Happy Thanksgiving and Last of my Thankfuls

Anything at Anytime would like to say to you ALL:

As for the Last of my Thankfuls, well, as the saying goes:  "Save the Best for Last!"

I know -  Many of you Readers already knew where I was going to go with this.

I Thank God everyday for everything I have written so far in my Thanksgiving Thankfuls.

I Thank God with every Beat of MY HEART for my Wife!!

A Woman that changed my life for the Better by a thousand fold and then some.  No, she didn't change me, She completed me!  What more can a Husband say of a Wife?

She has given me to Beautiful Daughters, an exceptionally Large Extended Family, Her Heart and so much more.
She is a Teacher that takes pride in her students and gets the best she can from them, Even if she has to pull them along by their noses.  :)
She Cares almost to a fault - but really, if you Care to much can it be considered a Fault?  Probably not.

Fourteen + years later and my Heart still feels like it did the first day I met Her.
Don't get me wrong We have had our moments.  What couple doesn't?  No matter the issues in Fourteen years there has not been a night end without me telling Her "I Love You" nor Her telling me the same.

She is the type of person that when She does something or gets involved in something - She gives it her All.  It does not matter what it is She does, She does the Best she can.  What a great example for our Daughters.  If I were to have a choice to have our Daughters turn out like me or Her -- Most Definitely HER!

She hates reading my posts about her sometimes.  She says I give her to much credit.  Just like her.
I don't think I give Her enough!  So, since it is My Blog - Who do you think wins there?

You Bet your Ass --

This is My Pulpit, My Mountain Top to shout at the World -  To tell the World that God Has Blessed me!
God put Her in my Path and allowed me the Pleasure of Heaven on Earth.

If you didn't get that, here I will make it easier to read:

I Love Her and Thank God She is my Wife and a Part of My Life!

Thus ends my Thanksgiving Thankfuls this year.  Hope to see you next year.

Thanksgiving - More Thanks

Anything at Anytime Thanksgiving Thankfuls started Sunday, continued yesterday and will today and tomorrow.

Yesterday, talking about J's family, I missed one.  One Very important lady. Momma's Sister and J's Aunt Nemi.  Nemi never married but became the Woman in everyones' life.  Not a Mother, not an Aunt, not a friend but something So much More!
A bit of this one, a little of this one and a sprinkle of that all mixed together with a touch of Cinnamon baked over a low heat for a time and what do you have?  Nemi!

Nemi is an older woman now but is a very active lady that does her very best to be there for everyone.  She bakes a homemade birthday cake for Everyone.  Has a Christmas party every year in her little humble abode (On a Good day you can get 5 people in that house comfortably, more and it is crowded).  At Christmas I have No idea what she does, but around 30-40 people and room for more.  Always something for Everyone.

At times I feel she, Nemi (who did you think I was talking about?), has adopted us as her kids.  She falls into the  "You need something, here it is family!"  She needs something done around the house - Any or all of us guys are there to work on it.  Somebody is in the Hospital, Nemi is there to give a shoulder, buy lunch, just keep your mind off of what you don't want to think.

I am Thankful that she has been a part of my life, of course my wife's and the lives of my Children.  Matter of fact as I write this she has one of my daughters over at her house teaching her how to make Homemade Pumpkin Pie that she learned from her mother.


For those of you reading today just imagine I had some unique eloquent dialogue to shift from one thing to the next here.  Just make sure you think it was really Awesome.

My Parents..........
Thankful?!?!  Most definitely.  The hows and whys are a bit tricky but most certainly there.
I am, without a doubt, not the easiest child to deal with.  I am vocal, most of the time; opinionated, always; confrontational, certainly; hard headed, obviously (But, I inherited that from my Dad :) as I took notes!); and those are just a few of my faults as a child.  I am Thankful They put up with it.

There have been times they hurt me and Many More that I have hurt them; and yet, They are still there and Love me.  Now, with the cards I have been dealt in life, More than ever I am Grateful that they are still here for me and my Girls (J, D, and E).

We have undeniably had issues.  They didn't "Shut the Door" as I was their son, and I didn't "Shut the Door" (almost but didn't) because I wanted my Daughters to know their Grandparents and my Parents to know their Grand-daughters.

Thank God They didn't give up on me and miss out on my wife and children!

I am just Thankful that We are all trying and not letting ourselves get in the way.


Here, Now, I get to the TWO of the Really Good parts of what I am Thankful for:

My Daughters

Older picture but One I really like!

What man would not be Grateful to have a Blond on one arm and a Brunette on the other?  :)

There are times as a Dad, that I can not allow them to see everything and exactly how I feel about things they have done.  Then there are the times I can't help myself and This is going to be one of them so Please understand this is from a very, Very Proud Parent.

I am so Thankful to God for Blessing me with Two Beautiful and Intelligent Daughters!

Yes, my Daughters, have their "Moments" as children do, but even then, when they do - They can be Whoppers!
I have always told them:  "If you are going to do it - DO IT!  Just be prepared to suffer the consequences."
Those don't happen that frequently.  Thank God.

I am a smart man, most of the time, and pride myself in knowing many things.  I can see it, saw it when they were younger but Really starting to see it Now, My Daughters are going to make Dad look "Stupid" when they get older and more "Edgeumacated!" and I am Glad.  I am Thankful that I have Daughters that will be smarter than I when they get older.

Another bit to go with that that I am Thankful for is they are Smart without loosing their Common Sense!  It always amazes me about "Smart People" and a major lack of Common Sense.  From the looks of it so far No need to worry.  Thank You.

Doing the Right Thing - No Matter the Consequences to yourself because it is the Right Thing, is something that they both have already started to do.  Those moments where you know something Must be said and knowing that in the saying you are making yourself vulnerable, but doing it anyway....... That, in my opinion; No Matter Your Age, Is GUTS.  A Parent (I) should be (am) Proud!  I am Thankful that they both have shown and done things that fit that bill.

Talent abounds in my Daughters - A Singer, A Writer, An Athlete, An Artist, Musicians Both, and "Lurnin" they is sponges!

One plays a Violin and the other the Clarinet, I didn't need ear plugs to long, they picked 'em up, and No not Naturals, but it didn't take them long.  I am Thankful my Eardrums were spared.  LOL

Both can sing; However, D when she lets her voice go is Good.  I have no doubt in my mind that if she ever finds the Right Song she will make My Heart Weep in Pleasure, as well as yours.  She is just shy to show it or sing for small groups.

E, well she is the Writer and Artist.  The art, as in all Artist, is taking its time but you can see it.
Funny how Writing and Art tend to go hand in hand.
Her writing is something all together different.
Put some years and experience behind the pen and paper and with her imagination she will rival my Favorite Author - Robert Jordan.

Yes, I am a Proud Parent and bragging about our Children is an entitlement that all Parents are allowed.  It is written in the manual section 7 sub section H addendum 37.  :)

I am also Highly Critical, not so much as to take a whip to them and say they can do better so do it, but to have them strive to do their best.  J and I both will ask them something along the line "Is this the best you are capable of?,  Have you done all you can?" etc....  If they answer that "Yes, that is." then we leave it at that.  If not then we tell them "If you are going to do something, you do your Best at all times in everything you do."
So, when I say there is talent, part of it is Pride and the other is that there is actually "Something" there.  Someday (I Hope) you may hear one Sing and read what one Writes.

I could go ON and ON!
I just find it difficult to write this about My Daughters as I don't want it all to seem as pure bragging.


Daddies "Little Girls" ( not so "Little" anymore :( !)  -- Absolutely!
Daddies Pride and Joys - Most Assuredly!!
Apples of my Eye - No ifs ands or buts about it!!!
Stole my Heart - Yes they did!


I am Thankful that they are My Daughters.

I am Thankful that God has Blessed Me, and My Family with Two Beautiful, Intelligent, Caring Girls.

I am just Thankful that they are a Part of My Life.

Thanksgiving - Extended Family and In-Laws

The other day Anything at Anytime posted "A Prelude to Thanksgiving", today I will fill in my list with one of the things that deserves a post of its Own.

A little over 15 years ago I met a Woman that captured my heart in the matter of two blinks of an eye.  I have always been (in my opinion) a "Romantic", but I never believed that someone could find "The One" that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with in such a manner and Know it right then and there.

*Nasty Crooked Curve ball coming!*

This post is not about that Woman.
*See, You all thought I was going to Post about her today.  Not!*

This is about that Woman's Family: Parents, Brother, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and extended Family.

Of course this will be laced heavily towards her Parents and Brother as they are the most influential in my life on a day to day basis.

14 years and 4 months ago I was introduced to her Family - ALL of the FAMILY!  As mentioned above, I got to meet all of the Aunts (had to pass all of the "Is he right for her?" questioning and grilling (they didn't toast me to bad!)).  Next, was all of the Uncles and Cousins - One Uncle (I respect and enjoy his friendship today) went so far as to tell me "I like you so will give you fair warning, You hurt her -I WILL HURT YOU!"
If you Really Love someone, you don't take that as a threat you take that as a message of how much others Love her as well, at least that is how I look at it.

The Entire Family accepted me and just opened the "Door" to me so to speak.  I was folded under the wing of the Family and from that point on have been a Part of that Family.
I Thank God all the time for them and their acceptance!

My In-Laws, well, they are a story all of their own.  I met them a few days after meeting her.  Unbeknownst to me, She had (having the same instant Feeling I did) already informed her Mom that I was "The One".  So from moment one of our meeting I was under the Mother and Father Microscope!
I Thank God my parents brought me up to respect women and respect my elders!  I believe that That is what got me to the "I Like him stage!"

Over the next several days, I spent many hours with her Family (Momma, Frank and Mike).  Most of which was me out on the back porch with Frank and Mike and Beer in hand.  I had No clue that all of the talking between the three of us was to see how I would "Fit" with His Daughter and His Sister.  Looking Back, That is exactly what that was.

We do not fit into the "In-Law" mold that is portrayed most often.
My Mother-in-Law is not my "Mother-in-Law" - She is Momma!  and I am her "Son".
My Father-in-Law is not my "Father-in-Law" - He is Frank, a fellow veteran, and a very Dear Friend!
Mike, My Brother-in-Law, is a Brother in all forms of the word and adores his Sister like No other, and is an Awesome Uncle to my Daughters.
When any of them need help, we are there.  When We need help - They are there!  No questions, No nothing other than "Here, Take this."  No ifs, ands or buts - just There!

I have traveled a great part of this world in my life and never found a place or Family I was so readily accepted and made to feel a part of.  They have been "Happy" with me and "Sad" with me, as I with them.  I was not made to feel as if I had to "Prove" or "Earn" my place in this Family,  I was there immediately.

I am so Thankful that I have been given the Honor to be an accepted, active part of this Family from the first day I became a member of it.


I Wish and Hope that you all have similar acceptance and Love from your extended Families.

A Prelude to Thanksgiving

To Anything at Anytime's regular followers,

I apologize for the last post and Rant on Sports Officiating.  I hope this post will make amends for that.  I have been reading comments all day about the game and I figured I better shift gears quickly and get back to some GOOD writing before I lost myself in the Stupidity of Ineptness or Ineptness of Stupidity (either one actually works).


Thanksgiving is Thursday.

I (with all the things that Have gone South in my life) Have Many, Many things to be Thankful for.

Where does one start with such a list?
A list that Tells everyone what is important in our lives and gives acknowledgement to things that keep us going, day in and day out.
A list that may include things that mean nothing to some and Everything to Others.

Some of the things that belong on the following list I will save for Posts during the week so that I may give them their proper due.

What follows is in no particular order:

I am Thankful for:

- New friends from around the globe - Everyone of them has a different take on things and brings laughter and in some cases sadness to the table for all to share.  What good are friends if you can't share the Good and the Bad?

- Anything at Anytime as it gives me an outlet for random writings and rants.  Hell of a form of Self-Counseling/Therapy (what you all haven't figured out I'm Mental?)

- Coffee -- The true Go-Go juice of Bloggers

- Good Music -- as Good Music gives thought and voice to those things we sometimes have no other means to communicate to others.

- Technology - without it I would not be typing this and you wouldn't be reading it.

- The ability to know that not all things are Perfect and we have to just do our best.

- Pumpkin Pie with Heaps and Heaps of Cool Whip!!!

- My Father-in-Law's Stuffing --  I can make a meal of this three times a day and a fourth on Sundays and not want for anything else.

- Good Reading -- Far to much junk out their claiming to be a book - But when you find a Good Book you really know it and find yourself becoming a part of it.

- Good Shoes -- You know, those shoes that don't make your feet hurt when you are in them all day.  Those shoes that feel like a glove and don't rub anywhere.  Good Shoes

- Oh, Did I mention Pumpkin Pie with Heaps and Heaps of Cool Whip!!!!!!!

Just an Appetizer before Turkey day.
Anything on your list you don't want to forget and throw out here.  Jump on in and make a comment.  What are some of the "other" things you are Thankful for?

Consider this a Warm-up for Thursday and for Christmas, it is just around the corner.