A Perfect New Year's Eve

I've never been much of a party girl, and New Year's Eve especially, was never my thing. Get all dressed up in something uncomfortable, go out and spend a lot of money on a dinner that's not so good, and probably drink way too much. I'd rather stay home. Ever since David was born, New Year's Eve has been a stay at home event for us. When our children were young, we gave our housekeeper/nanny the week off between Christmas and New Year's, so we decided that staying home would be best for us. We might invite another couple over, have a great dinner and some champagne, and wrap up the evening by 11pm. We've been doing this for almost 40 years. So what's my idea of a perfect New Year's Eve now, that I don't have any children to care for and we can do what we want? My choice is to be home, just the two of us,(as we have been for the last 40 years), for a wonderful home made dinner, a nice bottle of wine, and a movie. That's what we'll do this year. Now all I have to do is prepare the meal, which I enjoy doing anyway. Here's what we're having: gravlax and dill sauce (appetizer), simple salad with vinegrette dressing, barbequed lamb chops, sauteed kale and mushrooms over brown rice, and a nice bottle of Malbec wine. Dessert will be gingerbread. Yum. I'm hungry already. To all of you, celebrate in whatever way is best for you, but be careful out on the road. There are so many crazys. I was discussing New Year's Eve with one of my kids, and we determined that once you have a wife and/or family, you're partying days on December 31 are over. Everyone just wants to stay home and enjoy some quiet time with family and a few friends. My kids that used tolove to party, now want to stay home. Funny, when you've got what you want right beside you, there's no need to go out looking. I've got Ron right here. Why would I want to go anywhere else?

Eggnog Pie

One of my favorite holiday drinks is eggnog. I just like it plain, with no alcohol added. Thick, cool and creamy, I only drink it in December, and only a little bit. So what should we do with the leftover? Why make something else rich and decadant, of course. I hate to throw anything anyway. Remember, Americans waste over 28% of they buy. This recipe has only 6 ingredients. You can make it extremely easy by using a store bought pie crust, instead of making you're own. The store bought crust is very good. This recipe is adapted from a Whole Foods recipe. In case you don't check the Whole Foods web site and blog, you're missing lots of great recipes and healthy cooking ideas. I check it frequently and have added new healthy salads to a long repetoire of favorites. Here's an eggnog pie recipe to keep your family happy through the end of the year. Happy New Year! Eggnog Pie Ingredients: •1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell •4 large eggs • 3/4 cup sugar(to cut calories, try half sugar, half splenda) •1 1/2 cup eggnog •1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • Freshly grated nutmeg (optional) Method: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pie crust with parchment paper or foil, fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake 15 minutes. Remove weights and continue to bake 15 minutes longer or until lightly golden. Let cool on wire rack. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until blended. Add eggnog and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Pour into pie shell. Bake pie until just set (still jiggling slightly), about 1 hour. Pie will puff while baking and settle upon cooling. Cool completely to serve. Slice and garnish with nutmeg. Nutritional Info: Per Serving:250 calories (90 from fat), 10g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 135mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 24g sugar), 6g protein

The Power Of The Voice

I was recently in LA to visit my mom and help Tracy and David with some wedding stuff. After a delicious lunch at Le Pain Quotidian in Brentwood (I had the Mediterranean plate and Mom had quiche) we came back to Mom's house. She had just received a short CD of Les Miserables, as an ad for the upcoming movie. We put it in an old boom box to play it, only to discover that the tape was blank. However, we discovered a tape in the boom box that is priceless. My parents spent quite a lot of time with my kids when they were young. Before they were in school, the kids went to Grandma and Grandpa's on Mondays. This often involved a Sunday night overnight, so they spent some great quality time with their grandparents. One of the favorite things my parents would do with the kids (usually one at a time), would be tape record their voice. The tape we found is a treasure trove of memories. The tape begins when David is around 2 years old, and has bits and pieces of activities, recitals, conversations, and graduations, all the way up to age 14. What a find. We sat there for over an hour listening to the tape, smiling and sometimes crying, with the memories created by this little bit of celluloid. The most memorable part of the tape was a 10 minute segment when David, age 8, is describing a day at Olympic Boys and Girls Club, a summer camp he attended for several years. Off the top of his head he tells about everything he did at camp from the moment he was dropped off, until pick up time. He describes each activity in detail, with no stammering for a word or idea, just like he'd written out the script. Also on the tape was David, pretending he was performing at the Music Center, playing the piano. He would introduce himself, then play the piano. As a wonderful pianist, he also played the piano at all school events, from the time he was about 8 years old, so we have a lot of school programs on tape. Finally, he would practice reports for school in front of his grandparents, and it reminds me of how very accomplished he was at a young age. The other wonderful piece on the tape was my mom, dad, and David reading books together and just talking. David was about 4 at the time, and my father was reading to him. It was wonderful to hear his voice, so loud and strong. It was almost like he was in the room. But it was also sad, as it was almost 4 years to the day that we attended his funeral. The voice is the most powerful reminder of people, I think. Much more than a photograph. Photos are great, and everyone today has thousands of pictures of their children and grandchildren, but don't forget to record their voices. You forget things, precious moments, and the audio tape brings them back. I am calling my kids today to remind them to tape some moments like the ones I described above. Years later everyone will look back with great fondness at these memories.

Dogs Make Everything Better

The horrific event that took place at Sandy Hook School, in Newton, Connecticut last week has been difficult to think about, much less write about. What could I say that hadn't been said a million times before by those more eloquent than I? So I've been quiet, trying to process it all, grieving for the families that will never see their precious children again and for the faculty and staff that died trying to protect our youth. How do the families of Newtown get through this tragedy? Loving families, clergy, and grief counselors will help some, but the loving hug of a dog will also give great comfort. Days after the shooting, I saw a picture of a man sitting on the edge of his pickup truck with his bulldog. He was holding a sign that said "My bulldog gives hugs." I guarantee his dog has given many hugs this week. There is nothing like the hug of dog, his warm breath on your neck, his sloppy tongue giving you a kiss, that makes evrything better. Dogs understand. I'm no psychologist, but I know that whenever I have felt sad, my dog knows, and reacts accordingly. Now there are numerous dogs in Newtown, helping to calm children and adults alike. Dogs have taken their place alongside grief counselors in these tragic situations. They truly are man's best friend. The shooting at Sandy Hook raises the urgent issue of gun control, and if we are ever going to feel safe again. Over the same weekend that these massacres took place, there were at least 5 other shootings, most ending in murders, throughout the country, including one at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, where 50 rounds were fired, but fortunately no one was hurt. What is wrong with people? There are so many factors that play into the violence of Americans, it is difficult to know the cause. I feel compelled to write about gun violence and gun control, but the topic is complex, and I will wait for another time. It's enough to say right now that "guns kill", and assault style weapons kill more. We as a nation must have the conversation and work on fixing the problem. All we can do now is hug our children, keep them close, tell them we love them, and think about how to solve the problem of violence in America. Oh, and don't forget your little four legged friend who asks so little from you, yet gives so much. He's always there to make everything better.

Romanian Jews Without A Home

I'm in the process of reading an excellent book, A Secret Gift, by Ted Gup, for my Monday book club. The book is about Sam Stone, a very successful owner of men's clothing stores in Canton, Ohio during the depression. He wanted to share his success with those less fortunate, and gave money anonymously to many poor citizens of Canton during 1933. His roots, however, were in Dorohoi, Romania, a fact that he hid from family and friends alike. The book referenced the plight of the Jews from Romania, which I knew nothing about, but was so interested that I researched this little known pocket of anti-Semitism. I always think of Hitler's Germany when I think of anti-Semitism, but the Romanians were way ahead of Hitler. As early as 1880, the Romanian

government began passing laws that marked them as "foreigners" and "aliens," and ostracized them from the community. In the late 1880's Hungary began tightening an economic noose around its Jews. Laws were passed that barred Jews from working as peddlers or shop owners, and made it illegal for them to sell flour, sugar or other staples. In 1898, new laws were passed that placed a quota on the number of "aliens"-Jews- allowed to attend schools. In addition, Jews could not vote or obtain licenses. Agriculatural and economic reversals turned their Gentile neighbors against them. Jews became targets and scapegoats of the state. In 1900 things continued to deteriorate. Jews could not own land, they were barred from living in rural areas, and were subject to a quota that required that two Romanians be hired for every "unprotected alien," (a thinly veiled reference to Jews). Jews faced homelessness, hunger and depression. They were entitled to none of the civil rights accorded those considered true Romanians. Because of this treatment by the Romanian government, Romanian Jews were facing extinction. The U.S. Secretary of State John Hay described the plight of these Jews this way: "by the cumulative effect of successive restrictions, the Jews of Romania have become reduced to a state of wretched misery. Shut out from nearly every avenue of self-support which is open to the poor of other lands, and ground down by poverty as the natural result of their discriminatory treatment, they are rendered incapable of lifting themselves from the enforced degradation they endure." The Jews that fled Romania became known as fusgeyers, or "foot-walkers." They wandered around Europe aimlessly looking for a country that would accept them. Many of them finally ended up in America, thanks in great part to the work of John Hay, but they were often looked down upon, even by other Jews. Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years, but this was something I had not heard of before. Exact statistics are difficult to come by, but around 400,000 Jews left Romania during the years 1880-1903. At one time Jews were 5% of the Romanian population. Today, about 6,000 Jews remain in Romania, mostly in urban areas. Another sad chapter in the history of the Jewish people.

Christmas, 2010

It's been almost two years since I spent what I thought at the time was the loneliest Christmas ever, but in retrospect was one of the best. That was the year Ron was at Taft. Christmas was the eleventh month of the nineteen months we spent apart. I met some amazing people in the nineteen months I was alone. Carole, Linda and Rod were three of the special people I grew to know and love during this time. Carole is married to Michael Santos (released in August, 2012, after over 25 years of incarceration.) We drove together to Taft every Friday during the summer and fall of 2010, and became very close. Through Carole I met Linda and Rod, whose son is serving a nine year sentence at Taft. Linda and Rod live in Bakersfield, about 30 minutes from Taft. They visit him weekly, although now he has been moved to Lompoc (about 2 hours away), and will be released in 2013. Anyway, back to the story. Because of Linda and Rod's proximity to Taft, Carole and I would often overnight at their house when there was a free visiting day. Free visiting days were usually Mondays, like MLK's birthday, so we'd go up on Sunday, spend some time with Linda and Rod, and visit our hubby's on Monday. Carole and I were invited to spend Christmas Eve with them, then visit our husbands on Christmas Day. We did, and it was one of my most memorable Christmas' ever. It was a wonderful Christmas for me, even though I was without my children, grandchildren and mom. The five of us had a spectacular dinner, cooked by Linda, and a decadant dessert, also made by Linda, that I can still taste. It was a recipe from Ina Garten, which consisted of meringue, whipped cream and fruit. After dinner we watched movies, opened gifts and stockings, again prepared by Linda, and talked about our families. It was a happy time, a sad time, a nostalgic time. I still think about that Christmas often, and am thankful that I was able to meet these three wonderful people that helped me through a difficult time. Carole and I are both with our families this year, and Linda and Rod will have Corey home next year. I know that can't come soon enough for them. Christmas day, 2010, I left Bakersfield at 7:30am and headed to Taft. I wanted to get there before the crowd, as Christmas is one of the busiest visiting days of the year. Ron and I talked for hours. I didn't want to leave that afternoon, but knowing this would be the one and only Christmas we would spend apart made it easier. Finding the good in a bad situation is sometimes difficult. Luckily I met good people to help make the bad times better, and Christmas, 2010 turned out to be one I will never forget.

Easy Gifts Anytime Of Year

Around the holidays I think about homemade gifts for friends and family. This year I made 9 fancy scarves, and gave all but one away. They're simple scarves made from Starbella yarn, which creates a beautiful fluffiness to a basic scarf. I also made some homemade chai tea, packaged in small plastic holiday containers (available for $1 each at Dollar Store), and ready to drink by just adding water. Delicious. Here's another homemade gift good for giving anytime of year. I have only made the salt variety, but I know the sugar variety is equally good. Peppermint Foot Scrub (sugar or salt based) 1 cup sugar or kosher salt or Epsom salt works well too

olive oil to moisten several drops of peppermint essence food coloring (red) if desired. It looks better with food coloring place the sugar or salt in a bowl. Add enough olive oil to moisten the mixture, then add peppermint essence. Finally, add food coloring until the desired color is achieved. I like a pink color. This scrub can be made with other essences, like lemon, orange or eucalyptus. Add food coloring like yellow for lemon, etc. I packaged the salts in a small plastic container which I bought at Dollar Store. They were decorated with a holiday theme, but you can get the plain ones, and just tie with ribbon. The salt and sugar scrubs are great for home pedicures, or use in the bath as a scrub for your skin. You'll pay high prices at bath stores for these products, and they're so cheap and easy to make at home. Any hostess would love this gift. Enjoy.

The Importance Of Aspirin

We've all heard how important aspirin can be when you have a heart attack. It can literally be the difference between life and death. New information is always surfacing that adds to what we already know. Here is some information sent to me by Cyrelle from an article by the Mayo Clinic. Please read it and pass it on. Mayo Clinic Aspirin Dr. Virend Somers, is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, who is lead author of the report in the July 29, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 A.M. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened. Somers and his colleagues have been working for a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame. 1. If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night. The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the Aspirin would be strongest in your system. 2. FYI, Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest for years, (when it gets old, it smells like vinegar). Please read on. Something that we can do to help ourselves - nice to know. Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue. They work much faster than the tablets. Why keep Aspirin by your bedside? It's about Heart Attacks - There are other symptoms of a heart attack, besides the pain on the left arm. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently. Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack. The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep. If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water. Afterwards: - Call 911. - Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by. - Say "heart attack!" - Say that you have taken 2 Aspirins. - Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and ...DO NOT LIE DOWN! A Cardiologist has stated that if each person after receiving this e-mail, sends it to 10 people, probably one life could be saved! I have already shared this information. What about you? Do forward this message. It may save lives!

A New Kind of Pepsi

Ron gave up diet cola about a month ago. He feels so much better, and he has actually lost weight. Although diet cola contains no calories, there is a lot of evidence that is not good for you. How could it be good for you with all those ingredients in it that I can't pronounce? I've always thought it was better to drink the diet cola than to consume all the sugar found in regular soft drinks, but I may have been wrong. I only drink diet cola when I'm out at a restaurant eating a burger. Otherwise, I've been drinking tea and Ron has converted to plain soda water or flat water. Most of my kids have kicked the cola habit, and if they must have one, they go for a natural product like Izzy or Hansen's. I recently heard about the new Pepsi product, and can't wait to see what it really does. Could soda really be a fat blocker? I'm excited about the new product, and can't wait until it comes to America. In the mean time I will try to stick to tea and water. Much better for us all, I'm sure. Soda has recently been maligned as an empty food product that contributes to obesity in America. Mayor Bloomberg proposed a ban on all soft drinks larger than 16 ounces. Now Pepsi says its new product can prevent weight gain. The new special edition Pepsi in Japan is said to contain "fat blockers." The new soft drink, Pepsi Special, which will be released by Suntory and Pepsi, has been deemed by the Japanese government as a "food for specified health uses." According to the Huffington Post, it includes dextrin, which "some say helps prevent the digestive system from absorbing fat." What is dextrin? Essentially it's a powder used as an additive in foods to change texture or create coatings as a pharmaceutical thickening or binding agent. It is also used in textiles to increase the stiffness of fabrics. It is part of another word, maltodextrin, which is a digestible carbohydrate derived from rice, corn, or potato starch and can be found in the list of ingredients in everything from granola to snack foods. But dextrin alone is different. It's indigestible. And studies on Japanese lab rats have shown that when used as a food additive, dextrin makes it difficult for the body to absorb fat. Pepsi is the second manufacturer to release a fat-blocking soda in Japan. The first was Kirin Mets Cola, which has been extremely popular. Pepsi Special is due to hit shelves on November 13 and will cost ¥150, or just under two bucks.

Cinnamon Butter

Many years ago, when Phil first started his food business, now called Evol Foods, I was constantly thinking of other products he could sell or produce. My first thought was designer salt. Pretty good idea, I thought. My other idea was flavored butter. Honey butter, strawberry butter, garlic butter, apricot butter, for example, all ready to spread in a little tub. You can find that in most markets now. I don't know if it's a big seller, but it sure is convenient. Here's a butter that you can't buy ready to spread, but it's so easy to make, you can have it ready to go in just a few minutes. It's really called "Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter." I don't know why. I guess it was served in some roadhouse diners in Texas. It is so delicious on muffins, bagels, toast and croissants. Once you try it you'll keep it on hand all the time. Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 1/4 c. powdered sugar 1/4 c. honey 1 tsp. ground cinnamon Whip the room temperature butter with whisk attachment for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, honey and cinnamon and beat until completely combined and very smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl and turn up speed and whip for a minute or two or until really light and fluffy. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Homemade Gifts For The Holidays Or Anytime

I was coming out of the Dollar Store last week, when I noticed a woman who had just bought about a dozen plastic holiday jars with tight fitting lids. I thought to myself that those jars would be great for some homemade holiday gifts, or gifts anytime of year. I went back the next day and bought a few jars. Here's what I'm doing with the jars. I'm making two different homemade gifts for giving. Hairdresser, manicurist, mailman, or anyone you want to remember will appreciate a homemade gift. I am making scented bath salts and sugar scrubs and chai tea (just add water). Here are the recipes for both. Peppermint Bath Salts or Sugar Scrub 1 cup Epsom salts or sugar 1 T. olive oil few drops of essential oil-peppermint for this batch food coloring In a bowl, mix salt or sugar with oil, to moisten. Add scent and food coloring, and mix until completely blended. Package in airtight containers. Other scents that work well are lemon or orange, eucalyptus and pine. The jars I bought are plastic, which makes them super safe to use in the bath. Chai Latte 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder 1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer 1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer 2 1/2 cups white sugar 1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea (regular or decaf) 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon white pepper Yes, I know it sounds very sweet, but it's just right. Use about 2 heaping tablespoons per cup of hot water. No, this is not a low fat version. Package in jars for easy giftgiving. Other ideas for how to fill the plastic jars include bean soup ingredients, mixed nuts, hot chocolate mix, spiced or sugared pecans, licorice, potpourri, terrarium, granola or trail mix, or seasoning mix.

Avocado Fudge

Fallbrook is the avocado capital of the world.  There's a store there called Swirlz, which is a retro candy store, carrying all the wonderful candy bars, mints and gum you remember from your childhood.  They also have a lot of new items, like avocado fudge, touted as the world's healthiest, most satisfying fudge ever.  The fudge is handcrafted using only the finest ingredients available, including Haas avocados, grown in Fallbrook. 

Avocados are rich in vitamins, lecithin and healthy fats, thus making avocado fudge much healthier than fudge made from traditional recipes.  I tasted it, and it's yummy.  You'd never know avocados were a main ingredient.  The fudge comes in all the basic varieties, including chocolate, chocolate mocha, chocolate peanut butter, white chocolate, and rocky road.

Fran and I were in downtown Escondido one morning, scouting out a trip for our wanderers group.  We ran across a retro candy store called Swirlz on Grand Ave., where they sold the avocado fudge from Fallbrook.  I tried it and it is delicious.  Fran tried the avocado/coconut ice cream.  No good.  Anyway, here is the Fallbrook recipe for avocado fudge.  The key to this is making sure that you give it time to harden completely.  Otherwise, you'll end up eating it with a spoon.

                                                                Avocado Fudge

• 1 avocado, ripened
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation:

In a medium sized saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat. Once margarine is melted, puree with avocado in food processor or blender until perfectly smooth. Be sure there are no chunks of avocado left!Return mixture to saucepan over very low heat and aff the rest of the ingredients,except the walnuts, adding the powdered sugar a portion at a time. Once all the sugar has been added, the mixture should be thick. Add walnuts if desired, and transfer to a loaf pan. Refrigerate until firm. Now, be patient! If you don't let it firm up, you won't be able to slice it up into squares.  

Cheesy Onions

Years ago, maybe 40+ years ago, my mom got me hooked on Gourmet Magazine. Every month I would anticipate its arrival, and devour the travel articles and recipes. In those days there was really no magazine that matched it for wonderful travel destinations (with great detail on restaurants and hotels) and fantastic, although often complicated recipes. One recipe that my mom found in the 1960's and has been making ever since, is what I call Cheesy Onions. It was first printed in a story about outdoor barbequeing, and although the barbeque is a great way to make this, you can also do it indoors in the oven. Here's the simple recipe that you will love. Cheesy Onions 4 medium sized onions (Bermuda or Spanish, it doesn't really matter) Parmesean cheese Butter Peel onions, slice off both ends so they're flat on the top and bottom, then slice in 1/4 inch slices. Place a small pat of butter and grated parmesean cheese in between each slice. You should have about 5 slices in all. Reassemble onion so it looks whole. You've got the sliced onion with butter and cheese between slices, put back together at this point. Now, wrap well in aluminium foil, making sure foil is folded so that juices cannot run out of the onion. Place on barbeque and cook until onion is soft. It could take close to an hour. Rotate onion to prevent burning. The oven method is the same except that you cook it in the oven, about an hour. What you have when you unwrap it, is just delicious. Soft, cooked onion, with butter and melted parmesean. What a combination. Enjoy with your favorite meat, fish or chicken. It goes with anything. Another way to make this which will cut down on cooking time is to peel the onion and par boil it for about 5 minutes. Then slice and proceed as above. This should cut oven or barbeque time considerably.

Quiet Time Together

With Thanksgiving behind us and Hanukkah and Christmas right around the corner, the talk everywhere is about what we are thankful for. It gets repetitious, as most people say they are thankful for good friends, family and health. Most of us don't sit around and talk about what we're thankful for, how our lives have evolved, hopefully improved, how we have evolved and improved, but Ron and I do. Maybe it's because we've been through a lot that we reflect on the past more than others might, and seize each moment and enjoy it to the max. A few weeks ago I blogged about Ron's birthday, and how we had been through alot, but that we were both so optimistic about the present and future. We talked more about what we have been through, and Ron said to me that it (his incarceration) doesn't seem so bad now. I said, "You've got to been kidding!" How time heals all wounds. He is now looking at our 19 months apart and thinking about the "good" that we found during that time. The anticipation of our weekly visits was the climax of our week apart. The four hours we spent together every Friday was the highlight of a predictable, rather mundane week. Yes, Ron developed some new skills at Taft, made new friends (although temporary friends), read some books, reflected on life and love and improved his health. I used the time to develop a deeper relationship with my mom and children, become more independant, learn bookkeeping skills (well sort of), and survive in the single world. I've always said to Ron that life is a roller coaster. At first you're chugging up the big hill, hoping to reach the top. You may get there, with a few little dips in the ride. Somewhere near the top, things usually level off, and for the latter years of your life you simply glide along. Our roller coaster has been a little different. We climbed up the first hill with a few ups and downs, reached the top, rode the top of the coaster for awhile, then crashed quickly to the bottom. Now we're chugging our way up again. Ron feels happier than he's ever been. I believe him. He says the big difference is living in the moment. We go to play bridge now, and Ron is totally focused on that activity, not thinking about what he'll do later. In the past, Ron would only partially enjoy anything he was doing, as he was always thinking about what came next. So what am I thankful for? All the usual things, like family and friends, and good health. I am also thankful for Pepper, our rescue Schnoodle that we brought home a year ago. What a wonderful addition to our life. We sometimes overlook the fact that without good health, nothing else matters. I have 2 friends that have recently lost a young family member, one 45 and one 48, both suddenly. They know the value of good health, and of living in the moment. I am most thankful that I have a partner who has grown, changed and developed into a man I am proud to call my husband. I am thankful for our wonderful talks about life, children, politics and the world, that encourage me to be the best mother, daughter, wife and human being I can be. I am thankful that I love to read and learn, and that I am constantly challenging myself in that department. Finally, I am thankful that my great grandparents didn't miss the boat, that I was born in America, that I have the freedom to speak my mind and believe what I want, even if it's not popular. I'm sorry if I've rambled a bit, but I'm writing this early on Thanksgiving morning, right before I go to the gym. I wanted to respond to a wonderful conversation Ron and I had last night before it got away from me. We're spending a quiet Thanksgiving together but alone, after last week having the family here for Ron's birthday. That's just one more thing that I have to be thankful for. I don't have a family that guilts everyone up if they can't make it to Thanksgiving dinner. For the last several years we have celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday or Saturday, because that was the day that worked for everyone. My family marches to it's own drum, something else for which I am thankful.