Linda Z

Hope you'll share some of yours. Here are a few of mine.

When I was little, watching my tall, white-haired, apron-wrapped grandmother presiding over the preparation of the huge meal with laughter and smiles.

Grandma's huge dining room table. There were usually at least 12 of us sharing holiday meals there.

My cousins, who, if not carefully watched, would put black olives on all 10 fingers and run around the living room eating them, to the horror of all the adults who weren't their parents.

Playing cards with Grandpa or my aunt after dinner.

Fast forward to the late 60s:

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner in July in California for my husband, my son, and a dozen or so friends. We had a huge turkey in the freezer that one of our housemates had received at work, and I got the brilliant idea to have a summer Thanksgiving feast. I remember how cool it was that the big house we rented then had a double oven, so I went nuts baking bread and pies and more, while the turkey quietly roasted in the other oven.

Fast forward to Rome City, Indiana, 1978:

Courtesy of 7th Corps LL's brother (who was in the movie-distribution biz in NY or something), we had recent-release movies to watch all day in various locations around the campus. The supply of food, which we had access to in the kitchen all day and night, was endless, and it was sooooo good.

The only damper on that day was getting sick in the middle of the night because a certain 7th Corps brother R McB (who always had a huge wad in his jaw) talked me into trying chewing tobacco, and I was too embarrassed to spit into a styrofoam cup!

Fast forward to today:

Storing up new memories: My son's here from Colorado, so every family member I love will be gathered around the table. We'll probably play charades or Pictionary or something after dinner, at the urging of my youngest nephew.

The blessings of Thanksgiving are simple ones, aren't they? But their memory lingers long after the leftovers are gone. I hope you're all making some happy memories today.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Love,

Linda Z

All I have to do is bake two pumpkin pies and go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's (and Grandfather's) house in my little white sleigh.

My son's here for a week, and it's his first Thanksgiving with us in more than a decade when he wasn't a vegetarian, so he gave fair warning: "I'm ready to eat!" This is also my first Thanksgiving as a nonsmoker in more years than I care to count, so my tastebuds are jumpin' for joy. This is gonna be good.

Linda Z

...to a very patient man!! Hope it's the best ever.

Love,

Linda Z

Great story, suz! I can't believe Daniel is 24. I still think one of the funniest things that ever happened to Tyler was having to go to school (in Rome City) and try to explain to his teacher that he DID do his homework, but a little kid in the dorm had peed on it. It still makes me chuckle.

Happy b'day, Daniel!!

Linda

I have a question: Why do most of the VS (and other) models wear expressions like they want to rip someone's head off, and why do they stomp down the runway like they're about to do just that? Is that supposed to be sexy or high fashion? I don't get that at all.

Abigail, yes, I like pretty lingerie, but what I have under my clothing or under my sheets has nothing to do with having to cover my nephews' eyes during prime time.

I think they oughta put that show on cable. At least that way the audience of potential teenage anorexia and bulimia sufferers would be slightly smaller.

Linda Z

I remember David well, because he and his first wife spent some time at Rome City. He probably wouldn't remember me, but please tell him one of his old Family V "younger Corps" is praying fervently for the complete restoration of his health. Innie or outie, makes no diff to me...all God's children need each other!

Linda Zinn

Preaying for your nephew and his family, and of course you, in this difficult time.

((krys))

You're wonderful. I don't know how you dug this up after so long, but I appreciate your remembering all this time that I was looking for it. What a special act of kindness!

Update: Emma's still with me, driving me crazy sometimes with her energy level but more than compensating for it with her sweetness level. Since I wrote this tribute to Chester, Emma's been joined by Molly the formerly abused cat with half a tail. They're good companions for each other while I'm at work, and they're more inclined to lick each other than fight. I love them both madly!

Linda Z

Bravo, bravo, bravo.

Your b'day poem really made me grin. Thanks!! (If you're lurkikng out there, Ryebread, hi!!!)

Linda

Add me to those who are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you in prayer. Things will get better.

Hugs,

Linda

Thanks for the GREAT photo, Jesse. You know I'm partial to those little terrier "muttski" dogs.

Oh, and Ginger, a belated thanks for the recipe. Perhaps I'll try it!

Wish I could follow that old custom of giving gifts to you all on my b'day...kinda hard to shove cookies through the modem! So I'll just say thanks to everyone for making GS such an interesting and sometimes rousing hangout, and a place where I know I can come for prayers and mutual affection and learning.

You're all wondermous!

Love,

Linda

Dabobbado, dear, Dabobbada. I'm glad you can sit up and post!

I'm praying that something wonderful works in your favor in the next week. Stranger things have happened, for sure.

Timing is everything, and I'm thinking of those miners rescued in PA...how what looked like horrible news at one point, turned out (so incredibly ironically) to be just exactly what was needed and probably saved their lives. I'm trusting in God's timing for you.

xo,

Linda

Is anyone in touch with Bob who can let us know how he's doing?

Still praying, and would love to hear.

Linda Z

You all know how to make a girl's birthday last! Three days to go and the party's well under way. I hope we don't run out of beer (or punch for the nondrinkers)!

I love all your wishes and kindnesses. Thank you for all of them.

xoxoxo,

Linda

Praying for you right now!

Linda Z

Wish I could be there to give you a hug, but I can be with you in prayer.

May the surgery's success surpass the surgeons' greatest expectations, and may you recover quickly.

Love, to one of my favorite GS guys,

Linda

I just talked to my mom, and she's being discharged from the hospital today.

Turns out the old doctor had her on a medication that was sapping all the sodium out of her system and too high a dose of another, which was causing her to be hypoglycemic, which in turn caused a whole laundry list of nasty symptoms.

Mom and the rest of the family say thank you all for your prayers! I thank you, too. It was comforting to know you were with us in prayer.

This is my favorite forum on GS.

Love,

Linda

My family and I thank you all for your prayers.

Mom is feeling a lot better, but she's still in the hospital. She's got abnormalities in some lab tests that we haven't yet learned the significance of.

My dad and sister are doing well. I know your prayers are helping everyone.

Thanks for your continuing prayerful support.

Love you all,

Linda

And Sudo, when you do get a chance to peek in, some encouraging words: My dad's quad bypass has served him well. It's been 20 years since he had the surgery at age 63, and he's had full, happy years ever since.

(((Sudo and family)))

She's been feeling quite poorly for a couple weeks. To make things worse, her old doctor was quite dismissive of her and wanted her to wait 5 days to see him, even though her symptoms were getting worse, so we convinced her to see someone who cares. Her new doc (who's a sweetie and a geriatric specialist) has admitted her for a bunch of tests to try to figure out why she's not feeling well. Don't know anything yet.

Please also pray for my dad and my mentally handicapped little sister while mom's away from home. They're kinda lost without her and, of course, worried.

Thanks a bunch. We all appreciate the prayerful support.

Linda

I wasn't involved in either of those threads, I don't think, but I do appreciate your letting us know where they got to. Thanks for the info!

Linda Z

PS. Be glad it was just two threads. I've accidentally deleted much worse.

Hang in there; thank God chemo doesn't have to go on forever. I'm praying that it does its work quickly and with the least amount of discomfort and distress possible, and that you can feel like your old self soon!

Kay, thanks for keeping us posted.

Love,

Linda Z

So sorry for your loss. May God's arms hold your family close though this heartbreaking time.

Linda

When I got my cat a little over a year ago, she was a dainty little thing. One reason I got her was that my house was being invaded by mice. Well, she took care of the mouse problem, and apparently she was eating them because she rather quickly turned into (my pet name for her) Princess Lardass. (All I was feeding her was the dry Iams--no wet food and no "people treats." It had to be the mice!!) I decided to put her on Science Diet Light instead of Iam's Adult.

When I made the switch, I started by mixing just a little Sci. Light in with her Iams at first and then gradually changed the ratio so she was getting more Sci. Diet and less Iams. Now she eats nothing but the Science Diet, and she seems to like it.

...for you all!

Hugs,

Linda