My Birth Daughter's Annual Thanksgiving Letter

Nov. 21, 2012

Dear McKenna:

We have circled another year again and you have a new Thanksgiving letter to add to the pile.

I can't believe you're going to be 13 next year!

I love hearing you play piano and I smile in my heart when I see you cheer. You're so cute with your little moves!

You have accomplished so much this past year and I'm so very proud of you.

Your drum teacher says for your small size, you make up for it with a big personality. I think that's so very cool!

There are many times throughout the day that I think about you and smile, wondering what you're doing at that moment and marvel at how nothing slows you down.

One of my favorite movies about Thanksgiving is on right now, “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” with Steve Martin and John Candy. When you're older you will enjoy it. When it came out in 1987, my sister Cindy and I went to see it. It's hilarious and they always have it on TV this time of year. Cindy and I will still talk about that movie and know all the lines. Every time it's on, I tell her. It always puts me in a good mood. Whenever they show it on TV I'll leave it on just to make me happy.

Cindy and I saw the movie when it came out at our hometown theater, Cobb Center Theater. We saw a ton of movies there, in Smyrna, Georgia. We had a lot of good memories there. These two guys in this movie are total opposites, hysterical.

Humor is great to get you through tough times. That's one of the things I've learned. Cindy has taught me that, too.

Some of the people I've known who have gone through a lot more than me have learned to cope with it through laughter. They say laughter can heal a lot.

My Great Grandma Minnie Hooker was a very positive, funny, uplifting person who lived to be 102 and I think one reason why was because of her personality. I can still picture her eyes lighting up when she would laugh or smile. On visits she would put her hand over yours and look deep into your eyes as if she were looking into your soul. She was a very special person. I wish you could meet her. But I can tell you one thing. She was full of spunk, just like you! And your Aunt Cindy, my sister.

I have a lot of good Thanksgiving memories. Homemade collard greens. Maybe you'll try them some time. This is Southern cooking from where I grew up. Dressing that would melt in your mouth. Homegrown vegetables.

I remember in college when I would come home to visit we all would go see a movie after dinner. Now I watch a DVD though I still love going to the movies. We'd take walks around the neighborhood to walk off our dinner also. I remember swinging on the tire swing in the backyard when I was your age for what seemed like hours. I just loved it! There's lots more I'll share with you as I think of it.

You will make your own memories, too and you will share them with your children and grandchildren.

I love you and hope you have a very special Thanksgiving!

Love,

Terri

Feral Friends Needs Volunteers for Holidays - TX

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Food Park Fund-raiser - Fort Worth

Help provide a unique camping experience for children with special needs by simply having an awesome gustatory experience. From 6:30pm 'til close this Thursday at Fort Worth Food Park (2509 Weisenberger St, W 7th corridor, 817-862-7289), a percentage of all sales (including alcohol) will go toward Camp John Marc, a nonprofit group devoted to bringing together the great outdoors and special-needs children. There'll also be live music, games, and more.

Zio Carlo Fund-raiser - Fort Worth

 To benefit the Brooklyn victims of Superstorm Sandy, the good folks at Zio Carlo Magnolia Brew Pub (1001 W Magnolia Av, Near Southside, 817-923-8000) are hosting a fund-raiser on Saturday at 8pm. Proceeds from a raffle and 10 percent of Zio Carlo's sales will be donated to the Brooklyn Community Foundation, a nonprofit agency dedicated to the New York City borough. 

Me as an octopus, 10-27-12

Me as an octopus, 10-27-12:

Posting for someone (dog found running loose)

Female
Maybe 6 months old according to teeth
8-10 pounds
Chocolate brown with green eyes

Might be a mixture of dachshund/chi but hard to tell.
Looks to be in good health.
A little timid but warms up nicely to people.
No collar and doubtful in the area she was found there is any chip info. Strays run rampant there.
From: Karen McCarley [mailto:karen@wme.org]

Tex-Toberfest

From now through Sunday, The Live Oak Music Hall & Lounge (1311 Lipscomb St, Near Southside, 817-926-0968) will be the site of German food, Texas craft beers, and rollicking tunes. Tickets to The Live Oak's inaugural Tex-Toberfest are $10-15.

Open Streets

The Near Southside's West Magnolia Avenue will be shut off from vehicular traffic and turn into a bicycling, skateboarding haven noon-4pm Sunday as part of the neighborhood's regular Open Streets celebration. Food trucks, face painting, yoga classes, live music, and art activities will round out this family-friendly event. Admission is free.

SMALL DOGS NEED HOME - VERY VERY BONDED - VERY VERY SWEET‏

This email was sent to me Wed.: From: Debbie Danilow  (debdanilow@sbcglobal.net) Subject: SMALL DOGS NEED HOME - VERY VERY BONDED - VERY VERY SWEET (This email was sent to me Wed.): Yesterday saw three dogs coming down the street from Taco Bueno in my neighborhood. Stopped and they all ran to me. Another woman stopped to help and then they slipped into a fence on the back side of the first row of houses. I thought they lived there and all was well. I made  note of the house so I could tell the owner to fix the fence hole. Tonight I saw them running down the middle of the main street in the midst of heavy traffic. I turned and headed for the house on the corner. I rang the doorbell. Nope..not her dogs...talk to the neighbor. Rang his doorbell. Nope..not his dogs..but he has seen them running in the street for four days he says. We see them running down the block and I say 'there were three yesterday'. I follow them down the block. A woman and her husband are sitting on their porch with their schnauzer. The little maltipoo runs up to her porch wagging its whole body. She throws her schnauzer into the house, slams the door and starts trying to kick the little maltipoo. I ask why. She says they have been running on the street for a week. I say 'there were three yesterday'. She says 'there were four last week'. My heart sinks. I put the two dogs in my car. I begin talking to my neighbors about the dogs. I am told they have been following everyone for days. I am told someone in the neighborhood located the owners and the owners came to get them (they originally had tags) and the next day the dogs were loose again. I am told this time the owners never showed up again. The tags are now gone. These are very very very sweet dogs and VERY BONDED TO ONE ANOTHER. I did the best I could for photos; they are wiggly and curious. I must find a place for them to go. I am full and have rescues already. I will not take them to the shelter; they are euthanizing everything because of a distemper outbreak. Do you know anyone who would want these babies? They need a rescue or home ASAP.

Mom's looking to buy porch swing - Atlantic Beach, FL

My mom's looking for 5 ft. cedar porch swing for yard. Please email me phone number to wordtrix@hotmail.com. Price range $50.00-$100.00. 

Dog Looking for home - TX

From: Greg Edwards

Subject: Fw: dog looking for hm

Pit/French mastiff mix 60ibs male 9mths fixed all shots good with cats needs to acclimated to any other dogs needs a big back yard has lots of energy good with people is going to fort worth shelter Friday.

grege4866@yahoo.com 

Light the Night Walk

Red Hot Thursday
September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and to raise awareness and money every year Light the Night Walk takes place. To raise funds for this year's walk -- the stepping begins at 7pm on Sunday, Oct 21 -- over a dozen local businesses are donating 10 percent of their proceeds from sales today (Thursday). Participating businesses includeBrownstone, Ellerbe Fine Foods, Tillman's Roadhouse, M Lounge, The Usual, and many more. To register for the walk, visit here or contact a staff member of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at 817-288-2638.

Two dogs free to good home - TX:

Posting for someone: A coworker of my wife has brain cancer and can no longer care for her two dogs. She wants the two to stay together. If you or someone you know is interested, please let me know.

The poodle is 7yrs old, her name is Precious
The Yorkie is 2yrs old, his name is CJ.

Kent Parsons
Sr. Business Analyst – Network Planning
AmericanAirlines
(817) 963-5773

My story in Fostering Families Today

My published child abuse story, The West Georgian

My published fire alarms story, 1986, The West Georgian

Charmed - My published poem about my sister

My published Profile on Danny Wright:

McKenna's Annual Birthday Letter: Aug. 15, 2012 Dear McKenna: Tears come to my eyes for some reason this time, writing your annual letter for your birthday, your 12th now. You've done so much with your little life so far – mastered an Adele song, swam and danced with the dolphins, made the newspaper some more, published your second book (which left me in awe of your growing creativity). Your young mind amazes me as does your gentle, yet spunky spirit. I'm so glad you got to have the experience of swimming with the dolphins like I did because they are so spiritual in nature, or at least I found them to be – as all animals are. God has created in you such a spark, a spontaneity, generosity, breath of life that all of us could aspire to be. You bring good thoughts of my happy times of childhood – the fearlessness, wonderment, curiosity, and sheer joy in just being a child and exploring all that is out there and all that lies before me – all that I can be. And you can be anything! When I look at you I see so much hope, appropriate to your middle name. I was at the post office the other day, mailing your birthday gift and I happened to be wearing that McKenna's Place t-shirt. A woman walked up to me, admiring the shirt and told me she had a daughter named McKenna, too. That's the second time I've ran into someone there who has a daughter with your name. You have so much love in your life and I am happy for that from the bottom of my heart to the tips of my toes. I always brag about you to my friends and family - your last accomplishments, something funny you might have said, and I've added to the photo gallery since you've been to my house. Every time I see you it fills my heart like a hot air balloon floating up into the sky, taking flight over the clouds floating over the mountains – happy. I want everything for you – not necessarily a bunch of material things but things like hope, faith, compassion, optimism, and peace. You already have so many traits that I didn't have at your age. You are thoughtful beyond belief, so much more so than I was at your age. You really think about things and mull them over and I'm so proud of you for that. You think about others and your heart is open. I hope with all of my heart that it's always that way for you. That's what I want more than anything. With you in the world a lot of people's hearts are happier, I know. You bring so much happiness to your home. Sometimes I have dreams about you and when you're old enough to read this letter and understand, you'll know what I mean when I say that they're spiritual dreams where you're laughing and smiling. I wake up with a smile on my face. I hope you have a great birthday and I know you will be surrounded by lots of love. I will be thinking about you. Love, Terri

Article on T-Shirt Company: http://voices.yahoo.com/beautiful-works-art-created-business-11640444.html?cat=8

Trooper - my latest published work http://voices.yahoo.com/trooper-11569790.html?cat=47

Harley, my newest client.

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-old-ripper-11371696.html?cat=53