Song of the day: Thank You - Dido

"And I want to thank you
For giving me the best day of my life"

This morning I got up, had four cups of coffee, and immediately began making dinner. My husband had gone to Wal-Mart and for his morning walk. On the menu: Pot roast with red potatoes, carrots and peas and apple pie for dessert. I had promised Mom that I would bring dinner over this afternoon around 3:00pm, and so time was of the essence, if I were going to do "this thing" right...and on time. So there I stood, by the stove, in my mis-matched pajamas (purple flowered top, beige pants). I am totally "wired" on caffeine at 9:00am, meat and potatoes roasting in the oven, a mop in one hand and a bucket in the other. Suddenly, the fire alarm goes off! (Ain't nothing worse than having a kitchen fire alarm go off early on Thanksgiving morning; leaving all in the neighborhood wondering who it is in the cul-de-sac who can't cook.)

Seems the drippings from the beef have hit the element in the oven, resulting in a voluminous cloud of soft gray colored smoke. "The Boy", upstairs at the time, suddenly comes bolting downstairs. "Ma!", he says, "What's going on?" I look at him through the smoke, waving back and forth while suppressing a cough, and tell him that everything is fine. He tells me that he is going to "Stop, Drop, and Roll". He's being funny and I want to smack him.

I open a few windows, and the smoke eventually clears out of the room. Before long, morning turns into afternoon, and it is time to get ready to go to Mom and Dad's. I remember that Mom and Dad do not have "The Boy's" lastest school photograph, and so I go upstairs, get a pair of scissors and cut out one of the large ones that are in the photo package for them. I then take a shower. The water runs, mingle with my tears, and soon I turn into a heap of huge, squeaky clean...heaving sobs. I am not ashamed to cry, and I am not ashamed to write this...I say a prayer and thank God for this year, this month, this hour, this minute, and this second...that he has allowed all of us to remain together...for at least one more time. I dress, pack up the dinner, the pie, "The Boy", and head out to my parents' home.

"Oh, just to be with you
Is like having the best day of my life"

Mom greets us at the front door, and is glad to see us. Dad, meanwhile, is upstairs, resting in bed. After showing Mom his new school picture, "The Boy" immediately grabs it back from her, then "hightails" himself quickly upstairs to see his Papa, while I remain downstairs to unpack the still warm food, and talk to Mom. I will go up a little later. Mom and I have a nice, long talk at the kitchen table. She divides a juicy, ripe pear, and gives me half...It is the best I have had in ages. It came from a Harry and David gift box she had been given. We begin to talk. During the course of conversation, we begin to awkwardly, but slowly, reveal to each other, information about strange, (but good) things that have been happening to us lately. It seems, almost everyone in the family has had nice (but weird) things happen to them within the last 30 days or so. I'll just leave it at that... Another part of her confession: She sheepishly told me that, unbeknownst to me, she had requested that Acquaintance Number One not be allowed on Dad's visitor's list when he was in the hospital. Hallelujah! Good to know that I wasn't the only one who felt this way. Now, I don't feel so bad.

Soon I have to go to the restroom. I look at the wall shelves in the bathroom and see a collection of dusty toiletries from times gone by....long discontinued Avon products, along with half filled bottles of: Jade East, Hai Karate, Xiang Xian, Jean Nate and other stuff twenty to thirty years old, neatly lined up on each shelf. Why hadn't I noticed them before? I remember a time when many of them were brand new. I also remember a time when even I felt brand new. Today, although I am somewhat happy, I feel like a second-hand version of my former self.

Mom and Dad have also very recently had a handicap accessible commode installed in this guest powder room. It sits higher than a standard toilet, and so I was quite unprepared, and got a rude awakening, when I went to sit down in the evening darkness, and found that the cold toilet seat met me half-way. It, however, is a blessing for anyone with stiff knees.

I have stiff knees.

"And I want to thank you
For giving me the best day of my life"

I finally go upstairs to see Dad. He is unshaven and laying flat on his back. He is taking blood thinners, and so the chance of him getting nicked by a razor, and subsequently hemmoraging, isn't worth his taking a cosmetic risk. Actually, he looks quite handsome with his slight salt and pepper beard. "The Boy" is talking him to death, but he doesn't mind. This is part of the package. He is glad to be home. They have always been a team and this is what they both like. I keep our conversation short, go back downstairs, talk to Mom for a while and then gather up a few disposable containers to take home. My sister calls to see if everything is all right. It is. "The Boy" and I leave shortly to come home.

I am thankful for today. I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for love. I am thankful for my life. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful for truth. I am thankful for those remembered. I am thankful for those forgotten.

And, I am thankful that you have taken the time to read this.

"Oh, just to be with you
Is like having the best day of my life"

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Ever so much!!! - Nards

Thank you to: {{Mar and Robin}}, House, Dexter, Cassy, Chrissy, TT, Valerie(smile), Shirley, Jenn, Robert V, Mike G, Kim F(Articulates), Pam GA Farmwoman, Zunnur, Tamera, Anna. And an EXTRA special thank you to: my sister, husband and "The Boy" who keeps me laughing day after day!

And to the many others who have shared their stories with me, entrusted me with them, or have given them to me for safekeeping, but for their own personal reasons, have asked me not to post them, Thank you. I wish you would reconsider, but I will honor your wishes and keep them close to my heart.

What a good day this was. I will remember: Thursday, 11/27/2008