Thanksgiving blessings!

Category: Holidays | Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 5:43 am

Isn't is nice that with all of us busy with the holiday and family and friends that we found the time to come and wish our Gardenstew friends and family a happy holiday. True, most of us were busy throughout the day but the day doesn't seem to end until we come and check on everyone. It's sad when one has to spend a special day alone but with friend like the ones here they can still feel special. DR spent some time here showing our friend the site and all the places to visit and I am sure Al will find the time to check it out from time to time. We hadn't seen them all year and it seems like if they are less than two hours away we could manage to visit from time to time, but we all keep busy and we all have ailments that keep us home from time to time. We have made plans to see them at the end of the year when our oldest son comes to Arizona to run in a 24 hour race down by where Al and Ree live. Al will be playing music both days but we will get together for breakfast or lunch. I have both days off. Tom will be coming with someone else so won't be able to come up so we are going to go down and stay a couple of days. He is going to bring Erin and we haven't seen her in a long while. She will be eleven in April so I thought instead of sending her a Christmas gift we might take her shopping while Tom is busy running.
The descendents of Sam and Myra Fleming are having a reunion in April in Phoenix. There were seven children of which I am the third. I had one brother who was the oldest. He was killed on his way home from Vietnam. I have an older sister (Wannabe) who lives in Illinois. My next youngest brother lives in Missouri and drives a semi-truck cross country several times a month. I don't think I could do it myself but he's been doing it many, many years. My next youngest sister lives in Phoenix. I don't see her as much as I'd like. Her husband had a stroke a couple of weeks ago and is now in rehab. I should have found time to call her today, but I didn't. I'll try to remedy that in the morning. The next youngest is a boy and he lives somewhere in Nevada. He has trouble with serious depression and only keeps in touch with Wannabe. We are all happy that he at least keeps in touch. He won't come to the reunion. The youngest lives in California. She is one of the organizer's of the reunion. Now, they have a web site or I should say a group e-mail through yahoo where everyone can voice their opinions. Between the seven of us there are 23 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. We live in 5 different states. But so many of the grandchildren and greatgrandchildren do not know each other and last Thanksgiving the four girls were together in Phoenix and decided we needed to try to get together so they could meet each other. There are 54 direct descendents but there are wives and stepchildren too so there are more than 70 who will try to be there. It is going to be spread over three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and more days if they want to come earlier or stay later. Andy says that's the week Ben has spring break so they will come earlier in the week. Tom hasn't said if they are coming. I think Erin has her break in March. So, even with large families it is hard to get them together. I remember when we were having reunions that of my dad's family and we were the younger generation. Now, only one of his brother's still lives and none of my mom's siblings still live. We are the older generation. When did that happen? It just crept up on us. We weren't watching close enough. I suppose it would have come anyway but it would have been nice to have had some warning. You know that means we are maybe getting older. I called to wish my dad a "Happy Birthday" when he turned 65. He said,
"What's so happy about it. This is the one where you start to get old." He died when he was 73 years old. I will turn 66 in January so I guess I started to get old about a year ago. I only feel it when it take me longer to get something done than it used to do. I dig my garden and flower beds with a shovel. I used to could get it all done in one day. Now, it takes all week and my knees and back complain daily about it. Talk about being weak-kneed. Oh, well, I still don't feel 65 so maybe you only start to get old when you start to feel old. Only my knees feel old. I am still young at heart and with that, I think I will take my old knees and go to bed. We did have a great Thanksgiving day with friends and Dan and with the ones we have never met in person but still consider to be good friends. Dooley

Last edited: Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:17 am

This blog entry has been viewed 656 times

Comments (7) | Leave a Comment

You're reading one of many blogs on GardenStew.com.
Register for free and start your own blog today.

Comments

glendann wrote on Fri Nov 24, 2006 6:44 am:

I so enjoyed your blog.I understand what you mean about getting old .& yrs ago when I went to work at Monterey I would run from the Guard Shack all the way to the main front door then all the way back and one day I started having chest pains and for at least a yr are a little longer my chest hurt bad and I got slower and slower.I finally got so bad I went to the Dr. 3 yrs ago I ended up with a Quad.
bypass and had already had a silent heart attack.I am
63 now so Dooley I started getting old way before 65.I'm slower but still turn my ground most of the time with a shovel.We don't give up easy.Do we ?

eileen wrote on Fri Nov 24, 2006 10:15 am:

Dooley please, please take lots and lots of photographs at the reunion won't you? I would love to see the rest of your family!!

You know, inside, I still feel like a teenager, it's such a pity that our bodies decide we're all getting older isn't it? I have false knees, arthritis in my lower back and in one hips but there is no way it's gonna beat me. Life is for living after all not sitting waiting to die.

reggaefan wrote on Fri Nov 24, 2006 11:29 am:

Great blog Dooley I was touched by your brother who died on his way home from Viet Nam. Hope your reunion turns aut well. You are right when we stop doing we wither on the vine I am just a younster (60 in March) but with my back surgeries people say I do too much but if I stopped I may never be able to start again

pondlady wrote on Fri Nov 24, 2006 3:10 pm:

Like you, I look in the mirror and wonder where that old lady came from. I laughed yesterday when Julie thought the photo I took in 1973 was an old time photo when I just took it yesterday. :grin
I have no false parts, but my body certainly does not work like it did years ago. When I started building ponds, I worked alone with no problem. The last years, I walked around with a clipboard and only built waterfalls. At the end, I needed help getting out of the water after building the waterfall.
Dooley and all, I just can't picture any of you as old, but I guess we are all getting there. As long as I have parents who are active and well, I know I have a long ways to go.
Keep us posted about your reunion.

Marlene wrote on Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:22 am:

It's always interesting to read your blog Dooley. I hit that 65 mark last year too and will be 66 in Feb. Although most of the time I feel pretty good, like everyone else I notice a slow down in the things I do and it seems to take longer and I have to take a break more often. Your plans for a family reunion sound great. Happy for you that you will get the chance to see your granddaughter when your son comes. Sure couldn't tell your age Dooley by all you do.

glendann wrote on Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:29 am:

Dooley is just an amazing person.I have admired you and your get up and go since I came to Garden Stew.Family reunions are fun but really tells your age lol.Seeing all those small frys all grown.

cajunbelle wrote on Sat Nov 25, 2006 3:23 am:

Dooley I really enjoyed the blog, and would have never guessed you are 65. You go girl. I do know what you mean though. I can't do near the things I could even 3 years ago. I have a bone disease with arthiritis on top of it, but I won't give up yet.