Christmas this year was alot like last years’. We didn’t put up any decorations or a tree. In fact, we were one of only two houses on our side of the street that didn’t put up any lights at all, but that’s okay..taking all of that stuff down is never fun anyways. We all did go down to our brother’s for dinner and spent a little bit of time with them. It was nice spending some time together like old times.
Not doing much for the holidays is bitter-sweet. It’s nice not having to deal with everything that comes along with it. But it also makes you long for those times when everything seemed perfect. We’ll see what next year holds I suppose.
I will say though, a 4 day weekend is great. Let’s do it again for New Years!
I want to first say that this wasn’t due to lack of effort. My brother and SIL put a lot of effort in trying to make it be as normal as possible, and I thank you two greatly for that. And I’m sorry that it didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to.
It sucked because the first Thanksgiving without Mom couldn’t have gone any other way. Thanksgiving and Christmas was Mom’s two favorite holidays. She was so excited about Thanksgiving this year. The last doctor appointment that Dad took her to, she made sure with the doctor that she would be able to have some turkey and other things on Thanksgiving, even if her surgery was on the 29th. She was so excited that he said yes. Every few days for the prior few weeks Mom would ask us something about Thanksgiving, or mention getting things ready for it. She couldn’t wait.
Each year as Thanksgiving approaches, I can’t help but imagine the Thanksgiving scenes from TV shows. Not necessarily the details of them, but how the get-together is made into a much bigger deal than the usual family dinner together.
This year my dad got a job that had to be done over the holiday weekend, which had him working on Thanksgiving Day. This really didn’t bother me at all, because work is slow, and you pretty much have to take what you can get when you can get it these days until things pick back up some. He made it home in time to eat dinner with everyone though.
The disappointment was how my Grandma decided she wanted to treat the holiday. Sometime on Wednesday, she told my mom that she wouldn’t be coming down to join us; she lives right up the same street as we do. She has been in contact with what is my uncle and his family, or her estranged son, and was invited to go out and eat with them for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day comes, she decided not to go with them but was going to have an evening dinner with them, but also decided she would come down with us as well. But as she normally does, she said she wouldn’t be eating because she had just ate something before she came down. She has done this year after year. I’m almost certain this is due to us having pets, but millions of households have pets, and our house and kitchen is very clean. I love her to death, but I just cannot understand why she insists on doing that.
Memorial Day is a special holiday that is often times over looked as just the monday off that creates another three day weekend. Yesterday we picked up a new flag and bracket to fly it from our house. Today we are very proud to be flying that flag, and will remember those that are responsible for giving us the freedoms we have today by making the ultimate sacrifice in defending and protecting our nation.
Memorial Day
We walked among the crosses
Where our fallen soldiers lay.
And listened to the bugle
As TAPS began to play.
The Chaplin led a prayer
We stood with heads bowed low.
And I thought of fallen comrades
I had known so long ago.
They came from every city
Across this fertile land.
That we might live in freedom.
They lie here ‘neath the sand.
I felt a little guilty
My sacrifice was small.
I only lost a little time
But these men lost their all.
Now the services are over
For this Memorial Day.
To the names upon these crosses
I just want to say,
Thanks for what you’ve given
No one could ask for more.
May you rest with God in heaven
From now through evermore.
— C W Johnson
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Over the night the year changed from ’07 to ’08. Me, I don’t quite understand all of the excitement around the New Year Holiday. I think that’s because I’m not a drinker at all, and this day is nothing more really than for your coworkers to have a chance to work off any hang over that they have before going into work on Wednesday. I was hoping to see the new year start through the back of my eyelids, but as usual I couldn’t sleep. I swear I think some of our crazy neighbors were shooting guns last night along w/ all of the fireworks.
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I’ve requested leave for this coming Monday and Tuesday (17th & 18th) to help work w/ my brother some. And by looking at the picture to the right, my supervisor approved it this morning! 
A big plus to this is going to be getting paid for 2 days worth of work each day, and also
When the morning’s freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday, when the leg muscles give under the strain, the climb seems endless, and suddenly nothing will go quite as you wish—it is then that you must not hesitate.
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