We have so much to be thankful for. As I meditate on this Thanksgiving holiday, I am thankful for good health, family, friends, my home, air to breath, a bed to sleep in, clean water and food to eat. I am thankful to live in a free country, to have electricity and heat to keep me warm. I am thankful for a God in heaven, a Savior who saved my soul and my list goes on. I was reminded this weekend that giving thanks creates a positive view on life. It’s harder to complain when we exhibit gratitude. Being grateful has the power to block out negative emotions. Let’s work on keeping an attitude of gratitude as we celebrate Thanksgiving this year and let’s see how much more joy we have in our hearts!

Please remember local Turkey Shoots: The Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Shoot sponsored by the Leeds Lions Club will be held on Thursday, Nov. 24 at the Leeds Civic Center. Sign up begins at 6:30 a.m. and the first shoot is at 7 a.m.

Faith Riders of Cedar Grove Baptist Church are heading up a Turkey Shoot every Saturday at 8 a.m. located at 1139 Markeeta Spur Road in Moody which is a fundraiser.

As you plan your Black Friday shopping, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday this week, please think about shopping local. We have many retailers in the Leeds/Moody area that are ready to help you with your holiday gift giving purchases and many deals which offer convenience and savings. Please remember when you are shopping local, your sales tax dollars stay here to provide the amenities that you enjoy, not to mention you are helping your local retailers stay in business.

It’s time to submit nominations for Leeds Citizen, Business & Non-Profit of the Year awards which will be presented at the Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce Dec. 15 Awards Luncheon.

Citizen of the Year nominee should be an individual with a true heart-felt love for the community who exemplifies characteristics of service, either by cumulative actions that have impacted the community or by a single act that has significantly touched many. They must be a resident of Leeds.

Business of the Year nominee should exemplify true commitment to strong business ethics by serving the Leeds Area Community in a professional and caring manner. They must be a member of the Leeds Area Chamber. You can visit LeedsAreaChamber.com to see if they are listed as a member or contact the Chamber office at (205) 699-5001.

Non-Profit Club/Organization nominee should be a club or organization that serves the Leeds Area Community in a caring manner through their time, talents and service to the citizens of Leeds. Must be a member of the Leeds Area Chamber.

Deadline is Dec. 1. All nominations should be no more than one typed page and submitted to Sandra McGuire, Executive Director, at Sandra@LeedsAreaChamber.com. You do not have to sign your name on the nomination. It is not disclosed who writes the letters!

Moody City Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 28 at Moody City Hall.

Plan to have dinner at our local Zaxby’s between 5 and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29 for a Spirit Day fundraiser to benefit your LHS Library. Also, please encourage all of your family, friends and neighbors to support this event as well. With receipt, students will receive up to $3 library fines waived and have their names entered in the monthly library prize drawing.

Leeds Lions Club will meet at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1 in the Leeds Masonic Lodge building. Please contact T.V. Weaver, President, at (205) 699-6742 for more information.

The City of Moody’s Fire Department has taken on the mission of providing Christmas toys for more than 30 years to children of families that are going through a difficult time. I’m sure that you remember what it meant to receive a gift at Christmas when you were a child. You can imagine how devastating it would be receive nothing Christmas morning. The Fire Department works very hard each year to make sure that each child has their Christmas wish fulfilled. On Friday, Dec. 2, Mayor Joe Lee will host our annual Toys for Kids luncheon at Moody Civic Center. This luncheon is the only fundraising event for the Toys for Kids program. During this event, guests will be served by celebrity waiters, enjoy entertainment, door prizes and an auction. Tickets for this event are $10 and tips will be accepted. All proceeds go to the Toys for Kids program. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Melissa Fraser at (205) 640-0307.

Leeds Masonic Lodge Community Breakfast is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. Breakfast is free, but donations would be appreciated. All donations stay in the City of Leeds community involvement programs. Please contact T. V. Weaver for more information at (205) 699-6742.

Kathye Drake has been known as the Santa Claus Lady for many years here in Leeds. She and her late husband, Owen, have collected thousands of Santas and opened their home numerous times for Santa viewings. I had the opportunity to stop in a see part of her huge collection last week and the Santas are beautiful in all shapes and sizes. This is the last time Kathye will display her Santa collection during the month of December at 1008 Kings Forest Drive. On Sunday, Dec. 4, she will accept donations as a fundraiser for the Leeds Fire Department. For more information, please contact Kathye at (205) 699-6655.

Register now for Leeds and Moody Christmas Parades. There is no charge to participate in either parade, but registration is necessary. These parades are an important part of our Christmas season. Leeds Christmas Parade will be held on Friday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. Download application at LeedsAreaChamber.com. Moody Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. The parade theme this year is Santa’s Workshop and the Grand Marshall is Gay Austin. For more information, please contact Melissa Fraser at (205) 640-0307 or download application at moodyalchamber.com.

We have some exciting news! The American Pickers, Mike and Frank, are heading to Alabama this winter and they’re looking for leads throughout the region, specifically interesting people with interesting items and lots of them! This is a great opportunity to talk to your friends and family who might have great collections for Mike and Frank. They would love to spread the word in our area as soon as possible, so the sooner people with collections reach out to them the better. People who are interested, please reach out to American Pickers at (855) OLD-RUST (653-7878), or email at AmericanPickers@cineflix.com.

Our Wal-Mart has finished their renovation and held a ribbon cutting last week. The store looks great.

Job Openings: Sears Hometown Store Leeds, Jack’s Zaxby’s and McDonald’s in Brompton are all hiring.

Quote for the Week: “The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles.” ~ William Penn.

I truly appreciate each of you who read my column and I really love sharing news, so please remember to send your Leeds and Moody news to me at leedsmoodynews@gmail.com. See you next week!