[Abby10]

Just got in and now I'm shot for the night, mostly due to our cousin's homemade wine. Fw, you would have loved it.

Nothing but lots of laughs and lots of fun - 25 cousins and spouses in all and we were missing at least another 15. And that's only one side of my husband's family. Christmas eve will be the other side - at least 30 will be there. It makes me think back to big events like certain birthday parties for my son and his HS graduation when we had over 100 people at our house. Boy, am I glad those days are past. I don't think I'd have the energy to put on events like that anymore.

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by Abby10

Just got in and now I'm shot for the night, mostly due to our cousin's homemade wine. Fw, you would have loved it.

Nothing but lots of laughs and lots of fun - 25 cousins and spouses in all and we were missing at least another 15. And that's only one side of my husband's family. Christmas eve will be the other side - at least 30 will be there. It makes me think back to big events like certain birthday parties for my son and his HS graduation when we had over 100 people at our house. Boy, am I glad those days are past. I don't think I'd have the energy to put on events like that anymore.

You guys have more cousins than I have total people currently living on my entire side of the family.. My brother is NOTHING but the oldest in our bloodline at 64..

[Abby10]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

You guys have more cousins than I have total people currently living on my entire side of the family.. My brother is NOTHING but the oldest in our bloodline at 64..

My family is like yours, although I still have one uncle who would be the oldest at 73. Otherwise it would be my older brother at 66. We don't have that many cousins like my husband's family either. His family is Italian on both sides - both big families and both stayed connected over the years. Back in the day when my husband's parents and aunts and uncles were alive they used to have a dance floor in the basement of one of their homes and it would be an all out bandstand down there. They loved NOTHING more than their music and dancing........well maybe they loved eating more - lol.

Originally Posted by Abby10

My family is like yours, although I still have one uncle who would be the oldest at 73. Otherwise it would be my older brother at 66. We don't have that many cousins like my husband's family either. His family is Italian on both sides - both big families and both stayed connected over the years. Back in the day when my husband's parents and aunts and uncles were alive they used to have a dance floor in the basement of one of their homes and it would be an all out bandstand down there. They loved NOTHING more than their music and dancing........well maybe they loved eating more - lol.

I could have a family reunion in one of the trolleys and have NOTHING but room to spare. We have very little family left.

[Abby10]

Today is Sunday, November 11th, officially Veteran's Day even thought it is not an observed holiday until tomorrow. Got this in my email this morning and wanted to share. I thought it was a beautiful prayer and take note, they used our special word which I capitalized just for NOTHING -

Today we honor veterans. They are not just men and women who served in the Armed Forces, they are heroes of our nation. We owe our veterans so much, and no amount of appreciation is sufficient enough to thank them. Let’s lift them up in prayer today, along with our soldiers serving around the world.

God Almighty,
God of strength and love,
thank you for protecting our veterans.
Today as we reflect on their loyal service to this nation,
we ask that you continue to guide and encourage them.
Bless them with wellness and hope.
Heal them mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.
Protect their families, and let them lack for NOTHING.
Fill each veteran with your perfect peace.

Have a blessed Veteran’s Day.

Your friends at Our Daily Bread Ministries

[Abby10]

I'm off to the gym, but hoping to hear from our NOTHING sister when I get back. Her guests must have really worn her out.

[Taltarzac725]

My father's family had nine kids in it so I have a lot of cousins but have not seen many of them since I was in Illinois in Fall of 1994. They had big Thanksgiving get togethers and not for NOTHING.

Only a few relatives in FL and I have rarely seen them if ever. Many have come down from the Midwest and New England while we were in Palm Harbor and the Villages.

And almost every showed up and one time or another to check out Reno, Nevada the 14 years we were there. As well as the ten years or so in the wine country of CA even though I was actually in Minnesota for 5.5 years of that where I still have quite a lot of cousin in-laws.

[Nucky]

We had a very large family and everyone hung out at my Grandmother's home once or twice a year. She was NOTHING but the Glue that held the family together. Once she passed away nobody stepped up to take over. There are Politics in a large family and a whole lot of backstabbing and NOTHING but B.S. which sometimes can be witnessed when NOTHING but a dollar bill is involved. To me, that's disgraceful to the memory of The Dearly Departed. I refuse to be involved.

I'm sure others feel this way but I would give up EVERYTHING to speak to my Mom & Dad & Grandmother one last time and not by me joining them, I'm not nuts, I wanna stay in The Villages. I may have Marbles & Dino's in my Modem but no Bats in My Belfry!

[Abby10]

Originally Posted by Nucky

We had a very large family and everyone hung out at my Grandmother's home once or twice a year. She was NOTHING but the Glue that held the family together. Once she passed away nobody stepped up to take over. There are Politics in a large family and a whole lot of backstabbing and NOTHING but B.S. which sometimes can be witnessed when NOTHING but a dollar bill is involved. To me, that's disgraceful to the memory of The Dearly Departed. I refuse to be involved.

I'm sure others feel this way but I would give up EVERYTHING to speak to my Mom & Dad & Grandmother one last time and not by me joining them, I'm not nuts, I wanna stay in The Villages. I may have Marbles & Dino's in my Modem but no Bats in My Belfry!

I like your attitude, Nucky. My husband always says that blood often means NOTHING when it comes to relationships. He has friends that are more like brothers and sisters to him.

You were blessed to have had good parents and a loving grandmother. I agree with you that it's a disgrace to those who worked so hard to keep you all together but there is often NOTHING one person can do when others insist on going in another direction.

Btw, your last line was the best!

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Nucky

We had a very large family and everyone hung out at my Grandmother's home once or twice a year. She was NOTHING but the Glue that held the family together. Once she passed away nobody stepped up to take over. There are Politics in a large family and a whole lot of backstabbing and NOTHING but B.S. which sometimes can be witnessed when NOTHING but a dollar bill is involved. To me, that's disgraceful to the memory of The Dearly Departed. I refuse to be involved.

I'm sure others feel this way but I would give up EVERYTHING to speak to my Mom & Dad & Grandmother one last time and not by me joining them, I'm not nuts, I wanna stay in The Villages. I may have Marbles & Dino's in my Modem but no Bats in My Belfry!

Some have often said I have Bats in My Belfry. I do think I watch way too many movies for my own good but some theater workers have been smiling at me for quite some time and not for NOTHING. Starting with Petaluma in 1995 and the showing of the Dustin Hoffman/Rene Russo/Morgan Freeman/Cuba Gooding, Jr./Donald Sutherland/Kevin Spacey 1995 movie Outbreak which was filmed in that area.

My grandmother's money did cause quite a lot of friction in our family until we found out she had pretty much run out of money. She did help me with some of my law school expenses with a gift to all of us cousins of a nice chunk of money. I had planned to go to Hong Kong for a week with it but changed my mind and earmarked it for law school. Saw her once in a while when I was in Minnesota as she still lived in Northern Wisconsin.

[Nucky]

Originally Posted by Abby10

I like your attitude, Nucky. My husband always says that blood often means NOTHING when it comes to relationships. He has friends that are more like brothers and sisters to him.

You were blessed to have had good parents and a loving grandmother. I agree with you that it's a disgrace to those who worked so hard to keep you all together but there is often NOTHING one person can do when others insist on going in another direction.

Btw, your last line was the best!

My Mom was a real PIP. She wanted me to take out a Life Insurance Policy at a Fortune 500 Company that she worked for and when she died I would be set in one move.

I refused and told her that she was asking me to bet on or profit from her NOTHING but Cashing in on her Heavenly Reward and that I wasn't interested. She was furious. I still said and told her I want NOTHING to do with her idea but thanked her for looking out for me. There is more than $$$Money$$$ to this life and I can be bought but not by betting on a terrible event like losing a parent! We NOTHING but made up and were thicker than thieves when she did die many years later.

[Kenswing]

One of the great things about NOTHING is it's the family we choose to have.

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by Nucky

My Mom was a real PIP. She wanted me to take out a Life Insurance Policy at a Fortune 500 Company that she worked for and when she died I would be set in one move.

I refused and told her that she was asking me to bet on or profit from her NOTHING but Cashing in on her Heavenly Reward and that I wasn't interested. She was furious. I still said and told her I want NOTHING to do with her idea but thanked her for looking out for me. There is more than $$$Money$$$ to this life and I can be bought but not by betting on a terrible event like losing a parent! We NOTHING but made up and were thicker than thieves when she did die many years later.

I have so much life insurance on Mrs. K. that she keeps telling me not to get any ideas. Just because she's worth more dead than alive she would do NOTHING but haunt me for the rest of my life.. lol

[Abby10]

I was hoping Fw would be on today because here's a story I think she would like to hear. So I've mentioned my husband's ministry work in Camden, NJ on Saturdays. On the Saturday before Christmas they put on a huge event in a parking lot in the city where they give out toys and food to the area residents and children. So today, Ollie's offered to open their doors at 6am just to this ministry and 15% off all their toys as a contribution to this year's event. So my husband and his buddies were over there this morning with trucks and vans loading up on toys purchased from money they had from donations to the ministry.

The Christmas event is really something to experience. They bring in 2 tractor trailers and set up one with stuffed animals and the other with all kinds of toys. Everything is hung up on the inside of the truck walls so it looks like a store - very festive. The kids walk through the trucks picking out one stuffed animal and one toy each. As if the kids aren't excited enough since these are often the only toys they ever get on Christmas, as they go to step out of the 2nd truck they walk right into a fenced in area that contains hundreds of bicycles that the ministry has received as donations throughout the year and the kids are told they are allowed to pick out a bike to take home. To see the looks on their faces is NOTHING but priceless!!

I've only been able to make it one year, but am hoping to go again this year with my husband since it looks like I might be scheduled off work that Saturday. It is a very humbling and joyful way to start out the Christmas week.

[Abby10]

Originally Posted by Nucky

My Mom was a real PIP. She wanted me to take out a Life Insurance Policy at a Fortune 500 Company that she worked for and when she died I would be set in one move.

I refused and told her that she was asking me to bet on or profit from her NOTHING but Cashing in on her Heavenly Reward and that I wasn't interested. She was furious. I still said and told her I want NOTHING to do with her idea but thanked her for looking out for me. There is more than $$$Money$$$ to this life and I can be bought but not by betting on a terrible event like losing a parent! We NOTHING but made up and were thicker than thieves when she did die many years later.

Nucky, you're NOTHING but a good man.

Originally Posted by Kenswing

One of the great things about NOTHING is it's the family we choose to have.

NOTHING but the truth.

Originally Posted by Kenswing

I have so much life insurance on Mrs. K. that she keeps telling me not to get any ideas. Just because she's worth more dead than alive she would do NOTHING but haunt me for the rest of my life.. lol

As well she should. Try to be a good man like Nucky and you'll have NOTHING to worry about because rest assured the haunting from your wife might be the least of your worries. Answering to us NOTHINGS could be even worse.