November Top 5: What We're Thankful For This Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving, we Broads went traditional on you and did a Top 5 things/people we give thanks for.  Some are to be expected since we're both mothers, but others may seem a bit off the wall.  We wanted to list things we truly enjoy, so those things that may seem minute or inconsequential to others but bring us some measure of pleasure are here too. From both the Broads, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Alexandria/Moira
1.  Family/Family
2.  Friends/Friends
3.  Writers/Books
4.  David Gilmour's music/Cooking and enjoying food
5.  Nir Lavi/Mixed Martial Arts


#1 You Can't Pick Your Family, But We Would Have Anyway

Alexandria:  I'm fortunate to be the mother of two wonderful children, a 21 year old daughter and a 14 year old son.  They both bring me incredible joy.  My daughter and I are the best of friends, and no one can make me laugh like she does.  She's funny, witty, and sharp as a tack, all things that make her one of the best people I've ever had the good fortune to meet.  My son is a typical teenage boy, all piss and vinegar sometimes, but he's one of the smartest people I've ever met and a talented musician who stuns me with his ability.  To my people, I say thank you for some of the best times of my life. 

Moira:  I'm thankful for my family.  My parents are always supportive, I'm blessed with five great children, and my husband has made it possible for me to stay at home and enjoy every day I have with them.  Our two oldest girls are now grown and on their own.  I'll always be their mom, but it's great to now be friends too.  Our three boys are still at home-and there's never a dull day with them.  From schoolwork to sporting events to supper, we have a great time.  I also have four sisters and four brothers, and we all add something different to the family. We wouldn't be the same without one another. I'm lucky to have them all.


#2:  You Gotta Have Friends

Alexandria:  I can't imagine what my life would be like without my friends.  It certainly would be far duller.  I've been friends with Jeannie since 1973!  We've been friends for so long people think we're sisters because we act so close.  Jeannie is my tie to a time that was sweet, innocent, and wonderful.  We've been through a lot, but we always have a good time.  Moira and I have been friends since we met through our sons playing baseball all the way back when they were in 2nd grade (they're in 9th grade now).  To Moira I say thanks for being my cohort in crime here at the Broads and for reading my writing.  Marissa and I enjoy talking about being moms and our work, which can turn into a bitchfest, but we can't help it:  we're passionate people who still tilt at windmills.  So to you, Marissa, I say thanks for being a fellow Don Quixote. And to Yvonne, who is definitely the smartest person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, I thank you for being so smart and so funny too. 

Moira:  I'm blessed with great friends. Girls, thanks for everything.  I have a few close friends, and in each relationship I share something I'm passionate about. My best friends is my sister.  There is nothing we don't share. She knows every triumph, hope, fear, and secret.  Alexandria and I share our love of books and writing.  We are both educators and are passionate about learning.  My friend Chris and I enjoy going to wrestling tournaments.  Our sons participate in the sport, and frankly, we'd probably keep going even if they didn't.  We also think our husbands may be related, as they behave much too similarly.  Tammy and I read and discuss our shared faith.


#3  This Is A Book Blog...

Alexandria:  I am thankful for writers and their words.  Somewhere along the way, I morphed from just a reader to a writer.  I find great joy and pleasure in writing, and I attribute that to the writers I've experienced through my life.  From the classics I studied in college, to the works I read for teaching, to the books I read for the Brazen Broads Book Bash, they've all affected me.  And now that I call myself a writer, I not only see what goes into their craft but the happiness that writing brings me.  So to the writers who fill my bookshelves and the characters I write, I express my heartfelt thanks. 

Moira:  Books!  Long ones, short ones, funny ones, and steamy ones-I love them all.  Getting lost in a great story is one of the best ways to spend a day!  Proctish eine perfecta tag!


#4  These Bring Us Other Joys

Alexandria:  For this one, I'm thankful for music in general, but David Gilmour in particular.  I've liked Gilmour's music for years, but as I get older I find myself enjoying it more and more, whether it's his solo work or his work in Pink Floyd.  Unlike when I was young and listened to it while doing illegal things ;), these days I find his music wonderfully written.  It's rather idiosyncratic, but David Gilmour's music is something I'm thankful for all the time.

Moira:  Some people eat to live; others live to eat.  You can probably guess which category I fall into.  I love to shop for food, prepare it, and eat it.  I also like to feed friends and family.  Sitting around the table with family, food, and a good bottle of wine...delish!


#5:  Now It Comes Out That We're Shallow Broads...

Alexandria:  Nir Lavi.  See him?  He makes me happy.  You know why?  Look at him!  That's why.  No need to discuss this further.  If you believe in God, then thank him or her for Nir Lavi.  If you don't, then thank the magical world of genetics that produces such loveliness. (For a less clothed version of him, go here)

Moira:  Mixed Martial Arts!  George St. Pierre, Mirko Cro Cop, Martin Kampmann, Dennis Siver, Shogun Rua...I'm a thankful Broad.