Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanksgiving was always special because it was without gifts, just food and family. I am so jealous (and grateful) that my cousin is handling Thanksgiving at my parents...my cousin is an orphan (her mother died when she was 7 on Christmas Eve, her dad, my mom's brother, when she was in her 20s). Holidays are hard for her, but my parents took her under their wings when she was going through a tough time about 10 years ago, she had no other family to turn to--that good deed has been repaid 10 fold. With my mom's dementia, it is really nice that my cousin has "adopted" (or maybe my parents have adopted her) my parents. She and her son spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter with my folks. I would love to share those holidays with my folks, but the distance and time of year make it difficult. I am sending a box of XMas cookies--I'll share those family recipes in the virtual cookie exchange. Starting this weekend (and I will be making a turkey as well--ran down across the border and bought "cheap" turkey--don't have room in the freezer, so Saturday or Sunday is turkey day here). Anyhow, my cousin is picking me up in the middle of the night when I get in on the train in February. Woohoo! My dad doesn't have to do that. I'll book her in to the hotel where I usually stay until daybreak so she can sleep, come get me, and then we can sleep and head north. Should be fun having both of us there--I've never had a sister--but she and I would spend summers together at our grandma's. It's been a long time! Now, I just have to figure out how to get my mom's walker shipped up north--they forgot it at a hotel in MPLS last week...good grief!
Say a special "thank you" to your families (even if it is stressful) that you are together on this day.
to all. 
