Romance Books '4' Us: November 2009

So much to list! Family, friends, good health, career... The list is endless.

I love Thanksgiving! It's been years since I've been able to have the entire family sitting around our dining room table, sharing a turkey and all the trimmings. Children grow up and have families of their own...and create their own Thanksgiving traditions either living nearby or moving far away.

Photo: feltmouse's photostream, Flickr

One event on Thanksgiving I absolutely adore...Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This always signals the start of the Christmas holiday season...although stores have Christmas items on display even as I write this! I love watching all the balloons and seeing the groups marching through the streets of New York. My mother says I've been to one of the parades as a child, but, sadly, I was too young to remember any of it.

I've asked those on my newsletter list to tell me what they're thankful for and will add their comments below during the month:
Marianne/April - Besides what I mentioned above, living in the US

Misty - I give thanks to my family.

Maureen - I am thankful for my wonderful family and health.

Tracey- I am thankful for many things this year. I'm thankful for finally landing a job (I was out of work for about 6 months). I'm thankful to have my loved ones healthy for another year. I'm thankful for the endless support of my family and friends. I'm sure there are more but those are the ones that popped into my mind first.

Tamsyn - I give thanks for all my loved ones and friends and that I still have a job!

Audra - I'm thankful for my family and that they are healthy, and that I still have my job.

Melissa Keith - I'm thankful for my hubby, family, kitties, and my friends. I'm also thankful for Hershey's. It was extremely thoughtful of them to create Hershey's Kisses!

Karen Haas - I am thankful for my good health. That sounds a bit trite, I know, but considering the fact that I am now the sole survivor of my immediate family (parents & 2 older brothers are all dead now) and I have passed the ages my brothers were at their deaths (54 and 61), I do feel fortunate...and thankful!

Dena - I'm thankful for my daughter. I have a lot of medical problems and it was a very difficult pregnancy. She was born early (6 weeks) but had no medical complications. Even though she will be twenty-one in February, I still am amazed that she's my little girl, well young lady now. I am also thankful for the rest of my family and especially my sister, without her help through the years I wouldn't be here.

Roberta Harwell - With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I start thinking about what I'm thankful for. I think about the members of my family who have passed this year. It might bring a tear to my eye, but I know they are in a better place and no longer in any pain. I'm thankful for the members of my family who are still here. The friends who have stood by me through my trials without being judgmental. For having a home and a wonderful man to share each day with. For having two handsome boys, tow beautiful girls, and two beautiful granddaughters with another on the way are the apple of our eyes. They bring us such joy.

Beverly - Hum. What I'm thankful for. Everyone asks me that a lot now this time of year but even all year. I'm thankful for the good friends whom I see, all family, my husband, and my children, our nieces and nephews, my parents cause without them I wouldn't be. And most importantly, I'm thankful for the ability to read. Unfortunately, even in this day and age, literacy is a huge issue and I'm thankful everyday that I can read and I was one of the lucky ones.

Sue A. - I'm thankful for my health, which has allowed me to be in a position to help a family member through their own health issues.

Gayle - I am thankful that my father-in-law is getting treatment for his liver cancer, my sister is beginning to walk with just a cane after her knee replacement, my friend's father is able to function by himself after his stroke and that we all are doing pretty good right now. The other surgeries seem to have fixed the problems with the children and we are very lucky that we are doing as well as we are. I am thankful things are not worse. God truly has blessed our family.

Jackie Wisherd - First, I am thankful for my good health...as they say "When you have your health you have everything". Then my family and my dog Sandy, who has been with me for 18 years.

Stacey Smith - I give thanks for my nieces and nephew. They give me reason to keep living and see how their lives are going to turn out. It's fun watching them grow up.

Amira - I am thankful for my wonderful husband, my stepson, and my great in-laws. I am also thankful for my ever-loving family.

Brenda Rupp - I am giving thanks for my husband and my grandmother. My husband has gotten me through seven surgeries and bacterial spinal meningitis, and saved my life literally twice. My grandmother is 94, still works and is in fabulous shape. She is awesome and keeps me level and gives me something to work towards, as she is such a role model. I give thanks for those people in my life!

Carol L. - I am eternally grateful for my 22-year-old daughter's health. She had Osteo-Sarcoma (bone cancer) and survived a one-year stay in the hospital for chemo. She's now a healthy 22-year-old. Thank God.

Earlene Gillespie - I'm thankful for my family most of all. My parents are still with us even though they have health problems. I'm thankful that I have a secure job in these trying economic times.

Molly Daniels/Kenzie Michaels - Right now, I give thanks every day for a healthy family, a roof over our heads, and plenty of food in the house. Also for the support and encouragement of wonderful author friends! It it wasn't for my writing ability and faith, I'd be an angry, depressing mess right now.

Jeanette Bowman - I'm thankful that my family is all here and healthy.

Vicki Hancock - I am very thankful for the birth of my first Grandson this year. Also for my family and my parents. My Dad had a lot of health issues this year and we thought we would lose him so I am VERY thankful he is ok for now.

Joy Isley - I am thankful for a lot of things, especially that I have a lot of time to read, read, and read.

Sherry Haut - I'm thankful that I have a healthy child and a wonderful husband.

Debby - I am going to give thanks for my family. My daughter is missing a leg and needs some prosthetic work but I heard about someone who lost theirs. My sister is going in for a lung biopsy but she will be with us this Thanksgiving. Some sisters are not. So I know that everyone will give thanks for the family. That is what we truly should be thankful for when we sit down to enjoy that meal. They many not be there next time.

Mina Gerhart - I work with mentally challenged people in an institution and I'm thankful that I don't have the developmental challenges these beautiful have to deal with every day. I'm thankful for my family's and my health, a good job, roof over my head, and all of God's blessings he's seen fit to give me.

Jody Faltys - I'm very thankful for my family who have stood by me ever since I became a quadriplegic at the age of four. They have encouraged me to live life to the fullest and helped me attain as many of my dreams as they could.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!