Double good

7:57 p.m. Today's project was to spend time with both of my married daughters, Heidi Ilie and Heather Love. They both very smoothly managed to knock seven letters off their last name by marrying!! And as their mother, I'll quote Proverbs 18:22 to my sons-in-law, that "he who finds a wife finds a good thing." And my good girls became good women, before I knew it!

I cannot deny that this Thanksgiving will be difficult for me, now that my older daughter Heidi, my right-hand helper since girlhood, has married and moved about 20 minutes away to Redlands. She actuallly made a complete Thanksgiving dinner by herself with Mom standing by a few years back. When I cook, she could be counted on to help set the table, peel or mash potatoes and make at least one pie. Tomorrow, she and husband Pavel will be at his family's big family get together--like we usually have here. My Heather has been eating dinner with her in-laws early, and she and Nick pop over for dessert and nibbles of our dinner that we're still enjoying. My dad is always present, and some years my sister's family comes from San Diego. Happily, my son and his wife from Long Beach will be here, and our son from Fresno is on the way as I write this. His girlfriend is coming from Bakersfield for dinner. So what's the problem?

The problem is fear! The fear this year is having no help with lifting the stuffed turkey, and missing the general hands-on help that Steve always provided. The lawns would be immaculate, the high chandeliers sparkling. So I've needed to make do. This week, I had the house cleaned, Nick hung a picture for me, Pavel put the extra leaf in the dining room table and helped Steve with the dog and other tasks while Heidi and I shopped for her apple pie. Adult daycare made it possible for me to complete several financial errands and do some business as well earlier in the day.

Why do I feel a bit down? We've had years when only immediate family was at the table--but that was eight people, with Daddy. And my mom was there every year before she passed in 2006.

It's fear!

The fear for next year is that Steve may either be at home bedridden and basically absent from the family mentally, and I will be a virtual widow. I am already trying to get the girls to think of how to handle the holidays in 2012. As I talked it over with Heather (who kindly brought us Subway, keeping our Night-Before-Thanksgiving tradition), she is confident that the Lord will show us all what we need to do, now that everyone but Steven has in-laws whom they--and we--love very much.

Speaking of our youngest, he has been home for an hour now, and just as lively, Spirit-filled and joyful as ever. Steve had already gone to bed, so Heather, Steven and I enjoyed a good conversation about health foods, Alzheimer supplements. Honestly, I have always been blessed by the health and vigor of these two youngest kids, the ones whose gestation was enhanced by Shaklee Vitalea, a pure food alfalfa multivitamin supplement that I took instead of prenatal vitamins.  So when Steven showed me an alfalfa supplement from Lassens, the organic market he works for, I happily made plans to start taking it. And the Lord is so good--I ran out of Vitalea just this week for lack of finances! The energy and staying power I have been known for I can credit to God introducing me to organic gardening, these vitamins and consuming natural foods if at all possible. And how uplifting to share His gifts with my son who is in the health and fitness business. Ministry leadership issues and scripture were woven throughout Heather's, Steven's and my wide-ranging conversation as well.

Now with an entirely different outlook, I can face tomorrow's questions and non-issues with a happy frame of mind, and enjoy the Thanksgiving God has ordained for me in 2011!