Made it Through the First Big Holiday

Hi all:

Basketcase checking in here! Well, I made it through Thanksgiving! We had a good one and my sister-in-law and two nieces and I did some shopping while my brother stayed at home with his grandson and had a great visit with him at my house. We had to go to K-mart as my microwave conked out T'giving day and they had their Kenmore red one I've been wanting for some time on sale! So I called over there and they put one back for me to pick up on Friday and when I went to pick it up all the managers were there and hugging me and the main store manager told me how much she misses Charlie and I tell you it took all I had not to break down as it is so hard to go in there and not see him working; but I knew if I did one of my nieces would drag things out (I mean I would have been over it in 5 minutes and gone on with things - but this particular niece would have dragged it out and wanted to talk, etc. etc. for 5 hours!) But anyway we got the microwave paid for it and left for lunch. Now I would have done some more shopping but this same niece was calling her Dad just about every hour to see how they were doing. Her little boy is 6 and he's the only child she'll have and talking about a hoverer! When we got back home she wanted him to cuddle with her while we watched the DVD that the funeral home made for us of the pictures of Charlie, me and the dogs and our life. Her son, however, did not have cuddling in mind! God love her, she's a great mother but I'm not too sure how she's going to handle the letting go part as he gets older. Hopefully, she'll do alright. Then the other niece after the rest of them left, we left for Chatt. She stayed with us Thursday night and lives in Chatt. She is divorced with two girls that are 12 and 16 and the 12 year old is my namesake; and her ex is a jerk so she doesn't get to do things with us that much so we thoroughly enjoyed having her. She is my sister's daughter and she and the other niece are the same age. Anyway we took off for Chatt. and I dropped her off at home and then went to my best friend's house and we took off on Sat. morning for Knoxville, TN to see the TN-KY game and prance around Knoxville. We had a great time; did some shopping before and after the game and Hot Damn we won and finished 6-6 and became bowl eligible. Considering what that team has been through the last 2 years I say Derek Dooley has worked nothing short of a miracle considering what he came into and what he had to deal with since that jerk Lane Kiffin stayed only one year! But we're certainly better off without him. He just wasn't our kind of people.

Anyway got back home and my boys (Rowdy, Blue and Sammy) were of course thrilled to see Mama! I've got a busy week ahead decorating, going to Bible Study and lunch, and then a Christmas luncheon with the widow group at church called TONTO (named TONTO because even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!) then dinner Frid. night with friends the husband's birthday is Friday and we always met at Provinos on his birthday, her birthday and our birthday (Charlie and I had the same birthday!) and then on Sat. I'm going to a craft show in the morning with a friend, then to the Church Women's group Christmas Tea and then back to Chatt. for a Christmas party at another friend's (I'll be staying with my best friend and her husband again) and they want me to stay over till Monday and go with them to some friends house Sunday night (I've met these friends); so I'll probably do that and then I'll be home till the 21st when I'll go back to NC to spend Christmas with Charlie's family.

My mother and father in law did okay through T'giving; so hopefully they're beginning to make a real effort to do as Charlie would want them to do even though it will be very hard. Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day and don't get too stressed out with all the upcoming hustle and bustle. Love y'all!

Jan (aka Basketcase)