And yes, she loved the grilled backstrap.
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Thankful for this bounty we are about to receive, and our health, and for family, and friends who are really the family we chose on this Thanksgiving Day
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Thankful for a week home with college D! Too short, but appreciate the time!
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For those who aren’t my friends on Facebook
Although I have no pictures of the Anne Frank house, we toured one week ago. It was a rainy and chilly day. After the tour and not sure how to get the tram or call a taxi to the Hotel, we walked 50 minutes in a cold rain. Arrived back soaked to the core. Used a hair dryer to dry out our clothes. Other than dinner, we stayed in the rest of the night. My husband said that we will laugh about the rain and discomfort later.
This morning I watched the PBS documentary Holocaust in the US. Anne writes in her diary carrying their belongings into hiding. It was cold and rainy, no one could help them and people looked at them with sympathy. But the gold Star of David meant that the Frank family was in their own.
I’m glad we walked that day. It had meaning. We were walking to our warm hotel and had a great meal at an Italian restaurant that was fantastic. We were free and the Frank family was walking to go into hiding and it wasn’t successful.
We could have figured out how to get a taxi or take the tram. We like to walk.
But my point wasn’t about not finding a way back to the hotel. It’s about gratitude and being thankful for what we have.
About the act of doing the walk that the Frank family did going into hiding, we did because we wanted to and the meaning of that walk.
If we had figured out how to call a taxi or ride the tram, it wouldn’t have had the meaning that our walk does now.
And for that I will always be grateful. Especially this thanksgiving weekend
Feeling all the feels this thanksgiving weekend for our freedom and the plight of the people of Ukrainian.
And we didn’t melt
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I am grateful we finally got the replacement part for H’s driver’s side seat belt delivered and installed! It is a saga that took many many weeks and has started H test driving and considering his next car, a Lexus hybrid sedan. It is our understanding that we bought the ONLY seat belt part that remained in the US for H’s 1998 vehicle and it’s discontinued so hard to get anywhere.
I am very grateful my siblings were happy to loan us cars while we needed them, including a large Mazda CX-5 that fit us and our luggage nicely for our staycation for us, our 2 kids and S’s fiancée.
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Interesting story - thanks for sharing. Pretty photo too.
It reminded me of our 2015 travels (after younger kid graduated from college). An older couple I knew at church convinced me to put Dachau on our travel list when in Munich, even though a bit hard to get to. It was late may, cold and rainy. Thank goodness I had gloves in my pocket because we had a superb docent (child of parents who remembered ww2 but never talked about it). In retrospect, it was good to have a bit of discomfort.
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S is at the airport. He was here for a week and no drama. I’m so grateful for that.
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I’m grateful that my college kids have a nice balance of hanging out with their childhood friends when they come home for break but still make time to hang out together as a family.
I know a lot of parents have a hard time with their kids coming home and not spending time at home together. Honestly, I’m thankful that my kids have friends they want to hang out with, especially after spending so much time in isolation during the pandemic. This is such an important time for them to spread their wings - I’m just glad they have figured out how to balance friends and family (but I’d certainly be understanding if they were barely home during break!).
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After a nice holiday - not everyone together but grateful that all of us, no matter where we are, had someone to celebrate with. 
And now, grateful that those family who traveled are now home safely!
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Very happy that S and fiancée had a nice visit and got along with everyone. Especially happy that D and fiancée got along well and fiancée says she see that S and are D are related as they are alike in many ways.
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I’m thankful we all have the mindset and ability to travel on a whim. Coming home from FIL’s today our plans went from figuring out how to get DIL into DC via train/bus for a meeting “in office” where she works to, “Nah, I can drive her in and visit a museum,” to “S can go with me on a mom/S date while we wait,” to “Hey, let’s give ourselves more time and skip a rush hour by spending a night,” to “Two nights would allow us to skip both rush hours and we could all (including H) do a museum or two + some other stuff, with S and DIL also catching up with a friend.”
So… I’d better do laundry after church tomorrow instead of taking Sundays off from chores as we almost always do. 
I’m also really grateful the kids are looking forward to this as much as I am even though we all know DC fairly well - esp DIL who went to Georgetown. S likely inherited the travel gene and DIL fits right in. I knew she would considering they met in Jordan on a Study Abroad. Any gal willing to go to Jordan on her own knowing no one else there will definitely fit in with us.
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So very thankful for a joyous and delicious Thanksgiving with family and friends. After the past few years, I don’t take for granted what a gift it is to celebrate holidays with loved ones.
And today I am thankful for the random $5 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle I picked up in a whim. I had no idea it would provide several evenings of together time for our family - even the teen who spends much of her time sequestered in her room joined in the fun.
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I’m thankful my expatS found a turkey in Ukraine, and had a functional gas stove to cook it (by the light of candles and flashlights).
I’m grateful he paid the woman who raised that turkey extra money, because he knows the challenges she faces in this $#@& war and every hryvnia makes a difference.
I’m thankful that his friends who had electricity invited him and GF over to share TG dinner. This included wrapping the cooked bird in a towel, loading the sides in a big Ikea bag, and taking a Lyft to said friend’s apartment.
I’m thankful ExpatS and GF took it all in stride and called us full of laughter at 1:30 am (their time) to share their adventures.
I’m thankful they are safe and together.
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I’m very grateful for big surprise donation to a nonprofit I run—thanks bro & SisIL! 2nd year in a row!
Also glad the split A/C was installed in one day, quietly and very neatly, along with electrical box that we need so it can operate properly. It’s being pressure tested overnight and we will try using it tomorrow. It should help us get through the very hot months, which due to climate change are becoming more problematic and made us all more inclined to faint.
I’m grateful we could afford to get it installed promptly.
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Thankful that the tickets have been purchased.
Assuming all stay healthy, Grandson and his parents are coming for Christmas!
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I just posted a gratitude post on my local Buy Nothing page. So thankful I live in an area with a very active group and that I was able to give my moving boxes to someone who needed them and also to re-home several pieces of furniture as well as smaller items we no longer need.
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I’m glad my niece wants the hepa air cleaner we no longer need, complete with spare filters. I’m glad S will get the wedding things from my niece, since they weren’t needed until now that he’s engaged.
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Grateful to have had a lovely holiday Zoom call with son and his fiance. Also grateful that they recently set a date for next June (after being engaged almost 3 years), eager to share planning progress with us.
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Grateful for the long week with younger S, but double grateful that both kids made it back to their apartments safe and sound. Older S left a day early I think in order to avoid the weather related mess.
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Today I’m thankful my younger son’s flight was on time this morning and he made it back to school without issue.
I’m also thankful that my older son, who had a 5 hr drive back to school in pouring rain nearly the whole way, made it safely back and only 30 minutes longer due to rain/traffic.
I’m also feeling fortunate that with so many people currently sick that my family and our three guests made it thru the holiday break without illness. Unfortunately, MIL and SIL, who live across the country, both had/have the flu and had to miss out on Thanksgiving.
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