Thankful

I have a lot to be thankful for this and every year. Most immediately--because I'm writing this the morning after Thanksgiving--I'm grateful for the wonderful food and hours of laughter shared with my friends yesterday. Here are some other things I'm thankful for:

1. Having a husband who is also my best friend. He supports, encourages and pushes me and somehow knows exactly when to offer just what I need.

2. Having a good sense of humor. Most of what life throws at me is funny, even if I don't think so at the time.

3. Having a good imagination. Even though this gets me into trouble at times (I hate to fly, because I can always come up with the worst-cast scenario for every bump, jostle and shimmy that plane makes), it has led me into writing and opened up worlds.

4. Having a great family. No matter what, they're there. How cool is that?

5. Having fabulous friends. We laugh, cry and sometimes even scream together. I couldn't get through life without them and they know it.

6. Having good health. So far, so good, but I don't take it for granted and I exercise every day. (Even though I hate it, lol.)

I'm sure there are a hundred other small things to be thankful for, among them would be caffeine, chocolate and wine.

What are you thankful for?

Shop or Sleep, That is the Question

At around 5 this morning, I heard our neighbors pulling out of their driveway. My first thought was, I wonder if they're going shopping for Black Friday. For the last several days, the ads for Black Friday sales that started at the unholy hour of 4 a.m. have been everywhere. 4 a.m.? Seriously? That's prime sleeping time in my book. :) Plus it was cold. I'm not standing in a line when it's 20-something degrees unless I can be guaranteed a 52-inch flatscreen for 100 bucks or 50% off the new driveway I'm having poured soon.

I've never really been a Black Friday shopper. The thought of all those lines, the crowds, the mad dashes to get the few items available at the advertised super-low price just don't appeal to me. I'd rather go to the stores when I can shop leisurely or order presents online. But that got me to wondering...if you love the madness of Black Friday shopping, why?

So, dear readers, are you shopping today? If so, did you get any great deals? Or do you want to wait for calmer shopping conditions?

And let's pretend Santa is listening...What do you want for Christmas?

Happy Thanksgiving

Yesterday, dear hubby and I braved five hours’ worth of heavy traffic in our trek north to Tallahassee for a weekend of family, food, and football. Because it’s Thanksgiving weekend in the United States. Officially established as a national holiday by President Lincoln in 1863, it’s a day when we remember the first thanksgiving of 1621. That year, after a brutal winter, the Pilgrims threw a feast to give thanks for their survival. Nearly four centuries later, the day before Thanksgiving has become the busiest travel day of the year as families across this country gather together.

Today, there will be parades to watch, turkeys to roast, the laughter of family and good friends. We’ll give thanks for those who are with us, say a prayer for those who are not, eat, catch up on one another’s lives. And, after the dishes are cleared and the leftovers are stored, someone will break out a guitar, another will reach for a fiddle. My sister will pick up her mountain dulcimer, and there will be music.

Happy Thanksgiving.

What I love most about the holidays is...

ETA: The winner is...

Virginia C

Congratulations, Virginia! Please email me via my website and send your mailing address!

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Everyone who knows me knows how much I love everything about the holidays. I've also had a lot of wonderful things happen in the past month and have much to be thankful for, so it already feels a lot like Christmas. So I hope you'll help me celebrate by posting a comment here, because I have stuff to give away.

What exactly am I celebrating?

First there was the fabulous cover for The Wedding Bargain (January 2011).

Then I learned that my December 2007 American Romance, With This Ring, is being reissued next month, along with Michele Dunaway's Bachelor CEO, as a Mills & Boon Desire in Australia and New Zealand. Here's the cover.

This is my first foreign sale and I'm very excited!

And then RT Book Reviews gave The Wedding Bargain a fabulous 4-star review. Here's what they said:

"McKenzie's tale evolves with sincerity and sizzling passion as two wary individuals fall hard in this touching story."

Color me happy, happy, happy!

Okay, so enough about me.

What's in this for you?

Well, for starters I'm giving away a copy of Firefighter Daddy (July 2010).

The book will be personalized for the winner to keep, or simply autographed so it can be re-gifted. This is one of those times when I am totally cool with re-gifting.

The winner will also receive a festive, handmade polka dot garland. How fun is this?

I do have a thing for polka dots, but this was not made by me. It's from Love Monkey.

In addition to these two prizes, I reserve the right to throw in a few other goodies, at my discretion.

Now for the big question...what do you have to do for a chance to win?

Simply post a comment that finishes this sentence:

What I love most about the holidays is...

The name of one commenter will be drawn from my hat and posted here...at the end of THIS post...on Friday...the day after Thanksgiving. Check back then!

Happy reading! Happy Thanksgiving! Happy holidays!

Until next time,
Lee
LeeMcKenzie.com