A Great Thanksgiving Weekend

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

My husband and two of his coworkers were stuck working all day. The other two wives got together and decided we should all three cook something and bring to our spouses for a Thanksgiving feast at the office. I readily agreed to take part.

We each made two dishes. I was responsible for macaroni & cheese and carrots. In addition to my contributions, we had ham, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and deviled eggs. Our first responder spouses seemed to really enjoy our efforts. I enjoyed getting to know my hubby's coworkers and their spouses better.

Thanksgiving evening, many of my family members met at Golden Coral for dinner. My nephew was visiting from out of town, and all of my grandchildren were able to attend along their immediate families, so were a rather large group.

While the food was good, the cutest thing happened toward the end our meal. My granddaughter, who sat next to me, came back from the buffet just brimming with excitement.

She said, "Nana, did you know they have marshmallows with chocolate on top?"

I told her that I hadn't been to the desserts yet, so I didn't know what they had.

She grinned and said, "You should hurry and get some before they're all gone. I got three!"

That type of innocent joy is what makes my heart sing. Of course, I did snag a couple of those marshmallows before we left, which made my granddaughter smile like we were sharing a special secret.

I did not go Black Friday shopping. I ordered some things online, which will hopefully make it before Christmas. The excitement of Black Friday is fun, but I just couldn't bring myself to be around that many people this year. I preferred to stay in my cozy house snuggled under my fluffy blanket with my laptop.

I did get out on Saturday a bit. I visited my favorite bookstore, Always Buying Books. I love visiting that bookstore because the staff is amazing. They are sweet, friendly, and knowledgeable. When someone on my list requested a specific book by a local author, I knew I would find it there. I also found several books for the grandkids and maybe one or two for me. In total, seventeen books found their ways home with me.

My trip to the bookstore was doubly pleasant because I ran into my elder grandson's daddy and his fiancé there. I hadn't seen him in quite some time, and I hadn't met his intended before. We chatted for a while, and he gave me some great ideas for our sweet boy. It was funny because he told me that my grandson could use some books for Christmas. I gestured around and chuckled before telling him that was why I was in a bookstore. There is one thing my grandchildren can take to the bank: I will always make sure they have new books for Christmas.

As I contemplate my Christmas list and the people who occupy the lines, I am filled with gratitude for the people in my life. I have a loving family and wonderful friends. My stepchildren have given me the most precious of grandkids, and I can't imagine my life without them.

How did you spend the holiday weekend?

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