I just thought of something else

Let me be honest, don't believe what blogger says as far as what time I am posting.  It is 4:32 AM and I'm awake, surfing the 'net.  Know why?  Tomorrow in a few hours my kids are coming here for a turkey dinner.  Everyone is contributing something...Ashley is bringing mashed potatoes, Catherine is making the traditional green bean casserole.  Vicky has been promoted from 'paper products' to tossed salad and Tony is now taking her place, but since we don't need paper products, he has been assigned  wine.

 

Who will be making the turkey?  That would be moi!

 

Now, the turkey is defrosted in the fridge, we know it will fit in the roasting pan which will fit in the over...but that's as far as it goes.  I have never really cooked a turkey before.

 

Well, actually, I did make one once, but that was 40+ years ago and not only did I cook it with the giblets in the bag in the turkey, but I burned the turkey.

 

So, here I am, looking for the best way to make a turkey.  There are 250,000 recipes online.  Time is running out, I must choose.

 

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Until then, I thought of one more reason I am thankful. 

My Roomba. 

 

We have hardwood floors AND a dog.  She sheds.  The Roomba wanders from room to room, sucking up dog hair and...

 

 

Charging cables...

 

Does it work?  Yeah, but even if it didn't, it's fun to have around.  I've seen the YouTube videos of the cat riding the Roomba, but Linda won't even try it.

 

Well, Ron just announced that I need to get a few hours sleep.

 

Wish me luck?

 

Gobble gobble and God bless!

Jan

 

More thanks?

Ever since my kids became adults and were adopted by the families of their significant others...or in plain words, ever since they had somewhere else to go on holidays, we celebrate most holidays on alternative dates.  We do Easter either the week before or the week after, we do Thanksgiving the Sunday after...the only one I claim is Christmas Eve...

 

So, on Thanksgiving this year, Ron and I were invited to eat with Noelle, Tony, Noelle's mom, Becky and her grandmother, Dolores while everyone else had dinner elsewhere.  Noelle and Tony have only been dating a short time, but Noelle fit into our family like she had been there for years.  Her mom and grandmother felt like old friends in no time!  We not only sat at the table long after we had devoured the delicious food, but we ended back at the table later for a delayed dessert.  What fun!

 

I wish I could say I took tons of photos...but this is all I have of the food...

 

Noelle and her mother, carving the turkey...

 

 

And it was as good as it looks!

 

 

Afterwards, Becky told us that it was a family tradition to give Noelle a gift on Thanksgiving...

 

 

She gave them a Gingerbread House kit!

 

 

All too soon, it was time to go.  As we were leaving, we got a text from Andy saying the roads were getting bad.  It was snowwwwwingggggggg!

 

I LOVE snow!  The ride home was uneventful and soon after we got home, Ron declared the turkey was really working...he headed to bed.  Linda and I sat up to watch Christmas movies and watch the snow.  Before bed, I looked out the living room window...

 

 

Of course, the fact that it was also garbage night detracted from the scene...

 

So I looked out the back doors...

 

 

Did I mention that I LOVE snow?

 

Did I ever tell you that I love waking in my bedroom and looking out the bedroom window.  It always makes me feel like I'm sleeping in a tree house...today was no exception.  I woke to this...

 

 

Oh goodness, isn't it beautiful?

 

Linda and I came down to make coffee...

 

 

It's like a Winter Wonder Land out there!

 

Since my family dinner is Sunday, and everyone is coming here...I may 'disappear' again, I have much to do,  but fear not, Tony has promised that he will keep me on task.  I'll be back!

 

Until then, remember that God loves you and so do I!

 

Peace and love,

Jan

Ding dong

Think about this:  Yesterday afternoon, Linda wanted to go out.  We were getting ready to leave, so I put her out on the tie-out on the front porch where she proceeded to eat all the snow off the porch.

I came inside and was busy in the kitchen when I heard the 'ding dong' of the door bell.

We have only one door bell, at the front door, so I went to answer it, wondering why Linda did not bark.  She was sitting there, happy to see me.  There was no one around.
Ron came to the door to see who was there and I explained that I didn't see anyone but the dog.  He went out and walked around the house to see if perhaps someone had walked around to the back door.

No one was there.

Now we are logical people...we came to the conclusion that either we were both hearing things, and the same thing at that, or someone was playing a prank on us, OR Linda was ringing the door bell.

Hmmmmmm...

Of course, Linda is the smartest and cutest dog on the planet...it had to be her, playing tricks on us.

Still....we wondered....

We were driving down the turnpike, on our way to meet Tony and Noelle for dinner when we heard it again...ding dong!

Yes. Sometime in the past 24 hours, I managed to change my text tone to DING DONG!

Now tell me...who is the ding dong?

Okay...things to do, snow to enjoy!
Be a blessing to someone today...

God bless YOU!
Jan

Really quick question...

Do you know these people?

I had a bunch of SD cards on my desk.  I was checking them out and found these people on one of them.  Somehow, somewhere, I got someone else's SD card...

Anyone know who it is (don't even want to speculate on HOW I got it)?

Thanks, thanks and more thanks!

 

 

I have so many reasons to be giving thanks this year; perhaps if I share my partial list, I can also get you current on all the wonderful things going on in my life...

 

So, in no particular order, Let me share with you:

 

The hubster and his newly forged friendship with Linda Lou:

 

 

 

I'm thankful I can still, at the ripe old age of 63, run AND compete:

 

 

 

And occasionally win:

 

 

And be the proud mother of a winner as well:

 

 

This was the year I got a wonderful Father's Day gift from Andy and Ashley:

 

 

 

 

 

Yes!  it's a

 

BOY!!!

He'll be here mid-February!!!!!

 

There is the new home with enough bedrooms for grandchildren to visit:

 

 

A wonderful patio in the back:

 

 

AND a dressing room for all my shoes!

 

.

 

I'm thankful for that darn birthday fairy

 

and the opportunity to celebrate my mom's 83rd birthday!

 

 

We celebrated Ashley's graduation from nursing school...

 

 

Of course, it's a no-brainer to remember and be thankful for time on the river...

 

 

 

And bicycle rides!

 

 

Ron and I got to go all kinds of neat places, like Thousand Islands,

Atlantic City, Texas and Florida...

And Boston!

 

 

 

As always and forever, I'm thankful for:

 

 Andy, Vicky, Michael and Tony

 

 

 Michael and Catherine

 

 

Jamie and Vicky

 

 

Andy and Ashley

 

 

Tony and Noelle

Whew!  And to think, that's just a partial list...

I could go on and on and on!

 

Also, I'm so thankful for friends and family who take time to visit my blog!

 

Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving...

I'll be back soon!

Promise!

 

Love,

Jan

 

Wow, this is taking forever!

This story is really yesterday's news, I want to get you caught up to the present, so I'm about to venture into the Cliff's Notes version of the past year...ready?

I said YOU BET YOUR BIPPY to the question he asked (while on one knee) and he slipped this little gem on my finger...

 

 

I know!  It's a beauty, isn't it?  I liked it so much, and it sparkled so beautifully, that while I was driving, I kept staring at it with my hand on the wheel.  Trust me, diamonds are much more dangerous than texting...at least in my case!

 It was November and even though it was short notice, we began to make arrangements for late February.  We talked about clothes, food, the who-what-how stuff...It was kinda cool!

Enter those joy stealers:  Health and Kids...

We were told in October that Ron needed to have his left knee replaced.  He looked frantic and I assured him I'd help him, that he had lots of support...

The surgery date was set for December 9.  We figured that would give him time to heal before the big day.  It would also give us time to find a new place to live.  I was living in my house with Tony, he was living in an apartment 40 miles away.  We wanted to be closer....

The announcement of our engagement was not taken well by his family, from his former in laws to two of his kids.  They were real joy stealers, absolute poop heads, so what was supposed to be a joyous occasion, joining the two families, ended up being a very private (as in NO family) ceremony only a few days before the knee replacement surgery.  A honeymoon was planned for a few weeks after that.

Again, long story short, the surgeon (who was adorably cute AND younger than the socks I was wearing) told us that roughly 1% of the people who had knee replacements experienced complications.  My husband, the over achiever, had not one, not two but THREE complications!  I tell people we spent our honeymoon on the 10th floor of Allegheny General Hospital. 

After two separate hospitalizations and three surgeries, I'm thrilled to say he's fine...even better than fine. 

We  bought a huge house in a wonderful plan of homes about 2 miles from Andy and Tony (who bought the house we were living in).  Linda is here with us, Winnie, the Basset Hound, is with Tony and with sadness, I'll tell you that we lost Bill about six weeks ago from Osteosarcoma. 

My kids are happy that we are close by, we have room to have everyone get together, including room for the ping pong table in the basement.  Just last Sunday we celebrated Taco Night here with a house full of friends and family. 

Is ANY of this making sense?  Can you, as the boys say, pick up what I'm putting down?  If you are more confused than ever now, please shoot me an email ( redsockmama at g mail dot com) and tell me I'm babbling.  I want to get you caught up to today 'cause I have so much to tell you, and I can't wait!

Soooooooo, without further fuss and fidgets, I'm going to bed, to dream of all kinds of silly things (Ron says I sometimes giggle in my sleep).  I'll mention all of you in my prayers...and will see you soon.

Now, get yourself to sleep.
God bless you,
Jan