Friday, November 27, 2015

The fullest I've felt...

There was an old Hefty commercial that talked about Fred and Freda Fuller after a huge dinner and one of the lines in it said, 'it was the fullest the Fullers had ever felt'.  I think they were trying to impress upon the audience that they could stuff Hefty garbage sacks really full.  Anyway, I feel like Freda.  Just full.

Full of thankfulness for the following:

~ A dishwasher - I ran it a record four times on Wednesday and I think three times yesterday with the crowd.

~ Butter - I went through about three pounds of butter in two days with cooking and baking and on the tables.  Anything fake here in Dairyland would be thrown out the window.

~ Close grocery stores - I made two dozen cupcakes.  Cupcakes that don't have baking soda in them are actually transformed into hockey pucks.  I had to go find another bar of German chocolate to make them the second time.

~ An open concept home.  Nearly eight years ago, the Chairman happened to be biking by our home when it was for sale.  We were just days away from building the home we had designed with a builder.  However, the Chairman walked inside and envisioned this one full of family and friends on days like we had yesterday.  So we gave them some dimes and nickels and made it our home.  It handles crowds well and I'm glad we shared the same vision.

~ Food - who doesn't like food?  Thanksgiving is all about eating with wreckless abandon.  The stakes are high.  People want the food both delicious and plentiful.  I'm glad that the feast that was spread met every need.  And I'm glad I like to cook.

~ Friends - I had a crazy thought yesterday.  I wanted to text friends and tell them why I was thankful for them.  My friends probably thought of me as a bit schmaltzy, but that comes with the package.  I got a lot of thoughts sent to this one and that but ran out of time.  I am thankful I did run out of time.  Why?  Because I have many friends.  And that makes me thankful.

~ Family - We had both friends and family with us yesterday for the big day.  I love the quote that says, "friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.  It was very evident yesterday.  Lines are blurred as far as blood.  It doesn't matter if they are friends or family.  They are all loved.

~ Willingness to change - anyone that knows me knows that I don't like change.  However one change that has happened to me over the years is what seems normal for holidays.  I was raised with an extremely small extended family.  I had no first cousins.  One grandparent died when I was six years old.  So our Thanksgivings would sometimes be only seven or at most, ten.  When I became part of the Chairman's family, holidays included extended family.  Italians like to talk.  Loud.  And sometimes it seems there is more talking than listening.  I'm glad that the very big gathering seems normal to me now.

~ A happy son.  Thanksgiving morning I get a text.  "Got one".  I knew immediately what that meant.  They were about the happiest two words son #1 ever texted.  He shot his first deer.  He was standing pretty tall after that happened.  Well actually, he's standing pretty tall anyway.  Goodness teenage boys can grow!

So that's about it from this corner.  I'm still full.  Full of happy memories and a few extra calories from my annual piece of pecan pie.  I hope you have lots to be thankful for too.  Picture overload following:















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