Thanksgiving

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.
~Henry Van Dyke

We spent Thanksgiving in Montgomery this year.  Just for the day, and it was great.

Great family, great food, great post-lunch nap, great weather, great all around.

I've been a little busy lately, so I haven't had as much time as I would like to write on here, but your many thoughts & prayers are appreciated as we are now dealing with the sickness of another one very close to me and my family.  My grandie, my dad's dad, is experiencing end-stage heart failure and has been in and out of the hospital for the past two weeks.  I went up there two weeks ago when he was first admitted to help out my grannie until my dad could get up there that evening.

This man parachuted into the beaches of Normandy. 

He saw his buddies killed in battle.

He slept in a subway tunnel in France with mortars blasting above.

For us, he is Santa, every single year we spend Christmas with him.

He pops his gum really loud, walks with a cane, and wears dentures that he used to pop out at me when I was little because it made me laugh.

One year, he had us all travel to Memphis for his 80th birthday dinner at the Peabody, for us only to do the math once we were eating to realize it was actually his 79th.  :-)

He makes really bad coffee.  I mean really bad, and yet, I drink it, because it's grandie's coffee.

He makes legendary breakfasts, and his grits are the creamiest I've ever tasted.
He uses 'thou' and 'thee' in prayers, as if he totally understands the reverence of worship.

He has been married to the same woman, my grannie Sara, for over 68 years.

So, this year, my heart was and is full of Thanksgiving, on Thanksgiving day, and today. 

This year has been hard. 
This year has been unbearable. 
But we just keep going, keep praying, and keep breathing.

Because really, what else is there to do?
Happy Thanksgiving.

Grandie & his Great-Grandson

Grandie & his Son