Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

[jaylogs]

I hope this finds everyone out there that you all  have a very good T-day...for those who are facing surgery, I hope you will put those thoughts behind you for a day and just be thankful for what you got...and for those who have gone through it, I hope you are well and that you have a great holiday season.  Take care everyone!
Jay

[Rich56]

Hi Jay,

Thanks for starting this thread

Scarlett and I would like to echo your thoughts in hopes that everyone has a
Happy Thanksgiving

Rich & Scarlett

[ppearl214]

Jay,

thank you!  Back atcha!


So, folks.... I had to sit back and think about today and it's meaning........ and reflect.  This time last year, devastating blows came my way..... ill health and struggles within my family, taking on a role of "caretaker" that I had hoped, with time, would not come my way this soon.  Loss of a job that I loved dearly and had enjoyed for over 10 years.  Family strife that one would hope would not divide in time of need.  Too many stresses to count.

The thought of not being with "blood" family is hard for me today.... as none live by me.  BUT, then I had to sit back and think about those in my life.  Today, I am with my husband, who I love dearly. We will be with my best friend's family -- my best friend and I have been best friends for over 45 yrs, so she IS family.  

Then, I thought about you all..... my "AN" family... and what a family it is.  Always looking out for each other. Celebrating joys together, supporting in times of need, cheering each other on when obstacles present themselves in our lives......  serving up thoughts, opinions, hugglez and love..... and to me, this is what truly defines the word "family".  

So, to my "AN" family that I cherish soooooo very much, today I give thanks for being blessed to have you all in my life.   Truly blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all here in the States that celebrate today (plu-eeeeeze be safe if you are traveling today!) .... and for those of you in my "AN" family not Stateside..... please know that everyday is Thanksgiving..... and hoping you have a terrific day!

Phyl

[CHD63]

..... adding my Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, as well.  Today is very different in our household ...... for the first time since we were married (many, many years ago!  ) we are spending a quiet day with just the two of us ..... our kids are all with the "in-laws" ...... but, they will all be here for Christmas ..... YEAH!

I, too, am so thankful for my friends on this forum.  You all have helped me through many a difficult day with your heroic stories of overcoming your problems .... be it physical or emotional.  Thanks for being here!

Clarice

[kaitysmom]

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I am so blessed to have gone home from the hospital yesterday.  I am not able to swallow more than liquids but that doesn't matter cause I'm home.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Jody

[Jim Scott]

On this set aside for thanking God for our individual and communal blessings  (U.S. President Abraham Lincoln made it an official U.S. holiday in 1863) I want to add my wishes to all our friends here for a Happy Thanksgiving Day.  Whether you are pre-op, post-op, surgery or radiation, watch-and-wait or a relative of an AN patient, I hope this will be a day of thanks and contentment with all you have and, for me, that certainly includes the friends I've made through this website, especially my fellow moderators, the longtime posters who stay connected and the individuals who have sent me PMs and e-mails over the year.  I wish all of you a very good day and a bright future as we look toward the Christmas season and a new year, just around the corner.   

Jim

[Captain Deb]

Happy Thanksgiving people!  This has been a tough year for me, too, health-wise, Phyll.  Please know that I am thinking of you today and will always think of you as family.  That goes for many,many others that I've gotten to know and meet in person through this awesome resource.  This turkey day I am on the NC coast with my Uncle, aunt, cousin and her hubby celebrating my uncle Bill's 90th birthday!  He is sharp, funny and a real pistol at 90.  He was an Air Force tailgunner on a B-17 "Flying Fortress" in WWII.  We had a great surprise party for him on Mon at the VFW and today ate Thanksgiving dinner there, too.  Each year the Swansboro puts on a huge dinner for the Vets and anyone who wants to come.  Right now I am back at our oceanfront condo putting my tennies on for a walk on the beach.

Just wanted to thank everyone for all the support during the past year.  It's so great that we support each other not only for AN issues, but for just about everything else that life throws at us!!

Have a great day everyone!

Hugglez,

Capt Deb

[lori67]

Happy Thanksgiving to my AN family!  Hope everyone had a great day!  And Donnalynn, I had extra pie just for you!   

We were fortunate to have James and my son (both Active Duty Navy) home for Thanksgiving this year.  Only my oldest daughter and son-in-law were missing, but they spent this one with his family, so that's okay.  We had a few "stray sailors" join us too - any of the young ones that can't take leave to go home.  I hate to see them spend holidays by themselves.  Works out great - they get to eat, and I don't wind up with a refrigerator full of leftovers!   

I think I should go have another piece of pie for Donnalynn....

Lori

[Captain Deb]

Yeah, I had on a T-shirt and a light hooded sweatshirt--didn't need the hood--as in the mid 60's at sunset, but there were people in thieir bathing suits out earlier and some doing a little wading.  The Gulf Stream keeps thid area pretty nice all year--rarely snows.  I want to move here when the housing market recovers and we can sell our rentals in the mountains--I'm a beach girl at heart!!!  When we get moved down here everyone is welcome to visit!!!

Capt Deb

[lori67]

Sorry Donnalynn....while I was eating YOUR pie, we had all the windows open and the kids were playing outside in shorts, short sleeves and flip flops.  Although my kids would be out there in flip flops and shorts even if we did have snow.  

I'm just picturing little tiny you - bundled up in a big polar suit with just two eyes peeking out.  I think you need to move south!  

Lori

[CHD63]

Oh, Donnalynn ..... having grown up in North Dakota I can well identify with the cold!  Now I have a son living just 20 miles south of the North Dakota border.  I always check the temperatures of where my kids are living ..... it was -2 where he lives yesterday ...... while we enjoyed a 73 degree day ..... but that was breaking records for high temps in some parts of West Virginia so not the usual Thanksgiving Day weather.  Today it is 39 degrees ..... much closer to normal but it sure does a number on the body.

I rarely have headaches, but when a huge weather front moves through quickly like it did yesterday/last night, I have had a doozy of a headache for two days.  I know it is from barometric pressure changes.

Call me strange ..... I love the beach, but I also love playing in the snow!

Clarice

[yardtick]

I hope all of my American ANer's had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Today is your leftover day, and for me leftovers are so much more enjoyable.  I hope you all cashed in on the Black Friday Sales.  Many of the US based stores were offering Black Friday deals here and matching the US prices.  I stayed home, it is just too windy here in my little neck of Ontario Canada and a wee bit cold.  Clarice, I too had whopper headaches all week because of the serve weather changes.

Capt Deb, when you do retire to your condo on the beach I too will be a visitor, I love the beach, the heat and the sun.  Maybe you can have a first annual "Get Out of The Cold Event" for as poor Northern folks.  Lori, you just had to rub it in, you had your windows open and the girls were in flip flops!  Well I'll have you know I too am in flip flops but in a nice warm natural gas heat home!!!  I wear flip flops all year round in the house, I hate furry things on my feet.

Donnalynn, I thought of you yesterday when the CTV National News did their piece on Banff National Parks birthday.  It sure is beautiful out your way, a real Canadian jewel like you.

Anne Marie

[Soundy]

Hope everyone has had a great Thanksgiving ...

yesterday Bo , the girls and myself just at a regular meal ... cut a few trees off fences and strung some barb wire

Thanksgiving dinner will be here tomorrow ... some people say how can you have Thanksgiving on Saturday ...it's easy , pop a ham , turkey , chicken breast to make enchiladas and dumplings from in the oven to go with sides and pies and invite over about 25 people you love or at least like and it is Thanksgiving... with all the  in-laws and outlaws my boys make command performances to see I just quietly wait my turn ... ex husband won't commit to a day until he knows my plans and then wants to do a breakfast the morning of my dinner ... so now I hold the take way pans of chicken enchiladas as incentive not to tell him my plans ...this way the boys and their significant others and kids show up hungry not stuffed ... if word of my plans are leaked out no one gets take home ...

OK ... that sounds mean but it works ... and I don't really keep all the extra food ...

some people get hung up on the day ... as was already said each day should be a day of thanksgiving ... we had Christmas and Thanksgiving in July the year my dad was in Korea and it was just as meaningful as it would have been in December maybe more as we had plenty of planning time waiting for him to come home  ... and seeing we were in El Paso we made a tumble weed snow man ...a good memory of a not so good time  ... tomorrow will be Thanksgiving complete with one of  our now traditional get together redneck golf tournament ... don't even ask ... it is too complicated ... and don't get me started on Christmas ... 

[marg]

Happy day after Thanksgiving' everyone,
       I haven't been on the forum for over a year - and I'm glad to see many of the people I remember are still here.  It has been a tough couple of years for me ( lost my mom several months ago to ALS and then my dad died 2 months ago)....... sometimes just try to keep putting one foot in front of the other is the goal.  Realized today that I needed to get back and connect with people who really understand the challenges and humor of our AN life.  Many good things in life .... just harder sometimes to focus on that fact.
  Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend everyone,
marg

[Kaybo]

Marg~
Good to see you - so sorry for your losses...

Donnalynn~
I thought you were coming to visit ME!  I know, you could come & see me and we could go to her house on the beach TOGETHER!! 

K