It's A Two-Fer Day

 Walking in the snow.

Walking in the snow with my bestie.

That is all.

Thanksgiving

Or, maybe more to the point, 

Thanksgivings past.

This is from 2008.

Gaye and I have been spending 

Thanksgiving mornings together

for MANY years.

We had some *interesting*

Thanksgivings.

Most notably, the one when I prepared

pretty much the entire meal in crockpots

and then transported them to 

Carriage Oaks

because Big wasn't well enough

to travel to my house.

Last year was our first one without mom.

Mom wore that sweatshirt every year.

I wanted to strangle her every year.

It was complicated. 

But, it makes me smile now.

Gaye and I cooked 

Thanksgiving dinner together last year.

We both knew we'd need each other for that one. 

Gaye now has twin grand daughters.

Even I know to not get between a grandma

and her grandloves.

I knew last year that Gaye wouldn't be

cooking with me this year.

I've had a whole year to get comfortable

with the idea of a totally different 

Thanksgiving this year.

For that, I am thankful.

I'm pretty sure Mike's parents will stay

hunkered down and safe in their own apartment.

This year it will be Mike, Ava and me.

It'll be different.

it's fine. 

But, some things remain.

 

This City

Chicago.

If only it wasn't in Illinois.

I have had so much fun exploring this city.

Sometimes I go down by myself and just spend

 time wandering.

Sometimes Honey and I go and picnic

by the lake.

Sometimes I go with some combo

of girlfriends.

And once we went with a 

group of us for my 60th.

I'm thankful to have such an amazing city

at my disposal. 

Not so much in January.

Or February.

Or Covid.

 

Christmas Music

I'm thankful for it.

  Not gonna lie or be ashamed.

I started it up November 1st.

I'll keep it going until at least 

New Years Day.

Andy was mom's favorite.

Mine too.

But, you know what?

I've been known to crank it up 

mid-June.

Even when it wasn't 2020

It's The Obscure Things

 We have very deep thoughts on our morning walks.

1- aren't you glad you aren't

 the person who collects coyote urine?

2- aren't you glad you're not the guy

on the back end of the leaf sucking truck?

Technically,  our walk highlighted

 two things to be thankful for.

Here's what precipitated the coyote pee reflection.

I am thankful that someone collects that urine

and packages it so 

I can use it to keep critters out of my flowers.

And, whereas, the back end of a leaf picker-uper

looks like the short end of that stick, 

I am thankful for the job they do. 

There!

You can always find something.

Just Do It

I'm not sure where this will go. 
I've noticed that I've been thankful
for the things I have done. 

When I think about things that won't happen this year

I'm just so thankful that I've chosen to DO things

in the past.

I'm wondering if our town will

 do it's lighted Christmas parade.

I'll miss it if they don't

but I'm so happy we've braved the cold and done 

it many years.

We did an overnight in Chicago with our

kids and their families one year. 

We did Kris Kringle Market,

dinner 

and zoo lights.

Look at all those people 

PACKED in! 

This was before we even knew what

"social distancing" was.

Lory and I did Christmas in Disney last year,

well, not *actual* Christmas,

but Disney's Christmas celebration.

We saw fireworks every night, my favorite.

Disney is open on a limited basis but no fireworks yet.

Our gang of girls did Chicago last year.

We managed to find a day and just DO it.

No nasty warm wine in boot mugs this year.

I guess, where I am going is, 

I could get sad about what 

WON'T

be happening this year, 

or I could be so 

THANKFUL

for the wonderful times I've shared with people I love.

Another thankful moment, 

I'm thankful for the time spent,

not *things*.

Hmmm.....

36 Years And Counting

Big started sending me this magazine when I first got married.

Thanks to them sending renewal notices

long before the current subscription ran out,

and thanks to Big not wanting me to 

"miss an issue",

she dutifully renewed the subscriptions on

Meredith Publishing's schedule.

Big passed almost 2 years ago.

I still get 

Better Homes and Gardens.

I'm thankful for how it warms my heart

and gives me a little grin.

Love you Big.

 

The Things You Take For Granted

 It's the little things.

Today I am happy I can use my right hand

to wash my left foot.

Go ahead, try it.

Left hand washing left foot.

Hope you have about this many grab bars

LOL

Carriage Oaks

 Mom and Big moved here so long ago I can't even give you a year.

I would ask Big, tell me something you DON'T like about it here.

I'm not sure she ever came up with anything substantial.

Mom was crazy about the staff.

I sat on the board for a while, 

they are a VERY dedicated staff.

It's got to be hard trying to make everyone happy.

And that's under the best of times.

My in-laws live here now.

We have had a front row seat to how the staff has

strived to keep this community safe and healthy during this 

crazy time.

They've cut back gatherings, 

figured out how to facilitate Happy Hour,

made areas outside to accommodate family visits,

organized entertainment in the parking lot

and I'm sure countless other precautions

seen and unseen.

It hasn't been easy on any of them but I am so 

thankful that the team lead by Cheryl 

does the hard work keeping people I love safe.

That Sound

 

My Bestie

This is going to be the hardest blog post 

EVER!!

Oh the exploits of we two!

I don't even know where to begin.

I was looking through pictures to decide on one for here

and all the fun just comes rushing back.

The

concerts

cookie days

blog posts

Margarita Fridays

bike rides

walks

tears

Disney

Cayman Islands

Arizona

Iowa

wine

laughs

Bible studies

weddings

memorials

grands

I guess ultimately I am thankful for 

Discipleship Bible Study.

That's what started this all....

Healing

A year ago this month I started a journey.

My right arm got jacked up.

That's a technical term 

and the short answer I gave when anyone asked 

me what happened. 

 Covid helped delay treatment but once I could 

see a hand specialist I started down this fun road.

They asked me what color straps I wanted.

I asked what they had and then responded, 

one of each, of course!

And then I set out to see what I could do left handed.

I managed some things and some things, 

not so much. 

It was a hard 8 weeks.

I couldn't chop, so I couldn't cook.

I couldn't paint.

I couldn't sew.

All in all, I couldn't create.

 It was a difficult time. 

Oh, and did I mention Covid?

At the end of the 8 weeks and multiple more weeks

 of occupational therapy it became

apparent the only remedy would be surgery.

Thing is, when your OT therapist as well as the surgeon

tells you it's a long painful recovery, you have second thoughts.

I had good days and bad days and then I had a 

BAD stretch.

I was in tears many days from the pain and was

thinking I would have to have the surgery

after the holidays, if I could wait that long.

Then I took my pain to my bible study group

and asked for prayer. 

The pain was awful.

They prayed that Tuesday and 

I have been 

pain free since that following Wednesday.

God answers prayers. 

I could still be in pain but the truth remains.

God answers prayers.

I am thankful that I am not in pain.

I can cook, I can sew, I can paint.

I am taking it easy, cause I ain't an idiot.

And

I am thankful to have a cool God story to share.

Bible Studies

I've done a few.

 Allllllll those books are studies I've done.

You'd think I'd have this God thing figured out.

The thing is, some of those studies center 

around the same book in the bible

but each of those studies have brought new insights.

And each year I live I think any given study

touches a different aspect of my journey.

One thing I have learned,

(over and over again)

is that God is not done with me.

God knows I'm so imperfect.

God loves me in my imperfection but

loves me enough not to leave me there.

I am so thankful to God for His patience with me

and all the opportunities He has given me to

come to know Him better.

Grandbaby Love

Especially when they are loving on their siblings.

Maddie and Quinn are wonderful big sisters.

I had four siblings.

there were not many loving pictures like this of us

growing up.

This one is pretty normal.

We've had ebbs and flows in our adult years.

But we come together when we need to.

I'm sure this photo would warm mom's heart.

Once when Shanna was in college Michael drove down

to Indy to help her move into an apartment.

Michael came home after a weekend of

moving his sister's stuff and a four hour car ride

and said he wasn't wild about the neighborhood

she moved in to. 

He offered to go down the following weekend and 

move her all over again to somewhere else.

My mama's heart warmed with knowledge

I didn't know I should be looking for.

My kids will have each other's backs.

They are currently in the ebb and flow of raising littles.

But, I know they will come together when they need to.

I am thankful for the love of my siblings,

the love of Michael and Shanna for each other

and the love I'm seeing grow between my

grandloves.

 

Trees

More specifically, 

 the changing colors of trees.

My niece, Maggie, lives in Florida now

and misses the beauty of the changing trees.

I always try to take a few pictures every year

just for her.

I love looking at the leaves on the ground

and spotting the ones that have 

some of every color the tree had in it

as it was changing into its blazing glory.

Someone pointed out to me once

that God made the trees do this for

our enjoyment. 

He didn't have to do that. 

I'm thankful he thought of it.

The Covid Cafe

Throughout this crazy time our squad,

which I am proud to be a part of,  

has maintained our connection. 

There are four couples.

Eight of us.

Not sure how big our 

"Covid Bubble"

was supposed to be, but that's ours.

And I am thankful for it.

Some assortment of us walks just about

every morning and we end up at the 

Covid Cafe.

Viki's turquoise table, outside

in the fresh air. 

Viki makes the coffee and we all

discuss and solve the worries of the world.

It's really fun because we all have slightly different takes

on the world and the politics thereof.

I am thankful for this time together

and the different views that make me 

look more closely at mine.

Some opinions change, some do not,

but the respect remains.

Challenging conversation, 

that's what I'm thankful for today.

Well, and 

coffee,

and friends,

and walks.

Thankful November

I love Christmas.
I especially love Christmas music.

It is November 1st and I am sorely tempted to start

Christmas Music!!!

But those who bemoan the glossing over of

Thanksgiving

are right.

I don't want to miss being thankful,

but it's been a year.

I think given the year,

Christmas and the good news

of the 

Christ Child

just can't come soon enough or

be celebrated for too long.

So, in an effort to be thankful, I intend to spend 

November doing just that.

As I play my 

Christmas Music.

Cheers!