HAPPY THANKSGIVING

It has been a busy late October and early November. Our calendar has something (or two things) every day. I guess it is good to be busy, though I have the stamina for only 1 thing a day. Visiting with friends at one of our homes, I need to limit to about 45 min- 1 hr. I hope to gain more stamina as time goes on. Maybe weight gain will aid in this. I have crossed the 99 lb. mark and was 99.4 yesterday. This excites me.....that I am this close to 100. I eat as much as my stomach can hold and still can't put on poundage.

Have had two special people to pray for. Our pastor (whose condition is not mine to share) has had a challenging diagnosis; my sister-in-law had spinal fusion surgery as well as another "fix" and has a long recovery ahead. When you can't do anything else for someone hurting, you can pray. And I have been---many times each day.

I took my brother's advice last year and did a good amount of Christmas shopping online. He swears by it. I now do too. I only have 1 item left to get at the mall for Richie. Feels so good to be done and now can enjoy the holidays without having to traverse in the holiday rush. We just have the fun of wrapping everything now.

Fellow parents of adult children: I had both kids and Richie fill out this info and get it back to me: Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read. They all did it and it made shopping so stress free. They won't get all 4 things, but it gave me some leeway. I highly recommend this "tool."

After talking about this for several years, we finally pulled the trigger on having a new driveway laid. No more cracks with weeds growing in them every summer. No more heaves. The contractor did a fantastic job. We did have to park our car on the front lawn for a week while the cement cured, but it is a vast improvement to the eye and to the value of our home.

Our next project is getting our beautiful and bountiful tree on our berm taken down. We are avid tree people and this breaks our hearts. The tree is the largest on the block. But ever since we got one large limb taken off last year, the tree has started to rot and is encroaching on the curb and street. The city will do it for us and save us 2 thousand dollars...praise God for that. It probably didn't hurt that the street maintenance director is our next door neighbor.

It means we have NO shade anymore, but we'll probably plant a red maple or a red oak tree---or both---in the front yard. When the future owners of this house reach middle age, they might have a little shade. Having no shade for the near future will be tough

I am a big supporter of women losing their baby weight after a pregnancy as soon as they can. A shoutout to my friend MK who, with a 4 week old, is already trim again. She worked hard at it. Another shoutout to my unknown friend (we never did exchange names) who brought a week-old newborn to the club, wrapped her in one of those whole body papoose wraps and walked the oval for over a half hour while the baby slept on her chest. She told me that right now, this is what she is able to do to shed her pounds. Good for her!!

We like working at the new Vermillion Food Pantry. They did a nice job renovating the new space. I love serving the community by volunteering there.

I have a few friends who follow this blog who appreciate book suggestions and I kept a list this summer and fall of my favorites;

What Matters Most---Luanne Rice
While My Sister Sleeps---Barabara Delinsky
Dance with Me---Luanne Rice
Becoming---Michelle Obama
Grace will Lead us Home----Jennifer Barry Howes (about Charleston church                   massacre)
Where the Light Enters---Jill Biden
Point of View----Elisabeth Hasselbeck
The Tattoist of Auschwitz
The Bad Daughter---Joy Fielding
Once and Again---Barbara Delinsky
Off-Season---Ann Rivers Siddons
The Great Alone---Kristin Hannah
Blessings---Belva Plain
The Bridge---Lisa Tawn Bergren

These are some of the novels I liked best. When you read 3 per week, you miss recording alot of them, but the above were all good.

We are living in a deep freeze. I mean DEEP. Mid-January temps are crazy for this time of year but we've got them. Can't wait to go south!!!! Have new brain and lung scans in late December. Never look forward to them, but I do what I need to do. Pray that the scans will show NO INCREASES in tumor growth!

Happy Thanksgiving!