It's Monday after Thanksgiving. First big snowfall of the year. Every school is closed today. It's beautiful out and I am so glad I only have a four mile drive to work (unlike the drive I had to Grand Rapids during the horrific winter storm of 2013/2014).
I had a great Thanksgiving week! Friends (and former B&B guests) Joe and Renee came in last Sunday and stayed until Saturday (not with us, we don't have enough room). We spent some great time together with them. I had Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off so it was a nice time. My sister and two nieces, Julia and Megan, came in on Wednesday. Julia and I spent the afternoon and evening baking a Dobos Torte which my grandmother made EVERY Christmas. Then we even made her "famous" chip dip recipe. On Thursday we all exchanged Christmas gifts before the Thanksgiving dinner. It was a much needed soul rejuvenation for me. I haven't spent Thanksgiving with any family members since after my brother's death in 2007. We closed the B&B that year and had the ENTIRE family spend Thanksgiving with us...even my mom's best friend and her husband, Maxine and Ed VanderPloeg.
As the anniversary of Ray's surgery comes upon me I am given daily memory reminders on Facebook from 2009. None of them mention Ray's cancer diagnosis or upcoming surgery. We were keeping it pretty private. We also were hoping that he would recover quickly with no complications and life would move on. So as I read my comments from 2009 I can also read "into" them and remember exactly how I was really feeling as I made comments. Going out to dinner, going to watch sunset at the Lake, etc...my mind was actually reeling with the "what ifs." Nine years now and it seems like yesterday. - Jimmy
