My eyes, Bella's eyes and giving thanks...

I was so happy the other night to finally be able to have a fire in my fireplace. But the one thing that I forgot from just a few months ago (when I lit the last fire) was that I think I'm allergic to the wood that I'm burning or maybe it's the smoke either way my eyes just about burnt out of their sockets and watered for days afterwards. BUT did I learn my lesson? No. I just can't resist a nice warm fire burning on a windy, cold night...especially when I can stay up late and enjoy it because there is no work tomorrow. I will probably regret this in the morning when my eyes are swollen. Damn, I just thought of something now as I was writing this...I am having Thanksgiving dinner with Brooke's family tomorrow and it's the first time we are going to meet and my eyes will probably be swollen...what the heck was I thinking!

Thanksgiving this year will be a little different from the one I spent alone last year. I love my friends on the mountain because they all tried to get me to spend the day with them and their families but I was kinda busy feeling sorry for myself. This year I'm surrounded by my own family and extended families. The weather is going to be sunny and warm, warm for Wisconsin that is. I get to meet a new family and I think we will have a lot in common besides our children loving each other.

Let me tell you a few things that I'm thankful for.  My brothers - Mike and Jack who come to cut my grass, get rid of leaves, fix windows and anything else that I ask help with around this house. Bruce was the same way when I lived near him in Arizona. He would give up entire weekends to travel to Heber to help me paint my house. My sisters - Barb changed all her plans last Saturday to rush me and Bella to Denmark, Wisconsin to see a vet who specializes in eye care because Bella's eyes were injured. (and this is just one example of what Barb does for me)  JoAnn is my comic relief. She makes me laugh even when she isn't trying to. She is so like mom, she messes up words so badly that even when we are having a serious conversation she'll say such a wrong word but she thinks she pronounced it correctly that I can't hold back my laughter.  Mom's famous mess up was using condom instead of condominium. She used to always say that Eddie lived in a condom. God I miss her.

So tonight, the night before Thanksgiving Day I wanted to share with everyone that I'm thankful for my brothers and sisters.