Things that I am grateful for.......

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings back so many memories for me as a child. As I have said before, we were not the richest family and there were many nights that we just ate beans or potatoes for dinner. But, no matter what, on Thanksgiving Day, my mother would always find a way to prepare a Thanksgiving Feast! So, for me it was always a happy time for a very dysfunctional family.

For me as an adult, this day brings families together to share a little time together, to share the thanksgiving dinner, to reflect on the past and to create sweet memories for the future. It is also a good time to remember all that we have to be grateful for.

So, today, I am most grateful for the good health that my family has been blessed with.

Next, I am very grateful to have a good marriage and to be able to share my memories and future plans with such a caring man!

And although we are not rich by any means; I am thankful to have been able to break the "chain of poverty" that I grew up in and to know that my children look to the future with better goals and the know how to push their children to even better goals. So, I am grateful for my two sons and their families.

I am also thankful for this mug! Woof Woof.....

Our dog, Dixie greets us with love each night when we get home. She is so happy to see us, but, most of all, she is happy to get treats and be able to get on the couch!

Next, I am happy that I have three grandchildren that call me Mimi. And just as my mother prepared feasts for us, I love being around to cook and clean up after these messy eaters. Any day at Mimi's is like Thanksgiving for them.....

So, to all my friends and family......... Happy Thanksgiving! Take time to enjoy the day and although we are not "rich" with material things..... we are "rich" in the way that counts! We are all "rich" with health and love!

My Grandparents

Growing up as a child, my father's parents lived in Mississippi. So, needless to say, we did not travel a lot to see them. Daddy Dewey (my grandfather, Dewey Howard) died when I was young, so I don't have many memories of him. Mother Howard (my grandmother, Dolly Howard) used to come and stay some with us or my Aunt once in awhile. I can remember her biscuits and red eyed gravy! They always had fresh vegetables from their garden, so food was plentiful and good. But, after my mother and father split up, we really lost touch with her as well. She has since passed away.

My mother's parents were already divorced when I was young. My grandfather, Porter Barnard, owned a fish camp called Porter's Fish Camp, in Fernandina Beach and was remarried. The times that we did visit him were slim as his wife, Dora, did not get along with our family. My grandmother, Georgia Herring, lived in Jacksonville. She had a 2 story house but only lived in part of the upstairs. The other rooms and apartments were rented out to borders. We visited Jacksonville a lot and even lived there for awhile after my parents split up. She often drove to Orlando, bringing some of her borders, to see us. She was truly my closest grandparent. She took me to Macy's when I was around 10 or 11 and bought me a canopy bedroom set. She told me to pick out whatever bedspread and canopy cover that I wanted. Another time, she bought me a fancy new bicycle, it was a brand new type that had high handlebars and a psychedelic banana seat. (now I am telling my age) For me, those two instances stick out in my mind. We were a poor family as we were growing up, not destitute, but did not have any extravagances. My grandmother was not rich but always wanted to give what she could. Each trip that she made to Orlando, her trunk was full of items that she purchased at Goodwill and she would open it up and pull out anything that she thought you could use. Most of the time, I would take the items and thank her and give them away after she left. It made her feel special and I never wanted to hurt her feelings. She always gave me grandmotherly advice and I am sure that you will hear more stories about her later.

As I look back on the memories of my grandparent's, I realize how much I want it to be different for me and my grandchildren. I want to be involved in their everyday lives. I don't want to just be around on the holidays. My mother was a "great" grandmother to both of my boys and was always around for them and me. I will talk more about her later.

I think that the extended family is so important for children growing up and now days it seems that people are getting away from that. Times are changing! But, with the economy, I think that you will see more and more families pulling together to make ends meat! I always say that things happen for a reason and you have to look for the good in everything. Well, with the bad economy, families are becoming closer. That's not a bad thing!