Dear Readers:

I  just had a thought yesterday after all the Ya’s  left and I was back sitting in the recliner reflecting on all the fun and “scrumptious” lunch we had at Oscars Restaurant…our ‘go to’ place for special celebrations and benchmarks….yesterday was Jackson’s birthday celebration. The thought was about special “thank you” moments.

(Oscars were decorated so beautifully for Thanksgiving!)

I had looked forward to it all week…I kept telling myself that if I get through this medical appointment then there is only one left before the Ya’s come Saturday…and then Saturday arrived and it did not disappoint. It was the perfect fall day and everyone was in high spirits.

Libby was leaving Oscars to head to Pawleys Island to spend Thanksgiving with family, Brooke is heading later to Edisto Beach to do the same, Jackson to Hampton and my brother Ben and I are having Thanksgiving with my neighbor Vickie and her granddaughter. For this day, however, we were just all so thankful to be together and celebrate another year of life for a friend we have known throughout life..

If any one of us is going through a health slump or medical crisis it is like the rest of us just need to “lay our eyes on them” to make sure whoever it is…is going to be okay. I passed the “Ya” test with flying colors…healthy appetite and looking forward to Christmas with no tubes or machines attached to me.

I had just settled down for a little nap when the phone rang…it was Libby on her way to Pawleys Island…just reiterating how fun Jackson’s birthday had been and how important it was for us to be altogether again…she was so thankful it worked out calendar-wise for this to happen….then Jackson texted me thanking everyone for her birthday and how much it meant to her to be together on this special day. Brooke and I had a chance to talk about the importance of “thank you’s” and special events in our lives these days before she left. It truly was a memorable day!

Recently I have had a lot of special “thank you’s” particularly coming from my adult children to me and vice-versa…having time to spend together to and from medical procedures, visits to the house…they all have been very special and I realize now how God must feel when we, as His children, remember to stop and thank Him as our Father.

( FaithGateway- “Giving Thanks for Answered Prayers and Blessings”- Story Devotional)

I think as we get older we no longer take “thank you” moments for granted as we did perhaps when we were younger and thought time would always be on our side. These days…each “thank you” means more and more with every passing day…because for all of us…at some point in our journey…there will come a last “thank you” and  a last “I love you“…These phrases will have to last a lifetime for the loved ones left behind.

So until tomorrow… this Thanksgiving let’s take a minute to picture all our loved ones …family and friends…knowing each day is more precious than the one before. Let us be thankful for each day and let us fall in love with each new day…never taking one for granted.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Saturday morning there was frost on the roof…our first substantial frost so it is time to bring out the coats and jackets. Eloise is all excited about experiencing her first winter jacket…she loves it.

The first half of the game against Duke last evening…I was trying to stay calm and was wondering when we were going to start “Tiggering On”   but thank goodness it all came together when it needed to….was so sad to see the seniors who will be leaving and praying hard that Hunter Renfrow is okay…hate to see any player potentially seriously injured…what magnificent leadership skills these seniors have mentored and demonstrated to the team.

Happy Birthday to Betsy Crick, Libby beautiful daughter…she is our official Junior Ya  whom we adore!