Yesterday the wiring of the garage got put on hold while I worked in Cassadaga cleaning out the barn. I almost said I cleaned out 13 years of clutter and accumulation, but the truth of the matter is, most of the stuff in that barn we brought with us when we moved to Cassadaga; who knows how long I've been holding onto that stuff? The good news is, I have a pickup truck load of junk that's heading to the landfill and a fair amount of odds and ends that belong to my sons and got duly delivered this morning. Nate only got a canoe; poor Matt got a kayak, some cedar planks we gave him for his birthday years ago because he wanted to build a cedar strip canoe, and the strongback frame on which canoes are built.
I haven't delivered it yet, but there are also a couple boxes of stuff dating back to their high school days, and one particular item that is today's gratitude prompt. It's a simple canvas; a modern art rendering of a man in full stride reminiscent of Picasso's cubism, with vibrant colors and bold strokes. In the lower right corner are the initials, "J.W." which would mean little to anyone but ourselves. They belong to a young lady Matt once dated. Jen was a nice girl, one of many Matt dated during his college years. Those were times that tried this man's soul. He would date a girl, bring her home for us to fall in love with, then break up with her, breaking not only her heart, but ours too. By the time he got to Jen, he had decided to get serious enough to talk about marriage. After college, Jen moved to Cincinnati, and having decided she was the one for him, one Friday Matt also moved to Cincinnati.
The following Monday he was back. No, they hadn't had a fight; Alexandria was a toddler, Abi was a baby, and being the good uncle he is, Matt decided he couldn't stand the thought of not being in their lives. It all worked out; shortly afterward, he met Jeanine who is absolutely perfect for him. Actually, I can't think of anyone else who would put up with his idiosyncrasies. Tonight, I am thankful for Jeanine, who loves Matt deeply, and is the mother of two of our favorite grandchildren (yeah, they're all favorites; what can I say?).
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