The first thing that happened to me on Thanksgiving morning was a
surprise presentation of gorgeous flowers by Gerald for my birthday!
It was so nice to start the day calmly with beautiful flowers. Two
of our three great grandsons were already outside, and I quickly put
on some bacon to bake for when they showed up at the kitchen table.
After I ate my egg and toast, I started looking at my small to-do
list.
The Freeport Eilers were going to eat with their church family
this year. Their church provides a community dinner for anyone who
will come much like Herrin does. Last year Jeannie had a cold and
had to stay home and the rest of the family came without her. This
year they were staying home; and when Cecelie called me with birthday
wishes, they were on their way to their feast, and I assume to pitch
in to help. Jeannie and Rick's daughter Leslie and husband Mike
were in Ohio to be with Mike's family. Geri Ann in Oregon and Sam
in Waco were both going to a friend's home for dinner since they are
tied up until Christmas break. Erin and baby Caroline down in Texas
were having Josh's parents to be with them from Oregon or Minnesota
--they live both places, so I am not sure of their current location.
I liked knowing that Josh knew his folks were there to celebrate with
his wife and daughter, and I was pleased that Gerald brought up and
placed with our group the 8 by l0 photo of Josh holding two-week-old
baby Caroline before he had to return to South Korea. Josh stays in
our thoughts and prayers.
We have had a lot of excitement crammed into little more than a
week's time! Last Saturday we drove over and took flowers to
Katherine who was in the hospital at Carbondale. Before we left the
house, we were shocked to hear that Gerry, our son who had just gone
to Auburn University as associate softball coach two months ago, had
accepted head coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and
that it would be announced at press conference on Monday.
Gerry invited us down; of course, Gerald and our daughter Mary
Ellen wanted to be there. Me too, but since doctors warned me to not
travel without resting every two hours or so after a pulmonary
embolism several years ago, I knew that would be out of the question
with the race down there. Mary Ellen double checked that Gerry
really wanted them there despite how busy as he would be. She had a
terrible coughing cold, and Gerald woke up somewhat weak on Sunday
morning, but they went anyhow. They were making good time until they
hit a couple of very long traffic delays, so their 8 pm arrival time
stretched out till 11 pm.
Ready to fall into their beds in their
reserved room, they could not locate the room for their key. They
went back to the desk, and found that motel with their very expensive
room had no night clerk! She left evidently as soon as she
gave them their key and no directions. After a continued search,
they finally gave up and went elsewhere and got to bed at 1 am. and
were up shortly after 5 for Monday's exciting activities starting
with a tour of facilities and meetings before the 11 o'clock press
conference . All the fun and pleasure of hearing Gerry's career
praised gave them adrenaline, and the many hugs and laughter
provided serotonin and endorphins to get through the day happily and
wide awake feeling good. They were back home by 11 that night after
the second 630 mile trip in two days. (Yes, they received an apology
and no charge at first motel. Evidently there were two buildings and
the night clerk in her hurry to leave failed to properly explain.)
Gerry's wife Vickie cares for baby Caroline during the week while
Erin teaches, so she had used Erin's break to go to Normal here in
Illinois to see the Archibald family--Tara and Bryan and her three
grandsons. Suddenly she had to shorten her visit and fly down to
Lafayette. Yet she looked rested and beautiful in her red dress
that perfectly matched the bouquet they gave her. (Vermilion is the
school color, and I had to google it to discover that bright red or
scarlet is close enough. I suspect I will be doing quite a bit of
googling to learn about Lafayette and the Ragin' Cajuns.) I was at
home, but I was able to see much of the festivities with all the
videos on Facebook and spent most of the day doing so, although I was
aware it was three days till Thanksgiving.
It was difficult to think with all the excitement, but
fortunately I had the pumpkin pies that Gerry loves all baked and in
the freezer and an angel food cake and one pie made without sugar
for Gerald. and a large frozen pecan pie someone had brought once
upon a time that did not get eaten. Gerald had bought our frozen
almost 22-pound turkey and it was thawing in the garage fridge. I
figured I would make the dressing and fry the okra, and I had
ingredients and assignments for everyone else to put a simple holiday
meal on the buffet. I was disappointed that now Gerry would not be
with us as planned, but I was glad he would at least have a day to
get some sleep. Mary Ellen had wanted to do the dining room table,
and I was relieved to let her. I went to my physical therapy Tuesday
afternoon, and then I ran by Katherine's house as she had just come
home from the hospital the night before.
On Wednesday. Gerald helped and we cut the plastic wrapping off
the thawed turkey and made it ready for him to put it in the oven
early the next morning. Oh yes, I set the oven's self cleaning
mechanism to take care of some pumpkin pie batter I'd spilled the
week before. Later while I was at Katherine's and then running by the
store for last minute items, Gerald cleared out the smokey air from
the burned-up oven gunk. When I got home, things were in full swing
with the great grandsons having arrived. Vickie had flown back to
Normal from Louisiana and came down for Thanksgiving with the
Archibalds as originally planned. Aidan, our oldest great grandson
had to play in two basketball games on Tuesday night, so they could
not come sooner. But it did not take long after they arrived for the
three boys to be outside doing all the things they do on the farm.
As soon as I was back at the farm and after hugs and greetings, I
put away those last minute items and then swiped out the coating of
white ash left in the oven; our grandson-in-law Bryan reached the
back of the oven for me. We all had a party to go to!
The Archibalds had invited both sides (Johnson and Glasco) to an
early birthday party at Pirate Pete's. That was what Maddux wanted
for his and his cousin Kinsley's birthdays. I had never been to
Pirate Pete's but knew where it was. In our day, Tara and our other
grand-kids would lure us to Chuckie Cheese's in Paducah. So going to
Pirate Pete's was an adventure, and we quickly understood why the
kids loved it. Gma Shirley and I and other adults too staid to
participate as some did in a laser fight were comfortable in a quiet
dining area. We enjoyed visiting until the kids (and adult kids) wore
down and joined us for pizza and opening gifts. The blow guns the
boys chose with the tickets they won provided soft padded “bullets” flying through the air the rest of our holiday. I liked that and
hearing them fiddling with the piano in this sometimes too quiet
adult household. The boys are extremely kind and well mannered, and
I love watching them grow up.
After Mary Ellen and Brianna arrived Thanksgiving morning, Mary
Ellen added to the table decorations she had started on Wednesday.
She had new yellow clothes for the dining table and adjoining
kitchen table, and she had made a tan burlap runner and placed red
candles inside two large glass vases with the candles held up by
harvested soybeans. All was quite lovely and symbolic, but Thursday
she added bows on the vases and a centerpiece between them. Come to
find out, that centerpiece was a gift wreath from Jeannie for my
birthday, and in the middle of it was a chocolate pecan pie with two
chocolate candles announcing I was 84.
In addition to my assigned tasks for a simple menu, Mary Ellen and
Brianna carried in a potato casserole and creamed corn, and Vickie
made her deviled eggs that we all love. So our buffet was full with
a a variety of foods. I really make giblet gravy for Gerry as I am
not sure others eat it, but I decided to go ahead and make it in case
someone did want it. Mary Ellen had emphasized we needed to eat on
time for hungry kids' sake, but she had also brought sausage/cheese
balls and dip to keep people from starving.
Gerald had gone to town to drive Katherine and her wonderful aide
out to the farm in her van, so Bryan took over getting the heavy
turkey out of the oven and then carving it, which Gerry used to
always do. My dressing was not getting done since it was such a big
pan. As usual, we really did not make the 12 noon deadline, but
everyone was there and laughing and talking. Katherine had seen baby
Caroline's photos that decorate our kitchen thanks to Gerald's photography hobby, and she was back to her spot for her wheelchair at the table. Food was prepared and placed. Brian and Trent had joined us, and we
had congratulated Trent on SIUC's success in a cyber security
tournament. The two college students had seated themselves with the
three boys at their table. We were almost ready for Gerald to thank
God for our blessings when there was an uproar in the kitchen. The
kitchen door slammed, and suddenly there was Gerry who had driven
from Louisiana to be with us after all. Suddenly we had even more
blessing for Gerald to express thanks for.
After a meal of fellowship, Mary Ellen and Vickie put away the
food and did the enormous kitchen clean up while I visited and
enjoyed my birthday. (They did leave that difficult dressing pan for
me.) Katherine was getting very tired and her aide had another
dinner to go to. Gerry and Vickie and the Archibalds also had yet
another to go to that night with the Johnson family at Terry and
Sheila's. Brianna had come home from Murray with great relief from
turning in her senior thesis--and yes it was excellent her professor
said--and she wanted to celebrate with a movie with her family. So
the house quieted a bit until Gerry and Vickie and the Archibalds
returned, and everyone needed to get to bed.
Although the Archibalds left early Friday morning (for another
Thanksgiving celebration with Bryan's family), the boys had kayaked
and created a neat tunnel in the lime pile and ridden on all the
things with wheels that they love. Bryan had already washed and put
the kayaks back on their storage ropes. Gerry and Vickie left soon
after with the bird dogs Gerald had been feeding for Gerry. They were
headed to Erin's house where Gerry would be able to cuddle baby
Caroline—the perfect ending for his brief break. Gerald and I went
back into the empty house.
Saturday was a catch-up day.Gerald fixed a faucet in the downstairs bathroom, and I boiled the turkey carcass and
put bags of broth into the freezer, which will make good soup to go
with our sandwiches on cold winter nights ahead. On Sunday we
worshiped grateful for our abundant blessings and asking God to
help us with our heartaches. Today there is casserole in the oven
from left-over turkey. Attractive green pods have burst into bloom
adding orange lilies to the other beautiful colors of my birthday
bouquet gracing our living room. Brianna will be defending her thesis
in front of four professors this week, and I must think about
boxed-up Christmas trees stored in closets.
Yorktown Virginia
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On Sunday, after our museum day, Wesley and I drove to Yorktown Va. I am
so glad we ventured out looking for a waterfront on this trip. I had to
mercha...
4 years ago