Between work, children, my fiancé, keeping up the home, preparing meals, weekend activities and events, etc., life gets hectic. As the holidays are fast approaching and I am finishing up the 107th issue of HashtagWV City Paper (formerly LBSPY), I can’t help but think of feeling grateful, thankful, and blessed. (pictured above: A cool find at Patina in Lewisburg.) Here is a list of all the things I am truly thankful for:

1. Coffee – From its aroma to making us more alert, it’s just the best.

2. Email – I just love how easy it is to communicate and transfer files with people at any time from any place.

3. Local restaurants – For living in such a rural part of the United States, we have a wide variety of local options.

4. Podcasts – The best way to break from the monotony of a day is a good podcast. My personal favorite is NPR’s Planet Money. A couple weeks ago, I played episode #657 “The Tale of the Onion King” It’s about how one man took the onion market hostage. The kids especially enjoyed this one.

5. Motivation – The motivation to get up and do my best each day is a blessing indeed.

6. Retailers – There are so many hardworking and creative business owners in our area. Make an effort to support them on the regular.

7. Friends – Who else can we bug to share ideas or go out to eat with.

8. CrossFit – It’s only the best workout ever. There are a couple excellent gyms in Lewisburg. Whether you WOD 3 or 5 days a week, your body and mental health will benefit greatly, and the other gym goers will support you from day 1.

9. Healthy Family – Nobody is sick in the house and we could not be more grateful/blessed/thankful.

10. Clean drinking water – We all need it. Animals, flowers, vegetation, trees, people, fish, and all the life on this planet.

11. Electricity! – In darkness there is no internet.

12. Small, everyday things I can do with loved ones – reading books, playing chess, watching the little one do flips at gymnastics, and seeing the older one build lego robots.

13. Netlfix & Hulu – for obvious reasons.

14. Advertisers – Without your support, we could not publish every month.

15. Dogs – They are loving, kind, and loyal.

16. Local music scene – From bluegrass to folk to Americana, and so much more… their contributions to the local culture are enormous.

17. A free Christmas tree for you – We are giving away a Christmas tree for the 4th year. See page 11.

18. Readers – When you read this paper, you are supporting LOCAL!

Are you feeling thankful this holiday season? If so, tell us why! Send your entry to info@christinae6.sg-host.com. We will share your entry with this article at christinae6.sg-host.com. Happy Thanksgiving!

– Christina Entenmann. HashtagWV #107. November 2018.