I have 4 more classes until the end of this semester and believe me I am thankful. I am looking forward to the break in between. I over loaded myself this semester, of course I do that every semester. A break will be very nice.

Taking all these medical classes has made me very aware of how bad my life style is and makes me wonder just when I am going to fall over dead. I am in the top 3 categories of what causes cancer, strokes and heart attacks. I am over 40, I smoke, I don't get enough exercise and finally my sodium intake is twice what it should be. It's pretty scary knowing your in the top 3. Have I changed anything though......ummm...no. I don't have the time to exercise and if I tried to stop smoking now I would make the evening news, "Woman stops smoking and goes on a killing rampage." Sodium intake, well I never salt my food as it is, the sodium is already in the food I eat. Did you know that diet drinks are loaded with sodium? Diet Dr.Pepper is the worst. Can veggies are not your friends and never ever eat out. If a food is convenient stay away from it. Great, I'm short on time and now I have to stand over a stove and cook long drawn out meals.
I am trying to look at it this way...food is like sex, if it's quick it's no good.

Switching gears, This Thanksgiving the in-laws are coming to our house. I'm not sure how I feel about this. In some ways I am happy, happy not to have to drive anywhere. In some ways I am over whelmed, we are doing all the cooking, cleaning and I have finals coming up. People will be coming in shifts, Grandparents will be here all day. The Aunt and cousins are coming around 4:30 and so is my daughter and her girlfriend. My Husbands parents live out of state and are not coming this year. My family lives out of state and are not coming. I don't think I could handle my family together with my husbands family. My family harbors alot of anger toward his family. I think I would have to get a prescription for that event. My mother and his grandmother in the same room would be disastrous. Someone would be going to the hospital for sure and probably me from a freaking melt down. My husband's family remind me of a group of vultures. None of them are happy and pick at each other to feel better about who they are and where they are in life. My family has never been that way. We love each other with faults intact. We don't talk about an issue unless that person has brought it up, then we try to be helpful. Mind you we do have our quarrels, but we usually do not set out to harm. It's different with my husbands family, just know Turkey is not thing only thing that will be devoured at our Thanksgiving dinner and nothing is safe, not even the animals. My poor bird is a good example. He has never been the same since the grandparents lived with us. He now has mental issues and squawks at the mere sight of them and will not stop until I put a blanket over his cage. Can birds have nervous breakdowns? Mine is definitely on the edge.


I guess since it is Thanksgiving, I should think about what I am thankful for. I am thankful My children are all in good health. My daughter is turning her life around and is starting college this fall. Thank you God. She has her driving permit, she now realizes the dangers and her mortality while driving, another prayer here...God, please keep her and others safe while driving. I am thankful for my husband and our marriage and in a strange way I am thankful for the chance to have realized just how important that is to me. With as stubborn and pigheaded as I am, I don't think I would have learned any other way. I am admitting one of my faults here, this is a rare moment..damn two faults..extremely rare. I am thankful for my home and for my job. I am thankful for the $1.50 an hour raise I have just received. I am thankful for my husband's job, his boss is a dick, but I am thankful all the same. I am thankful for the animals I have and their good health( 3 cats 1 bird) . I am thankful for my car, it's paid for and can get me from point A to point B and that is all I need. I am thankful for my family and their health along with my husband's family. I am thankful for the opportunity to go to college and try to realize my dreams. I am thankful for another day with my family. I am thankful for the ability to love, hurt, learn, laugh and to forgive. I am thankful for God's presence in my life, cause with out Him I could not have survived a lot of the trials in my life, and there have been many.I am thankful for my friends, though there are not many, the memories and the time we have shared have been grand.

Vital