Musings And Thankfulness...Sort Of

Okay, Bill played in the Turkey Bowl again and did NOT come home all purple, red and blue. Stiff and sore but...no stitches! I am thankful! Dan saw to it that Dad behaved himself and, luckily, the players this year were all older. Hey! That DOES make a difference!

I was touted as "Wife of the Year" by all the guys who witnessed Bill's injury from a year ago. It had been widely thought that Bill would never be "allowed" to play again! Heck. The man is 50 years old. If he wants to play football...maybe I am crazy but hey...2 psychiatrists say I am perfectly sane. Really! So, off he went to play in the mud with the other boys.

Thanksgiving Day was nice...Grace and I cooked up our contributions for the dinner and watched the Macy's Parade together. We crossed out fingers and toes, shut our eyes and hoped we would be in NYC next year!

Best Cooking Memory: Grace breaking the eggs for the muffins....she tapped the first egg on the counter but had not cracked it quite enough. When she poked her thumbs into said egg, it exploded all over her face. Now WHY didn't I have the camera ready? The look was priceless! She and I laughed so hard...aw come on. That's comedy folks!

Dinner was delicious...it was 55 degrees and sunny...we all watched "Babe" and a little football...the kids played...the dogs and the cat all got turkey...all was right with the world.

I thought about Bill's folks a lot. Thanksgiving was his Mom's favorite holiday. She left us late Summer last year. Bill's Dad was with us for Thanksgiving in 2005 but, without warning, passed away not long after. He had enjoyed the day with us, smiling at the antics of his grand daughter and her cousin Boo. He had so enjoyed talking to our Danny and laughing at my brother's jokes.

I thought about my Dad. It has been 6 years since he left us. He enjoyed this holiday. I have some great memories of so many Thanksgivings with my family.

I like to remember that....okay. Now I am smiling!

I really do have so much for which I am thankful.

I could get all sappy and sentimental and sugary and sticky. I do have that ability when it comes to my memories and those I love. I am a sucker for so many things and get weepy so easily it would, well, bring tears to your eyes. Ahem.

The basics are all in place...kids are healthy, pets are too, we love our family and Bill has a good job (albeit in VA for the time being). Mom has moved close by, we have loving friends and a comfortable home. We love our city and neighbors and family...you know. All the things for which most people are always grateful.

All of that aside, I have compiled a list of the *other* things for which I am very grateful this Thanksgiving weekend. I hope you get a chuckle from some and a good feeling from others!

I am thankful that/for...

None of my plants have died this month.

I did not die this month. Hey! That is something to say thanks for don'tcha think?

None of our cars are in the shop.

No one we know has had to call a plumber, electrician or roofer this month.

Our house did not sell, we did not move to VA and we will stay, firmly entrenched, in the

Midwest where we belong. Yes, we are that boring.

No one we know is in jail.

No one we know is being sought by the FBI. At least, we do not think so.

Ohio State Football is NUMBER 1!

Ohio has not been hit by an earthquake, hurricane or tsunami this year.

My jeans all still fit. Almost. Mostly.

We are an adoptive family.

Our house has not been destroyed by a meteor, runaway city bus, giant squid or Marshmallow Man. Hey! I have seen it happen. Well, in a movie but we all know that movies only report the truths in life. Just like the National Enquirer.

On that note....

No one we know has been in the Enquirer. Or read it. Out in the open. Well, maybe it was scanned at the grocery store....

We did not make it to Paris for my birthday this year but did go to St. Louis. A French connection is a French connection.

Paris Hilton does NOT think any of us are hot. Thank you God!

Donald Rumsfeld is outta here.

(Oops. Was that one of those political doo dads I promised never to mention on this blog? I apologize.)

I have so enjoyed many wonderful possessions over the years and I was able to give many of them away this year. We just made another sizable donation this week. I love that. Downsizing is a blast, especially when it helps others.

For the first time in 4 years, no one we know is in Iraq or Afghanistan for the holidays.

Did I mention that Donald Rumsfled is outta here?

Our house has 3 toilets. Decadent by world standards I know but oh how wonderful!

I was raised in East Dayton, Ohio. With one toilet. I do not remember minding that.

A few weeks ago I was told (by a cashier at our grocery store) that I was just "a too too boring, too

too nice, too too Midwestern woman!" Hey! It WAS a compliment! She said that nothing could be better to to be! Most of us here are!

Darn proud of it too...too!

Locksmiths work 24/7 in case Bill locks his keys in his car again.

Firefighters and Police Officers

The Cheesecake Factory, KD's Bar B Que, J Alexander's, Graeter's, North China,

Carrabas, Potbelly's, Chipotle, Chow's Asian Bistro, Coldstone Creamery, Christopher's,

and the list goes on....

And in conjunction,

My husband still thinks I am beautiful....even with the extra pounds.

Tom and Katie did NOT invite us to their wedding. Thank God. I had nothing to wear.

Books & Company and Starbucks

Target...ooh. Target!

Brian Dennehy, Gary Sinise and Chris Cooper...in that order.

Theaters. Stage and movie

None of us care about the Federline's, the Cruises (probably why we did not get that invitation), the Jolie/Pitt's, the Rock/Anderson's or if Jennifer and Vince will marry.

Dogs and cats.

Our military.

We were a part of that military family for 27 years.

No one we know has a reality series.

During the last month, we have not watched a reality series.

Our life COULD NEVER BE a reality series but that is a good thing right?

I am at the end of this list.

(This is something for which YOU are thankful!)