As we inch ever nearer to “Thanksgiving Week” we continue our series in which we explore what residents of the New River Valley are thankful for. We are thankful to all of you who have participated thus far and who continue to participate. We hope that you are enjoying hearing about the Thanksgiving thoughts of your friends, family, and neighbors in the NRV.

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I am thankful for the opportunity to get to know the amazing business owners in Downtown Blacksburg as we work together to make our downtown a vibrant and exciting place to be. I am thankful for the countless community-minded volunteers who step up when called upon to help us staff Steppin’ Out or one of the many other downtown events. I am thankful for the good fortune that bought me to Blacksburg; once I came to visit there was no other place I wanted to live—and 15 years later I am still here! Thank you Blacksburg!
Laureen Blakemore, Director of Special Events, Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg

I’m thankful for the old soul wisdom of my 13-year-old Paul, who willingly confronts injustice and inequity and who proudly wears purple high tops along with an Obama T-shirt no matter his peers’ remarks. I’m thankful for the joyfulness and gaiety of my 7-year old Campbell, whose majestic brown eyes always sparkle with laughter and mischief and who fills our home with whistling and attempts at operatic melodies. I’m thankful for the quiet, humble kindness and still, patient love of my partner, Jim, who contributes to our society in the most meaningful ways and demonstrates his devotion to my boys and me daily.
Theresa Burriss, a proud Appalachian native and activist living in Radford

I am thankful for:
• my wonderful family; who understand what I’m talking about when my mind wanders between the realms of fantasy, science, and metaphysics.
• kindred spirits and acceptance.
• the abundance of music and art in these beautiful mountains.
• the bounty of Floyd potlucks that fill with delightful conversations.
• my health and the wholistic practitioners in Floyd.
• moments of kairos, when time dissolves and we connect with the Divine: a golden sunset, a baby’s laugh, the ecstacy of love, a whisper of leaves.
• the creative force that dances through my soul and bursts out of my fingertips in paintings and writing.
Patricia Robin Woodruff, Artist & Imagineer