Thanksgiving

...was hosted by Brandon and Molly this year.

All Thanksgivings are special, but this one

was one of the best.

On the road trip there, I reflected on past Thanksgivings.

There were times Brandon would go to his Dad's and I 

would be invited to celebrate with my girlfriend and her family.

(The same family that played matchmaker & hooked

hubby up with my phone number, back in the day.)

Then there's the Thanksgiving that Brandon and I were pet sitting 

for his Dad and girlfriend when they went out of town.

 We had an invite to join those same friends,

but an ice storm moved in.

We had two choices.

Risk driving an hour to celebrate with our friends,

(and perhaps stay the night)

or risk a 10 min. drive to Walmart to purchase all that we needed

to have our own celebration at home.

We chose the latter.

A quick trip to the store, a thawed turkey with all the fixings for our meal,

and each of us selecting a movie to buy that we could watch together.

Mine...Eat, Pray, Love.

His...Zombieland.

A meal in the oven.

A fire in the woodstove.

Zombies & Zen and a kitten with the zoomies

who kept racing up the Christmas tree...

still ranks as one of my best Thanksgivings to date.

This one tucks right in beside it.

 Our families gathered and met, and stayed overnight.

Great conversations paired with copious amounts of laughter.

Pets to cuddle, football games, and an amazing meal.

Later, fun rounds of Shanghai Rummy, 

nibbling on homemade rolls & pie.

It's a Wonderful Life playing in the background.

Up early, and reconnecting at the kitchen table.

Getting to know little (quirky) things about each other,

sipping coffee, tea, and  Dr. Pepper.

 Brandon baking cinnamon rolls.

Then, a little Birthday celebration for Molly,

before we all headed back home.

It was perfect.

I'm swooning on a gratitude high.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"I am grateful for what I am and have.

My thanksgiving is perpetual."

~Henry David Thoreau~

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort.

You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it,

and sometimes even travel around the world for it.

You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations

of your own blessings.

And once you have achieved a state of happiness,

you must never become lax about maintaining it.

You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming

upward into that happiness forever, to stay 

afloat on top of it."

~Eat, Pray, Love~

"I've never been good with farewells so...

that'll do pig."

~Zombieland~