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Thanksgiving is upon us and it's one of my favorite holidays. I think it's good to give thanks for all our many blessings. What are you truly thankful for this Thanksgiving, even if there are large challenges in your life? I wrote this entire newsletter before the San Diego wildfires, a.k.a. "Firestorm 2007" happened. I live in San Diego county, and my husband Steve and I, along with our two kitties, spent five nights evacuated to a tiny hotel room, where we were safe. We are now back in our home, which is fine, as are we. As I reflect on the fires, I am ever even more grateful for all that I write about in this month's newsletter. And I was especially touched too, for all of the offers of e-support, friendship, and love from my blog and e-newsletter readers and friends. A heartfelt thank you. One e-mail letter I received from a reader made me realize yet again, that as a writer, I am blessed to have the best job in the world. I was so astounded to receive her email, and very moved, as it is every writer's dream to touch people with their words, and receiving such an e-letter was a real treat. You can read how she said my writing has impacted her life here. Special thanks during the fires to our friends Vern and Ellie Bonner, who had us to dinner at their lovely home. Special thanks also to my loyal and stunningly gorgeous friend since we were age 15, Kathy Conway Rath, (who was once Oscar de la Renta's personal fitting model. Yes, really!), and to my cottage e-friends Brooke Fleming, Barbara Jacksier and Erin Houghton, (none of whom I've met in person), who all offered me a bed in their homes when I thought I might have to quickly fly out of San Diego due my particular long term health challenges and the air quality. It was so comforting for me to know that I would have a place to stay, especially since I have no other family than my hubby. (We own a timeshare that we can rent anywhere in the U.S., but you can't do that on a moment's notice during a fire!) I have a little personal Ten Fingers of Thanksgiving Ritual that I do on days when life seems hard that I'd like to share with you. I simply stop whatever I am doing and start counting on ten fingers all the things in my life that I am grateful for as they immediately pop into my head. Often they are simple things. By the time I'm done, life doesn't seem quite so challenging and I feel a sense of peace. This Thanksgiving month, stop and do the Ten Fingers of Thanksgiving Ritual to remind yourself of all your blessings! And if you don't have ten fingers, use your toes! :) Many blessings! Kathryn P.S. If you need help getting organized for the holidays, check out my article, 10 Tips to Help You Get Organized for the Holidaze! 
Here is what I'm personally grateful for this Thanksgiving: 1. My Christian faith in God, which resulted in my true personal story being published by Guideposts Books, a leading inspirational publisher, just last month. To order the book, Miracles and Mysterious Visitors, call 1-800-431-2344. 2. My sweet little family which consists of my dear hubby Steve and two adorable Scottish Fold kitties, Beau & Monique. My two fur kids were once featured in a Cat Fancy magazine article. (A mother's entitled to brag a little, right?!) 3. My church, St. Peter's Episcopal, Del Mar, CA, which nurtures my spirit so I can "keep on keeping on" in life in a positive way. I have been especially blessed by the Centering Prayer group. 4. A roof over my head. Like many others, as of this July 1, my hubby has been through six corporate job mergers, buyouts, and downsizings in the past nine years, with only two bouts of unemployment. Maybe two bouts sounds hard, and they were, but many of his colleagues have not fared as well. I'm grateful for his positive attitude, persistence, and integrity. 5. My writing and phone consulting business, Kathryn Bechen Ink. I have been challenged with a chronic pain syndrome for many years, which has forced me to "reinvent myself" from a work perspective. Never one to give up easily, I have used my faith and fortitude to move forward and turn my freelance writing and other work experience into a full-time business. Since February, 2007, I have attracted 10 new clients/projects from all across the U.S. and I now have the most wonderful people to work with and my heart simply swells with gratitude over that fact! Thank you, dear clients, for your faith in my skills, your trust in me, your referrals, and for your kind writing and phone consulting kudos. I've worked very hard to give you my absolute best, and I will continue to do so. Like any business, my business will only continue to succeed if my clients are satisfied and refer me to others! 6. Friends. Long time friends, new friends, e-friends, blog friends....Ah, friends! 7. Mentors & Colleagues. I feel so blessed to know wonderful people who inspire and encourage me to reach for the stars. (And I've learned to stay away from naysayers. I would encourage you to do the same and go for your dreams!) 8. Beauty. Everywhere I look I notice the beauty around me. Key words: I notice. Always. 9. Bed & Breakfast Inns. These sweet places provide rest and nurturance to my spirit so that I can come back home refreshed, recharged, and ready to write! Hubby Steve and I just returned from a night away at the restful Strawberry Creek Inn. Blessed be the innkeepers! 10. Consummate Professionals. Hiring only those who seek excellence and provide red carpet customer service makes my life easier, and for that I am grateful. (Michael and Julia you know who you are!)
Since most of us will be
entertaining or being entertained around a
Thanksgiving table this month, I'd like to introduce you
to two wonderful blogs about the art of hospitality,
The Reluctant
Entertainer. and
Gracious Hospitality.
Q: Since you mentor aspiring
writers, what do you think holds someone back from
getting their first piece published?
A: Fear and lack of confidence. Just do it! If you don't know where to begin, find a mentor. There is something so wonderful about seeing your first written piece published, and receiving your first check. And there are so many avenues for getting published.
Here's the lineup of talented,
creative,
gracious, and successful clients I have had the
privilege of working with recently.
Great happiness was in the air recently for my PR consulting client, Jennifer Grey, owner of The Old Painted Cottage whose gorgeous home appeared on the cover of Romantic Country magazine, along with a several page feature article inside! Yay, Jen! Photo at left is Jennifer Grey. Erin Houghton is one of my very favorite California artists and I was delighted when she hired me to help her edit her bio and give her ideas for copy for her lovely new art website, The Painted Garden. As a modern day California Impressionist, Erin paints all the motifs I love: flowers, vintage beach cottages, and flower markets in France to name a few. Her paintings are an expression of her love for the beauty and simplicity of God's creation. A generous spirit, Erin also donates proceeds from her paintings to breast cancer research. Karen June Miller, owner of the blog, Eye-Dyllic, has recently hired me to mentor her in setting up her writing business. She has a lovely blog writing voice, and I predict it's a matter of time before her writing is published, because she's very talented, and has a distinctive writing style. Karen wrote a sweet blog post about our work together here. Kim McCole, owner of the fabulously successful blog, Daisy Cottage, hired me to consult with her this month too, and with her wonderful eye for decorating with bright colors, I know she's on to some great things because her blog is a favorite in home and garden "blogland." (And no wonder...Kim is everybody's...."Come on over for a cup of tea and let me help you decorate your cottage"...blog best friend!) Jennifer Froh, owner of Bowen Road Day School and Pear Street Studios, just hired me to write a press release and consult with her on how to get PR for her school since her dedicated director is celebrating 25 years of faithful service. She's a quick learner with a lovely phone manner. Ruth Welter, owner of Artful-Creations, is an incredibly prolific and talented artist who hired me to help teach her some PR tips and she's already followed up on some leads I gave her and is so oozing enthusiasm for doing her own PR campaign that she tells me she can't sleep at night! With such a positive attitude, she's very likely to succeed. (And with a hubby like Chris to help her with her computer and website, she runs a great online art business!) San Diego Style Weddings magazine has just published my articles I wrote for them. And lucky me, I was invited to attend their 20th annual Garden Gala. I custom tailor every phone consultation specifically to the individual's business and situation, so let me know if you need help!
I do not participate in
SPAM, so if
you do not want
to receive any more of these
e-announcements or e-newsletters, please
click on the
SafeUnsubscribelink
at the bottom of this page to be
removed from my e-mailing list.
Oh God, when I have food, help me
to remember the hungry; when I have work, help me to
remember the jobless; when I have a warm home,
help me to remember the homeless; when I am
without pain, help me to remember those who suffer;
and remembering help me to destroy my
complacency and bestir my compassion. Make me
concerned enough to help, by word and deed, those
who cry out for what we take for granted.
--Samuel F. Pugh--
"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?" --Erma Bombeck-- "Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." --Edward Sandford Martin-- Photo of "Pumpkins and Palms" is taken about a mile from my cottage condo in Cardiff by-the-Sea, CA.
When you hire me for a
writing project
or a phone consultation, I
will feature your business in an upcoming
edition of
this
newsletter, which currently goes out to
around 500
wonderful
people from the U.S., Canada, England, and
Australia.
Please
forward this
newsletter on to your
friends, using the "Forward email" link at
the bottom of the page! (Yes, those are my
two "fur
kids"--my cottage cats, Beau & Monique, and
they are
fast friends!)
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