“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Author unknown
Thanksgiving was special for us as we gave thanks for each other. We had a large gathering of people at our home where Sue would work for two days getting ready for dinner. She had the kitchen organized like a beautiful orchestra, and she was the conductor. Mitch (our son in law) would usually be doing the turkey and ham, Sue would do everything else, and I was relegated to being the prep-cook!
Never losing her “cool,” she was called the “energizer bunny” because she would never stop and rest. The picture below is a rare occasion, and we believe it was to allow Tia The Wonder Dog to rest up as she wandered between kitchen counters for hours awaiting anything to drop to the floor. Tia’s scarfing prowess is still legendary to this day!
What was special to me is to be the “man of the house” and inviting my family and friends into a warm environment where I knew my partner in life would be pleasant, concerned, attentive, and cordial with everyone. I was proud to be her husband, very proud!
Thanksgiving 2000 with family and friends at the Liles home
Sue was the consummate hostess making sure everyone had a drink in hand, and their favorite “dish” was put in front of them at dinnertime. Leseur Peas for Mitch, ham for Aunt Edith, cheesy mashed potatoes for Cassie; the list goes on. Life will not be the same now as no one could come close to Sue in terms of making people welcome and enjoying the guests enjoying themselves! I miss you, Sue, every hour of every day!.
Thanksgiving 2000 with family and friends at the Liles home
Another “workday,” and it began with a call to Disneyland East to check up on the kids! It’s birthday week for the great-grandkids. Sue and I made gifts for the greats easy on us; we set up 529s when they were born.
The Silver Ghost and I made a Lowe’s run at 9:00 AM as I needed four-inch flexible exhaust fan tubing and a “Y” joint as we have two exhaust fans now. It’s incredible, every time I go into that store I drop $200! I must stop going there.
Returning home, I raided the berry bush again, sneaking up on the lovely beautiful blackberries before they knew what hit them.
I went next door to return the breakfast dishes from yesterday and saw a sad sight. I left the artichokes on the plant too long. The “chokes” blossom and become flowers signaling the artichoke is no longer edible.
Well, I think the artichoke is a tad overripe!
Did You Know? The artichoke is an unbloomed flower, part of the sunflower family, from the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. Artichokes are one of the oldest foods known to humans.
Robin came over at 11:45 AM with a sack of goodies from CPK. We sat on the patio and talked while downing BBQ Chicken salads and a diet coke. Robin is working, so we passed on the margaritas.
It became evident that the old mirror from the remodeled bathroom could be turned 90 degrees and made into a full-length closet mirror. My eighteen-foot long closet now sports a full mirror suitable for dressing, Will it prevents me from wearing stripes and polka dots or blue shirts and black pants? That remains to be seen, but now I have no excuse in terms of gazing at myself before I depart the house.
The old bathroom mirror is now in my closet.
The tub has been moved from its resting spot and will now go to the Habitat for Humanity as it is still in excellent condition. Bob and I will slide it out tomorrow and put it in the truck. Tomorrow Bob gets down to the jackhammering of the floor to route the drainpipe to the center of the shower pan.
The tub disappears tomorrow, and concrete work begins.
The new vanity will have a single sink, so a lot of hardware and plumbing will be removed! All new pipes should improve water flow.
Bits and pieces!
While Bob worked in the bath, I spent time in the shop. I have made arrangements to donate Sue’s clothing to the local High School Dance Club as they need to raise money for their activities. I knew Sue would approve of that decision. Hopefully, they will come over this weekend and take the twenty-two large boxes of clothes and 100+ pairs of shoes.
Another day and I found additional muscles that have not been used in years. Thank you, Aleve! I was a little hungry, so I warmed up some chili I had in the freezer and downed it with a glass of wine. Note to self: Make some more chili in case of emergency.
I talked with Colleen, Joe, Lee, and Robin before heading to the shower and attempting to wash the dust off my magnificent body. Weighing in before and after the rain revealed I lost two pounds, so I plan to take three showers a day from here on out.
The TV was watched for an hour, and I hit the sack at 11:59 PM. Tomorrow is another workday!
Courtesy of the SiFi Channel!
