Gratefulness. This year, we here at the ‘ranch’ have so many things for which to be grateful. Not the least of which is the fact that my mom survived a gastric aneurysm last month and was placed in hospice care but is now home recovering. If you’re ever going to fail at something, flunking out of hospice needs to be right at the top of the list. We are beyond grateful that once again, this remarkable woman, the matriarch and core of our family will be at the dinner table smiling at all us knuckleheads. We love you, Mom and are sooo very happy and grateful you’re gonna be here this Thanksgiving!
Our family is also blessed to welcome home my niece’s husband and Master Sergeant from a National Guard tour in Egypt. He safely arrived on Monday of this week after being delayed by the recent bombing of a Russian airliner. Welcome home, Elias and thank you so very much for your service to our country.
Lastly, I am fortunate to welcome the arrival (just 10 days ago from California), the love of my life to living at the ‘ranch.’ Wayne and I are settling into a lovely rhythm of being a family and Sam couldn’t be happier either. Frankly though, I think Sam likes him more than he does me. 🙂
So as you sit around that turkey, ham, prime rib or whatever with all the yummy ‘fixins’ and watch football, I hope you also take time out to take stock for all that you have to be grateful for this year. These days, in this crazy mixed up world, it’s easy to become angry, sad, even bitter at some of the current events, but trust me, there is so very much of the positive out there as well. I encourage you to take a moment to focus on those things that matter most and at the top of my list is family.
All of us at the ‘ranch’ want to wish you and yours the happiest of Thanksgivings. May you all be as blessed and fortunate as we are in our family.
Live, love, bark! <3
Wow, Monika. Sounds like you’ve been on a pretty intense emotional rollercoaster lately and this explains why you’ve been a bit quiet on the blogging front. So pleased your Mom failed hospice and that you have a new love interest and hope that works out well for you both. So I wish you a belated Thanksgiving as we head rapidly into Christmas. I haven’t made my Christmas cake yet and my daughter asked if we were getting a tree this year. How bad is that? To be perfectly honest, Christmas could completely pass me by this year and I don’t think I’d even notice. It’s been so hot here and we’ve had so much on that I’m fried. This is pretty poor form for me.
Anyway, I’d better get to bed.
xx Rowena
PS I know you like a good naughty dog story. Before Lady arrived, my husband said that we should have an overlap between Bilbo and the next dog. From my perspective this was largely to smooth things over for the kids but Geoff also mentioned that Bilbo was well trained and he could help train the new dog.
However, what Geoff failed to consider is that the new dog could well lead Bilbo astray,.
Well, poor Bilbo got put on anti-biolics and Cortisone for his flea allergy. We were warned that the prednisone would make him hungry. Well, it now turns out that he’s become the Artful Dodger and is quite an adept food thief as trained by Lady. Now that he’s lost weight, he had even been spotted with his paws up on the bench. He is much more agile…and much naughtier as well!
Anyway, it’s late and I’m nodding off at the screen.
xx Rowena
Thank you Rowena. Yes, it has been quite the roller-coaster ride on this end but things look to be moving forward and ‘pawsitively’ on all fronts and I couldn’t be happier. Sam is thrilled with his new ‘Dad.’ End of the year work schedule has for the most part put Christmas on hold for me-it’s crazier than usual but we did manage to get the tree up. Have tons of baking to start, and keep wondering if everyone gets the same 24 hour a day period or am I the only one short-changed on this? 🙂 Happy holidays to you and yours and may all the joy of the season spread throughout the new year. xxoo
P.S. Lovely Bilbo story. I know about those ‘chow hounds’ from the OES days. Stay well and keep smiling 😉
Thanks very much, Monika. I can relate to what you say about feeling like you’ve been short-changed somehow with your 24 hour day. I can’t keep up. Happy Holidays to you too and I hope you and yours have a wonderful and healthy new year and all goes with with your new relationship! xx Rowena
What a wonderful post. Lots to be thankful for here. Please, thank Elias for me and congratulations on settling in with your love.
Thanks, Jodi-will definitely pass along the thanks (and congrats 😉 ).
…..what a caring tribe you have here….w
We hope you had a great Thanksgiving! SO happy that your mom flunked out of hospice. We will be keeping her in our thoughts and prayers.
Many thanks. We can use as many prayers as possible! 😉
So beautiful my friend. Life in itself is such a blessing being able to ‘talk’ to you today. We are so grateful for friends like YOU. Sending you much hogs and snout kisses. XOXO – Bacon
You guys are truly amazing! Thank you for your support and friendship. <3
So happy to read about your many Thanksgiving blessings. May they continue through the year.
And congratulations to you mom on flunking hospice. In truth, hospice doctors and nurses are so good at managing pain. I suspect that many people could benefit from their special knowledge so that their bodies can recover.
I hope your mom continues to strengthen and recover.
Many thanks for the kind well-wishes; we are all astounded and tickled pink for this ‘failure’ but in reality a true miracle. <3
Lovely..Happy Thanksgiving
I am so happy that things are looking up for you. We do have so many things to be grateful fo and it is easy to lose sight of them when we are bombarded with negativity. I hope that you had a wonderful holiday with your family. ☺
Most definitely. With mom front and center, it WAS a great Thanksgiving. Hope yours was filled with all good things and a few yummy treats. 😉
You have had a lot going on, so glad your mom made it out of hospice care!! Hugs to you and your family and to another blessed year to come.
Many thanks, JoAnn-we are so very blessed.
Oh Monika! I am so very happy that your Mom is recovering at home now! That must have been a terrifying experience for all of you! Glad, too, that Wayne has “officially” moved into the ranch with you and Sam! It’s so much easier to be a family together when you’re actually together! Yes, we all have much to be thankful for and it’s very important to be mindful of it. Among my many blessings I count all my blogging buddies. I love our “little” community.
Amen, sistah! Yes, our little community has been such a buoy during some scary dark times. I am extremely grateful and absolutely love the friendships I’ve developed. Thank you for being in my corner! Wishing you and yours all the best today. <3
Beautifully said. Perspective. It’s an amazing thing…makes you even more grateful. Best to you and yours.
And to you as well! <3
I’m still flying under the radar until Saturday when people will be sick of eating bird.
As a long-time vegetarian, I’m in your corner, Kismet. Stay safe. 😉
So very glad that you have your mother with you after all the worry…have a wonderful time together.
Many thanks, Helen. I am one truly blessed lady!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Your Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Many thanks, to you guys as well!
This just knocked me out! I love you Monika! …and life with you continues to amaze….. w
Happy Thanksgiving Monika! So lovely to hear all your great news.
What a happy, uplifting post! Yay for good news. Enjoy!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Many thanks, Cupcake. We are all relishing the good news. Here’s wishing you and your mom the best today. 🙂
Well said Monika! I am thankful on so many levels I can’t begin to mention all. Love you so much! Can’t wait to meet the newest member of the family! Welcome Wayne! 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving Monika, Sam and Wayne (sorry Wayne, Sam still comes first for now ;)). We’re blessed to have come through this tragedy and pulled even closer as a family. You are so right that there is so much good out there, we can look for it and find it in so many things. I am Thankful to be able to see that good and happiness in the world, and hopeful we can help share that vision. Have a great feast on Thursday, we’ll be thinking of you all 💛
Thanks Nat. Big hugs to your family from us. I’m ever grateful for our wonderful family and so glad my brother has you to share his life with. We are both very lucky gals. <3
What a wonderful message. We’ve had our Thanksgiving, but can still wish you “guys” all the very best over the holiday ……… and beyond. Keep smiling! 🙂
Thanks, Colin! Best to you, Carol and Ray. <3
Get with the program. We have friends from London (ON) who have their T’giving and then come here for a second. Smart.
I’m grateful with you for all this good things… hugs to you all, have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day together.
Many thanks for the kind words and thank you for the greeting card which arrived a couple days ago. You brought a huge smile on my face and in my heart. Big hugs to you, Mark and Easy. <3
those are marvelous things to be thankful for, special prayers to your Mom! Happy Thanksgiving! DakotasDen
Many thanks, Caren! Yes, we are so incredibly lucky. Hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving. <3