We Were Thankful and Now We are Jolly

Our near perfect November was topped off with a memorable trip to Louisville Kentucky to visit Grandma and Poppy. We loaded up a rented van with suitcases of clothes, toys and a bag of snacks from Joe Joe's and suited the van with DVD players loaded with Christmas movies. The trip was so great. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel in Columbia, we cheered passing by the Arch in St. Louis and then we continued the journey through Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. It is so beautiful there. They seem to have milder winters and much more rain, so the grass was green and there were even some green trees now and again. The hills are breathtaking. Greta and Jack were amazing passengers. No naps, no fussing, no fighting and no regrets. We had put the long trip off for several reasons, and now that the kiddos are older, they handled it with ease.

Thanksgiving was delicious. Grandma Jayne ordered the meal from an organic market and it was superb. I especially love that she didn't have to work in the kitchen all day and we got to relax together. We did my favorite Thanksgiving things - long and lovely naps in a quiet house and leftovers with pumpkin pie and whipped cream. I took my nap in a soft bed with Greta and she sat on the floor describing old family photos to me as I dozed off. I woke up as she had fallen asleep next to me and I just lay there and watched her sleep. There was a gorgeous light filtering in through the ivory curtains. It reminded me of being at my Grandmother's. It might have been the stillness of the house...a distant dog bark...pillows that smell like Bounce... Maybe I felt Mom Hodina close because she wanted me to on this family day.

I am thankful for memories and watching my first baby sleep on soft sheets making her own that she will cherish. A trip to Grandma's will surely be one of them.










And now I sit and write this overdue Thanksgiving story and look out to a darkening sky. Will we see our first snow? We have decorated our tree and are eager to have a reason for more hot chocolate and marshowshows. We have made special bedtime delays to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Charlie Brown Christmas. Our Mimsy hides in the tree and we know this not because we can see her, but we see trembling Christmas balls. If you do spot her, she is deep within the branches and her eyes are big and round. She is getting negative reports from our Elf on the shelf. But, there is still time to turn it around. A little cuddle with Mimsy during a snow storm would possibly win her some catnip on Christmas morning. I wake the kids from their naps with Christmas carols and even played them one of me singing long ago at the Methodist church in Clinton. They knew it was me. I sing opera to them only on occasion. It makes them wild...and climb the Christmas tree. I love Christmas music playing in the house. I think it feels like home. Always, always brings good memories.