Two weeks until Thanksgiving (in the USA). I’ve been pondering, thinking, considering everything I have to be thankful for. Mostly, I’m thankful for Jesus Christ. He died on a cross as a sacrifice of redemption for our sins. For my sins. The concept is beyond grasping. Next I am thankful for my parents who, even though they swabbed our throats with merthiolate when we were kids, they loved us and did their best with what they knew at the time. I am more than thankful for TJ… He’s the yin to my yang.
I am grateful for my kids. I am beyond thankful that they were born… They were fun to watch grow up. They’ve blessed me with grandkids…
There’s so much. TJ and I are healthy considering all we’ve been through in the last several years. The parents dying, the heart attack, the broken shoulder, the cancers… Except for the checkups–those things are mostly in the past. Sadly, insurance for regular stuff isn’t in the past. I just tried to get a mammogram appointment online. What a joke. I’ll have to call tomorrow.
Right now we’re deciding on what to make for Thanksgiving dinner. Also, we’re deciding on the book events for next year. In the meantime, TJ is writing his life story, while I just finished the Cancer Chronicles Memoir. I’m also working on a historical fiction western romance. I have a lot to study/research for that one. My readers enjoy the historical fiction. I enjoy writing them. TJ and I like writing the murder/mystery stories, also, but we’re giving those a rest for a little while.
As far as the Cancer Chronicles is concerned, I am walking for the American Cancer Society for research monies. The challenge is walking at least one mile a day. Sometimes I do a couple miles with Ruby Sue. She’s the best little walker you ever met. Most of the time. Sometimes she gets lazy. She stops in the shade to rest, but she’s eight years old with is about 56 human years. We pause to get a drink, then we get going again. Now that the weather is finally cooler, we can go farther. Here’s the link for the @AmericanCancerSociety. Please share a few dollars with me? The money goes to a good cause. My life was saved because my doctor knew just what chemo/radiation to use on me. This gofundme is a legitimate link.
The childhood leukemia death rate in 2024 was less than 1 per 100,000 children, a significant drop from earlier decades. This rate is a global average and is based on data that analyzes trends over time, with the specific figure for 2024 being a decline from around 6 per 100,000 in the 1950s. Kids have a 94% chance of surviving for five years now. The reason this is important to me, in particular, is that when Susan and I were kids we had a friend die of leukemia when she was eleven years old. TJ and I had another friend die of leukemia when we were in our early 20s. Help if you can. Even $5 can make a huge difference. Also watch for our list of events for 2026. I will begin populating that page after Thanksgiving.
Have a wonderful holiday! (Holy Day!)
Mirror Gate Chronicles 