happy monday....!

I am happy today! Tomorrow, Paul and I are sneaking away for one night! He has Wednesday off from work for Veterans' Day, and has hotel points. We tried to fit it in on a weekend, but there's always something. This coming weekend, for instance, he's leaving for France again, then it's the weekend after Thanksgiving, then into December...anyhow...I'm glad and looking so forward to the little getaway.

Not that I don't love my kids. But having uninterrupted conversations with the husband is rather rare. And believe you me, the kids are just as glad as we are, I know they aren't BAD when we leave, but they certainly eat snacks on the couch and stay up way too late. As long as they don't kill each other or set the house on fire...

And then, Thanksgiving is coming up! Having four nurses in the family makes it difficult to schedule anything they can all attend, but two of the four can make it for sure if we have dinner on Wednesday. One can't make it any of the days, she's working several in a row, and another hasn't chimed in yet. But if two can make it on Wednesday, then Wednesday it is. Thursday we'll just have Mexican food or something fun. One day is as good as another, as far as I'm concerned, I just want to them to be able to be here.

Today is my brother's birthday. William. He isn't with us anymore, if you have been reading this for any length of time, you know that he died by his own hand in a gruesome way...with a gun. It's one of those things that doesn't get any easier, and it's taboo to talk about. It's just not an acceptable way to die. I won't ever get over the shock of it, nor will I ever stop missing my brother. We grew up a close family, my sister...then four boys...then me, and then my little brother Casey. The youngest of those four boys was Billy. We were very close as teenagers. It's funny because I see him in my son Joseph, the sarcasm and the wit, and the nonchalant attitude. And just the way Joe can look at me and make me feel like I'm being silly, reminds me so much of Billy. The years go by, and the things my kids say and do, and the way our dogs are, I find myself thinking, "Billy would love this, Billy would find this hilarious, Billy is missing this."

But on a happier note, I saw a new number on the scale this morning! It's slow going, but at least we're moving in the right direction. I am in no danger of wasting away to nothing, don't worry. Here's a thought: When one is fat, whatever health problem they experience can be chalked up to...fatness. It causes a whole plethora of ills, from metabolic syndrome which leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, and of course strokes and heart attacks, and even some cancers. But guess what? Skinny people have those issues too. And guess what? Everyone dies. Not just the fat people. I know life is harder when you're bigger. Life is more limited, more uncomfortable, clothes are harder to find, it's hard to buckle, to tie one's shoes, ect ect ect. But losing weight doesn't automatically make one happy and healthy. I used to read a column written by a lady named Bunny Dimmel, Bunny being a nickname. She was so inspirational to me! She had gained lots and lots of weight, and was several hundred pounds when she realized that she had gotten herself into this mess, and she would get herself out. So she did. She walked and she prepared healthy food all day on Saturdays to freeze for her week. She went through the drive-through of the coffee shop, got a coffee, asked the calorie content in a specific variety of donut, then made a happy conscious choice not to have one, and drove a way. She was amazing. Then she fell off the map. I couldn't find any new entries for her...then I sort of forgot about her. I decided to google her the other day, and dang it, she passed away a year ago Saturday. I was stunned. Saddened, and stunned. She had lost all that weight! She was supposed to be healthy and vigorous now! Yes, I know, everyone dies. But. It seems so unfair.

Anyway. Charlotte Claire seems to have a cold, and her voice is sort of hoarse, so she is having hot tea on this chilly morning, in her fuzzy robe. (She drinks it without sugar because she likes it that way, go Char!) Cam is still sleeping, Char sneaked out without waking her. Jonathan is up, talking to Margaret, who is in Norway, with his tablet. Davian is coming soon, and the day is starting!