HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Wow, Thanksgiving has come and gone.  There were some GREAT parts of it, and some sad parts.

The sad part was that my married kids have had the flu bug hit their house in a powerful way.  Ryan pulled a shift in the ER and believes he was exposed to the bug there.  He got really sick for a couple of days.  Just as he was determining he would pull through ... Jaimee Rae got hit.  She threw up every 20 minutes for a couple of hours one night.  Poor sick little girl.

Mommy Rhiannon was busy cleaning up bedding and washing things to kill germs - remember we have a vacation to go on next week - first with Ryan and then Jaimee.  They decided to not come on Thanksgiving, but MAYBE come on Friday for Sabbath and Saturday night GAME NIGHT at our house.

But then the bug got her.  She was a sick girlie too.  Fortunately Jaimee was on the mend and Ryan was able to care for her.  As of tonight (Saturday night) outside of a tender tummy after eating, she is feeling better.  So hopefully the worst is behind her.

I missed them all - felt like a big hole in our Thanksgiving.  The other holes were that Joy and her kids were in Florida with Keith's family and  Kate was with her family up in Minnesota.  We were blessed to have our friends the Downey's with us again this year and Wynter and Andy's friend Chris was back to visit.  We've met him before.

One of the GOOD things that happened was that for the first time in a LONG time Holly and Joe were back.  Holly is my brother Mark's oldest daughter.  Joe took some nice pictures of the family that was there.

Dad, as many of you know, has not been doing real great.  That is why we moved the celebration back to mom and dad's house.  He got to be there with us in his recliner.  All the noise we made didn't seem to bother him much as he seemed to enjoy knowing we were all there, though he can't see us.  Mom and dad (Gene and Shirley) got to meet 12 day old Tanner (JoDe and Josh's baby - JoDe is Joy's oldest daughter, Tanner is Joy's 2nd grandchild).

LOTS of good food.  OH MY!!!   Probably the MOST ever.  None of it was bad.  So we were all happily chowing our way through games of FARKLE, conversation, a little Karaoke, laughter, and simply enjoying the day.  Seemed like everyone was in a good mood, didn't hear any cranky remarks or see any crabby actions!  YEAH!!!  It was just a very good day.  Wish everyone could have been there, but ... nothing we could do about it.

Later we, Randy and I, went to Mark and Bellie's while they worked on a computer.  When we got home we worked on the church bulletin and then since it was almost midnight we headed over to Walmart.  DUMB!!!  I've NEVER seen the parking lot that full - EVER.  And inside?  Not ONE cart to be had.  People were elbow to elbow waiting for midnight when some of the bargains were to begin.  Others were forming lines for the super bargains that started at 5 a.m. 

All we really needed was a ream of paper so we could print the church bulletin.  We had it and a couple of other things we'd picked up as we walked around in our arms.  When we got to the front of the store ... the lines were ENORMOUS.  Now, I don't know about Walmart in YOUR area - but here in Muscatine it seems that there is ALWAYS a long wait at the checkout.  I hate that.  Seems to me that a company that puts their owners on the richest people list every year - could somehow make it so that there was enough checkers to get you in and out in a reasonable amount of time.  With that said - the lines were even longer than normal.  We just put our stuff down and walked out the door.  NO WAY.

Since we are going to Florida next week - we decided except for Baby Jaimee we aren't going to do much for Christmas.  I think we all agree that we don't need a trip AND presents.  So we aren't shopping seriously.  Kind of nice to be able to just go out and be IN the WILDNESS and not PART of it!  Whoo hoo! 

Yes, we are heading to Florida.  First time in years and years!  The whole family is going - all of us ... Randy, me, Nick, Rhiannon, Ryan and Jaimee.  We'll have plenty of family time - probably to the point of GET OUT OF MY FACE by the time it is over.  (We're all sharing accomodations!)  Our time is limited - but had kind of thought about sliding through Savannah to see Steph and Steve.  Randy finally called Steph, but we haven't heard back from her.  So that may not be something we can do this time.  And then we want to go over to Edgewater where Keith lives.  There is a river they can kayak down to see manatees and dolphins.  Think we'll try to be there on a Sabbath to enjoy that little nature adventure.  Again though - our trip planner (Randy) I don't think has made contact with Keith to get the details, so we'll have to see how that works.  What we do know is we'll spend a few days visiting Mickey Mouse.  We're all anxious to see how Jaimee reacts to the excitement of it all.

It's almost midnight -- I turn to a pumpkin at midnight, so better head up to my bed (aka pumpkin patch).  Tomorrow is the Goddard thanksgiving.  I plan to go for a little bit.  I always get a couple of pizzas to take.  I'm not cooking!  Pizzas always disappear and there isn't anything to take home to clean up.  Works for me!

Love you all!  V

Here are pics of our Thanksgiving gathering - some with my camera and some I copied from Holly's FB page!  Hover over the pictures for titles.

STANDING CORRECTED

I guess I WOULD have been surprised if a PANDA bear had showed up in my house - with all the eucalyptus going on here yesterday.

I've been corrected that it would have been a KOALA bear that would be here for the eucalyptus.

CHECKING THIS OFF THE LIST ... now on to THAT!!

We started a new book yesterday afternoon at our small group.  We hadn't met for a month or so, and so it was time to resume.  Now that it is winter, I think we should start our group an hour earlier - like at 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.  It's a nice way to end the Sabbath, but as it is now - Sabbath is over when we start.

Never-the-less we read a couple of chapters and then ended with prayer.  People seemed to linger, which was fine.  We visited and one of the topics that came up was about things you could and could not take on an airplane.  Medications - over the counter - etc.  One person was ticked because they took her hive medicine - another said they had a large container of eucalyptus oil that they were able to take on (after some testing). 

From there we talked about some of the benefits of eucalyptus oil - rubbing it on a diabetic's sore feet was what this particular couple used it for.  Seemed to alieviate the pain of it for awhile.  Hmmm?  Something deep inside my memory - seemed to recall (YEARS ago) buying a big thing of eucalyptus oil.  Where is it?? 

Most of the crowd left - I needed to go to Blaine's for some buttermints for the shower.  Another of the ladies wanted to go to Walmart and look at a camera and wished Randy would look at it with her.  So we decided to do that.  Then a third lady decided "I wanna go!!" -- so her husband headed home and the four of us (with Randy as our chauffeur) headed out on a fast paced - fun filled Saturday night of adventure.
Started with a stop and the nearest convenience store for a soda all around (except the driver - who #1: was the designated driver after all, and #2: hates carbonation!).

Then to Walmart we went ... oooohhhh..... ahhhhhh.  Even got let out at the door!  We walked around in there and did our own individual shopping - including a couple of cake mixes for my baby shower cupcakes, they got baby shower gifts, no camera was purchased ... and then we headed to Blaine's for the buttermints.  Nope!  They were closed.  Boo-hisss!!!  Now what?  Well, we did the most logical thing that four old people in a car could do!

We headed home!  We took Marian to her house and dropped her off.  Then we took Barb back to our house where her car was.  Randy and I came in the house.  Whew!  It was nearly 9:30 p.m.  I mixed up and baked my cupcakes - 2 boxes of mix worth - and went to bed.

In the morning today I came down to check my email.  My mom had sent a forwarded email about ... EUCALYPTUS OIL.  Go figure!  The talk the night before and now an email.  WHOA!!!!!  This is spooky weird, right?  Admit it!  *wink*    So here I was with a sore throat that I thought was getting better, but isn't.  And coughing.  And sneezing.  Do I really have eucalyptus oil?  Where is it?

I found the oil - took a shower, used the neti-pot (ahhhh!!!) and then rubbed eucalyptus oil on my feet and covered them with my socks.  I also rubbed some on my neck (sore throat inside, remember?).  I went about getting ready for the shower - and felt pretty good.  A few hours later I started coughing again.  More E.Oil on the feet, added socks - and did just fine.

Crazy day!  If I'd seen a Panda Bear somewhere in my house (don't they only eat eucalyptus leaves?) - I wouldn't have been a bit surprised.

So the time for the shower came -- 2 p.m.   I had wondered if, planted in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, anyone would come.  And yet there they were - the few, the proud, the ... - well people came!  I was so relieved.  But no guest of honor.  No mommy, no baby, no daddy (I thought he was going to come with them), no 5 year old sister ... at 2:10 p.m. with people sitting there waiting for it to begin -- I called them.  No answer.  BUT they called back and said they were about to leave.  Okay...about 2:30 p.m. they showed up.  Two cars containing 6 people.  We had us a baby, a mommy, a daddy, a 5 year old sister and some other relatives -- ready set GUESS WHAT KIND OF BABYFOOD IS IN THIS LABEL-less JAR!!!!

We ate cupcakes and nuts and buttermints (I went back to Blaine's early this a.m.) and punch.  We opened gifts.  People visited and got to know the family a bit better. 

Mom and Joy - you were not there physically but you WERE there.  Gilbert's sister was one of the relatives.  Her name is Erma (pronounced AIR-ma).  A number of years ago she attended church.  Her and four little kids.  She remembers BOTH of you clearly.  Said she thought Joy was so pretty and nice.  Talked about Colton who was little - she had a little one about his same age.  Said my mom was so nice and she liked talking to her.  She even seemed to know Mark.  Anyway she said to say 'hi'. 

Their little girls were getting bored with the 'shower scene' and began to roam the house.  Could they go on the deck, could they look at my house, could they go upstairs, could they go in the basement, could they jump on my furniture?????  I'm nice.  I'm friendly.  I'm pretty sure I can overlook most things.  But I said "no, you can't jump on my furniture" - then I asked "You don't jump on your furniture at home do you?"  They got sort of 'deer in headlight' looks on their faces -- which I interpreted to mean -- "Sure we do, doesn't everyone?!" 

But seriously all in all it was a really nice shower ... and weekend.
V