Thanksgiving week is over, and what a week it was! It began on Saturday, when we drove two hours to Waleska, GA, near Canton, to see Doug’s sister Katie and her family. They recently moved into a new house in Lake Arrowhead, and we had not seen it yet. We met Doug’s mom and dad there and had lunch, and celebrated Adrienne’s birthday. (Doug’s niece) Afterwards, we drove to Lexington and spent the night with the Canups.
That day I was most thankful for good in-laws that I have always been able to get along with.
Sunday morning we went to Athens Church to hear Andy Stanley preach. He is an amazing preacher. We heard the last of a series on “How to Be Rich.” He reminded us that all of us sitting in that building are rich compared to most of the people living in this world, and God expects us be generous with all he has given us. We really sat up and paid attention when he began talking about “rich people problems.” He had a list of such problems and here are the four items on his list: 1. Not being able to sell your house. (We are lucky to HAVE a house.) 2. One of the air conditioners breaks down. (We actually had TWO go out. 3. Your computer dies, and you have to use your laptop. (Yep, check that one off, too. Doug replaced his this summer.) 4. The water ban – we are not allowed to take hundreds of gallons of good clean drinking water and spew it all over our yard. (We really hated it that our lawn looked so bad when we are trying to sell it.) I began to wonder if Andy had been spying on us the past few months!
After church we went to Barnes and Noble and had a sandwich, drank coffee, and looked at books until it was time to see the latest 007 movie. After grabbing some pizza, we went to Sean and Misty’s house to watch the 24 movie. We spent the night there. That day I was most thankful for our son and daughter-in-law and our many material blessings.
The next day was cold and blustery. I took Doug to work and then did some preliminary Christmas shopping. I met my friend Margaret Amason for lunch at The Big Easy. She had Yanna with her. Yanna is the little girl from Russia the Amasons adopted just seven months ago. They went through many months of frustration and waiting for the adoption to take place. I and many others prayed hard that it would all work out. Yanna is here, now, and clearly a much-loved member of the Amason family. I was amazed at how well she has already learned to speak English.
After lunch, I went home to start working in the yard. A bitter cold wind was blowing. I worked to cut down the dead flowers as long as I could stand it, and then went in the house a while to warm up. By the end of the day, my lips and cheeks were chapped. I took a luxurious hot shower and then went to pick Doug up at work. We enjoyed a fantastic meal at Olive Garden, and then walked around the mall until it was time to return to our old house and sleep on the air mattress there. That day I was most thankful that a sweet little eleven-year-old orphan from Russia is now living here in America with a family that has wanted her more than anything.
The next morning I could not get myself out of bed to take Doug to work. I told him to leave me there without a car. I spent part of the morning writing and then went over to Jack and Jan’s to borrow some good pruning shears. I sat and talked with them for nearly two hours. Then I went back to the house and ate take-out from Olive Garden. I spent the afternoon trimming branches and hauling off all the yard debris. When Doug returned home from his last day of work with the federal government, we took Jack and Jan out for a delicious supper at Rachel’s. They have helped us so much since we moved that I don’t know what we would have done without them. That day I was most thankful for good neighbors.
Doug’s first day of retirement was hard work. He cut the grass and hauled off all the leaves. We worked on the yard most of the day and then packed up and went to Mary Jane’s where we spent the next three nights. That evening Mary Jane and I started cooking for Thanksgiving. That day I was most thankful that everything had worked out for Doug to retire early.
Thanksgiving Day was at Cindy’s, as usual. Everyone was there except Blake, who attended a youth conference. We were joined by the Canups, Katie and Wayne, and the Millers as well. There was, of course, more food than we could possibly eat. Afterwards we did what we always do on Thanksgiving Day. We gathered up all the sales papers and piled onto Cindy’s bed to plan our big After-Thanksgiving shopping day. This year there was a twist, however. Someone from the Athens-Banner Herald had called Misty earlier in the week and wanted to know if they could come out and do a story on our traditional shopping trip. We were joined Thanksgiving afternoon by a reporter and photographer who took lots of pictures and asked lots of questions, which we all answered all at once, laughing most of the time. We then gave them dessert, took THEIR pictures, and sent them on their way.
Sean and Misty spent most of the afternoon riding four-wheelers, and Katie and Wayne went to pick up pecans. We sisters cleaned up the kitchen, and the “old people” took long naps. Of course, we all watched football. Pure Americana. That day I was most thankful for family – and good food!
I hit the first store about 7:00 AM – later than usual. Misty left her house at 3:15! I met up with Cindy at about 10:00 and then we were joined by MJ and Mama at the mall about 11:00. I got a wheelchair for Mama, and we took turns pushing her around all day. I left at noon and went to meet Misty at Brett’s for lunch. We had a great time together. Misty had finished all her shopping! That girl is a lean, mean shopping machine. We had both gotten the morning paper to see our little picture down in the corner of the front page. The accompanying article was cute. I left Misty and went back to the mall to find my sisters and Mama. Mama and Cindy left about 4:00, and I left around 5:00 to meet Doug and his parents at Rafferty’s, since it was Kathleen’s birthday. (I think I know why I gained two more pounds last week.) We returned to MJ’s and watched The Santa Clause before going to bed. That day I was most thankful for a good bed! (and quality time with my daughter-in-law)
Doug and I left early the next morning. We had been away from home for a whole week, about my limit. We picked up barbeque in Hiawassee and got back to the house about thirty minutes before our old college friends, Jim and Elizabeth, arrived to watch the GA-GA Tech game with us. The game was a HUGE disappointment, but we always have a good time with the Belchers. That day I was most thankful for old friends.
Sunday we returned to Sunday School for the first time in about two months. It was good to be back. After church, we went home and collapsed. That day I was most thankful for a good church and a day of rest. Our Thanksgiving week was over at last.
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