HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. It is so good to be with family and enjoy being with each other and giving thanks before the hectic season really begins. I have to admit that the holidays are very hard since the loss of my parents and my precious Jennifer. Turkey was one of Jennifer's favorite foods....except cheese, of course. This is the first time I have been able to bring myself to buy a turkey and cook one since her death. My precious sister, Kimberly, has been doing that for us. This year, I am going to cook for her!!! Bless her heart, she has been the hostess of all the holidays. I am looking forward to having Thanksgiving here this year. We will celebrate on Wednesday this year because we will be working on Thanksgiving. Even with all the heartache we have had, we know that we are truly blessed and we are grateful for what we have. Our family is shrinking, but we have many friends that are like family to us. I have a huge in- law family and they have done alot to help us through hard times. Hopefully, we will all be able to get together soon for a dinner. Everyone is always so busy, but life is very short. This Thanksgiving, I will give thanks for all that I have, my family and friends, and for all the wonderful memories that I shared with my loved ones....Happy Thanksgiving!!

Our Precious Ginger

After Jennifer passed away, my sweet nephew in Illinois gave me the most precious gift....a little Yorkie named Ginger. She won our hearts within hours after coming to Arkansas. Jazzabelle was Jennifer's beloved cocker spaniel. She was not too happy at first having someone in the house that quickly became her shadow. It didn't take Jazzabelle very long to accept or at least tolerate little Ginger. Ginger followed Jazzabelle everywhere and did a good job keeping up with her. After our move to Hot Springs, they really became almost inseperable. Everday they would run and make their rounds around the garden and the pond. Ginger would come running as fast as she could behind Jazzabelle.....then they would take a long nap together before going out again. They were so well mannered and good natured. Richard would always call them Mutt and Jeff because they looked so funny and cute together.

Yesterday morning Richard was cutting wood up by the creek. They didn't like the sound of the saw, so they came back down. Richard cut a tree down and went inside to get some tea. He saw Ginger lying in the yard in her usual place. When he came back out, he sat down beside her to rub her back as he always did....but she was dead!! We can't understand how if the tree fell on her, she could have gotten out from under it.....or maybe when the tree fell, it knocked her over, or maybe she had a heart attack. I would always say that when she ran, it sounded like she had asthma or CF, because she breathed so hard. The vet never found any problems with her when she went for her checkups...the only thing she had to have done was four baby teeth pulled that didn't come out. We will probably never know what happened to her, we can only speculate. What we do know for sure is that she brought us so much joy and happiness....and that we will always miss her.

TIME

Where does the time go? Just wish that there was a way to find more of it. I thought that when I lost my precious Jennifer, that time would just stop. Somehow, it keeps on going. I still miss her so much...my heart just breaks, especially this time of year. Jennifer loved the holidays so much, as well a did my Mom. Mom would get so excited this time of year, and she would always try to keep that childhood excitement in us. I remember after losing my Mom and Dad, one day Jennifer told me that she didn't see how we could lose our parents and still breathe. She was so loving and had so much compassion for others. Sometimes I wonder myself how life can go on, and why things happen the way they do. I know that my new favorite book, The Shack, shows us how we have to go on, even after the loss of a child. (I still want everyone I know and meet to read this book). My Dad told me many times how the older you get, the quicker time passes. I must really be getting old, because time sure gets away from me.



On my friend Lisa's blog, she challenged us to slow down this Holiday season and to only commit to and do things that mean alot to us and our families. I accept her challenge. I hope that everyone will slow down during this busy time of year......just take time to know and remember why we celebrate Christimas! Jesus is the reason for the Season! Enjoy this truly wonderful time of year, and cherish your friends and family!!

THE SHACK

My friend, Linda, gave me a copy of the book...The Shack by Wm. Paul Young for my birthday. Ever since I opened the front cover, I have been captivated. It is the best book I have read in a very long time. It seems like every time I mention the book to someone, they have read it or are in the process of reading it. I just don't want to put it down, but also I don't want it to end...it is that good. It has been said that if you read one fiction book this year, it should be The Shack. If by chance you haven't read or heard about this book, I urge you to read it. There is also a website...www.theshackbook.com. I must go now and get back to my reading...just had to stop and pass this along.