Happy Thanksgiving and GOOD Friday

The good wife and I got to spend Thanksgiving with Mom, and had a good time. Thanksgiving morning we wanted to get breakfast but even McD's was closed; so the good wife had a 'brilliant' idea. Outside of town there is a Holiday Inn Express, and sure enough they let us eat off their breakfast bar for only $5 a person. It was an okay breakfast and I changed our luncheon reservations for 1PM. Later we visited Grandma B. and stayed with her for almost an hour; Grandma is always a hoot to visit with and rare is the trip to Ohio when I don't stop by to see her.

After visiting with Grandma we made a trip to Dollar General on our way to Thanksgiving Lunch. Now the Wabash Cannonball Railroad restaurant in the Ramada Inn isn't that notable, and it seems ever year we vow not to go back there, but inevitably we return. Since this could well be Mom's last Thanksgiving at home, the good wife and I seriously discussed fixing a meal, and taking it to moms but in the end convenience and time won out. The Wabash Cannonball restaurant has a lot of railroad memorabilia on the walls, and since Grandpa B. retired from the Wabash it brings back memories; we asked Grandma if we wanted to go and she didn't, we sorta figured that but wanted her to know she is always invited to go with us. I think it did her good to be at least be invited. Along the theme of the Wabash railroad there seems to be a resurgence of activities in the hometown about the railroad. There is a new building next to the County Historical Museum at the County Fairgrounds that looks like a small 'depot' and they are beginning to accumulate railroad stuff. I though about contributing my grandpa's conductor hat and articles, but realizing the hassle of what it meant for Grandma to give those things to me instead of one of my aunts and uncles - I'm going to keep them. There was a big promotion with a train ride, etc. earlier this fall; and our town was a major stopping point between St.Louis and Detroit, with a big roundhouse and depot. Later that afternoon the good wife would walk with mom over the railroad tracks and I would regale her again with how I used to walk that viaduct when the old iron bridge was there every morning on the way to school ..... I'm quite sure she doesn't give a 'hoot!'

On our way back to town from the restaurant we stopped at a Palmida store so the good wife and mom could look for a Christmas tree skirt, and who should I see there, my uncle's son. NOw I haven't seen T in close to thirty years at least and that was a treasured moment for me, it was good to see him again, since he had moved back from Arizona and lives only about 8 miles from town ... its sure seems that when circumstances turn again us, a good majority of people go back to their roots. A few minutes later in the same store I saw another older cousin D.[my fathers nephew] and his wife Donna. They were getting final things for the good thanksgiving supper they would be having with their son and daughter and families. I sure do miss those 'big' family reunions with aunts/uncles and cousins!!

Well I went home to watch the Lions football game. I haven't watched an entire NFL football game all year; and getting home about the end of the first half, the game was so boring I feel asleep and didn't wake up until it was almost over, and figured I didn't miss a thing, with the lions fumbling all over the place. That was during the same time the good wife and mom went for a long walk, then they came back and got the front porch, etc. decorated with Christmas stuff. Oh, I forgot to mention that Thanksgiving morning we had decorated Mom's old artificial tree in the living room for her ... the good wife always does a superb job and Mom profusely thanked her. Finally I said 'hey, what am I? a chopped Santa, how about a little compliment this way?' at which my good wife looked like I must be crazy and my mom mumbled out something that I took for a compliment! Well, its been a good day, met two cousins, one from each side of the family, visited with Gramma B., slept through a Lions football game, sort helped with Christmas tree, and was beginning to feel a little bloated. So I watched TV with the good wife the rest of the evening, with Mom retiring early cause she didn't feel that perky. I've noted, with help from the good wife, that when Mom feels tired, she won't admit it, so she says she doesn't feel just that perky ... its happened three times now. For some reason she can't simply say she's tired and go to sleep. Mom had always been a workaholic and not slept much and I think to admit she's tired would be a stain on that reputation; so we just let her drop off to sleep.

GOOD [I prefer that over Black] Friday came and Mom/I got up and went to our favorite breakfast restaurant, Spoke's, to eat. The good wife said to just let her sleep in and enjoy the meal together - and we did. By now both the waitresses there know us and what we want so we just order our 'regular' and sit and visit. While there I noticed my cousin Johnny S. and his wife were there already, and said hi to them; and then sitting at another table with a group of retirees from Powers & Sons
[a company in my hometown] was another, younger cousin Danny. Danny is a 'higher up' at the company, and for the last two family reunions he hasn't been at our gatherings so its a real treat to talk with him. I told mom after we left I felt like even though we hadn't all been together I'd really had the joy of meeting a lot
of family. I told our waitress about seeing my two cousins in the restaurant and she
said she knew that both well and that it was really neat having three cousins eating
there on a regular basis. Maybe when I retire we'll have a big family breakfast there! Wouldn't that be a 'hoot!' [Can't get that train noise out of my head] It was really turning out to be a GOOD friday. The good wife went shopping at a little store in my hometown [about the only one still open] and bought quite a bit of stuff; she loves that store, and every week when I go to see Mom she tells me what she needs. They have a lot of homemade/packaged candies, cheeses, foodstuffs she enjoys ............ and discounted Starbucks coffee, that both the good wife and my son really like. Well, its getting time to head home, and so we make a quick stop by to visit Gram for just a few minutes and it off to the turnpike! One last note: before we get home we have to stop for supper at Red Lobster. Man, they have really raised their prices, but I've never had a bad meal there, especially since I usually always get the stuff flounder, boiled scallops and shrimp scampi, and the good wife get her usual pick three [two orders of clam strips and chicken tenders]. Well, that's all for now, journal.