Bittersweet Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who wander upon my page today.

It is a bittersweet day for me. I have had a lot of emotional stress this week.

Yesterday, my last living grandparent, my grandmother, passed away after a long battle with alzheimer's. Even though I know she is no longer in pain and suffering, it is heartbreaking to know she is gone. She was the strong and yet sometimes quiet matriarch of the family. A lot of my memories involve and/or revolve around this wonderful woman.

So, as I prepare our family's turkey dinner today, I'll be remembering holidays at my grandmother's. About how she would feed any person who walked within a 10 foot radius of her house (whether they were hungry or not). How I wish I had gotten her to teach me to make chicken and dumplings properly. I will remember the quiet conversations we had together after I "grew up" and I thought if I turned out to be anything like her, I'd be awesome! I am so thankful to have had her as my grandmother.

Tomorrow we will make the drive "home" for services. But...

Today, I am thankful to have the day to spend with my family. Cooking and eating, laughing, and just enjoying our time together.

And now I am off to begin the baking.... and consume large amounts of coffee. Of course, I have to turn on the Macy's parade. I mean it IS Thanksgiving. Happy Turkey Day everyone!!


We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning.  ~Albert Barnes