On being thankful.

Rita is a huge Gertie fan, as am I

So, as Mom and I sit here Thanksgiving night watching The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (did I mention I've gotten a Netflix account?...), I'm thinking about how thankful I am for all that we have.

I ran over to Bobbi's today to gather her mother's excellent green beans, some mashed potatoes, and a delightful succotash mixture from Bobbi's family's Thanksgiving gathering. Mom and I were planning on heading to Ron's for a cocktail hour today but Nora has a cold and, well, it turns out that Gert wasn't going anywhere today anyway.

Luckily, we had a very small (read: very small) early Thanksgiving dinner last night. Just Bobbi, John, Mom and I were to share a turkey, stuffing, fresh rolls, drunken sweet potatoes, spirited Pumpkin pie, Apple and caramel crust pie, crack cookies, sausage and cheese puffs, and, um, cocktails. Mom and I cooked most of the day - emphasis on 'I', not so much on 'Mom' although she did direct me in a few details. I still hate touching a dead turkey (versus a live turkey..) so she talked me through the 'ugh, ewwwww' factor. Bird in oven, rolls rising, cocktails in hand, we napped, chatted, napped and chatted.



Dinnertime found our guests...make that 'guest' wandering in. Actually, our only guest was Bobbi as John was called into work and wasn't going to appear until later and then only for an hour or so before he was called back. So, Bobbi, Gert and I wandered into the dining room for a proper dinner which we did have and did enjoy. Well, actually there were 9 of us if you count the 6 dogs...10 of us if you count the cat who also appeared periodically.

So, as I think to the holiday season, I was grateful for the friendship of dear Bobbi, and, of course, the presence of dear Gertrude. I so love having her live with me, even if it's hard sometimes.

I was also thankful that John appeared, even for just a short period, and brought an additional element of love into our little circle.

I'm thankful for the wonderful friends and family which surround Mom and me as we both age. It's not always easy and those closest to us know of the trials and tribulations we both have as we go through this process.

Mom 'helps' bake a cake...

I'm so thankful that my mother still has a fabulous sense of humor and the ability to whip me back into shape with just a sideways glance. I'm thankful that she's still relatively healthy and interested in life after 94 years.

I'm thankful for the man I have by my side who is more than I ever imagined I would find. I'm thankful that he always has my back, as can be evidenced when he let me stay out later the other night with Bobbi while he came home to help Mom out. The best gift in the world for a caregiver is the gift of time and he gives me the time I need, when I need it.

I'm grateful that I've got these wonderful animals surrounding us. I'm so thankful that I've had some of them so long (Barley and Hops are both going on 13 or maybe 14?). They each bring something new and interesting and loving to our lives. Mom is enchanted with the little girl dogs and they brighten each of her days.

Most of all, I'm thankful that I just have this life. We only get one and I drew the ace when it came to parents, family and friends. And, for this, I will be forever grateful.

And, so, to my closest friends, family, readers, internet friends (you know who you are), I'm thankful for your friendship, love and support. Thank you...from both Gert and me.