I think this year has been one of the most pleasant and restful Thanksgiving days I have ever had.  Granted, the "holiday weekend" isn't over yet, but I'm grateful for today.

I shared my Thanksgiving meal today with Mama, my daughter, and a friend at Golden Corral.  The meal was delicious and we got there just in time before the huge crowd rolled in.  During our meal, my 7 year old asked what we were thankful for.  Of course, I had to be first, and I replied I was thankful for a good meal (that I didn't have to prepare).  My friend was next, and he replied he was thankful for his family.  Mama was next and she was thankful for her good health and not being in the hospital this holiday season.  My 7 year old's answer topped us all...  "God, Jesus, Mama, Grandmother, and our friend".  Whew, out of the mouths of babes, right?

Mama and I had dinner at Sonny's the other night and we ordered our turkey for our dinner on Saturday.  I decided to pay the extra 6 bucks to have it sliced so we wouldn't have to deal with the carcass.  I remarked that I thought we had done that before and that led to discussing what we did last year for Thanksgiving.  Do you know that we couldn't remember?  My daughter had 3 surgeries last year and Mama spent a good deal of time in the hospital, still having residual effects from her hip surgery the year before, and suffering from GI problems.  It all resulted in her having heart by-pass surgery around the 1st of December.  It was a very stressful year.  We never answered our question during the discussion because we just could not remember.  All I remember from last year was sitting/sleeping in the hospital and ICU waiting room.

Tonight, I found the answer.  I was looking for some photos for another blog and came across these I took last November.







How could I forget that I made this lovely pound cake?  Or that I had set my table?  It's a little scary.  It's almost as if events outside of medical visits and the hospital were wiped out.

We will be celebrating our "family" Thanksgiving dinner with Mama, my daughter, my son and his girlfriend, and my friend on Saturday at my mother's house.  My daughter loves family feasts and I know we will be ending our day Turkey-full and Thank-full for our family, our homes, and the presence of God in our lives.

Here's to all of those out there sharing their Thanksgiving memories.





DISCLAIMER:  This slideshow is a result of a Flickr photostream search for  "thanksgiving table, thanksgiving food, thanksgiving".  Most of the photos are beautiful and a record of wonderful memories, however, there are a few that are a little "off".  Please do not hold me responsible for any photos that may be offensive to you.  :)