Monday, December 1, 2025 – Day 475

Monday, December 1, 2025

Good morning, everyone.
24 days until Christmas. 🤶

We finally had our Thanksgiving feast yesterday. This holiday has always been one of my favorites. I’ve always loved the meal…it’s the only time each year we have turkey, and when you add my favorite sides—mashed potatoes, sausage-loaded dressing, rich gravy, and a vegetable (preferably corn)—it’s a win-win. Oh…and we did have a kale salad. I’m sure it was good.

I skipped my formula feeding so I could join everyone at the table in the feast. I don’t eat anywhere near what I used to, but I requested a traditional meal…so I wasn’t going to skip it. Every bite takes focus these days to chew and swallow, it’s called savoring the meal…something I didn’t do in the past. And it worked…no misplaced food in my airway. Another win-win.

My mom collected various patterns of china and loved bringing them out for holidays and gatherings. When my parents passed away in 2014, each of my siblings chose a set of dinner plates or two. I picked the Thanksgiving plates and we used them yesterday. There was something comforting about having them at the table again. A quiet little link to the past…a way to honor Sally and all her dinner parties.

I was grateful to be surrounded by family yesterday. Sure, we were missing our east and west coast kids, and that always leaves an empty chair or two in the heart. But that’s life as families spread out…you celebrate with the people in front of you, and in your thoughts you celebrate the ones far away.

And then there are the people we can’t call—the ones who left their fingerprints on every holiday we’ve ever had. We brought out photos and shared stories of past celebrations. Every tradition holds a piece of them. Every story retold brings them back for a moment. Yesterday, I felt all of them…right there with us in the flicker of the candles and in the clatter of those plates my mom loved so much.

It was a good day. A full day. A day of family. And to top it off, Lis and Steve who were traveling back to Minocqua from their Antarctica adventure…took a detour and stopped in for a couple of hours. A perfect surprise.

Family isn’t measured by who can make it, but by how we hold and cherish one another across miles, across years, across continents, and across the memories that bind us. Thank you to everyone who put a smile on my heart this past week.

Have a great Monday.
Love you guys! ❤️

Photos: The Thanksgiving plates - from the 90’s at 1922

Our group photo…thanks Geoff for taking it.