Happy Thanksgiving and More

Happy Thanksgiving Yesterday! It has been a busy fall for us. Not enough down time and new challenges for the family. After Jim's mother passed away, we came back to get organized for living a life without her. It was and still is a process: we think about her each time we leave home, expecting the call that she has taken a turn for the worse. That's programmed in after 99 years! Of course, we haven't been checking on her that long, but we feel we have committed many years to that worry. Jim called his mother every night and that leaves a hole in his evening hours. Some times she was OK and sometimes she was dreaming and didnt make much sense, but the contact was there. We usually go to southern California for one, if not both, of the major winter holidays, but this year I begged to stay home. We were home yesterday until we went to friends for a Thanksgiving feast. Wow! More about that later. We are also planning to be home for Christmas. We begin our busy winter schedule this weekend with a Taize service and dinner for my EFM group. For those of you who don't know about EFM, it's my Education For Ministry class, a bible study program. Since we are all called to minister, this class teaches us how we might do that or helps us recognize where we already are doing that. The first year we did the Old Testament. This past year we did New Testament. Next year we do church history and the year after that we study theology. Other busy seasonal activities follow from wreath making at a friend's house to the Commodore's Ball at the Yacht Club to a Christmas pot luck with my new Hospice group.

After Karen's death without Hospice and the death of friend, Marilyn Dickens, and Jim's mother with a Hospice team, I decided I wanted to be trained to be a Hospice Volunteer. I took the three day training after we got back from our cruise. I went into it with some reservations, but after the third day I was sure I want to offer my services to sit with someone or help out with a family as they go through the final walk of a loved one. I know it is a very different thing for me to do, but it feels right and I want to do it. I haven't been on a case yet, and I may not have one for a year or more, but I am trained and will meet with the group to share their experiences as they go out on teams. One day I'll be ready and they'll call me.

The other thing I've recently taken on is Weight Watchers. I found a class and a lecturer I like, and I joined the day before yesterday, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving! Some would think that was odd, but I wanted to be ready when we started into the season of eating. I did have to control myself a little at dinner last night. The dinner menu follows:

Appetizers:

Free Form Onion Tart, Cheese and Parmesan Stuffed Dates,

Fennel Spiced Almonds.

Soup:

Celery Leek Bisque with Stilton Toast.

Entrees:

Turkey with Spicy Sausage Stuffing and Turkey Gravy,

Wild Mushroom Bundles, Braised Brussel Sprouts,

Mashed Potatoes Yukon Gold, Sweet Potato Apple Pancake,

Scorched Corn Puddng, Cranberry Cassis Conserve.

Mango Sorbet.

Dessert:

Pumpkin Creme Brulee with Gingersnaps.

We started with sparking Spanish wine with the appetizers, white wine with the soup( 2 kinds),red wine with the turkey( two kinds) and ended with coffee, port and chocolate covered nuts. So, I was good, taking small servings and not having some things. There were so many choices I didn't have a hard time filling up with the vegies. I skipped the onion tart, but I tasted Jim's and it was wonderful. I had one date and a few almonds before dinner. Then I skipped the potatoes and had only other vegies. I had lots to eat and managed to only use 1/2 my extra points for the week! I had to share the menu with you, since it was exactly as advertised in her menu card on each place setting! The table was beautiful, the company was fun and I didn't do anything all day at my house. I didn't even have to cook anything since we took wine and loaned the hostess a few things for the dinner table. What a relaxing day!!!I did this WW thing once before, so I know I can do it gain; I just have twice as much to lose now.

Libby is in Peru for two weeks on a tour. She called yesterday and said she had struggled with the altitude, but was a little better. She was down to 9000 ft, but they will be doing the high mountains soon so I hope she's OK. Her voice sounded happy and excited about her trip, and it was good to hear from her. We also talked to Missy and Meghan. Everybody in SoCal is doing well. The weather is still warm, but Scott has been away from golf for a couple of weeks with a strained shoulder. Meg loves her high school now and the football team got into the playoffs, and they all go the ball games now.
Oh, BTW, we did get a new boat, a Schock 34. It's a little bigger and goes faster so our cruising next summer should be fun. We'll sell our Hunter 30 when we remove all our stuff. The new boat is in Seattle until we get a good day to bring it up to Oak Harbor. Not much sailing weather right now. Much rain!!! Looks like things are doing well for the Wagners. The best to you as we begin the Advent and holiday season. Jim and Virginia on Whidbey Island.