Thankful Thursday

Thanksgiving Bonus Post

Thank you, Melissa, for sharing this.

(sorry, I couldn't get the video to embed, so I gave up and just posted the link.  It's a MUST SEE!)

2013 Day Twenty-Eight

So...

28 years ago today, at this very moment (7:30 am), I first laid eyes on Magnum.  (The date was actually November 28th that year, too!)  Most of you know the story, so I won't rehash the whole thing here.  (Those of you who don't are welcome to search the archives.  Go to the label "ex" and/or "Thanksgiving" for the scoop.)  Over the past 28 years, I have wondered many times how different my life would be if only I hadn't volunteered to work the opening shift that day, or if he hadn't volunteered to work, or if that dirty old man hadn't encouraged us to talk to each other.  I'd be lying if I said I hadn't sometimes wished none of it had happened.  It definitely would have saved me a lifetime of being on this emotional roller-coaster I call my life. 

But, then I remind myself that if none of it had happened, I wouldn't have my beautiful Stud Muffin, and HE is worth every second of whatever "drama" I've endured.

Baby, as we embark upon the 29th year of being in each other's lives, I want to thank you for giving me the greatest gift I'll ever receive.  I love you just as much, if not more, than I did almost 3 decades ago.  Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Anniversary!

2013 Day Twenty-Seven

Shopping for tomorrow - check
Taffy Apple Salad made - check
Attend inspiring church service - check
Stuffing made at mom's, and crammed into the bird - check
Stop and see Bestest Friend - check
Put on jammies, and get in bed - check
Get this posted before midnight - check

I Will Survive...

I know I've posted this one before, but it's still pretty cute.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Bloggy Buddies!!

Email of the Day

Of course, my Daddy sent me this.  It's 100% true!!

: ITALIAN THANKSGIVING-

MANGIARE ! MANGIARE !!!

       To those of you who remember,

     We REALLY did feast like this,

        Oh Boy..didn't we though......

ITALIAN THANKSGIVING When I was a kid growing up, Thanksgiving was a day to reflect on what we had to be thankful for and to see my family together.  After this peaceful moment, of no one screaming at each other, it was time to eat!                           ANDIAMO! Now Italians do it all little bit different than the rest, but what else is new. First we start with: ANTIPASTO then LASAGNA  or MANICOTTI (depending on what you had last year) with MEAT IN THE GRAVY   then SOUP   Now we get to the Meal: TURKEY   STUFFING ROASTED POTATOES BROCCOLI RABE and / or ESCAROLE ROASTED RED PEPPERS SAUTEED MUSHROOMS SAUTEED STRINGBEANS (picked from the vine in the backyard garden) THE BREAD (that nonna made) and GOD FORBID YOU FORGET THE SALAD!!! (picked from the backyard garden with homemade wine vinegar) To wash it all down, we had: HOMEMADE WINE and 7 UP (IN THE GLASS BOTTLE) Then after the men had a 2 hour nap and the woman cleaned all the dishes, we had: CHESTNUTS MIXED NUTS FRESH FRUIT DRIED FIGS and FINOCCHIO Then we started the dessert: ITALIAN COOKIES SFOGLIATELLE CANNOLIS and ITALIAN PASTRY (just in case we missed something) During this feast we enjoyed a nice EXPRESSO  with MARIE BRIZARD ANISETTE  or ROMANA SAMBUCA Then after that we needed a little something for DIGESTIVO We went straight for the BRIOSCHI!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY PAISANI

Just in case you don't believe me, check out this Thanksgiving post from two years ago.


**Oh, what the hell!?!?  I've edited this twice now, to put the pictures back in, and they keep disappearing!  Damn it!** 

**Ok, maybe the third time's the charm.  It damn well better be, it took me a half hour!!  I saved each individual picture to my computer, then inserted them one by one.  Oy!!**

Smiley Sunday

Monkey's First Thanksgiving!

How cute is she?!

Monkey giving Stud a little tickle under his chin.

The oldest and the youngest of my nieces.

Monkey and her handsome daddy.

It's really too bad her mother insists on dressing her like a boy! When my sister showed a picture of Monkey from Thanksgiving to her friend, the friend said, "Oh, my NEPHEW has that same outfit." WTF?!? For over 4 months now, her mother has been dressing her like a boy, and it drives us nuts!

Monkey and Grandpa

Monkey and Grandma

Monkey and Auntie

I swear I wasn't drunk here!

We tried to get a family picture, but it didn't go so well. I have two really crappy ones, and I wasn't even going to post them, but they kinda make me laugh, so I figured, what the hell! My niece should have a few on her camera, so when she sends them to me, I'll see if they're better. If they are, I'll post them later.

Stud's making a silly face here, I'm letting all 15 of my chins show, and Monkey started to cry.
Take 2 was just as bad. Monkey was screaming at this point, so my dad's looking at her instead of the camera, and my mom was saying something, probably "wait, don't take it yet!" Poor Brian was trying to take the pictures, with everyone's camera, of course. Like I said, looking at these makes me laugh because it takes me right back to that absurd moment!My sister brought this silly headband with her because she thought we might be able to get a cute picture of Monkey so my brother could make his Christmas cards. Too bad she had a (boys!!!) Thanksgiving outfit on, huh?

Like I said last night, I got to spend most of the day with my baby yesterday. Once again, she was dressed completely in BOY'S clothes. Literally. The jeans she was wearing were the EXACT jeans I saw the day before at Target, that had a tag that said "boys." I'm sure the striped shirt with the big frog on the front was also a boys shirt. The ONLY thing that saved her was that her mother FINALLY put a headband on her. How freakin' adorable is this baby?!

(some of these were taken with my iPod, which is why they're such poor quality. Sorry. However, her cuteness still comes shining through, don't you think? tee hee)



Ok, that's all you get today. I wouldn't want you to get spoiled or anything. I've got 3 minutes before I have to take the chocolate pound cake out of the oven that I'm making to bring to my girlfriend's in a while. Today is her baby's baptism. I'm just going to have to suffer through another day snuggled up to a cute baby. Ahhh....someone's gotta do it....