Thanksgiving Traditions

 My daughter-in-law comes from a large family.  Four boys and four girls.  Each have learned saving tips and coupon shopping from their mom.  They had also grown up with traditions that at least the four youngest try to honor now.

There were two or three of them in the kitchen making pies the day prior to Thanksgiving. I don’t remember ever having baked beans as part of Thanksgiving dinner before, but it was a part of theirs.  A craft project of making turkeys with apple bodies, gumdrops and marshmallow parts.

My second youngest granddaughter and I took a brief walk outside.  It was nice to get to know her a little bit.

Praying for Safety

 Richard insisted on putting up some of the lights. 

Jaime (our mountain goat) didn’t want us to

start the yard without her. 

After all she can scale many areas that Richard and I can’t.

We said a prayer that we would stay safe.

The lights were on the day that we hung them,

however one of the strands had gone out.  

When we went to turn the lights on the following day,

 none of them would work. 

Took a while before we (well Richard) discovered the problem. 

Simple fix. 

I said another prayer to say thanks.

Almost Missed our Pick up

     

Shortly after Biff and his family moved in with us we were forced to upgrade our standard size garbage can to the biggest can available.  A few months ago we downgraded to the smallest. It holds 1 ½ to 2 large black trash bags.

not accurate to MC color scheme
but accurate in size difference

We try put our can to the curb on Tuesday nights as Wednesday morning is pickup.  Early Wednesday morning.

We forgot to put the can out last night.  I did not hear the trucks this morning but Richard evidently did.  At a quarter to 5:00 this morning I took our small can to the curb but checked our neighbor’s can as pickup lately has taken place between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m.

Their can was empty and so I thought I would wheel our can across the street.  There was only one bag – not even a full one.  I took it out and added to the trash across the street.  Fun way to start out the morning .  We then watched “Grinch, the Musical” and now Richard and Jaime are watching “The Grinch”

Changing Countenance

           Rudy Giuliani did some great things for New York before becoming mayor (here) and after the terrorists attacks made on the city September 11, 2009.  The media made him sound like a hero at how he handled the situation (here) but somewhere over the years that seemed to get pushed aside as the media would constantly criticize his every move because of how he supported Trump. And now he owes over 140 million dollars in damages (here) What happened? How does someone who was so admired become such a huge disappointment due to one's choices?  What made him change?  Why does anybody change?

          I do not know Rudy Giuliani personally but I do know several people who had so much going for them and made such a positive impression on those around them and yet somewhere along the way their light went out and their hearts are blackened.  Why would they choose to misery?  Are they so far gone that they have forgotten what they once had?  Would sending Ghosts to them during Christmas even make a difference?

          I suppose it works the other way.  There are people who have wreaked havoc so much of their life before they make the change to service of others and transforming from the curmudgeon Scrooge to the repented Scrooge.  You can see their countenance.   

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" – Mahatma Gandhi

 

Next Time We Both Go

 Richard missed me a lot during my absence from Oregon. 

I don’t know if there will be a next time but I won’t be going at it alone.  

But I know there will be way more expense involved if he comes along.  

He won’t be staying overnight at anyone’s house but will get a hotel. 

But on the plus side we may not have to fly – 

he would/will just drive us there.

Don't know where or when.  

It will be a while.

Not Again!!

I don't care for warm water or hot tea.  I like to gulp.  I can't always gulp.  Right now there is something pressing between my gum and my tooth which causes pain whenever there is cold.  It is about this time last year when my mouth felt a sensitivity to cold.  I thought it was a dental thing at first but then realized it was probably a sinus infection as I could brush my teeth without feeling pain.  

A sinus infection. Joy.  It must have been just before Christmas when Richard drove me to the clinic in Roseburg so that I could get a zee pack to make myself feel better.  I think that’s what’s happening now.  Oddly enough it is all on my left side.  My infections have always started with my right.  This may have started in Utah.  Lesson learned.

Welcome Back to Facebook

 I have had many friends who have left facebook - 

some permanantly but I have noticed 

just as many return.

Decorations and a Movie

         We left to drive to Ashland about 3:30 yesterday.  It got very dark before we collected Jaime just before 5:30.  We stopped at a Cracker Barrel on the way home.  Today we put up the tree and decorated.

At 12:00 we left to go to the big city of Roseburg where we saw “Wonka” – I absolutely LOVED how a few of the songs from the original production (with Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka) were incorporated into this production - along with the original Oompa Loompa appearance.  So many scenes reminded me of other movies: Les Miserables (except the girl was called Noodle rather than Cozette), a Whoville type scene,  La La Land or the Greatest Showman,  and at least two others I can’t remember as I write this post.  I think the thing I enjoyed most about it was hearing Jaime’s enjoyment.

We then started to tackle the trees in the yard.  Our Mountain Goat was up for the challenge.  We decided that we aren’t completely finished.

A Fur Coat

 I don’t know what triggered this memory, but I was thinking about a time when my great uncle had told my mom and aunt that they should go get measured for fur coats.  I think it was some kind of bet he had won and offered the coats to the wives of his two nephews.  I don’t know what my aunt’s reaction was to her fur coat, but my mom was not comfortable about wearing what one might perceive as luxurious.  She said it wasn’t even that warm.  And it shed as I recall.  I don’t know how long she had it or what became of it. 

No More Spontaneous Jaunts to Utah

 I wish I had planned better and just taken two weeks after Thanksgiving and then returned.  Three weeks may have been too long on my immune system.  Ryan says I was a tremendous help.  I'm grateful that he thinks that.  I did not feel as productive as I was hoping for. I suppose I did do at least one productive thing each week I was there. 

The day after I had arrived one of my granddaughters had expressed having missed me while she was at school.

Ryan and Chelsey's youngest was born two days after I arrived. Chelsey had already made arrangements with one of her brothers to take the kids while they were at the hospital.  They did return to take the girls to the school on Monday.  Because I was there the aunt was free to drive each girl without having to load up the car with everybody else (as she has three of her own). 

Once they brought the baby home the kids were much more interested in their baby sister than they were in spending any quality time with grandma.

I did spend a few hours with the two sibs I have living in Utah.  I spent Thanksgiving with Ryan's family and three of her brothers and their families.  It was interesting.

Spontaneous Trip

I had told Ryan that I would come out to be with him if he and his wife needed my assistance.  Truth is that her family rallies around one another and I suspect that they would have been fine without me but realized that it is always her family, never his.  I know he appreciated my being there – even if it was just for him.  For the most part I didn’t feel useful, but both of them assured me that I had been. 

Though the weather was pretty awesome for this time of year and there was no inversion my throat dried up.  It got cold the second week I was there, but for the most part the temperature seemed above 50.  Happy to be home and nearly rid of my cold (or whatever it is) and happy that Ryan is happy.

Sharing Germs

 I have been highly allergic to most Christmas plants though the tree had never bothered me -

 but there are such a huge variety of trees.  

Ever since they had brought home their tree I started coughing.  

It may just be coincidence and it had really been the dry air which seemed to present 

a problem with my breathing. 

I obviously had not considered why we had moved to Oregon in the first place. 

Seattle welcomed me with the moist air that I had been missing

Still I carried those germs from Utah  to Oregon.

Richard shared in my cough, hacking and disrupted breathing.

We cancelled the temple trip we had made an appointment for yesterday.

Jaime was disappointed to learn we wouldn't be coming.

We stayed home nursing ourselves.

I never even did get dressed from my bed attire.