Thanksgiving Memories

Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays.  This one will be bittersweet, as it will be the first one since my mother passed away November 5th.  However, I've spent many Thanksgiving Days away from my mom.  I won't spend the day mourning or grieving.  I'll thank God for giving me 50 plus years with the most wonderful mother ever!

The following is a repeat of a post I did a few years ago (November 2010):

The table ready for Thanksgiving at my mom's house, 2009

Thanksgiving during my growing-up years was always a wonderful celebration. Turkey was the star of the show, always made delectably by my mother.

It wasn't until I grew up and moved away that I really appreciated the fact that my mom had to get up early in the morning, while we were all still snoozing, to get the bird in the oven.

Mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie, and my mom's 24-hour marshmallow salad were always featured on the menu...and yes, football was always part of the festivities.

Growing up in a Christian home, we always took the time on Thanksgiving to reflect on our blessings and give thanks to God.



When I got married and moved to Illinois, Thanksgiving almost always meant a Swanson family celebration, usually at the the home of one of my husband's older brothers. My sisters-in-law are all amazing cooks, and any Swanson gathering means some delicious eats.

Of course, the turkey reigns supreme, but pies and fudge and all kinds of desserts offer temptation. One of my favorite dishes at Swanson Thanksgivings is my sister-in-law Gail's sweet potatoes, sauteed in butter.

There are always a variety of delicious vegetable casseroles on the menu as well.

If everyone has enough energy and it's not too cold out, we often make time for a walk to make us feel a little better about consuming so many Thanksgiving calories.

And of course, you'll find many family members watching football on TV.

Many times, I've had a smaller Thanksgiving celebration for my immediate family.

A few years ago, my son and his wife and my little grandson Payton were able to come from Texas. We actually had dinner at one of my sister-in-law's homes, but it was my first Thanksgiving as a Type 2 diabetic, and I made some diabetic-friendly desserts--including low-carb pumpkin pie--that were absolutely delicious.

I try to include at least one or two of these at every holiday meal, so I can indulge without feeling too guilty!

My mom's dining room table

My grandson Payton and my niece Arden at their own little table at my mom's house, last Thanksgiving. They love this table! (2009)

The table in my mom's entryway, decorated for the holiday (2009)

The Valley of the Shadow

Cynthia Anne Zarafonetis Garrett

July 9, 1933--November 5, 2013

On November 5th, shortly after 9 in the evening, I got a phone call that will forever change my life.  My precious mother had been found "unresponsive" and it wasn't good.  Shortly afterward, another phone call: "She's gone."

My mother wasn't just any mother--she was, simply, amazing.  Someday I will try to write more coherently and gracefully about her and all she meant to me.  Over 10 years ago, I wrote this tribute to her that makes an attempt at verbalizing the awesomeness that was my mother, but I don't know if it even came close.

On the night she died, I put this on Facebook:

I am devastated. My precious, beautiful mother, Cynthia Garrett, went home to be with the Lord this evening. She simply laid down as if for a nap, and never woke up. I talked to her just this morning and she was cheerful and happy and so alive. I'm so happy for her...she's with my dad, many of her friends and loved ones and her Saviour...but there's a hole in my heart that won't mend until I see her again. 

God has been very real and precious to my family and me in this time of grieving.  We are still able to smile and laugh in the midst of our tears.  We know we'll see her again someday.

Baby Landon is here!

Landon Garrett Swanson, born October 19, 2013

Landon is my third and newest grandchild, and the first one that I was able to be there for his birth! Just as I knew, my heart has expanded to love him every bit as much as I love 6-year-old Payton and almost 4-year -old Josiah.  I'm so glad I was able to spend the first two weeks of Landon's life with him.  Thankfully, I'm going back to Texas for Christmas...I can't wait to see how he's grown and developed by then!

My beautiful daughter-in-law Daylyn shortly after Landon's birth

Josiah is enjoying getting to be a big brother!

All three of the boys with their Uncle Justin (my second son)

My son Jonathan...a proud daddy with his new little son

My heart is bursting with love for this little guy!

Danny Gokey's "Hope in Front of Me"

Several years ago, in the eighth season of American Idol, one contestant stood out with his soulful voice and his sad backstory.

He was Danny Gokey.  He went on to place third in the competition, but throughout that season, he was shouldering a heavy burden of sorrow and depression over the untimely death of his young wife.

We knew about Danny's faith in God, but we might not know how severely that faith was tested in the aftermath of his wife's passing.

Fast forward over 5 years.  A lot has changed--Danny's still singing, still recording, heading up a foundation (Sophia's Heart) that provides solid, practical help to the homeless and
underprivileged.

He's also been blessed with a beautiful wife and a little son.

And now he's sharing encouragement in his new book, "Hope in Front of Me: Find Purpose in Your Darkest Moments."

Danny's words have the ring of authenticity, because he's not just talking about discouragement and depression...he's been there, and lived to tell about it.

I was delighted to interview Danny about that book, as well as to catch up with what's been going on in his life lately and hear about his sophomore album, which he's currently recording.  Hope you'll take a listen!

Tuesdays with Mr. Moseley

Photo by James L. Standfield via

Are there any teachers in your past that made an enormous, lasting impression on your life? 

Jerry B. Moseley was my history and social studies teacher in sixth and seventh grade in Vidor, Texas in the late sixties.

Through the years, I've often remembered Mr. Moseley as one of my favorite teachers ever...the kind of teacher whose influence remains with a student for the rest of one's life.  He recognized and encouraged my talents and abilities...a wonderful gift from a teacher to a student.

Some time ago, I re-connected with Mr. Moseley. I did a Google search for him, and found a post on a site for victims of Hurricane Rita. 

He was living in a nursing home when the hurricane struck. The staff fled the facility, and while he was shuffled from place to place, looters took all his possessions, including his computer. 

An old Navy friend set him up with a place to live in New York State. However, Mr. Moseley's greatest wish was to spend his last years with his stepdaughter (who he considers his daughter) and her family in Albuquerque, NM. 

That prayer was answered, and he was able to re-locate to Albuquerque.  He is now in worse health, suffering from kidney cancer.

For some time, Mr. Moseley sent out daily e-mails of his writings to friends and relatives.  I believe they are remarkable, not only  in their storytelling ability but in their wit and spirit.  

I decided to start posting these stories on a blog every Tuesday.  Mr. Moseley is now sending me more stories, so I should have a plentiful supply!

The blog is called Turquoise Sky: The Writigs of Jerry B. Moseley.  

I've been struggling to get readership for this blog, as I think these writings deserve as wide an audience as possible.  I provide links on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  If anyone has any ideas on ways to promote it, can you let me know?

For example, I was wondering if there are blog circles or bloglists that specialize in this kind of blog.

In the meantime, i do hope you'll check it out!

A lovely September wedding

Dana and Benjamin

I love weddings!

Last weekend, we attended the wedding of my nephew Benjamin and his lovely Dana.  The ceremony took place at the Mendelssohn Peforming Arts Center, which used to be the First Presbyterian Church.  It was a gorgeous setting.

A definite plus?  My younger son Justin and my daughter Elizabeth, who live in Texas, were both in the wedding party, so I got to enjoy some time with them as well.

Thought you might enjoy some of the pictures!

The Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center

My nephew Jeff, my son Justin and my daughter Elizabeth

The reception was at the Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club

First dance

Dana's dress was so lovely

Have you ever had a really bad boss?

I have. Oh, believe me, I have.

And apparently so have a lot of other people. There's even a website devoted to the subject: Badbossology.com, "Protecting People and Companies from Difficult Bosses."

Badbossology.com did an internet survey asking people why they would like to can their boss. According to AP, "Nearly a third said they didn't trust their employer. About a-quarter of those who responded cite their supervisor's micromanaging.


Another ten percent said the boss was taking credit for the ideas and work of others. More than a thousand people responded to the online
survey, which was designed by the human resource consulting
company, Development Dimensions International."

According to Badbossology, these are the most common bad boss behaviors:

--Bullying
--Incompetence
--Reports and Surveys
--Harassment; Discrimination
--Inadequate Compensation
--Not Respecting Legal Rights
--Privacy Invasion


Having a bad boss is a really terrible feeling. Fortunately, I can name only one boss (and I won't mention his name here) that made my work life so unhappy that I actually dreaded coming to work. Also, fortunately, he wasn't my boss for long--just a little over a year.

I can vividly remember the day I found out he was leaving. I really wanted to throw a party! His last day on the job was a joyful one for me and my co-workers, all of whom were more than happy to see his departing backside.

And I would have to say, along with having a terrible personality and zero people skills, this boss's chief fault was his micromanaging. He was a serious control freak. I have often wondered how people who have no gift for interacting with other people end up in positions of power.

Of course, I have also had some wonderful bosses...ones who were characterized by good leadership skills but also flexibility, kindness, and the ability to delegate and not micro-manage. Thank the Lord for good bosses!

How about you? Have you had a really awful boss...or an exceptionally good one? I'd love to hear your stories!

Paris, Je T'aime: My tribute to a place to which I've never been

A couple of years ago, I took part in a blog hop hosted by the wonderful Castles, Crowns and Cottages.  The point? To blog about Paris. From the archives, here's my tribute to a place I've never been too, but often dreamed about going!

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“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”-- Ernest Hemingway

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Every city has a sex and an age which have nothing to do with demography. Rome is feminine. So is Odessa. London is a teenager, an urchin, and this hasn’t changed since the time of Dickens. Paris, I believe, is a man in his twenties in love with an older woman.--John Berger

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Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never really be elegant.--Honoré de Balzac

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I love Paris in the summer, when it sizzles.--Cole Porter

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Everything ends this way in France - everything. Weddings, christenings, duels, burials, swindlings, diplomatic affairs -everything is a pretext for a good dinner.-

Jean Anouilh

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This is what you do on your very first day in Paris. You get yourself, not a drizzle, but some honest-to-goodness rain, and you find yourself someone really nice and drive her through the Bois de Boulogne in a taxi. The rain’s very important. That’s when Paris smells its sweetest. It’s the damp chestnut trees.--Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina

I leave you with one of my francophile daughter's favorite French songs. Enjoy...

Head over to my book blog...

...to read my review of "Deeply Odd," by Dean Koontz.

What's on your refrigerator door?

YouTubers will sometimes share a link-up/challenge called "What's in  your purse?" , in which they'll pretty much dump out everything that's in their purse and display the items.  Well, I decided to do one called "What's on your refrigerator door?"

I'm only going to display the top part, or this could get a bit overhelming!

When I first moved to this house in 2005, I determined that everything would be pristine.  No more stuff all over the refrigerator!

Well, that lasted a while.  But what better place is there to put those reminders that you want to always have right in front of you?  Or little mementoes that give you a grin?  After all, you open your refrigerator constantly.  

And then came grandchildren.  I'm not showing you the other parts of my refrigerator, on which my grandkids' artwork is prominently displayed.  You don't have that much time. :)

But OK, let's break it down a little.

See that bookmark with the picture of the adorable little boy? The adorable boy is now 30 years old.  But I found this when cleaning out a drawer, and I couldn't resist.

The magnet that looks like a book cover was a PR item back when I was doing a lot of author interviews on Christian radio. By the way, Jane Kirkpatrick is one of my favorite authors, and I heartily recommend her books.

The Will and Kate magnet was a souvenir brought back from England by friends who visited there just a few weeks before the Royal Wedding.

As a diabetic, I'm constantly trying to lower my blood sugar.  I posted this list to help remind me of foods I should be eating on a regular basis.

The "Greece" magnet is actually a souvenir from the same friends who brought me one back from England.  Why are they going all the places *I* want to go?! :)

A "save the date" card from my nephew and his fiancee.  I've left it up there just because I think they look so cute.

And here's the actual invitation to their wedding.  Good thing I took this picture today, because I realized that I need to RSVP by August 24th!

The radio station magnet is from the place where I work.  On the right is the only postcard I've ever actually received from Paris...sent by my friend Teri when she visited there in January.  (Again, why can't I go?!) :)

My obsession with the Eiffel Tower continues with another magnet.  And the "Les Miserables" card was from a school production that we never actually made it to.

My grandchildren call us "Papa" and "Nana," and I thought this Father's Day card for my husband was so adorable.

So, yeah. Periodically I clean everything off, leave it pristine for a while, and then things start creeping back on!

What about you? Do you put things on your refrigerator door? Let me know in my comments section...or blog about it!

Visible Monday: 35th Anniversary Day Trip to Chicago!

Today is my 35th wedding anniversary! On Saturday, my husband and I went into Chicago to celebrate.  We had lunch at one of my favorite places to eat in Chicago, Rosebud on Rush, did a little shopping and sightseeing.  I love Chicago! We had a great time.

On the way to the Windy City! The weather was absolutely perfect, by the way!

At the restaurant

I wore my hair curly, teased on the top and pinned back on the sides

Not the best outfit of the day shot...sorry!  I was wearing capris from Macy's, cardigan and shell from Target.  This is in the courtyard of the beautiful Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago.

Entrance to the Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago, where "My Best Friend's Wedding" was filmed.  A wedding was going to take place that evening there!

Had to take a picture of this entrance, just because it was so pretty.  This is the entrance to the John Timothy Stone Chapel of Fourth Presbyterian Church.

A pretty scene on Rush Street.  Chicago really dresses up for summer, with a profusion of hanging baskets and gorgeous flowers everywhere. 

The Hancock Building, one of the tallest buildings in Chicago.  Taken from Chestnut Street.

If you ever get a chance to go to Chicago, GO!  It's one of the most fascinating cities in the world.

I'm participating today in Visible Monday!