Thursday, November 24, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have to admit, yesterday I had a mini breakdown. I was driving to the store and a favorite song of my brothers came on the radio. Crying while driving and digging in my purse for a tissue..yea that happened.
This is my absolute favorite time of year with Christmas being my favorite holiday, but with that comes some emotional turmoil for me. I miss my family more this time of year than any other. With my mom, dad, brother Chris, sister Kim and her son Michael all passed away, it just sucks when these feelings wash over me this time of year. Possibly because every year we would spend Christmas Eve at my mom's house and everyone would gather around the fire, drink and eat mince pies and exchange gifts. It was magical to me. Even with all the sibling rivalry and fighting LOL. Then in 1986, Paul and I moved to Ohio and ever since then I yearned for the Christmas Eves from the past. Some years I was lucky enough to drag Paul and the kids back to Mississippi for that nostalgic feeling. Most years up here we went to Paul's dads house. It wasn't a planned get together. Just something we did and sometimes Paul's sisters or brother showed up while we were there or as we were leaving. They don't drink (not that that's important mind you), and they don't exchange gifts with us. We did have some home made cookies that Kathy made. So I was most emotional those years but now that my kids are grown, I'm going to have Christmas Eve at my house every year. I may have mentioned that last year here on my blog. Anyway, it will be even better when Steve and Jenn have kids and we have some grandkids running around on Christmas Eve...just like at my moms. I don't make mince pies but that might be something I'll do in the future.

Mom and Michael '08
Mom and Chris
Kim, Robbie and Michael..happy bunch LOL
Kim '09


So, now that I have that out of my system it's time to get my shit together and have a bad ass Thanksgiving with Steve, Brandy, her parents, grandma and sister, Jenn and Dan, Bev, Tom and Bev's sister. I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving too. xoxo

As always...

Sunday, November 6, 2016

West Side Market and Fall..

On Friday, Bev, Lydia and I went to the West Side Market in Ohio City. I'm admitting here that I've never been but understand, I grew up in Southern California and moved here in '86. Now Paul did grow up here and has never been. There I go throwing him under the bus LOL.
It was quite different from what I expected. It reminded me of Jamie's Flea Market-but with food.


I don't think there are many places with a brick ceiling.
Oh the food!!






I did have a Butterfinger cannoli, which was eh. I think the Oreo Cheesecake would have been a better choice. 


As you know, I've been walking every morning with Lydia and on Saturdays we try to venture out to some local parks. Yesterday we went to the Black River Reservation in Elyria. It was chilly, in the mid 40's and the night before must have brought a bit of frost as the bridges were icy (we walked across two on our 4 mile walk).  But what a beautiful morning! Good thing I wasn't timing my walk because I had to stop and take pictures..





This is going into a file I have titled "If I ever learn how to paint". 
I've got some pretty pictures of the fall flowers and tree in my yard...





As always...