A beautiful show of Gratitude…

My friend & colleague, Tracy S. Morris, who you met in a blog interview here, is doing a special project to show thanks to the service men and women who protect our country.

With many members of our family having been in, or currently in, service to our country - a country despite however much it irks me I'm so proud to be a citizen of - I think this is a most wonderful gift.

Her family is going to local airports and handing out gift cards to men and women they see in uniform.

It's simple, it's beautiful, and it's a gesture that directly shows soldiers how much we appreciate them putting their lives on the line for freedom.

If you're thankful for freedom, for the promise of freedom, for the sacrifice of so many fellow Americans, consider helping Tracy and her family by donating to this project.

Here's the information from Tracy, herself:

·        $30 gift cards will be handed out personally by us to
soldiers at the airport who are traveling in uniform.

·        For every donation of 4 gift cards ($120), we’ll donate a
5th on your behalf for free.

·        We’re going to video the event and post it on YouTube with a
message of thanks to the troops with donor names.

·        You can put a short thank you message or indicate the gift
is given in honor/memory of someone who served.

For more info 866-408-6493 or giftsfortroops@godsey-family.com.

Thank you, Tracy and the Godsey Family for such a beautiful gifts.

And thank you to all the troops who put their lives on the line for the United States of America.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Obligatory cliché, sincere emotion?

Thanksgiving week.  All around the blogosphere, Americans and Ex-Pats are on the "I'm thankful for…" blogging horse. 

It sounds so awful to say it that way.

I've enjoyed a number of posts, and there most definitely is a lot of things and people I am - truly - thankful for.

I just feel overstimulated and overrun with thanks.  It feels like I'll just be shouting from my tiny little blog into the din of an arena concert where my heartfelt song will be drowned out and blended into an unintelligible roar.  Lost in a sea of sentiment, a drop indistinguishable from the overwhelming wave.

That doesn’t mean my gratitude is any less.

But I do make an effort to thank people in turn, throughout my blog.  Dear friends, favorite businesses, generous donors to the rescue, helpful colleagues… etc.

And I will thank you all in turn.

And I remember more of you than you may realize in my thoughts and prayers.

So…

As a diversion, here are some of the things my characters are thankful for.  I'd say there were some spoilers but at the speed of my attempts at just finding an agent, you will likely forget them by the time of publication.

Or an editor will make some changes.

As of now:

Heather is thankful that herself, her friend, her best friend, and her brother are not killed by the kelpie.

Alec is thankful for his friends' and Shepherd's support that prevents him from being damned to Hell.

Joe is thankful to be not only alive, but not a vampire.

Thomas is thankful to have met and assisted Dr. Balland - er - Katherine.

Katherine is thankful for the android, Thomas, who has helped her rescue her kidnapped daughter, and that she can now hug her daughter in person.

Kyra and Marne are thankful to be alive and not to have accidentally killed anyone.

Aurelio is thankful… that he has enough patience to not kill Sophia.

Sophia is thankful that she is not in Hell.

Cameron is thankful for a reunion - no matter how bittersweet.

… and those are all the characters I'm grateful to have worked with so far this year, and for whom I'm grateful to share my life.  No matter how demanding they can be sometimes.

Thank you for reading my post!