tears of thanksgiving

I received an unexpected call from Joe the monument guy today telling me that Daddy's stone was in place so I cruised by after work for a look-see.  The front side is standard but the back holds his bronze VA plaque and it is beautiful.  Mom has been so worried about him out there with no marker other than the tiny grinning picture and my ratty little flag.  It's been easy to find him lately because I know about where and there's dirt with no grass.  That will change next year, and I will have to memorize the location.  It's all ready for Mama whenever her time comes which shouldn't be soon because she's been kind of "sprunty".  That's a word she made up to describe feeling a bit cocky.  Her sadness comes and goes but not nearly as frequently as before, and she is adapting to a new home and routine.

Evidently a lot of people are taking four days off ( not me ) and it's one of the busiest travel days of the year. Once again, my day consisted of putting out fires with blood and blood products.   Sickness knows no holiday and I've been doing it for 38 years.  HOWEVER...I'd be seriously pissed if I were a retail worker and had to clock in.and sell jojos or blue light specials.

My turkey and dressing will be picked up, delivered to the home and enjoyed by our little tribe in Mama's room.  Bubba makes sure she has plenty of plates and whatnot so thankyouverymuch people who gave me Cracker Barrel cards when Daddy died.  We shall dine thankfully on your generosity.  Bubba and Lauren are off and I plan to join them during my lunch time.  Depending on workflow, of course.  If the gods don't work with me, they can bring us a plate.

I am barreling down toward the regular income I had prior to the summer so I'm trying to spend wisely like on health items and electronics.  BG has been dreaming about her own daddy, still lost in the grief that is unique to being a young woman suddenly without her biggest cheerleader.  I try, but I have boundaries.  He never did and that makes what they had a very special bond.  She has learned things from him that I could never teach like commitment and purpose and devotion to sobriety.

I say we stay out of the whole Turkey/Russia thing and save our strategy for ISIS.  Babysteps, y'all.  Terrorism comes in many forms and they can't all be just stomped out like a stray fire.  There is organization and passion and generations of hatred woven into the actions of terrorists, and that includes the white home grown ones here in the USA.

I passed my neighbor's mother being hauled on a trailer by her daughter-in-law on a four wheeler.  She had a little plastic bag and had been picking up a few pecans, which is about all we have this year.  She even invited me to eat with them!  These people definitely get a cake.

Gobble gobble ~