THE EVOLUTION OF CHRISTMAS

        The other day my oldest daughter commented that it doesn't feel quite like Christmas.  I know, I know, "Jesus it the reason for the season."  But there is a certain nostalgia that goes along with it.  It's those memories of Christmas Eve, the candle lit midnight service at church.  It's the smell of peppermint at your grandma's house, which by the way, my grandma did in fact live through the woods.   It is the "magic" of Santa and the North Pole.  It is what you remember when you were a small child and what you loved about Christmas when your own children are small.
        I have been thinking a lot about the evolution of Christmas in my own life.  How it makes me sad looking at the curling iron in the bathroom.   No it isn't about the curling iron.  It is about the fact that the curling iron belongs to my youngest daughter who will be trudging off to college next fall.  The fact that she won't be here in the same capacity will change how Christmas feels to all of us in the family.  
       I have also been contemplating the loss of my mom, who passed last August.  I think about how lonely my dad must feel, especially at Christmas time.  It must be hard to go from a Christmas Eve full laughter and opening presents, a house full of people and your own family traditions to a lonely night that doesn't really feel any different.  This is why I want my sisters and brother to come together, if only for a small time, on Christmas Eve at my Dad's house.  It doesn't have anything to do with anything, except that I can't bear the thought of him being alone on Christmas.
     I think this Christmas was especially hard for my husband, who just found out that his dad has cancer.  His parents reside in Florida this time of year and did not journey North for Christmas because of this new discovery.  This changes Christmas for my husband and his brother too.
      I know that this is something everyone goes through.  I am not naive in thinking that I am alone.  I just wonder, how does one get that feeling back?  How do you keep the spirit and magic of Christmas alive, in your heart and in your home?
    I think it is important to give and do for others.    Take a tag from the Jesse tree.   Partake in Christmas parties and enjoy your family and friends.   Take a drive and look at  Christmas lights, while listening to Christmas music.  Attend a Christmas service.   I have done all these and I still feel a little empty.   
         While thinking about my mom today.  I was in my bathroom, attempting to fix my hair, with before mentioned curling iron and I heard a loud noise.  I turned to see an old hat box that I put on the shelf in my closet fell on the floor, a large envelope behind it fell too.  This envelope contains cards from my mom's funeral along with old photos from when I was a kid.  It made me feel as if my mom was there with me.  Knocking that hat box to the floor.  
      I decided to share some of what was in that envelope here along with some stories from my childhood.

 




 Christmas Eve at my house, we would walk through the woods to my grandparents house.  My grandpa had this amazing train display.  We would go to see our grandparents, open presents from them and we spent a lot of time in the basement of his house looking at his train.  It was so big it took up most of the basement.  It had a mountain, a trolley, airplanes hung from the ceiling.  He wore his famous conductors hat and he operated all the trains.  Some of them had milk jugs that were unloaded and then reloaded.  He had one with small metal barrels that were also loaded and unloaded.    People and cars were placed with care about the platform.  It was a labor of love for him and all of our friends and relatives shared in the excitement of getting to see my grandpa's trains.
      Although we were happy to see our grandparents and we enjoyed the trains, we were very excited to get home, because we knew that there was a very good chance that Santa would drop in at our house while we had been away.   We ran through those woods on the path to our house and sure enough Santa had been there.   We tore open our gifts and played with them until it was time to go to church.  Midnight mass was so beautiful.    They always played "Come Little Children"  and the kids would carry real candles up the aisle to the manger in the front of the church.  The lights were dim and it was very pretty.  After mass, we would walk home exhausted, off to bed we went dreaming of our toys from Santa.
     One of  mom and dad's best friends often  played "Santa" when we were little.  It would amaze me how he knew my name and things about me and all the other kids at the party.  He was a great Santa!  He was even tolerant of an older kid sitting on his lap. 

This year, although I feel something is missing.  I feel blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful and loving family and great friends, some old and some new.  I am enjoying my time with my dad and my aunt, my husband and my kids,  people that I love dearly! 

 I have two great quotes to share.  One is from the movie A Christmas Story and the other from a book I received as a Christmas gift from my sister called "the Little Prince"

"One sees clearly only with the heart.  Anything essential is invisible to the eyes," 

"Ah life is like that.  Sometimes at the height of our revelries, when our joy is at its zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters descended upon us."

I hope you enjoy your loved ones, your memories and I hope your making memories for someone special.   Merry Christmas

GET SMASHED!

Yes, this blog is titled "get smashed!" I am not talking about getting drunk, I am talking about getting your mammogram.  Today, I had my boobs smashed!  That is right, it was time for my yearly mammogram and I thought since this blog is "All Things nursing...," I would take a short minute to write about the mammogram.  I am a big proponent of the mammogram.   The five year survivor rate from early detection of breast cancer is almost 100%.  According to the centers for disease control, the number of women age 40 and over who have a mammogram is only 66%.  That is a staggering number considering how really easy the mammogram is and how effective it is at detecting breast cancer.  I had my mammogram at the Christ hospital in Cincinnati.  I had the new 3D imaging mammogram.  I did this because I read that it is more accurate, and it can detect breast cancer up to 15 months earlier.  And it has less false positives.  I am going to walk you through my experience.  I am going to tell you that I have been having mammograms since I was 35 years old.  I have what they call lumpy breasts, and because of that, I have been very regularly having yearly mammograms.  The first time, I was nervous.  The procedure can be somewhat uncomfortable.  Once, while having a mammogram, I became a little nauseated from the pain.  "Has anyone ever thrown up on this thing?"  I asked the technician. 
"No, but I did have someone almost faint once!"  She replied.  (Yikes, can you imagine!)

The receptionist was very nice.  She had me fill out a quick questionnaire.  The questions were things like, do you have a family history of breast cancer?  Do you have any breast lumps at this time and where are they.   Then a technician takes me back to the changing room.  This is what the changing room looks like.  She asks if I have on any deodorant or powder.  I do not.  They ask you not to wear any deodorant or powder because it can cause false positives.  Now, at Christ hospital they do 2 things that I love.  1- They give you a feminine, fitting gown from a warmer.  So it isn't just a hospital gown that you're supposed to wear backwards, that doesn't fit and makes you feel uncomfortable.  Plus, it is warm, from the warmer.  2- After you change, you wait in the privacy of the changing room, behind a curtain, in private, until they are ready for you.  Now I know this seems normal, but it is actual not the norm.  The two other hospitals, one in Cincinnati and the other in Northern Ky, that I have had mammograms at, make you sit in a crowded waiting room dressed in a backwards, ill fitting hospital gown.  It is akward and uncomfortable, and I personally don't like it.   I also can't believe anyone thinks this is ok.  Maybe I am just a prude.

My technician leads me down a short hall in my cute purplish, well fitted and warm mammogram top to the 3D mammogram machine.  It honestly doesn't look or work any different than the regular mammogram machine as far as the smashing is concerned.  It is the same amount of smashing.  I was told that it is extremely sensitive to movement so I had to breath and hold my breath when I was told too.  Not going to lie,  this was tricky.  I almost hyperventilated.  Then, another time, I found myself mid breath when she told me to hold my breath.  Tricky!   She showed me the image on the screen.  Here is the interesting part.  The 3D mammogram makes a more dense breast easier to read.  If your breasts are fatty, then on the image, they are darker and the lumps are easier to detect.  If your breast is dense then the image is whiter and the lumps are not so easy to detect.  The 3D mammogram takes pictures in slices, so it can be examined in greater detail.  So while you are standing there very still with your boob in a vice, and your are holding your breath, you can hear the machine taking multiple pictures.  So now you know what to expect when you get your boobs smashed.  Don't worry, you probably won't throw up, or faint, and you'll feel better when you get the word that your breasts are all clear!

Now go get smashed!

Springtime in Cincinnati, so much to do, so little time!

There are so many great things to do in Cincinnati.  The spring time offers events that only happen in the spring.  One of these great events is the Butterfly show at the Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park.  This year the butterflies are from the Caribbean.  It is an inexpensive way to spend a couple of hours. The cost is only 7$ for adults and there is a coupon on line for a dollar off up to four people.  I went in the afternoon around 2pm.  This was a good time to go, it wasn't very crowded, so I was able to take some really stunning photos of the butterflies and flowers.  Earlier in the day, it is crowded with school groups.   They do have a photographer time.  It is Monday evenings from 5-7.  The cost is 12$ and you get a pin that allows you anytime access to the show.  I may do this option next year. 

With the price of admission to the Butterfly exhibit, you also get to see the rest of the Conservatory.  The conservatory boasts over 3500 plant varieties.  There is a rain forest with a cool water fall and a desert.  My favorite is the orchid room.  The butterfly show runs through June 19th, don't miss it!

Another really fun thing to do in the Spring in Cincinnati, is take part in the Flying Pig Marathon.  I am by no means a runner, but I have walked in the Flying Pig 5k and I have cheered on the sidelines of the marathon for my sister.   In any way that you take part, it is a fun and exciting thing to do in Cincinnati.  You can volunteer as a grunt.  You can walk or run in any of the races which range from the kids marathon to the whole marathon.  There is so much entertainment, music and crowds, the cheering and the camaraderie!  On lookers line the streets with posters that read things like, "worst parade ever!"  The Flying Pig takes place the first weekend in May.   If your going to be around Cincinnati that weekend next year, make plans to participate in some fashion.  I guarantee you will leave feeling excited and you will fall in love with Cincinnati. 

Making Music, in Cincinnati

Here in Cincinnati, we have a rich vibrant culture.  We have valuable resources for music, art and theater.  One of our most valued icons is the Music Hall.  This is a beautiful building that houses the Cincinnati Symphony and the Cincinnati Opera.  I have had the luxury of attending both in this majestic hall.  Music Hall will be getting a big renovation in the coming months.  It is necessary and daunting.  The inside of the building is beautiful and soft.  It has rich red velvet seats and luxurious lighting.  This last week my youngest daughter attended an audition workshop.  This is just one of the

 really nice things the Cincinnati Symphony does for our youth in the community.  When the discussion was over, they provided a nice meal for the group and a little back stage tour.  That was really cool!  I have never been behind the stage at Music Hall.  Rumor has it that the hall is haunted.  It is said that the south part of the structure was actually built over a potter's field.  It is possible to take a ghost tour.  Go to spmhcincinnati.org.  We wrapped things up in the lobby where these pictures were taken.  I am a little worried that the renovation will change the softness and warmness of Music Hall.  I have read in the paper recently that the renovation plans show the changes to be cold and concrete.  I really hope that doesn't happen. 

Our Cincinnati Symphony is one of the top five in our Nation.  The cost for a symphony is really reasonable and if you have kids, even better.  You should really try to get to music hall before renovations take place later this summer.  If you go, parking behind the hall, in the parking garage by the police station, is only 5$.  It has a police officer at the gate and the police station is literally right next door.

Washington Park is right across the street and is very pretty, also very crowded in the evening if you want to take a walk.  The area of Over the Rhine is making a big transformation.  There are plenty of restaurants and bars in the neighborhood.  You can go to Lachey's and possibly meet the famous Lachey brothers who both now reside in Cincinnati, or visit Rhinegeist Brewery at 1910 Elm street, and taste some delicious Cincinnati brew.

Are you Hungry?? Cincinnati has BBQ

I was in Saint Louis last fall and enjoyed some delicious BBQ at a place called Pappy's Smokehouse. Pappy's was featured on "Man vs. Food."  They serve authentic smoked BBQ in a dive, in the city.  Loud blues music was playing inside and the floors were concrete.  Pictures of famous celebrities eating at Pappy's were displayed on the walls along with some very eclectic items.  I thought "Cincinnati needs a Pappy's".  Well,  little did I know that we have something very close in a dive called  Eli's BBQ.   You can find Eli's at 3313 Riverside Drive in Cincinnati.  You can't miss it, look for the pink building with the pig sign.  Also, you can find a carry out Eli's at the Findlay Market. 

 















Eli's serves up authentic smoked BBQ.  Dining is inside or outside weather permitting, you can enjoy this delicious feast under some white tents set up out back or dine inside, while listening to music on the 1980's style stereo.


 Inside there is some fantastic memorabilia lining the walls and red and black checkered floors.  Outside stand two old bathtubs painted yellow and filled with shrubs. 

The food is delicious and affordable. The menu includes: Pulled pork, smoked turkey, Hot dogs, Hickory smoked ribs, and sides.  The cole slaw, Jalapeno corn bread and jalapeno cheddar grits came highly recommended and didn't disappoint!   Eli's also does catering!  If you are hungry and looking for some authentic smoked BBQ give this place a try.  I am sure you'll love it and want to come back for more. 

One Word: TULIPS

These are some pictures from the Cincinnati Zoo Flower show.  Just a little follow up on the blog about spring places to visit.  If you have not been, you should go soon.  It is spectacular!

.

The Garden of Eden...Park that is; and Springtime in Mount Adams

 High atop Mount Adams stands a beautiful church.  It is a landmark for Cincinnati.  The church can be seen from 471 as you drive into Cincinnati from Kentucky.  It stands tall and lit up like a beacon that welcomes one home.  This is Holy Cross Immaculata Church.  I write about this now, not only because it is a well known and beautiful landmark, but because as a tradition on Good Friday, before Easter, people come from all over to pray the steps that climb up the hill in Mount Adams to the church. 

 Mount Adams is really quite lovely.  The view of the city below is unquestionably one of the best in the area.  The Mount is loaded with pubs and restaurants. One of the restaurants in Mount Adams is the Rookwood.  Rookwood is also a fine pottery that our area is known for.  Sitting next to Mount Adams is Eden Park.  This park is an arts and entertainment mecca for Cincinnati.  It is a large park loaded with flowering trees and spring flowers as well as a large fountain and gazebo which makes for great photography and would be a nice place to lay out a blanket and have a picnic.   Eden park houses the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Krohn's Conservatory, and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

 The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is a theater that brings to life many Broadway plays as well as new plays never performed.  I recently saw a production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" at the Playhouse and it was great!  The Playhouse offers discounts for students and a student with an ID can get tickets the day of a performance for $15 each.  This is if the performance hasn't sold out.  Student tickets purchased before the performance can be bought for $30 each, which is a bargain for a Broadway production in a state of the art theater.  Next season boasts some great shows, check it out now to build your own fantastic season of great and affordable theater.

 The Cincinnati Art Museum has over 60,000 exhibits and traveling exhibits throughout the year.  Admission is always free and parking is only $4.  This is really a terrific way to spend a day.  There is so much to see inside, not just paintings but, sculptures and antiquities.  I was at the museum once and got to see a traveling exhibit of rare cars.  It was a great exhibit and very interesting. 

 The Krohn's Conservatory is a giant green house.  It was built in 1933 and houses a rain forest and a desert.  Every year in the spring, you can visit the Conservatory for the "Butterfly Show."  This year the show is the "Butterflies of the Caribbean."  The cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children, under age 4 is free.  Parking is free.  Take your camera, this is an opportunity to photograph some stunning and brilliant creatures.

SPRING TIME IN CINCINNATI

 It is officially spring time in Cincinnati!  The thing about spring is, the weather can be crazy, one day warm and lovely, the next a terrible wind and rain storm, sometimes spawning tornadoes!  Cincinnati offers some of the best recreational activities for spring time adventures!  We have a variety of beautiful and century old churches.  One of the most beautiful churches in our area is the Cathedral Basilica at 1101 Madison Avenue in Covington, Ky.  The Cathedral  is actually modeled after the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.  I had the luxury of being able to attend a concert by the Northern Kentucky University choruses at the Cathedral and snapped a few photos.  The cathedral is an "art and architectural monument!"  It is the home of several Gothic gargoyles and stunning arches.  The stained glass windows are the largest of the churches in this area. I am going to go again, when I have more time to take the tour.   The Cathedral is open Monday thru Saturday for tours and they also have a nice garden, so if you decide to go, do so when the weather is nice.  The website is www.covcathedral.com. 

 Spring time in Cincinnati gives birth to some of the most stunning colors of flowers.  Every where you go you see trees draped in colors from pink, to orange, red, purple and white.  A great place to visit in Cincinnati during the spring is the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens.   The weather can be mild and the animals are more playful and active when it isn't to hot or cold.  The zoo boasts some of the most beautiful flowering trees, bushes and bulbs.  They have the spring time "Blooms" from April 1- April 30th.  I was there earlier this week and there were so many flowers already in bloom.  The zoo is also know for its research, education and conservation.  You may notice while you are visiting, they now have bee hives around the zoo.  I captured this lucky shot of a honey bee in flight around these lovely Lenten flowers.  The website for the zoo is www.cincinnatizoo.org

 The lions were being fed and I got some wonderful pictures of them eating some chunks of steak, and this big guy picking his teeth with this stick.  That's a pretty big tooth pick!  The zoo is constantly evolving.  They are working on something right next to the giraffe enclosure.  The giraffe are cute to watch, they are so curious about the workers that are so close to them.  Pick up a map when you enter the park so you can see all the educational opportunities available while you are visiting.  The day I was there, they walked these cute pink flamingos over to the giraffe encounter and talked about things like, why they are pink and how come they have such a long neck.  This guy was pretty sassy!  Love those brilliant colors though! 

York Street

I have lived in the beautiful Cincinnati area my whole life.  Sometimes, I think when you live someplace, you take for granted the everyday beauty that surrounds you.  For instance, if you live in Florida, you probably don't have your breath taken away by the infinity of the ocean.  So with that in mind, I have decided to photograph and share some of the beautiful places in Cincinnati.  Today, I went to York Street in Newport, KY.

York Street houses some pretty fantastic restaurants and a quaint old church of a theater.  The street is in down town Newport and runs one way North to South parallel to Monmouth  Street.  One of the best little cafe's is on York Street, called "York Street Cafe." It's at 738 York Street,and it is a Queen Anne style building that was built in the late 1880's.  It is a small and eclectic place, that serves a small and rotating menu.  The food is fantastic, although expensive, but worth the cost.  The first floor, of what used to be an apothecary, still houses the many glass front cabinets and beautiful wooden shelves, that eons ago stored medicines.  These cabinets now display old toys and Elvis figurines.   Old glass perfume bottles and many other weird and diverse antiques.  It is an intimate dining space that is warm and inviting.  Second floor houses a beautiful bar, and features some of the areas best musicians, including the Northern Ky University Jazz band.  Third floor is a lovely area that can be rented for weddings and features an art gallery.

On the corner directly across from the cafe, is the lovely Stained Glass Theater.  I have seen many theater productions in the theater and it is really gorgeous inside.  (If your not into theater, just go inside to check it out!)  The theater is run by the "Footlighters,"  they will be presenting "Jesus Christ Superstar"  March 10-26.  I already have my tickets!  This is an award winning theater and you just can't beat a night at the theater for $20 a ticket.

Further South on York street is the Green Derby Restaurant.  Now those of you from this area have probably heard of the Green Derby.  Years ago, my grand parents and parents talked about the Green Derby.  It was really the place to go.  It has changed hands and the new owner has really done a great job of bringing it back.  The menu has a lot of variety.   They have a beautiful bar with 20 beers on tap and some local favorites.  The food is not over priced.  Some of the dining areas are a little out dated, but believe me the food is delicious and you really can't beat the price.  They also have plenty of free parking.  Right now if you go to www.WGRR.com, you can actually order $50 in gift certificates for $25.  This is for real, my husband and I just received ours in the mail and we plan to have dinner there, before we see "Jesus Christ Superstar."  You can even use them on your purchase of alcohol, so if you and your friends just want to hang out at the beautiful bar, you can do that too. The owner is a fan of the theater and if you bring your ticket stubs from the Stain- glassed theater, you get a 10% discount also.  
Now, there are some great places to check out.  Right now its cold outside and these are wonderful things to do.  The York street cafe also has some out side dining if you decide to go there in the summer.

Sweet things!

February 14th, Valentine's day,  it will be here before we know it!  I've decided to do some blogging about local shops and venues in and around the Cincinnati area.  I am starting with Sweet Tooth Candies in Newport, KY.  It is just minutes from Cincinnati and it is in my opinion the best candy around.  The shop is in an old building at 125 West 11th Street in Newport.

When I was a little kid my mom would give us sweet tooth  candies for Valentines and Easter.  At Valentines we would get a small box of their delicious opera creams and at Easter we would each get a chocolate cream filled egg.  It was a beautiful egg and the chocolates are so creamy and fresh, not hard or stale like a box you might buy at the grocery.
For Valentine's, I always go there to get my husband chocolate turtles.  He loves them!

Sweet tooth has been around for a very long time.  The candy is made fresh in Newport.  The owner is Mr. Bob Schneider.  Mr. Schneider is a nice guy!  My children grew up with his grandchildren.  He and his store sponsored their softball teams and end of season parties.  Once, I was in the store and witnessed a couple of kids come in looking for ice cream.  They admitted they didn't have any money, but he gave them each a small ice cream cone.

In the summer, it's a great place to go for ice-cream or ice balls. My personal favorite is the peach flavored ice ball with a small scoop of vanilla ice-cream in the center.
The shop is quaint.  They have cute little soda shop tables and chairs and there are a couple of benches in front to sit on while eating ice-cream.  The staff,  have been the same staff I can remember for ever, since my kids were small, and they are super nice.  

If your looking for a sweet treat for your valentine, consider Sweet Tooth Candies.  It is an icon, American made, local made treats.   If your out this summer, check them out and give that peach ice ball a try, you won't be disappointed!

"Thank you sir may I have another" A lesson in patience

I am by nature, impatient.   It is a fault and I know I should be more patient with others and myself.  I believe that this flaw in me is the very reason it takes me so long to get home on the days I work.  Sitting in traffic is, I believe a lesson, given to me from God himself.

I have learned that to be happy in life, we should seek out positive things in events that occur.  For instance, if your running late for work, and you can't go any faster because the trash collector has parked dead center of the street, you should think, "thank goodness, there is trash collection, or else this trash would pile up here on the road".  This truly works, if you don't believe me, try it for a month, it will change you.  I have seen it work for me many times, but the challenge is greatest for me to find the positive when my patience is being tested.

I do anything to avoid waiting around, wasting precious moments.  I make my appointments for car maintenance, doctors, hair cuts, tests and procedures the very first of the day if at all possible, so I don't have to wait.  I prefer to grocery shop in the wee dark hours of the morning, so I don't have to wait.  I love shopping for clothes and things like that on line, because I don't have to wait.

Today, I received another lesson in patience.  I needed to get a new car battery.  I was told in the summer that the life of the battery was at 40%, and I should consider a new battery.  Well, if I have 40% left in a tube of toothpaste, I'm not throwing it away just yet.  I decided I could probably get a little more out of that battery.  This was all fine and good until winter finally appeared.  In Cincinnati, winter often doesn't appear gradually.  One minute it is spring like, next minute, its 9 degrees outside.

I had a hard time starting my car on three occasions.  I knew I needed a battery for the car, but I didn't want someone to have to put the battery in when it was freezing outside or raining.  So, that moment was this morning around 11am.  I took my car to the AutoZone by my house.  I like AutoZone.  You buy the battery and they install it for you.  The battery comes with a warranty.   They also donate to local causes, like the Marching Band festival.

So I go to AutoZone and I had to wait for someone to wait on me.  It was crowded in there.  Then I see him, a little old man.  I think to myself, "oh no, I hope I don't get him."  From my thoughts to God's ear.  The man says, "can I help you?"  I think to myself, oh boy! I sigh, then step forward,  "yes, I need a battery for my car, and I need someone to install it."  He asked me about the kind of car I have, the year, the model, then if I bought the last battery there, I had.  He went out to see the size of the battery, then back inside to check if there was a warranty, there wasn't.  I bought the last battery in November of 2009.  He collected the new battery, the cart with all the necessary tools.  He put on his coat.  We carefully towed the cart out to the parking lot.  He slowly applied the safety googles, the rubber bib and the rubber gloves and began about his work.

It was chilly out.  Not freezing like it had been two days earlier, but chilly.  I, in my infinite wisdom, did not wear a coat.  Just a jacket.  This would be okay, because it only takes a few minutes to change a car battery.  HA!!  Nope, it took 45 minutes to change my car battery!  Forty five minutes.  Forty! Five! Minutes!

It wasn't anything to do with my car, or the battery.   It was a slow, little old man.  He was kind and considerate.  The work was physically challenging.  And, it was cold.  I watched him work.  I helped him when I could.  Finally, another worker helped him, and the job was complete, and not a moment to soon, for I nearly froze to death.

My car now starts great!  This was, I believe another opportunity to practice patience.  I am grateful that I had the opportunity to interact with this kindly older man.  I am grateful the rain held off, so we didn't have to complete the job in the rain.  I am grateful that I have reliable transportation.  Lastly, I am grateful I didn't die of exposure in the parking lot of AutoZone.

The picture above is one of my dad.  He too is older.  He often times requires great patience.  I am grateful for the life he gave me and for the time I get to spend with him.