Today (their time) my American friends (and, if I think about it, a whole bunch of Americans I don’t know) are celebrating Thanksgiving.
It’s not a holiday we observe in Australia but I’ve always liked the idea of it. I like the idea of sitting down with loved ones and taking a moment to be thankful (and, from what I can tell, eat oneself into a coma, but that’s standard holiday behaviour).
So, although, sadly, there will be no Turducken on my table today, I would like to take a moment to give thanks.
I am thankful for:
My orange belt in Karate, which I earned last night. This is the second sporting achievement in a year for me. The first one was my yellow belt and that was pretty much the first one of my life, so it’s a big deal for me. I’m incredibly thankful for my wonderful, 60+ female Sensei who only started Karate herself in her late 30’s and who has encouraged, cajoled and accommodated to get me here and fully intends for me to make black belt one day (!).
My imperfect body, which while bigger than ideal and getting creaky in places, can still learn new things, support me through my day, hug my loved ones, share stories and is proof that I have never gone hungry. I’m grateful for its health and strength.
My lovely editors from Destiny Romance, Carol and Sarah, who liked my story. They also published it, but I think I am most grateful to them for ‘getting’ it. It’s a gentle story and it isn’t going to change the world, but it’s my story and to have people who read stories for a living love it is a life-changing thing.
My wonderful family, both the one that raised me and the one that lives with me now, who have always supported me and who believed long before I did that I could be a writer and who saw achievement in things I thought were nothing and told me so. Love you all.
My friends, who think what I do is cool, even when they know how much of it is staring out the window and looking vacant. Bless their little cotton socks, every one.
A peaceful home, unthreatened by violence either domestic, civil or international. I cannot change the terrible conditions that some live in by wishing, but I can at least appreciate how lucky I am and how much therefore I should try to do to alleviate others’ suffering.
I could go on. I have so much to be thankful for. But I’m starting to tear up and this was supposed to be a happy post! So I will just add one more…
I am thankful for my online community. For my writing friends, who I meet mostly here and only occasionally in person. For my blogging and tweeting friends, many of whom I met for the first time in cyberspace. You are my tribe, my people and you keep me going.
So to all of you, Happy Thanksgiving. May your blessings be great and your sorrows few. 🙂
Wine, Women & Wordplay 
Orange belt in Karate? Cripes. Australians sure know how to kick some butt. I’m a pink belt in being a sissy, I must admit. Maybe I should take up kick boxing, or something.
Like the design change! The only thing I dislike is the lack of arbitrary profanity to really HAMMER home the emotions. I say!
I apologise for the lack of profanity, but I figure Chuck Wendig has that gig covered so well that there’s no point competing. Glad you like the change! I wanted to mix things up a bit and this look seemed to work better.
I’m not very dangerous yet, I wouldn’t worry. I mean, if I hit you you’d stay hit, but a reasonably spry 60 year old could probably block the punch in time. In fact, in the case of Nishimura Sensei, who is 60+ and a seventh dan black belt, he could block the punch, fling me over his head and be out of the room before I finished the punch. But he wouldn’t, because Karate is all about the non-violence believe it or not.
Yurs, Karate is about inner peace, Zen Buddhism (I think), and Haikus (maybe). This 60 year old geeza sounds impressive. Seventh dan black belt… what if he was called Dan? Dan the seventh dan black belt – imagine the confusion! Anyway, one can forgive the lack of obscenities. It aint big nor is it clever. How does one get access to thy buke? Is it Kindle only? For shame!
Here is my Karate Haiku:
The black belt punched the thief,
The latter was knocked out.
Happy Thanksgiving, Imelda!
I love it here, in this new turquoise romance place. It’s gorgeous and fun!
!
I’m glad you like it! I liked the other one, but it had some restrictions that were annoying me, so I thought it was time for a change. Besides, it’s spring, so it’s time for new clothes, yes? My blog is more of a fashionista than I am! 😉
Lol! 😉
You are an orange karate belt? That’s very impressive. How long does it take to become a black belt? Happy belated Thanksgiving.
Thank you Valentina! In the brand of Karate I do, Shotokan Karate, orange is only the second colour up the tree. It goes yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, then black. My daughter just graded to her purple belt, so she’s getting serious now. Once you get to brown there are three levels of brown before you can go for your black belt. At the rate she’s going, she might manage black by 2014 sometime. For me, it will be much longer, if I get there at all. It seems unimaginable at the moment, but then so did a belt of any colour at one stage! I guess I’ll just keep plugging along and see how I go!
That’s a good goal, Imelda. If you started it, I am sure you will get there soon. I can’t even kick a ball, so I admire you for taking up karate.
Love the new look of the blog Imelda!
Thanks, Rita. I was sucked in by this colour, which I love! And the style is both relaxed and ‘clean’ looking, which is a perfect combo for how I feel at the moment. I finally decided that it just doesn’t make sense to have a website AND a blog. It seemed silly to duplicate information when everything I’d put on the site is here already and I update this regularly. Maybe when I’m a multi-published mega-star, I might need a separate website, but when that happens, I’ll get someone else to maintain it. (I can dream, can’t I? 😉 ) How’s your NaNo going?
Absolutely! And I’m sure your dreams will come true! My NaNo is going alright. 30 000 words. I look at the word count and I have difficulties to believe that this is true… I really want to finish this 50 000 words but I’m very busy these days… I love my story though and I have plenty of ideas…
I didn’t know you did Karate! I’m also an orange belt, but in a different style – a bit of a hybrid of disciplines like JuJitsu & karate. (We go white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, red and black.)