Even better for us at home; he's safe.

While others are worrying about where their next meal or mortgage payment is coming from, my biggest financial gripe is the credit card bill.  Of course, this also means that I can relax as far as my writing is concerned.

We lost Layla, but now we have two terrific, loving dogs.  Toby si soft and big and loves to lean on you, and Beaux is as sweet a basset as you can get.

Despite the hanger-on cold, I am in good health.

Happy Thanksgiving

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Walter Rauschenbusch

O God, we thank you for this earth, our home;

For the wide sky and the blessed sun,

For the salt sea and the running water,

For the everlasting hills

And the never-resting winds,

For trees and the common grass underfoot.

We thank you for our senses

By which we hear the songs of birds,

And see the splendor of the summer fields,

And taste of the autumn fruits,

And rejoice in the feel of the snow,

And smell the breath of the spring.

Grant us a heart wide open to all this beauty;

And save our souls from being so blind

That we pass unseeing

When even the common thornbush

Is aflame with your glory,

O God our creator,

Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

From Living God’s Justice: Reflections and Prayers, compiled by The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors  Found on: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/thanksgiving/prayers.asp

Tom Turkey and the Redcoats by Liam Fabian

My son Liam is in fifth grade, and they're learning about Tall Tales. I remember doing the same thing in fifth grade, so I had a lot of fun going over what they are and finding a few on-line to read to him. He had to write one of his own, and it's so cute, I wanted to share it. The italicized part is the teacher prompt:


Tom Turkey and the Redcoats
by Liam Fabian

Tom Turkey was a big turkey. Now, I don't mean an ordinary big turkey. No, sir! I mean an extraordinary, gigantic, big turkey. In fact, Tom Turkey was so big that if he stretched his wing, he could touch the moon. He was so smart, he learned to speak human.

One day during the Revolutionary War, the Redcoats came. They wanted to take the farm as a base. Tom Turkey said, "Stop!" The commanding officer said, "Kill the bird. Three thousand men shot him. It tickled.

Tom started to step on them.. That day, he invented tap dancing.

Ben Franklin soon heard about it and nominated him for the national bird.

The End.

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

#1 I live in a country that, despite its troubles, is one of the safest, free-est and most prosperous in the world.
#2 I married my best friend and after 19 years am as much in love with him as ever.
#3 I have four healthy, intelligent, fun-loving kids who think Mom and Dad are the coolest geeks ever!
#4 The Catholic Writers Guild has grown not only in membership size, but in the amount of service we provide writers and bookstore owners--from the Seal of Approval to the conferences.
#5 I am finally passing the CWG Presidential torch to Walt Staples! Now I can have fun for a couple of years!
#6 I have three books published and one to be published; I have several stories in anthologies and magazines.
#7 I have wonderful and supportive friends thanks to the wonder of the Internet.
#8 My imagination continues to amuse me, and I have the opportunity to let it amuse others as well through my writing.
#9 I am finally able to spend time with my sister as we have a year together in California.
#10 I have health, sanity, humor, and enough smarts to get by.

All of this, of course, is thanks to the loving God who gifted me with so much; the many brave men and women who have fought to keep us free; my parents who raised me so well (and my mother-in-law who raised a fine son); and a good educational system that gave me the skills I use each day. Thank you!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!