7 days left of Thanksgiving...G, my husband

Thanksgiving week!  Thanksgiving is truly my favorite holiday of the year!  I love the time with family and friends.  I love the various elements of the traditional meal, and I love when our family has been small enough that we've said, "What do we want to fix, even if it isn't a full turkey?"  One of the best answers we ever had for that question was some boneless turkey breasts that we stuffed with a spinach artichoke and bread crumb mixture.  Yum-my.  I will post that recipe one of these days.

But the main thing I love about Thanksgiving is the thanks giving.  The intentional giving of thanks - that reminder that we all have things to be thankful for all the time.  For those who live thankfully, one day is never enough, so I have enjoyed spending 23 days so far, posting about various things and people for whom I am thankful.  Pie.  Our grandsons.  Our kids.  Pie.  Veterans.  Friends and favors.  Pie.  Technology and Excel.  Pie.  Health.  Pie.  New Ideas.  Pie.  Teaching and learning.  Pie.

And finally after 23 days of waiting, today I am going to write about why I'm thankful for G.  I think to keep this fun, I will list the Top 10 things I'm thankful for about G.

# 10 - He's got skills.  Landscaping skills.  Gardening skills.  Building skills.  Repair skills.  Painting skills.  G has made many positive changes around here like transforming the back yard from a jungle full of a noxious weed to a real back yard with soft grass.  Like making the cake board for S&A's wedding cake to installing baby gates for the J-man and coming up with possible solutions for the trickiest spot where S&K need baby gates installed.  Like painting almost every room in the house to adding cabinets and an under the cabinet microwave - which how did I miss until just this past week that this microwave has a soften/melt button?  It has changed my chocolate and butter melting life, I tell ya! 

# 9 - His neighborliness.  In some ways, he is the State Farm of our little neck of the woods. G has done more to meet our neighbors in the last two years he's been in my life than the 30 years we spent here before that.  Just this past week he has helped a family who lives nearby going through a tough financial time.  He supports our fledgling neighborhood association that includes being the head gardener for our community garden.   

# 8 - His companionship.  This may not sound like much to young folks, but those who have a few years under their middle aged belt get it.  I spent a number of years doing life without that certain someone to share meals with each evening, to watch a movie or Cards game with, to go with to the grocery store or Home Depot (see # 10 above).  The somewhat mundane things of life that are simply more pleasant when shared with another. 

# 7 - His helpmateness.  He helps me.  A lot.  With everyday things like laundry and cleaning and running errands and with not-so-everyday things like Pie Night and other holidays.  Helpmate is a very old-fashioned word, but it fits so often.  And really fits what I'm trying to express here.

# 6 - His care.  About the little things and the big things.  About the details and the big picture.  I have a job that he doesn't necessarily understand, but he always listens and cares what I'm going through on any given regular day or the somewhat bigger days.  G is a strong believer in a husband's role as a protector.  That may feel like an old-fashioned idea these days, but I like it - even when he's asking the dr. if I should really do Pie Night when I have a frozen shoulder.  Oh yea...he asked...I was going to conveniently "forget" to mention Pie Night to the dr., but G ratted me out!  But I know it was all about protecting me from any further injury.

# 5 - His support and encouragement.  G believes in me.  He may not always get me, but he believes in me.

# 4 -  His fudge and his peanut butter fudge and his little Butterfinger snacks.  I love Christmas, too!  And making all of the Christmas goodies with G make is that much better.

# 3 - His smoking.  He smokes the best stuff.  Ain't no tobacco around, mind you, but there is cherry wood and pecan shells and ribs and rubs.  And smoke.

# 2 - His family.  I have enjoyed love and acceptance and laughter and hugs and grandsons and music and memories and State Fair food and Smoky Mountains with new family members from 84 years to 1 year olds. 

 

 

 

And the # 1 Thing I'm thankful for about G...he loves me.  Is he perfect?  Nope.  Am I?  Nope.  Just ask G.  He'll tell ya.  But he loves me, and we're figuring out this married life thing together.  And I'm thankful for that.

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I know folks will be extra busy this week, so you may not feel like taking a few minutes to stop by and read this little blog, so I want to take this moment to wish you and yours a most wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  Such a great time to recall who you are thankful for and why.

 

Love,

D