Last Day Of Giving Thanks Challenge…

It’s the last day of November, and the last day of the thirty-day giving thanks challenge! I’ve really enjoyed participating in this activity–and it came at a time in my life that I need to look around me and be thankful instead of complaining!  Thanks so much to Leah of South Breeze Farm for hosting!  God does work in mysterious ways.

#29- I am thankful for finding good medical care close to home.  I’ve been traveling 60 miles (one way) to the city for nearly 17 years for medical treatment.  It takes 3 hours of riding(round trip), plus another 2-3 hours of waiting in the waiting room to be seen.  It’s past the point of ridiculous! 

I’m getting older, and I don’t enjoy those trips to the city so much–I never have enjoyed those long waits in the waiting room.  So…  I’m excited about having a doctor here in town over-see my entire healthcare plan.  He’s the one who had the nurse call just before Thanksgiving with that news to go on the low-fat, low cholesterol diet.  I haven’t mentioned it before, but she also gave me the news that I suffer from hypothyroidism–which means my thyroid isn’t working properly–which could help to explain why I’m feeling so slow and tired these days.  Now, I’ve added thyroid medication to my regimen, too–and this medication doesn’t mix will with two of my other ones!  Talk about a challenge trying to get a schedule worked out that works for all medications!  Whew!

Anyway, this doctor’s office called me again today, to follow-up.  I couldn’t believe it!  I’ve never been followed up on in my life!  I feel like somebody may actually care!.  Of course, they want to see me again for a follow-up visit–which means another doctor visit, and more bloodwork,  but hey, at least they seem to care!  I go back in January…I wonder how I will make it through Christmas on that stupid diet…(probably not too good with my love of food).

#30 I am thankful that I learned how to drive–even though I was 26 years old–and I am thankful for my little black car that takes me wherever I need or want to go.  Sometimes I think back to the time when I didn’t drive, and I wonder how I stood being stuck at home all of those years.  I always had to wait until my husband came home from work to go anywhere or do anything.  I also wonder how my  husband stood it, as well.  He went with me to every appointment and errand for eight long years!  Beauty parlor appointments, grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments, and yes, even clothes shopping!  What a man!

My little PT Cruiser, “Old Classy”, is like me–she’s getting some age on her, but I still love her!  With the exception of a dead battery once and overheating twice from a faulty radiator problem, “Old Classy” has never let me down.  She spends most of her days under the shelter waiting to go for a drive–and she’s always ready and willing!  I’ll get another car one day, but there will never be another “Classy”!  I wrote a post about her once, if you’re interested, click here.

Yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed and bummed out by all of the Christmas preparations.  I put on my clothes, made my face up, hopped in “Old Classy” and went to town.  After a couple of hours of being around and about, I felt better.  I guess I just needed to take a break.  I came home and decorated one of our  three Christmas trees–the Coca Cola tree in the game room!  Today I just finished tree # 2–the gingerbread/candy tree in the kitchen.  Tomorrow I will tackle # 3–the big one–in the living room–that one may be a two-day job!

Well, that’s my “Giving Thanks Challenge” for the year 2010.  I could think of a million other things that I am thankful for, but right now I must get back to Christmas decorating!  I’ll take a break and come back tomorrow to join in Wednesday Hodgepodge…and as soon as I have finished decorating, I’ll share photographs!

Meet Me On Monday…

 

Hello!  Happy Monday!  At least I don’t have to bake a turkey this week! (smile)  If I am lucky, I’ll have our Christmas decorations up by the end of the week, if not…I won’t!  Since all work and no play is boring–I’m taking time to play along with Java’s “Meet Me On Monday”.  Here are this week’s questions…

1.  What is your favorite way to eat chicken?  Well…I’m southern born and bred, so of course,  it would have to be fried!  My father-in-law made the best fried chicken that I’ve ever eaten–with no exceptions!  I can almost imagine him up in heaven, frying chicken for everyone–and he could feed a multitude with one fryer, too!  

2.  Have you decorated for Christmas yet?  Yes, I have–for the past three days!  At the rate I am going, I will be decorating for at least three more!  It’s times like these that make me question my sanity!!!  I always save the tree decorating for last, and my granddaughter, Madison, asks me every day if I have my tree decorated yet…talk about pressure!

3.  What is your favorite article of clothing?  Several years ago, I purchased two nightgowns from Kmart.  They are made from a blend of soft cotton/polyester, and they wear sooo good!  I’ve worn them so much, they are thread bare–and I haven’t been able to find any more gowns like them!  I actually wrote a blog post about these gowns once.

4.  Do you pay your bills on-line or write checks the old way?  I pay most of my bills on-line, except for two or three things that I have to pay the old-fashioned way.  I wish everything could be paid on-line, it’s easier, and no stamps are necessary!

5.  Do you make Christmas cookies?  Yes, I do. I like to make and decorate sugar cookies.  Usually, my daughter, my daughter-in-law, and I try to get together and make/decorate cookies just before Christmas.

the girls decorating Christmas cookies in 2007

I’m Still Thankful…

Hello out there…I’m still here, believe it or not!  I haven’t been on the computer much for the past few days, and I’ve missed you all.  I promise to get back to posting and visiting blogs SOON–and I will tell you what I have been up to .  For now, I want to list my things that I am thankful for, because my 30 day challenge is not finished yet.

#25- I am thankful that we had a nice Thanksgiving.  Everyone was well(although I have felt better), and we enjoyed spending time with one another.  Our son, Brad,  fulfilled the duty of bringing Ed’s mama, and taking her back home!  Thank you, Brad, for being such a thoughtful, helpful son!  I am also thankful that my daughter and daughter-in-law pitched in and helped with the cooking…again.  Everything was delicious–and there was so much food…

#26- I am thankful that I do not have to make dressing or bake another turkey for quite a while!  This Thanksgiving nearly wore me out–but I survived!

#27- I am thankful for a very thoughtful and understanding daughter, who volunteered to host everyone on Friday evening for Thanksgiving left-overs, so I could work on getting my Christmas decorations put out.  Bless you, Brandy–I owe you big!

#28- I am thankful for Hallmark holiday movies!  I love watching them this time of the year.  I am depending on them to help kindle my Christmas spirit–which seems to be lacking somewhat at the moment!

I’ll be back on-line tomorrow, for Meet Me On Monday.  Until then, I’m still decorating for Christmas!  Three days and counting…I’m getting there, slowly but surely!

Six Word Saturday..November 27

 

My six words for the Saturday after Thanksgiving are:

Pardon my absence while I decorate!

Thanksgiving is over, the house is a wreck.  It will be that way until after I finish undecorating from Thanksgiving, and decorating for Christmas.  I’ll be be knee-deep in storage boxes for the next couple of days!  I’ll catch up with visiting and blogging soon.  Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Hodgepodge/Giving Thanks Challenge…

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge, brought to us by Joyce-from this side of the pond.  Thanks for another set of great questions, Joyce!  If you haven’t joined in yet, I highly recommend it for a good time, and a chance to meet new blog friends!

 

1. If you had known what they knew then, would you have boarded the Mayflower?  No, most likely I wouldn’t have.  Even if I had boarded,  I probably wouldn’t have made it off the boat anyway…LOL (see # 2 for explanation).

In case you are wondering…I am sharing photos of some of my Thanksgiving decorations throughout this post–in the spirit of Thanksgiving!

Thanksgving what-nots

2. How far have you traveled on a boat and how do you feel about boats in general? I have only been a few miles out in the ocean– on a  boat, when we went on a fishing trip to some jetties once.  I got sea-sick and thought I was going to die!  After that trip, we stayed closer to land so I wouldn’t get sea-sick.  I love boats, and I miss ours sometimes.

3. What traditions have you kept, acquired thru marriage, and/or tossed? If you’re single what are some of your family’s favorite Thanksgiving traditions?   Our Thanksgivings are pretty much the same as our parents’ traditions used to be, except I decorate the house for Thanksgiving, and our parents never did.  I have all kinds of little pumpkins, Pilgrims, turkeys, scarecrows, and Indians sitting on shelves.  In addition, my “year round tree” is decorated for Thanksgiving.  Also,  I don’t make ambrosia or fruit salad like our parents did, because none of my children like it.

Year-round tree decorated for Thanksgiving

4. What time is dinner and how many will be round your table? And what is the one side dish you cannot do without on Thanksgiving day?  Dinner will be around 12 o’clock, which means I’ll be up early on Thanksgiving morning!  If all goes well, there will be ten people around my table.  Unfortunately, Jennifer has to work, and won’t be joining us like she did last Thanksgiving.  One side dish that has become a family tradition, and I can’t do without,  is really a dessert—my husband’s pecan pie.  He makes a great one! 

 

5. Have you ever used a fire extinguisher? Do tell….No, not in the kitchen, but we did have a fire under our car port once, when our pool chemicals accidentally got mixed together and caused a chemical fire.  Fortunately, we saw the smoke from the kitchen window, and were able to put the fire out with the water hose before too much damage was done.  It was a very scary experience! 

Scarecrows and pumpkin candy dish

6. Tell about a situation that caused you dreadful trepidation and feet dragging, only to realize later it was a true blessing.  I think I would have to say it would be getting my driver’s license.  I was a third generation of “non-drivers”.  My grandmother and my mother never learned to drive a car, so I didn’t get the normal encouragement to learn how to drive.  Once I married my husband, he tried to encourage me to learn, but things kept happening–like our car was a four-speed, and I was afraid to drive it.  We traded cars, and I did make two trips to get a learner’s permit, but never had the necessary paperwork with me.   FINALLY, after eight years of marriage, when I was 26 years old, we bought a car with an automatic transmission,  I made up my mind to learn to drive, and got my driver’s license– all within a week!  Wow, that was the best thing I ever did!!!  Talk about new-found freedom, after 26 years of depending on others for a ride!

7. Baked, sweet, mashed, hash browned or french fried…which one’s your favorite?  It used to be french fried–until I spent 15 years working at school and was served french fries nearly every day of my life!  Yuk!  How french fries are considered healthy is beyond me!  No wonder kids are over-weight.  These days I prefer my potatoes baked. (and it’s a good thing…see #8 for the reason)

Bear pilgrims and turkey candle holder

8. Insert your own random thought here.  Well, I have to share this with all of you.  On Tuesday afternoon I got a phone call from my doctor’s office, with the results of some tests I’d had a couple of weeks ago.  The nurse informed me that my cholesterol is a bit high, and the doctor wants me to go on a low-fat, low cholesterol diet!  I told his nurse that was awful news to receive  two days before Thanksgiving–and she laughed and agreed!  I’m going to forget about that bit of news until after Thanksgiving!  The nurse said she wouldn’t tell if I didn’t!  LOL 

(24) I am thankful that we don’t have to travel to be with family on the holidays.  I am so blessed to have all of our little family living all around us, which is especially nice at holiday time.  If you know me, you know how I feel about traveling anyway…Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

Tuesday’s Thoughts and Giving Thanks Challenge # 23

I am a little slow in getting my post up today.  I haven’t been feeling my best for the past few days, plus I am trying to get preparations underway for Thanksgiving.  It can be a bit overwhelming especially you aren’t feeling well to begin with!

The turkey is officially thawing, and the rest of the food has been purchased, thanks to an early morning trip to the grocery store!  Tomorrow and Thursday will be spent in the kitchen cooking.  If you read my blog regularly, you already know how I feel about cooking….After I cook for two days, I will retire from that duty for the rest of the week!  We’ll eat cold turkey sandwiches and grilled hamburgers or whatever I don’t have to cook!  Besides, I’ll be busy doing other things–like decorating!

I keep thinking about all of those Christmas decorations in boxes waiting to be dragged out of the storage room.  On Friday, my house will look like a tornado blew through it…It’s not a pretty sight when I open the door to the storage room…My husband hates it when I drag out seasonal decorations.  You see, I not only decorate for Christmas, I decorate for every holiday–so I have a mess every month, and he hates it every time!

I think Jennifer went back to work today.  I hope she’s feeling okay.  Her shifts are twelve hours long–and that’s a long time to be working–even when you are feeling your best. Bless her heart, she has to work on Thanksgiving this year, but it may be easier for her anyway.  I know she and her family will be missing their mom and wife all throughout the holidays.  There is just no easy way to get through holidays after losing a loved one–especially that first year.  Which brings me to my thankful thought for today…

(23)  I am thankful to be having all of the family with me for another Thanksgiving.  A lot can happen in a year’s time, as we all know.  I’ve never been made more aware of that fact than during this past year.  Thank you, God, for letting us make it through another year together.

Meet Me On Monday/Giving Thanks Challenge #22

It’s time to get to know each other a little better.  I’m joining  Java for her “Meet Me On Monday” meme.  Here are today’s questions:

(1) How many pillows do you sleep with?
I sleep with four pillows–two regular pillows, and two tubular microbead pillows.  I use the tubular pillows to prop my legs on…oh, the joys of getting older!  It’s like being a baby again–I must get everything “just right” before I can go to sleep!

(2) Where will you eat on Thanksgiving?  We will be cooking and eating Thanksgiving at our home.  It’s been 25 years since we ate with someone else–with the exception of 2004, when my daughter and her husband cooked and hosted their first Thanksgiving because I was sick.

(3) Would you rather go to a party or host a party?  It’s a lot of work, but I love hosting parties.  I love decorating and looking for fun games and activities.  We usually have a family Christmas Eve Party that has always been fun.

How many purses do you own?  Too many!  About seven or eight years ago, I got my first Vera Bradley purse as a gift.  From that moment forward, I was “hooked” on Vera’s bags.  Vera Bradley bags are colorful, soft, and very organized with all of those neat compartments.  The problem is–I don’t ever want to get rid of my Vera bags whenever I get a new one.  With that being said, I probably have about 15 Vera bags, including their matching wallets, packed in a container in the top of my closed.  In addition to those, I have about six other purses, too.  So, yes, I have too many purses!

(5) What is your favorite kind of seafood?  That would be fried shrimp!

#22  I am thankful for my husband’s job.  There was a time, shortly before Christmas, eleven years ago, when the hospital where my husband worked was about to close.  At one point, there was no money in the bank to pay the hospital employees–and it was Christmas time.  Finally, the hospital was able to borrow enough money to continue to meet payroll for three more months, but the hospital ended up closing its doors in the spring of the following year.  Thankfully, my husband was able to find work in another hospital, but I always remember those dark times every year when Christmas approaches–and we never take his job for granted.

Giving Thanks Challenge…Days 20 and 21

 

(20) I am thankful for family outings.  My husband and I tagged along with our daughter and her family on a fun outing yesterday.  We all went to see Disney Princesses On Ice together.  It was a beautiful show to watch!  I knew it would be– with all of the princesses in their beautiful costumes.  It doesn’t matter if a girl is age five or fifty, there is something magical about those princesses–and their princes weren’t half bad either!  Of course, the skating is wonderful, too. 

One of the best parts was watching our granddaughter, Madison, experience the “magic” of the show.  She sat with her mouth open for the first fifteen minutes of the show!  Her mama had her dressed up like a princess, and she was just precious.  I couldn’t help but snap a photograph of her watching the show…

Granddaughter, Madison, is in awe...

(21)  I am thankful that Jennifer is feeling better, once again.  The hospital where Jennifer was a patient  is located in the city where went to see the ice show.  We left home early, and went by the hospital first to see how she was feeling.  When we arrived, she told us that she was going to be released from the hospital yesterday afternoon.  What a pleasant surprise!  She’d already had her drain removed, and was just waiting to finish up her last bag of fluids.  She’ll be on antibiotics at home for a while.

I’m not sure what all has been going on with Jennifer.  She had a UTI, like the first doctor diagnosed, but apparently she had several abscesses in her abdomen, as well.  That’s why she kept having fever and pain, in spite of taking antibiotics by mouth.  What caused those abscesses, we don’t know.  It was either from her previous surgery, or from her appendix, apparently.  She had two surgical procedures in an attempt to drain those abscesses.  The second one was successful, but she was partially awake for it, and said it was very painful.  They chose not to remove her appendix at this time–but I don’t know why.  They have decided to wait and watch, to see what is going to happen with it.  I hope nothing else happens!  She was one sick young lady last week!  Please continue to pray for her, as her body fights the infection of the abscesses, and she waits to see what her appendix is going to do.

Well, that’s it for this post.  I’m running a bit behind in posting since we spent yesterday in the city, but I sure did enjoy myself–despite the fact that I wasn’t feeling my best yesterday.  Sometimes, the show must go on–and it did!

Flashback Friday…Thanksgiving Memories

Today I’m sharing Thanksgiving memories of the past for Flashback Friday.  You know, I never really thought about it, but apparently I don’t have many outstanding Thanksgiving memories from my childhood–but I do have one!

When I was probably six or seven years old, my family decided to spend Thanksgiving with a hunting club.  At least, I’m pretty sure it was some sort of hunting club.  I know it was a group of families camping together.  The men and boys went out hunting together, while the women and children stayed at camp and cooked.  We lived in Florida at the time, but it gets cold at night in November–and I remember trying to sleep, and being cold.  I also remember thinking that it was a strange way to spend Thanksgiving!  My dad was a hunter in those days, so I’ll bet it was his idea–but I only remember going once!

I suppose our family spent most Thanksgivings like other people–cooking and eating too much.  I remember watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, but I don’t remember much football watching going on at our house.  I remember watching mama make dressing–yes, we call it dressing here–and thinking what a lot of work that was for one dish!  We never had mashed potatoes with our turkey–only dressing.  We usually cooked some fresh mustard greens(from daddy’s garden), candied yams, and ambrosia–among other things.

Once I married Ed, we ate most Thanksgivings with his family, but my parents were invited, too. ( I always appreciated Ed’s parents including my parents in their holiday celebrations.)  My brother lives out-of-state, and rarely came home on actual holidays–so it was usually just my parents and me.    

Ed’s parents made dressing different from my mom and dad, but it was still good.  Both families mixed their dressing the same way, then baked it, but my in-laws didn’t put celery in theirs, and they used more boiled eggs and spices.

I remember watching some of the parade on television, and lots of football after the meal, at my in-laws house!  My mother-in-law was the mother of three boys, and she loved football.  Me?  Not so much.  My father-in-law didn’t seem to care much for it either.

As my in-laws grew older, I began to prepare several dishes at my own home for the Thanksgiving meal.  I’d transport all of the food to my in-laws house for lunch.  They still insisted on cooking the turkey and dressing, as well as a few other things–like fruit salad.  Nobody could make fruit salad like my mother-in-law!  We did the meal this way for several years. 

By the time my children were all in school, my in-laws were well into their sixties.  My husband and I decided it was time to begin our own Thanksgiving traditions at home–and take the burden off of his parents.  I began to learn to bake the turkey and make the dressing, along with all of the trimmings–and I’ve been doing it ever since!  I don’t know how tasty those first couple of Thanksgiving dinners were, but I learned over time.  Ed’s parents resisted coming for a year or so, then eventually began to come and join our family for Thanksgiving at our house.  I’ve been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for more than twenty years!

I’ll come back next week and post about those Thanksgiving memories with my husband and children at our own house…until then–I hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Giving Thanks Challenge..#18 and #19

Yesterday morning I got up early, got dressed, and took my granddaughter, Madison, to preschool so her mama could stay in her pajamas just a while longer.  My mission was simple–I was going to take some photographs of some the beautiful fall foliage that I’d seen all around!

I dropped Madison off at school, then made a quick stop at the dollar store, followed by a trip to McDonald’s for a quick breakfast.  Then I headed down the country highway to admire and photograph God’s creations.  How blessed I am to be able to do such things–on a Thursday morning.  Which brings me to the thing that I am thankful for today…

I am thankful that I am able to stay at home, instead of being enslaved by an employer.   Thank you, God, for early retirement!

Here are some of the photographs that I took…

This was the first photograph that I took.  That little tree just caught my eye, so vibrant among all of the greenery.  This yard is located in a little town called Bellville, Ga.

This home was located close to the first one that I photographed.  The only thing better than one vibrant tree is two!  I’m not sure what kind of trees these are, but I think they are Bradford Pear trees.

A stately old Sycamore tree-one of my favorites!  This one was located beside the highway, for all to enjoy!  Don’t you just love the old shed next to it.  Typical rural Georgia!

Is this a beautiful sight or what?  Seeing this yard was worth the entire trip.  If I had these beautiful trees in my yard, I’d want to sit on the porch all day, and look at them!  Does anyone know what kind of tree that yellow one is? 

Photographing all of these trees brings me to the next thing I am thankful for…

(19)I am thankful for trees.  Thank you, God, for wonderful trees that give us cool shade in the summer–and something beautiful to look at in the spring and fall, as well.  It would be awful to live without trees!

Update:  Our Jennifer (Brad’s girlfriend) is in the hospital.  She’s been sick all week, with high fever/pain,  and it turns out that she has an abscess(perhaps due to previous surgery), as well as an appendix that needs to be removed!  She went into surgery twice yesterday concerning the abscess!  Last I heard, they were going to wait until the abscess cleared up to remove the appendix.  She’s in need of  prayers again.  I’ll update as I hear.

For my newer followers, Jennifer is our youngest son’s girlfriend (and wife-to-be, we hope) In June she found out that she had cervical cancer, in July her mom died unexpectedly, in September, she had cancer surgery, and now this.  I  hope 2011 is a much better year for Jennifer!