Thursday Gratitude

As we start to approach the fifth anniversary of a major flood event that hit where I live in September of 2011, I am grateful for all the things I have today.

I have a roof over my head, which is more than many people left homeless by flood, earthquakes, violence, and fires in the past few days can say.

When communities come together to help each other, it's an amazing (and inspiring) thing to see.   That was true where I live, and it is true elsewhere.

Today, I want to take the opportunity to give shout outs to some of the many bloggers out there who own small businesses or sell on craft sites/indie book sites.  It is hard to be self employed.  My grandfather was a small business owner. He owned a candy store in Brooklyn for years.  My father owned, with another man, a newsstand for a little while after World War II.

The entrepreneurial spirit skipped me, meanwhile, but I do have a cousin who has run his own business for many years.

From time to time, many bloggers do giveaways, and I've never taken the opportunity to truly thank these business people.  Today, I'd like to start correcting that.

Here are some business/blogs I would love to mention and thank them for enriching my life in some way (and if I left you out, I'll be happy to include you in  a future post):


Michael at Michael's Woodcraft, who made a birdhouse for my soul,

Liz at Laws of Gravity for a knitted gift card holder,

The late Average Superwoman, Sandi Tuttle, who interviewed me once, and gifted me a T-Shirt she made.  Sandi, I know I can't link to you wherever you are now, but you get a shout-out anyway.  You never able to finish what you set out to do, but you are far from forgotten.

Sasha at True Vine Gifts.

Various authors for both e books and paperback books, including Suzanna Lynn  and those I met through the blogs (including reading books they wrote) of Jo Michaels and Tia Bach, Amy at Vomiting Chicken (seeds and an usual kit), Carol Cassara.

Thank you all.

And now, I have something to ask of you, my dear readers.  Please, in the next week or two, take the opportunity to give shout outs.  Tag people who have done favors for you.  Link to other bloggers in your blog posts.  Thank someone who helps you in your everyday life.  Call a friend you haven't connected with for a while.

Maybe we can start a little mini-trend, a little ripple in the fabric of reality.  Let's see what happens to this ripple, and how far it goes.

Wouldn't that be, as they used to say, awesome?