Finally, I am back to my blog. It has been quite a while since I have written, and I am not sure why. There has been lots going on to write about, but I guess I just didn't feel like commenting on those things.
We had a simple and quiet Thanksgiving with only 8 of us at the table. Missing was Josh and the traditional turkey meal. We opted for ham and sides this year, and I think I got more compliments on that meal that the more traditional one that I make. And of course we braved the early hours, the cold weather and the crowd for Black Friday shopping. Our first stop was Target, and I truly wondered why we had come. We had to wait for an extremely long line to enter, and then they had aisles blocked off, stood in line for a long time, and faced general aggravation. Our next stop was Michael's, where we got some great bargains, no lines and were able to shop at our own pace. The rest of the day went great as well. There were four shoppers this year, and we enjoyed a nice early lunch before heading toward home. The only complaint I have on the day was the beginning of a cold. When I got home, I took some cold medicine and slept for several hours.
On Saturday I got some very sad news. My first cousin, Mike, committed suicide by stepping in front of a train. My cousin, Joe called to tell me this news. Even though I have not seen or heard from Mike in over 20 years, we grew up together, and I believe shared a mutual respect. He had been struggling of late with a mental illness, and had lost touch with his family and friends. What a tragic end to a talented and wonderful human being. I have been in contact this weekend with my siblings and cousins about this. I believe that it has made all of us wonder if we could have prevented it through some sort of intervention. I guess we will never know.
On Sunday, I worked a little on putting up some holiday decorations. We didn't attempt the tree yet, but I have a few bobbles placed around. It has been somber here with the long weekend coming to a close. Randy has been on vacation for 2 weeks, so he is really sad that he returns to work tomorrow. He begins a new chapter in his life on Monday. He has accepted a new position as supervisor, so he will be leaving his Union duties and the shop where he has worked for over 17 years. He will miss all his co-workers (even though he will see them often), but he will not miss the overtime, the physical labor and braving the elements outdoors and around the plant.
I will try to post more often now. There should be lots to write about in the next few weeks.

Sunday in November

What a gorgeous day we have had today. After a sleepless night (up at 2, then 3, and finally at 5), I went back to bed and slept for about an hour and a half. I finished a book I have been reading (The Scent of Rain and Lightening, good) and made some homemade blueberry muffins. I can't even say what else I have done today. We took a trip to town and visited with my Dad and Martha. I always enjoy visiting with them, but the visits aren't as often as they should be. Working full time, and watching the grand babies on weekends limits the free time activities we manage. Randy and I stopped by the Farm and Home store to get Josh's deer tags for him. The machine to produce the tags was not working, but we did manage to check out some John Deere toys for a certain 3 year old that I know and love. I am thinking that it is going to be a John Deere Christmas for Mason this year. I have a pork roast in the oven and plan on having Jessica and Scott, Amanda and kids for supper. The menu will be: Pork Roast and mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, broccoli and cauliflower with cheese and maybe some biscuits. No dessert planned. I have not done any housework today, and probably should have. My strategy for the house is to do a little every day. The downside to that is the house is never completely clean at once. The upside is that I don't have to block off much time for this.
A very busy week is in my immediate future. We are hosting a two day training at our agency, and we agreed to provide the food. When we decided to do this I had more time, and more staff than I do now. Fortunately, the menu is fairly simple (soup, salad and dessert). The problem is I need to go get groceries for the food, and I was hoping to do that tomorrow, but I have a very short staff, so I will most likely not get to be gone at all.
What I am really looking forward to is a short week. We get Thursday off for Veterans Day, and then I am off for a long weekend, since Josh is coming home for a few days. Life is good. . . Dear Lord may I never take the gifts in my life for granted.