Thanksgiving

I have no list this year... I didn't think about it long enough or soon enough.

I'm thankful for God and for my new church and dear friends... but this year I'm most thankful for getting to spend Thanksgiving with my parents!

Every other year my parents come to TN for Thanksgiving to see me and we cook and eat and stuff, but it's not about food.. it's about time spent with my parents. It's about hugs and laughter and helping them figure out things on their iPad; it's about playing Gin Rummy and Pinochle (competitively) and taking walks... but mostly it's about time.

I love my parents and I love that they love me so much they come here so I'm not without family every Thanksgiving.

I hope that you, blogging friends, are equally as blessed as I am.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sometimes I Wish

... I was home in Chicago
... I could hug my parents whenever I wanted
... I could be at all of my niece and nephews birthday parties
... I could read the kiddos stories instead of sending books with my recorded voice
... hair could grow long one day and be short the next
... I could have girls days with my SIL's
... weight would just drop off instead of being hard work
... I could pull all-nighters like I used to (not it takes days to get back to normal)
... I could hang out with the guys more than a couple of times a year
... I could get together time and monies to go to Iowa to visit my BF and her hubby and soon to be 2 kids

But I'm also thankful that my life isn't perfect, that I'm not all smiles and happiness all the time. That I have to fight for want I want of need or love. Because all of that together causes me to rely on God. I look to Him when I'm lonely and bummed, when I'm wishing to be home...

I know that God is not physically here, but I've definitely felt His arms around me.

I'm so thankful for the hard times.

Election

Today is Election Day in America. 2012. I hope you're informed. I hope you vote. I don't care who you vote for, but I hope you care. More importantly, I hope you're praying for whomever it is that ends up as the head of this country.

I normally spend the evening of the election glued to the tv watching pundits and color commentary about what is happening. I remember 8 years ago staying up until about 3 am waiting to see the outcome... maybe I'll so that tonight too... but I'll start much later than I usually do... my friend R and I are going to the Restored Theatre in Downtown Franklin, TN to watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Frank Capra directing Jimmy Stewart (the same duo from It's a Wonderful Life) I'll tell you one thing... If Mr. Jefferson Smith was alive and running for office today, he'd have my vote.

Eight

Eight years and three presidential elections. That's how long I've been in TN. In that time, there are a few things that stand out.

1. I find myself having a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I see updates in social media. I'm glad you feel the way you do; I'm glad you've made intelligent reasoning behind your decision. I just wish you were less of a jerk when presenting your decision to the rest of the world. People's emotions are tied way too strongly to this election. Name calling is even more than 4 years ago and I wish I could hide under a rock until it was over. As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for the Frankenstorm I would be avoiding social networking sites altogether.

2. Voting is important! I've felt this way since before I could vote thanks to my favorite Social Studies teacher from Middle School. I still remember going to the election polling area in our school and learning about the process; and having a faux private poll in our class for president (Bill Clinton vs. George HW Bush vs. Ross Perot).

Since then and since I moved to TN, I've been to Boston and Faneuil Hall. There women met and had meetings and fought so I can vote. Somehow sitting in the same seats as those wonderful women of my history made the fact that I can vote become the fact that I should and will vote. Its a right that I wouldn't have had less than 100 years ago.

3. Everyone is early voting this year. I hope that means even more people are voting and I hope even more that those voting are informed about their choices. Since moving to TN, I have never waited more than 5 minutes in a polling line until Tuesday morning when I early voted. I thought I was good giving myself an extra 20 minutes to vote before work… I was 10 minutes late getting there (& I work 2 minutes from our election commission).

All that being said, the pastor of my former church blogged about His Presidential Predictions and I couldn't agree more. God already knows who will win the election and has since before the beginning of time. My trust is in Him & I pray even now for whomever will be in this place of authority in this country.