Good Monday, all!  I hope everyone had a nice, peaceful weekend!  Here, in the US, we are celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday.  There is always something special about the whole family, standing around a well-laid table, with prayers and blessings for all that we have to be grateful for.  We take turns, sometimes, telling what it is for which we are each thankful.  It’s fun and sweet to hear what the little ones say.  If you’ve never done this, give it a try.  Tape it, if possible, with video cam.  It will be fun to compare them from year to year.
Anyway, I thought I would take a minute, before I give you the last two parts of this month’s freebie collaboration with Miss Edna’s Place, “Giving Thanks”, and tell what I am thankful for.  I am thankful for all the sweet and kind gestures from all the people I meet online.  I am grateful for some wonderful friendships that have risen from meeting folks with similar interests.  I was reading an entry over at “Free Pretty Things for You” blog about how Keren met her online friend, Angeline, from “Ruby Jean”.  They spent some time together and even created some pretties!  (See either blog for details and links)  It reminded me of my own chance to meet Miss Edna, earlier this year.  Thing about it is this:  you met, in the first place, because of your love of similar things.  When you do meet, it is like spending time with your oldest, bestest friend in the whole wide world!  You already have so much in common!  If you ever get a chance, you really should try to get to meet some one you’ve known as an online friend.  They’re unique friendships.  But, either way, I am just so grateful for the folks I have met.  I only wish I could be a better friend than I am, what with my incessant and frequent bouts of ‘down’ town.
Last week, one of my close friends from my Digital Whisper group suffered an horrific, tragic loss in her family.  Cindy Powell, or Cynthia, as you may know her, has suffered an immeasurable loss, losing not only her lovely DIL, but, two of her grandchildren, as well.  Please, take a moment, visit the page Cindy set up and pay your respects.  This has got to be the hardest thing in the world for any mother to experience.  It is because so many of us are mothers that this event has devastated the entire scrapping/digi-art community.  It is very sad!  When you say your blessings, keep Cindy and the rest of her dear loved ones in your thoughts.  Cindy is an integral part of the scrapbooking community, with a store at DigiScrapStation.  She has a blog, “Art Studio”, with all kinds of great tutorials and workshops for a myriad of techniques.  She also does a lot of digital art and this is how we met.  I made the connection to the scrappin’ Cindy just recently.  LOL  I’m a bit slow!
So, at this time when so many of us are counting our blessings, I also think about those who have so much pain they must bear, like Cindy and her family.  I think of my own pain and realize it is far better than it could be!  I’m grateful for that!  I think about how it would be nice if I could have all three of my children together on Thursday, but, I am just so grateful that they are healthy and happy.  It seems a shame to think of my blessings when a friend has suffered such a loss.  But, I know that all will be ‘alright’.  We have a common source of comfort – our spirituality.  The love, the karma, if you will, that we all share in our kind gestures and writings, reigns supreme.  We all connect on a certain level that supersedes the physical realm.  In this level, we give our love and friendship to those we meet and we receive that same love back ten-fold.  I have become richer than ever in the friends I’ve made.  So, I share the wealth and say to you all, Peace and Love, my friends!  May your blessings and prayers at Thanksgiving, and the whole year ’round, be granted speedily.
This is the time for the freebie!  Today, Miss Edna and I give you the last two(2) parts to our collaboration, “Giving Thanks”.  The previous four(4) parts are in previous posts, still available, as are all of my past freebies.  Click on the first preview to go to Part 5, and the second preview to go to Part 6.  Then, click on Miss Edna’s preview to go to her blog to collect her parts, too.
Part 5

Part 6

Miss Edna’s Preview

Alrighty, then!  That will do it for this month.  December will bring another pretty collection, so, be sure to stay tuned.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving.  If you are in a place that doesn’t celebrate this holiday, take a minute to be grateful, anyway, for all the blessings we have in our lives.  For, we are blessed!
Until next time…

Enjoy a virtual kitteh kiss!  Or, perhaps you prefer a ‘Goggie’ kiss!

Hugs,
Su