Thanksgiving

We have much to be thankful for. On the top of my list [which is very long] is my family [all together for turkey day]. Followed closely by my good health. And in third spot, 'in-door' plumbing. After central heating the list gets too long to publish here. Oh! I can't forget the beagle in my like---- Lovely Lily Pad.

Oh Baby!

Being near a 7 month old baby inspires me to kiss every exposed inch of his little body. Yummy arms and delicious legs. Cute hands and feet. Perfect head, face, ears, eyes, and cheeks. I like to trace the letter 'B' on his ticklish back and finger walk the 'bug' all over him while he squeals with delight. I stopped playing 'this little piggy' and now count his toes from one to ten and go we we we with the tenth one. The cloth that I use for cleaning baby faces has been called 'monkey' since Jim was a wee one. The 'monkey' kisses GG and TJ to get him clean. He [TJ] is not buying into monkey kisses. At 7 3/4 months, TJ is picking up bits of food to put in his mouth. He loves the praise we give him. Who doesn't love praise and admiration?

New scratches and bumps.

Babies are top heavy because of their big noggins. This I know and still I'm surprised when they tumble head first into the grass. OOOOhhhhh GG had a lot of sympathy and guilt on this our first noggin knock. Luckily it was mostly the shock of falling that made baby cry. Caregivers have a hugh responsibility to keep their little ones safe. If something serious happened, it would be almost unforgivable. This alone might make someone think twice before agreeing to daycare a child.

Adult beverage,

Forgot to post last night [see Title]. I slept like a log [who said 'slept like a baby' NEVER lived with a baby] and woke up happy..... nice vodka. Hey, I mixed it with organic carrot juice and apple cider. Speaking of cider, reminds me of Cider Mills, reminds me of carmel apples with peanuts. Apparently NC hasn't figure out that carmel apples are to die for. They do make candied apples, yuck! The family went out for Mexican dinner last night, and I had the whole house to myself. Did I mention that I'm totally deaf in one ear and hear acutely in the other. Houses with people, have family noise. It's nice to be in a house with family - it's nice when I'm home alone. We have enjoyed the 'greenway' every day. We may have rushed into renting this house....the exact same house is 'for rent' across the street and has a fenced backyard for Lily, a FLAT driveway for [our driveway is VERY steep] me and a deck for Ann.

Boy the days fly by when organizing a house.

Ann went to work Monday. Tim and I stayed home with TJ and unpacked as much as possible. Tim is looking for a job, just not every minute of every day. In fact we took TJ and Lily for a walk in the light rain today. Everybody needed to get out of the house and breathe some fresh air. I know TJ and Lily really liked it. My room is all set up except for a comfortable chair. Tim decided that the red Lazy Boy in the family room could go into my room. It's not needed in the family room and I need it. It's the same chair [rocker/recliner] that Jim spent many hours cuddling with me in. Now it's TJ's turn to cuddle in the old red chair with GG. Speaking of TJ, he started to pick up food off his tray and eat it 'all by himself' today. Kodak moment.

Charlotte

We made it! Despite somehow getting lost and ending up driving East [Charlotte is West of Raleigh] on I40 [right highway] and ADDING 1 1/2 hours to the 3 hour drive, I made it! I had the baby, a shaking/panting dog and a cat that meowed most of the way. I did it without any stops. The good part is that I drove through some of the most beautiful NC country. My GPS took me through what seemed like a fall painting. Priceless. The new house is as beautiful as I remember. There is a 'Green way' near here that we walked last evening. I'm sitting in front of the fireplace that I will use next month. Life is good. Count your blessings....... you just may have so many that you don't/won't have time to wish for the things that you don't have.

10:00 pm Tuesday

Most everything is packed. Tim will have to return Monday and get the rest that wouldn't fit into the van, truck, & cars. Tomorrow, Tim will leave at 4am - Ann at 6am and I will leave when the baby wakes up and is fed. I'm in charge of the baby, dog and cat. Happy Birthday Tim.... you're 41 and I'm not far behind; soon to be 61. Good night all...........lots to do tomorrow.

Last Monday in Garner.

Nobody had to get up with the alarm clock today. It felt fantastic to sleep in, even if it was only 1/2 an hour. Tim loaded his truck with left over garage sale things and we took them to an animal charity. Then we stopped at Kroger's for the great egg boxes with the cut out handles and just the right size. I did laundry and sent my eBay items off to all parts of the US. Lily got her daily walk. While I was looking for something in my paperwork, I decided to sort and file things. Then dinner [broccoli] with Tim and Ann. I cleaned the kitchen up, sang to TJ and massaged Ann's neck/shoulders. Ann did my right shoulder/arm before I did her. She has had some massage therapy classes and knows a lot. Now watching "Million Dollar Baby" with a very gravely voiced Clint Eastwood. His voice is so strained that it sounds like it hurts to talk. Tomorrow the moving truck is arriving at 8am. My job will be watching TJ while his parents load the truck [I think Ann will need another neck/shoulder massage]. More muscles coming at 10am.

AAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGG

TOO cold, cloudy, and a little rain to spoil a moving sale. I'd be surprised if it got to 49* today - tomorrow MAYBE 54* - next week 72* on Tuesday!

TGIF last one in Garner [near Raleigh]

Great weather, great walk, great TJ, great Lily dog. Great pizza - double onion. Great adult beverage - apple cider & vodka. Garage Sale signs in place. All set for an GREAT Garage sale tomorrow. Wish you were here!

a hanfull of days.

Getting more & more ready to move Wednesday. Charlotte here we come. Moving sale Sat. and Sun. Calling for sunny both days. Tim/Ann last day at work tomorrow.

6 more days.

I had planned to put my 'moving sale' signs up today [Wednesday] but, the rain would turn them back into pulp. Nothing much has been done to get things ready to move. After the yard sale, I will be inspired to pack more. When I needed something to hold all Jim's mementos in, I choose an unused suitcase...the kind old enough not to have wheels. Tim put that very kind of suitcase in the moving sale. I think I will snatch it and fill it [instead of a box] for moving. Then I can start filling it with mementos of TJ's. He already has newborn clothes and soon baby toys to put in it. Ann will probably save the things that are important to her - too. When I left Jim's mementos with Dee, Jim said " I don't want that junk". we know that when he is much older and/or has kids of his own, he will be very glad GG and Mom saved his childhood things. He's not far enough out of childhood to appreciate mementos.

7 more days.

We will live in Garner, NC for 7 more days. By next Wednesday, if all goes as planned, we will be living in a beautiful house in Charlotte, NC. Garner is a lovely place to live [ although I bristle at the fact that Garner is in two counties Wake & Johnston - how impertinent (wrong word, but it sounds good) ]. The economy has made it impossible to sell Tim's house for more or what he owes on it. If it sells, it will be much less than what is owed - a "short sale". Every day puts us one day closer to Ann's new job, our new house, and her VERY short [9 minutes] commute to work. More time to spend with the light of her life - TJ. She will be so close [3.5 miles] that she could ride her bike to work. I'm looking forward to pushing the stroller along the 'Green Way'.

Trick or Treat?

Another Halloween has come and gone. This was TJ's first and Jim's 14th. I didn't have very many goblins come to my door and there weren't a lot [50%] of houses with lights on. Still, I like everything about Halloween. I like the pretend/dress-up for the kids, the decorations and the candy. Seems to me that we got full size chocolate bars when I was a goblin. A full size bar was 5 cents way back then. And a new car was $3,500. Snack size and fun size bars were not invented yet. Now cars cost 20k plus and chocolate bars are around a dollar. Were we over indulged? Was 5 cents a BIG deal in the late 50's early 60's? If I knew I would get so few kids, I would have splurged and given each character TWO candies. It seems cozy to light up the dark winter nights. Down come the Halloween lights - up go the Christmas lights. Very festive and cheerful. I think people should leave their holiday lights/decorations up all of January to cheer up the winter. My NC family does NOT celebrate Christmas. I'm not sure if I'll decorate a tree in my bedroom or not. Check back later and see.