HAPPY THANKSGIVING

The turkey has been picked clean, the china is put away and I'm relaxing. It was a small dinner this year at my home, the kids are at Kristine's moms and so we just had Jim's mom and brother. I joked earlier in the week, that I wasn't sure I could cook Thanksgiving dinner for only 4 and I was right--we have LOTS of leftovers. I sent the pies home with my mother in law as she has 2 young men living there, her youngest son and grandson.

Thanksgiving.....I'm Thankful for my husband, my son, my granddaughter and all the rest of the family we have. I'm Thankful that many of our service members are home for the holiday. I'm Thankful for all GOD gives us.

I hope you all had a wonderful day. Today was different for a lot of folks.....sad in some ways but we all made the best of it. Some are celebrating with less family because of separations, divorces and death, some because their loved ones are far away in strange lands fighting a war, some just couldn't make it home from where they are. But through it all, we are THANKFUL for the love.

I remember growing up with my mom cooking for days before hand, and the kitchen (she didn't have a dining room) overflowing with people. I was a teenager before I could sit at the BIG table in the kitchen with the adults--too many people so we had a kids table in the livingroom. The laughter, the love, FAMILY. And of course the odd officer or two....My dad was a policeman and if he happened to be off (didn't happen often) and the officer working was from out of the village, he was invited to eat with us since he couldn't leave the village limits for dinner. I miss that. My door has always been open to someone without family around. I've had service men at my table, nurses that aren't from here, a police officer or two, and various others. My mom taught me that and I continue to this day to extend the invite to anyone without family close by.

Rest everyone....tomorrow is BLACK FRIDAY. I'm working for a couple hours and then have a funeral to attend. No shopping here.