Month of Thankfulness Part III

I'm thankful for...

#15:...my cooking. I'm a damn good baker & cooker & I'm not afraid to say it. My kids & my hubby love my cooking so much. Hubby has said on more than one occasion that he married me for my chili...my lasagna...my cupcakes...my sloppy joes...my fry bread tacos...But that's okay because I married him for the sparkly things he buys me, so it's all good. 

Boy Teenager loves my cooking so much that if I change one little thing from my regular "recipe"--I say "recipe" because I very, very rarely follow a recipe; all my many recipe books that I collect are just to give me ideas--that he insists it's not good. "Why'd you make it different, Mom? The regular way is best." One day he told me, "You're like Marie on Everybody Loves Raymond." I stood there, spatula in my hand, Boy Teenager's plate in the other hand, frozen. I was thinking, "Fat? Short? Bossy? In everyone's business? WTF, kid?" He had his back to me & didn't see me pause before he continued, "The woman I marry is going to have big shoes to fill. She's going to have to be a great cook & spoil me with food & I don't know how she'll measure up to you." Now, if this had been said after I had told him no to some request for money, I wouldn't be so touched. But since he said this while stuffing his face with chips & salsa & waiting for me to dish him up a sandwich, I couldn't help but smile. And give him extra meat & cheese on his sandwich. 

I love love love watching my family enjoy my cooking. My Mom always said she loved watching us enjoy what we were eating after she'd made a meal & I thought she was cheesy & not all there when she said it. Now I get it. My cooking or baking is not just something I make--I feel lots of warm fuzzies when my family enjoys the food that I put a lot of time & love into. 

#16:...my "sisters". I have an especially incredible bond with 3 women in my life. These women have become my sisters because there is no other way to describe our relationship. 

One is my "lil sis" Bepper. Bepper is not her real name but it's what my family calls her. I've known Bepper's family since I only had 3 kids. When Ginger Girl was a baby she was in love with Bepper & Bepper's older brother. Ginger Girl was one of those babies who was very selective about whom she would grace with her smile or attention & if you were one of the lucky ones you knew it. Bepper was one of those lucky few but she has a name that Ginger Girl couldn't pronounce for a long time, so the entire family started saying her name the way Ginger Girl said it. The name stuck & when I introduce her or talk about her, I have to remember to use her real name. Poor hubby. It took him forever to remember her real name & he would get so confused over who I was talking about when I did use her real name. Bepper & I don't see each other nearly as often as I'd like but she has a special spot in my heart. Bepper & her husband, Blondie's Godparents, have 2 of the cutest little boys ever & I love that I get to count them as my family. 

The next one (these are in no particular order) is my Half Brain. This woman, I swear we were separated at birth. Or at least our brains were. Without knowing it, we had both planned (& are still planning) the same Celtic tattoo in the same exact spot on our backs. We aren't exactly alike--we are a complete Brain when put together. I hate the music she listens to, she hates mine. I hate licking, she loves to lick me. She hates feet, I love to put my feet on her. When Half Brain got a smart phone, she wasn't used to catching the auto correct yet when she sent me a text that was supposed to say, "I miss my sister from another mister." She didn't see that mister autocorrected & she is now & forever will be my Sister From Another Mistake. I love her & her 3 girlies with all my heart. I wish I could see my Half Brain & her daughters more often than I do.

My next sister is Ethel. Together we are Lucy & Ethel. I'm the red head that gets us into all sorts of adventures, she is the side kick that goes along with it all & loves it. We understand each other & know each other's deepest thoughts & secrets. I know when she's upset without her saying a word or even seeing her. I'm tall, she's short. I'm fair, she's dark. I'm extroverted, she's introverted. We each had our oldest daughters just hours apart on the same day. Our #2 children are the same age. Her #3 & my #4 are only days apart. I love having her & her 4 girls in my life as another part of my family. Again, we don't see each other as often as we'd like. We live close to each other & she pretty much drives right by my house on her way to work, yet we'll go weeks without seeing each other due to my darn ol' schedules.