Thanksgiving

I really do have a lot to be thankful for. A great family, great friends. Good job now, another good job in less than 6 weeks. Enough money to get by and save a little extra.

We were up in Missouri this week seeing my mom's family - 2 aunts/uncles, 8 cousins, 2 grandparents. My grandma is not doing well. She had a minor stroke about 2 weeks ago, and is 'recovering' at an assisted living-type facility (I feel like it's called something else, but I can't remember). I'm not sure she'll ever change much from how she is now, but maybe. She has Alzheimer's and wasn't doing too great anyway, so the stroke didn't change a lot. It mostly just made her almost void of emotion and responsiveness. Almost, but not entirely. She can hardly hear, can't talk much, and is confined to a bed or wheelchair as best I can tell.

Sometimes while we were talking to her, it looked like she was just blankly staring at us. But other times, she responded or even laughed. It's very strange. Either way, I'm suddenly at a point where her death is at the forefront of my mind. It's entirely possible that she could die before New Years. Or, she could go on for two more years. Who knows? But just seeing her bedroom at home empty makes it real, you know? I've only had 2 close relatives die in my lifetime, both before the age of 13, so I don't really know how I'll handle it.

Meanwhile, the 2nd oldest cousin (I'm the oldest) is going to spit out a baby in about a month. That's crazy. Her due date is the 28th, but I've got my money on Jan 1. Sorry, Em and Caity, but I think it'll come late. But what do I know?

OK, I guess that's all for now. T-minus 40.