November 30th

Well today I am thankful that I was able to keep up my blog (with thankfulness) for one whole month.

November 29

Today I am thankful for Bananas Foster.

Yes this weekend we revived an old friend... a yummy flaming desert with butter, brown sugar, sliced bananas, Kahlua, banana liqueur and rum. Oh yes and ice cream (choc chip).

Yum.

November 28th

It would be easy for me to get a little depressed this time of year. My mother, while she didn't like the gift giving and doing the shopping thing, shw would love to see the tree and lights and it was a happy time. So this is the first Christmas without her here.

And my father passed away 26 years the 16th of December, yes right before Christmas. For many years Christmas was a difficult time for me.

So it would be easy to get down, but instead I want to be thankful for my two wonderful (yet very different) parents. They were wonderful parents and each taught me so very much. Love you guys.

November 27

Well today was the day... It was good to get the Christmas tree and all the decorations up early this year. I still have to do a few things, but overall it looks pretty good around here.

I am thankful for the opportunity to get this done early this year.

Thanksgiving

Thankful…

I am thankful for a lot of things today; for a terrific family and special friends, who bless my life each day. I am thankful for a good job, at a good place, that allows me to touch a life now and then in positive way. I am thankful for a warm house and a soft bed... and so much more.

I am thankful for a good church family and for my parents who raised me to know that God is good and follow him and good things will come.

To all mentioned above, thank you for being in my life, and I love you all so much.

November 25th

Thanksgiving...
All the food is purchased and the bird ready to be stuffed; I cannot help but remember my bird stuffing mentor... my mom.

For quite a while now, I am thinking about 27years, I have been in charge of the stuffing and cooking of the holiday bird. In the early years my mother work watch me intently ready to correct any error or bad habit I might have. We always stuffed the bird late the night before and cook it slowly all night. Then as she grew older, she could not stay up that late, so she entrusted me with the duty.

How happy she would be when she would arise in the morning and smell the turkey beckoning from the kitchen. She would look at me and then give me a big hug and tell me how good it smelled.

Tomorrow, I will miss that hug.

I love it...

I love to cook the Thanksgiving dinner and bake different desert and side dishes... it makes me happy. So I thought it would be fitting to share one of my favorite recipes.
This one is easy and delicious... Chocolate Kahlua Cake. Sounds good huh?

KAHLUA CAKE

1 BOX CHOCOLATE CAKE
4 EGGS
2 CUPS SOUR CREAM
1/3 CUP KAHLUA
1 SMALL INSTANT CHOCOLATE PUDDING
3/4 CUP OIL
1 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Mix the first six ingredients together, then when blended add the chips.

Pour into greased bunt pan.NOTE: I don't have a bunt pan so I baked mine in little loaf pans (6 X 3") and a cupcake pan. Both worked well; just take them out a few minutes early.

BAKE @350 FOR 55 MIN.

If you love chocolate (and Kahlua) you will love this cake; it is rich and chocolaty. Try it and let me know what you think.

November 24th

No big eye opener today, just a simple I am thankful for...

The new pavement on Mooney Blvd. After about a year of road widening, detour everywhere and of course bump uneven pavement and dirt and dust everywhere, it was a pleasure to drive to work today on a nice new road.

Smooth.

November 23rd

It was about this time four years ago that my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I remember because we were leaving right after Thanksgiving to go up to Redwood City to see a wonderful Doctor, Dr Kate O'hanlan.

This doctor worked a miracles for us. My mother spent 9 days in the hospital up there, and Dr. O'Hanlan performed surgery. We soon learned there were tumors everywhere, but when we left Dr. O'Hanlan said she removed every bit visable cancer. We returned home about mid December and before Christmas that year my mother began he first round of Chemo therapy.

Today I am thankful for doctors like Kate O'Hanlan who know the art of surgery and share that gift to those like my mother. I am thankful for her effort and skill, bacause of her (under God's direction of course), we were able to have my mother with us 3 1/2 more years.

November 22nd..

You know, I was sitting here and I had a thought... it happens.

If we raise our kids correctly and give them opportunities that perhaps we didn't have; there comes a time when we begin to go to them for advice. I am not sure when it happens or where it happens; I just know... it happens.

I know it happened to my mother. More and more as she got older; and yes, I see it is happening to me too. My daughter's brain in newer and fresher and hopefully clearer, so there are times when her logic is clearer. I know this bothers some people but I appreciate the opportunity to go to Andrea for her suggestion or advice and get her point of view.

Don't miss understand me, I am not saying I cannot make decisions anymore, NO just the opposite; what I am saying is there comes a time if/or when families grow together they can achieve synergism. A state when… well as Webster says… a condition such that the total effect is greater than sum of the individual effects.

Some of you skeptics are saying yes that is what is supposed to happen. To which I reply… Yes it should happen, but rarely happens instead of growing in synergy you get family and friends that burden you or don’t take your advice, even though you know it is best for them. So I feel that relationship is in opposition to this state of synergy.

Well I didn’t mean to get carried away; I just wanted to say I am thankful today for my daughter and her presence in my life and the synergy we create in our family. She shares with me and of course I share my experience and wisdom with her, and together we are stronger and smarter than we would be alone. That is the true definition of family.

November 21st

Last week I loaded a picture from Maui as my desktop. Well my desktop consists of two 21 inch monitors. I just got to say I am loving this picture, everytime I sit down it make me happy and relaxed. It is like looking out the window out at the sea... right from my computer.

Today I am thankful for this picture

November 20th

Well since last Tuesday I have been laying low with my sinus infection. My head, at times, feels very heavy and definitely clogged. Not all at the same time... some times it is totally clogged and other times it moves from the left side to the right.

So needless to say I have been doing a lot of noses blowing. About 10 months ago we were doing a lot of crying (my mother passed away) and my daughter and son-in-law introduced us to the Kleenex with lotion. What a great invention.

So today I am thankful for Kleenex with lotion; because without them I would be a sad version of Rudolfo the ... well you know the rest.

But buyer beware. I thought that all lotion Kleenex are created equal. Not so, The first time I went to the store I purchased Puffs with lotion. While they were better then the other Kleenex I was using... no lotion; the kinder gentler Kleenex is the actual Kleenex brand with lotion. In my book are they are the best.

November 19th... Oh happy Day...

Well today it is an easy job to talk about what I am happy and Thankful for. I just came from the pharmacy and finally got the insurance to pay for my Migraine Meds.

Well that is sort of correct, but not my insurance, but Tony's insurance. You see, we have double coverage which (just because of this med) is well worth it.

Oh happy, happy day, headaches go away.

November 18

Good deed.
As I mentioned in an earlier post I have sinusitis and (to say the least) I have not been feeling well. My husband wanted to get me some Jelly Bellies to help me feel better, because my throat was sore.

So he stopped at the mall and when to the candy store and picked out some of the different flavors. He got two scoops of this and two scoops of that. When he was all done he went to the counter and the girl rang up his sale and she looked at him and said That will be $51.00.

To which he replied, Fifty one dollars... for a bag of jelly beans?, She said, you have quite a lot here.

Even at $51.00 he brought home jelly bellies for me. Thank you honey, my throat is feeling much better, you are the greatest.

Now can you help me find something that will clear my sinuses?

November 17

I was sick all day with SINUSITIS... I felt like my head was going to explode. I get migraine headaches often (to often) but this sinus pressure and pain was more then I could bear. I felt like I had been in an accident and was throw from the car and landed on my forehead.

So today, feeling a little better and today I am thankful that you can miss a day of blogging and nothing bad will happen; and you can pick it up again.

November 16th

I am not feeling well today, I caught a head cold. So today I am thankful we cam get the meds we need (in times like these) to feel better.

I am waiting.

November 15th

Today I was thinking back a year ago and remember that I was hoofing it around in a big black boot because I had ruptured my planter facia.

So today I am thankful, really thankful that I am relatively pain free. OK a few old age pains, when I get up and try to walk but mostly pain free.

My Tony....

Today is my Tony's Birthday and today (and every day) I am thankful that God lead me to this man. He is a talented and loving man, and I feel Blessed to have him in my life.

Happy Birthday Tony, and many, many more.

Love you.

November 13th...

Today is Friday, yes Friday the 13th. As I sit here I am thinking that Friday the 13th is actually a good day.

I remember not that long ago when I used to spend my Fridays and Saturdays cleaning and working around the house so it would be clean for Sunday (and the following week).

I am blessed... and thankful today, because I can afford to have Maria come and clean my house and Samuel to cut my grass. Not just today but every Friday.

I am blessed.

November 12th

Today is my brothers birthday... well his earthly birthday. As most of you know, he passed away a few years ago. He would have been 58 today.

Happy Birthday Brother.

Today I am thankful for having a brother who watched out for me as we grow up.

November 11

Today is Veterans Day and today I am thankful for ALL the wonderful men and women that serve in our military to protect and to serve and... to preserve our freedom and peace.

I know sometimes we do not think things are going so great here, with the dip in the economy, the shootings (like in Texas) and gangs and all, but even with all this it is still the blessed land of America. And... I think it is still the best place to live.

So service Men and Women... I salute you. Here is a BIG THANK YOU from this citizen.

November 10

I finally did it.

In the great scheme of things... it is no big deal, but today I am thankful for my competitiveness and perseverance. Today I finally beat level 9 in ZUMA.

Actually I reached level 11/4 total point 618,280 YAY!!! to me.

November 9th

I have been watching as the Christmas stuff was not replacing the Halloween stuff but sharing the shelf. It seems that Christmas decorations come out earlier and earlier every year.

I was in Target today and I heard my first Christmas Carol and even though I don't agree with all the commercialization that is going on, I must say that today I am thankful for the warm/happy feeling I feel in my heart everytime I hear a (real) Christmas Carol.

Joy to the World, the Lord has come....

November 8th

I am thankful to be home safe. And I am thankful for a nice clean warm bed waiting for me.

November 7

Even though I spent the day nursing a migraine,and my daughter fighting a head cold, I am still thankful to have had the opportunity to spend time with my daughter.

Spending time with my baby is like eating pizza, even when it is bad it is good.

November 6

A few weeks ago, my son-in-law had a birthday... I just wanted to take a moment and thank God for my son-in-law.

I want him to know I truly appreciate his talents and skills. He keeps my computer life in order. I know certain applications, but he knows all that stuff you need to call some one to do. I envy those that understand (and want to do) all the behind the scenes stuff.

But more then this, much more, I am thankful for him because he loves my daughter and makes her happy. What more can a mother want... well OK maybe grand kids.

November 5 YEAH!!!!

Just a quick note: Last night the NY Yankees won the 2009 WORLD SERIES, 2 games to 4.

So today... I am happy and Thankful for this.

November 4th

Today is November 4th, usually by now we are well into our cold weather... packing up the shorts and digging out the sweats. Well today I am thankful for the wonderful weather we are having.

Today, here in the valley, we were in the high 70's low 80's. Very comfortable day (weather wise).

November 3

I just took a few moments and was reading through my older blogs. It is a nice thing to be able to go back and review the thoughts and feelings of days that have passed.

So today, I am thankful that my kids got me started blogging; it is a good release and record of the thoughts of the day.

November 2

OK I know there are many, many wonderful things to be thankful but for right now, I am thankful that the NY Yankees took the lead in the World Series... 3 games to 1.

YEAH team, good job coming back in the top of the 9th.

November 1st

Today is November 1st the official start of the Thanksgiving season so... for a while, this is going to be my Thanksgiving Blog.

November 1st: Today I am thankful that I am here and healthy to see November 1, 2009.