Thanks Giving

Remember the stories from grade school surrounding  Thanksgiving, about pilgrims and Indians and a grand feast? The truth is, the pilgrims were sick and ill-equipped to take on the wilderness of the New World, and without the Indians, they would have certainly starved. It was Abraham Lincoln who created an official holiday for Thanksgiving. It was 1863 during the Civil War, and the country was low, with no end in sight for the war. President Lincoln called on Americans to give thanks for blessings, while also acknowledging the nation's suffering. He asked for healing and unity. The holiday proclamation wasn't about eating a grand feast for some. It was about a bigger concept of feeding the spirit of a war-torn country. 

In these modern times, we are surrounded by blessings and suffering. Over the last few weeks, I've watched as individuals, organizations, and communities have dispelled the notion that we don't "take care" of each other any more. GoFundMe accounts have sprung up in order to provide community meals. Children are making bracelets and dog walking to give money to charities. Restaurants are giving away food a day or two each week. My county first responders have taken on the task of weekend backpacks for kids which used to come from Harvesters. 

Regardless of the news, we are a nation of givers. Many good things happen every day - so many people quietly give to make someone else's situation better. I have always been surrounded by helpers. I don't think it is just because I've lived in very small towns where I know most folks. It is because at our very core, humans don't abide suffering, even if we don't agree with how it happened. We don't abide by hungry children and homeless veterans. We want to do what we can to contribute, right down to the least of us. 

Long ago, when the kids were babies, I lost my wallet while getting gas to go Christmas shopping. Inside was the $200 I had saved for shopping. Now, I'll never know if Lil (a grandma whose granddaughter was in Sarah's class) knew about my loss, but she knew we were struggling to get our feet under us in a new place. Out-of-the-blue, she showed up at our home one evening, and asked if we'd accept a gift. "You see, every month, I save a little from all the jobs I do. At the end of the month, I give it to someone who needs it much more than me." Inside a bank envelope was $109. There are no words big enough to thank someone for a life preserver. 

Thanks giving. A compound word made up of equal parts - to thank and to give. Being grateful for all we have is not the same as giving thanks - to those who have been our saviors in the tough times.

As we all approach Thanksgiving, I hope we sit with our memories and offer thanks again for those who came to our rescue. I hope we look for opportunities to make someone's life brighter. I hope we help where we can to alleviate suffering. My own experiences tell me it feels MUCH better to give. 

If ever we needed to feed the spirit of our fellow humans, this Thanksgiving is a great time to start.  

Birthday Month

For a couple of years, I've been noticing people announcing "It is my birthday month!" sometimes having a charitable request. I tried it this year, and I asked people to send me a picture of what makes them happy.  I got one! Bummer! Then my birthday month turned into a smorgasbord of happenings! 

It all started October 7. I gave myself an allergy shot in my thigh and it kind of went in wonky...and it stayed red. We'll circle back to this. 

We hosted our Sunflower Ramblers RV gang with our friends the Wilsons at Perry Lake. The weekend was packed with historical explorations - Atchison for the Amelia Earhart Museum, then Lecompton for more museums and a wonderful presentation by the Parks docent at the Territorial Capitol. Great food, always good visits with our camping family. I even gave the devotional on Sunday...that was scary!  

We came home to the mother load of apples, and they were so ripe they were dropping off the tree. I was going to make apple butter, but then I found a dozen pints from last year! Chickens LOVE apples! We started the long list of things to do to prepare for winter - a new wall in the loafing shed to protect the goats and dogs from snow, changing out fans for heaters in the chicken coop, moving the herb bed garden to the house, getting the outside cat shelters cleaned up, and on and on and on...

On my birthday eve, my bestie and I went out to dinner and then saw Tina at the Lied Center in Lawrence. The show was amazing...but my leg was really hurting. When I got home and examined what was going on - I had a red, hot welt as big as my hand! 

I asked for ice cream for my birthday; just too hard to have cake without my mom. A small town nearby has a new ice cream parlor, and the weather was so beautiful, we ate outside! It was a simple, perfect day. 

Finally on Saturday, the whole leg thing turned gruesome. The injection site had abscessed, and I'm stopping there. GRUESOME is my new word - just GRUESOME.  I will say that the folks at urgent care were awesome, even though I was cry-screaming! I was humbled by a new kind of pain I don't ever want again!  The following Monday, my primary doc said that she'd never heard of the bacteria I had. That was comforting. 

I hate cancelling on folks, but I had to surrender to the pain in my leg. I couldn't put on pants! Obviously, no substituting for me! I spent a week in the recliner reading, crocheting, knitting, playing games on my computer and SLEEPING.  Fortunately, high doses of antibiotic (that hated my stomach) put me on the road to healing. It will take a long time to completely heal, but I'm on the right track. 

Now, the month ended on a happy high note. We close out Sunflower Ramblers each year at Marion Reservoir where we construct blankets we donate where we travel. It is something to watch - men and women cutting, pinning, sewing, finishing. With a small crew we made 20 blankets for next year.  We also took time to visit the cathedral at Pilsner and learn about Fr. Emil Kapaun and the process for his sainthood. (Did you know it is pronounced Kuhpawn, not Kpun?) When we started with our Rambling friends, we weren't sure if it was our speed. It is! We look forward to each month together, but this time our days together felt like a family reunion - lots of laughter and story telling, cooking for one another, and visiting and resting together. Can't wait to see them all in April!

Bottom line, my birthday month ended better than it started. Birthdays are reminders to take stock and decide how the year ahead will go. I'm glad I paid attention to the little wonders and happy bits. 

On a different note...

We have a foster dog right now that I'm dying to place with a family with kids and a big yard! Maya LOVES to run and chase a ball, no telling if she'll bring it back! She's the best - Maya is 5 year old Labrador/German Shepherd mix. She is already spayed, chipped, and trained. Maya is a big girl...87#! Still she is good with our little visitors. If you are interested, check with www.pawsitivetailskc.org.