THANKSGIVING FROM A SWELLED HEART

Every year Thanksgiving rolls around giving us the opportunity to reflect on the

blessings enriching our lives.

You all know I adore my daughter. She has not had an easy life, thanks to my ex-husband's

family doctor who decided to dabble in obstertics on Fridays.

My mother-in-law, a harridan I am CERTAIN the weather agencies named Hurricane Irene after and her son, my ex, browbeat me during those two years in Erie, to let Dr. Let Me Deliver Your Medical Care ONLY On

Fridays, treat me, even when I came came down with pneumonia on MONDAY, during my pregnancy with Kat.

I am in awe of my beloved daughter. She deals with the residual devastation with such equinimity, compassion, ear-to-ear smiles, and a heart bigger than the entire width and girth of the Universe.

I don't know how other mothers and daughters relate to each other, but there isn't a day that I don't thank My Creator, for Kat.

Lea Schizas...

Publisher extraordinaire...I hope all of us

lucky enough to now be part of this

miracle you and

Litsa Kamateros work so very hard for, know what

angels you both are. You gave Kat and I the bridge to come out of our seclusion and experience the wonders and wonderful people Muse draws together.

Thank you both. I don't know if we'll ever be able to adequately describe and define all that the two of you have done for ALL Musers...but especially us.

Kat was honored to step up and take the extra duty of the reviews from you, to leave you able to concentrate on other things for the betterment of all that is Muse.

Many think Kat got her position out of some sort of favortism. But we know it came about only because Kat asked if there was anything we could do to help lessen your burden.

Since then she has worked hard to not let you down. Even through the horrible aftermaths of her

more violent seizures, she's worked hard to send off the reviewes, but also to court new review sites willing to accept the genré's Muse offers. I hope you know if there is anything else we can do to aide you, we're only

a heartbeat away.

Litsa...you guided me during the aftermath of a seizure Kat had that nearly

drove me to my knees and back into seculsion.

She'd been filing her nails at the onset of the seizure, and stabbed herself repeatedly in the chest with that file. As a mother, seeing that thing sticking out of her chest when the seizure abated,

turned my world upside down.

YOU helped me find the resources to further protect her against that ever happening again.

Thank You My Cherished Friend.

Stephanie and Matt...how do you thank people with

hearts as huge as yours? When the governor took away my yearly ability to pay for the seizure-proofing of our home, and replacing old, warn out equipment, you two stepped up, but went beyond just that. You gave me the

peace of mind only those we trust as family can.

Family does not always need to carry the same

DNA. Sometimes family shares similar pathways that lead them to each other. Kat and I thank the

Universe for leading us to you two.

Brad...you gave me your

brotherly love, but you also gave me back my brother's name. I was not close with Don at the end...mostly because we were in

hiding...the family was safer not knowing where we were...but it hurt thinking the brother I'd grown up with became the greedy, short-cutting demon I'd been told he'd become.

You gave me back my assurance in my beliefs in who Don was...but you've done so much more.

Thank You My Brother. You hold a place firmly embedded

inside my heart.

Kevin H. I don't see you online much any more and

I miss you. I hope all is well with you, and you know you ALSO hold a piece of my heart. Happy Thanksgiving to you Kevin and your beautiful wife.

Karen and Todd...

I do not know what I have ever done in my life to have deserved the vastness of your love and attention.

We are so far below your league, yet you, like Matt and Stephanie made it possible for me to upgrade the safe area in our apartment for Kat. I will never be able to thank you enough for helping me take care of Kat.

My Angel-Girl, you fill my heart and soul with riches one cannot place a price tag upon. I wish I deserved it, but from the bottom of my heart I say...

Thank You.

Gail...what a whirlwind of love and spirit you are.


For a very long time I hankered for sisters, girlfriends. Most women from my past wanted nothing to do with me because

I was a size four and to my confused regret, seemed to capture the eyes of their mates. I assure you, I did NOT want that.

Recently one of the male drivers for my medical transport told me

men are going to always look my way.

(I got good legs, but I'm looonnngg in the tooth!)

He said I move like someone much younger...(odd that with nerve damage down the right leg, and two knees that scream when I use them.) But Gail, you and

Tanja created linsladies to honor the close

sisterhood that's developed between us.

With you and Tanja,

our Matlese Falconess, Kat and I have sisters so staunchly in our corner, a certain top male romance icon's ears should have burned down to cinders for daring to diss Kat not that long ago.

Glenn...my dearest friend and mentor..I don't give my love and trust easily, especially to men, but you, my Dear Man,

captured my heart the first time I read

THE LAST DAY only to have my ADMIRATION, not love...I don't think it's possible to love you more than I have from the beginning...with

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.

I was asked why I love it that you

POKE me all the time on FaceBook, and I responded without second thought..."I love it because at that moment, this incredible man I so deeply admire, is thinking about 'ME!' despite his busy, busy life."

What's NOT to love?

Every POKE is like a hug, Glenn, and brings tears to my eyes. You have given me more than I can ever begin to

thank you for.

N.J....Kat's mentor. I would cherish you alone for the joy you give Kat. She beams like a radiant

nova every time she speaks of you. Her love for you is deep and abiding. That alone would make you one of my champions, but you extended, like Glenn, your affection to include me, just as Glenn extended his to include Kat.

How in this vast crazy world did we get so lucky?

You two are who we hope to grow up to be, but until then, your

love and affection is a miracle we never expected to find and do not take for granted.

Claire...family comes into our world from places we do not expect.

I miss you so much. And Love you deeply. I'm still here, Sweetie, and always will be.


Karen and Hugh...you left us too soon, but are not gone. You live on in those you touched who wish they had one more moment to grab onto the

sparkling joy you brought us all the moments we were blessed to have you in our lives. Rest well my friends and know you will never be forgotten.

JJ...you're still in my heart, memories, and my soul. Time nor cancer will ever change that.

Chris, Nancy, Greta, Carrie, Queen of the Dragons our very own

Tir, Elle, Heather, Graheme,

Oh So Sexy Jim, Jerry, KayDee, Chrystalla, Christine, Madeleine, Sue, Amy, Wendy, Michelle, Laurann, Honoria, KS, Kaye, Mike and Cynthia, Barbara B & E, Suzannah, Emmy, Rose O., Ginger, Rosalie, Penny, Roseanne, Killarney, Audrey, Eric, Kyla, Sam, Mari, Brooklyn, Abigail, Sydney, Alicia, Gabe, Parker, Claire, Winnie, Bette, Dee and John, Zeddig and Steve...and the list goes on are our Thanksgiving gifts today, yesterday, and all the tomorrows to come.

Love You All...and from the bottom of our hearts,

THANK YOU!