We will find a way!!!

It’s that time of year again and it’s got that feeling but also it’s not the same. Yeah, on this Tuesday November 18, 2008 I’m thinking about thinking about the upcoming holidays. I can’t recall a year quite like this one and that makes putting our holiday planning hats on a little more difficult than usual. One thing we are excited about is being able to see all our family together again in one place. We haven’t done that since before the hurricane and that is a great thing to look forward to. But, we are still living in someone else’s home and we do not have all our pots and pans, some of which have been in use for 30 or more years. Getting ready under these circumstances is tough. We’ve never ever considered one of those catered Thanksgiving meals that you can pick up from a local shop or grocery store but there’s a first time for everything and I wonder if perhaps this might be that kind of year.

I am well aware of how the season is not defined by one’s circumstances but for us it has always consisted of our own special traditions and MiMi’s world class cooking. Our times together for these special days throughout the year are everyone’s little escape from the world of fast food and hurried living. We can stop, catch our breath, enjoy each other, take in the sights and smells, and relish that very special union that makes family one of God’s unique gifts to His created human race. Even the little ones look forward to these special times. Last Saturday our middle son’s four laid all over me and I could tell how much they miss their MiMi and Poppy and our times spent together. We will do all we can to get things back on track as soon as possible and we are still pushing for Christmas to be back in our house but there are many variables that may make that a very difficult schedule to meet.

Who knows? Maybe Kroger can put together a Granny Mac style of meal for Thanksgiving. I don’t even won’t to go there and as the doctor once told me when I had inflammation around my heart, “It’s not dangerous but the thought of the pain alone could kill you!” My mind goes back to those ‘good old days’ and come to think about it, they have been continuing since I was a young boy. Did I ever hit the jackpot when I got the wife God gave to me! She had some learning to do but she was an excellent student and my did she ever have some great teachers. Her own family were good cooks in their own right and then there was Granny Mac, the Queen of our cooking world, and right behind her, my mom, the princess in waiting. Why am I going on and on about the meal preparation? Since the diabetes deal came calling I can’t eat much of it anyway. It’s because it is how we do what we do and doing it that way is part of what makes it so very special. We will just have to find a way - - - and we will! I will have to consult with our very own Queen of our cooking world and see what she actually must have to pull this off. It will not be like doing it in her own kitchen but we will find a way because to tell the truth I get the shakes just thinking about that Kroger deal! You can go ahead and laugh because while it is serious, it’s also not life threatening and in the end we will make do with whatever God provides. Amen. …….More later.