Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

    I do not like to start this with sad news, and I am thankful for the 95 years my Grandma has given us so far, but this past week she had a heart attack, survived, and then she had a stroke. She is back in the hospital now (she went back to her home for one night between the two), and I am hoping I will get to talk to her this morning.  Mom and Dad are there with her, so they are not coming here as originally planned.  For a long time, I regularly called Grandma on the weekends.  Her memory has been nearly non-existent for years now, so I would tell her who I was and do most of the talking.  She is, as Mom would always say, though, "great in the moment."  The conversations were one-sided because I did most of the talking, but it was wonderful to hear her voice and visit with her.  This time, she will only be listening, though, and maybe not so well at that, so I am feeling a mix of thankfulness and sadness today.  She is my last surviving grandparent.  Sigh.  The rest of this post is from B's and my time up at the cabin, and as it turns out that was the last time we would get to go up there.  The cabin has been sold.  Sigh again.

    In other news, happy news, Belinda and I are celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary today, and Bev, Curt, Erica, and Emily made it here to celebrate Thanksgiving with us! 

11-12-11
    Had a great night’s rest up here.  Belinda and I have always slept (unless Amanda and Eric kick us downstairs) up on the loft where the hot air from the fireplace joins us when we first settle into bed.  As the night goes on, it gets cooler and even more cozy. 
    The big news up here at the cabin is that the cabin is...

for sale.  Amanda told me yesterday right after school.  She did not want to tell us, but our coming up here forced her to do so.  She knew we would drive up, see the big “For Sale” sign on the front gate, and think, “What the heck?” 
    It’s already on contract to boot.  This might be the last weekend we come up here just to... be.  Next time we might come up and have to start moving things out. 
    The children do not know, and Amanda and Eric do not want to tell them yet.  If it does sell it will free them from a financial and mental burden.  Belinda, Amanda, and I have had no qualms coming up here and being on vacation, but Eric sees the fence that’s sagging, the path that needs clearing, and the snowmobiles that need servicing, just to name a few. 
    If it does sell, I will be sad, but we have many fond memories and the journals that we have written in will always be ours.  We also have plenty of photos and videos.  Coming up here this weekend will be another one of those fond memories.  It’s my first time back since the surgery.
    I am missing the Harvest Carnival today, and I was not planning on it, but Amanda suggested that I take a break.  I didn’t know what “a break” was, but now that I’m here I get it.  I have been going hard since school started, so this break is comparable to applying a brake on a vehicle.  Sccrrrreeeeeeech! 
    I have always done the Harvest Carnival.  I remember starting when I got the Duck Pond and the Tattoos years ago when Debbie (last name) retired and bequeathed them to me.  The Duck Pond is a great money maker with the little kiddos.  The past two years I have not only participated, but I have been the person in charge since my principal’s daughters have consistently had some soccer tournament somewhere that ends up on the same weekend. 
    One year I scrubbed cafeteria tables to get the sticky stuff from a nasty tape off of them.  The tape was used to divide up the different prize categories.  It took me hours. 
    Another year the milks were ruined when the big metallic refrigerator was left unplugged.  Oh, and a child slipped on the just-mopped floor near the cafeteria doors and seriously hurt his wrist.  I did an accident report.  I also remember one Duck Pond that sprang a leak.  The leak was so bad that even one of the fathers from my classroom, plumber Felix (last name), could not seal it again.  Water flowed out of it and all over the gym floor.  Ah, good times.     
    Amanda told me, however, “You don’t have to do it, you know.  You have plenty of money in your account.”
    That’s true.
    “You also just had brain surgery this past summer.”    
    Also true.
    “And you just finished coaching while teaching full-time.”
    These words that are coming out of your mouth are making sense to me.  Keep going.
    “Why don’t you just say 'NO' this time?”
    So, I did.  I said it politely and professionally, but I did it.  And here I am up at the cabin.  Thank you, Amanda.