Thanksgiving Dream

I had one of those dreams last night.  You know, the kind where you wake up with crusty tears left over in your eyes and a sadness that you have to think about.
I dreamed that I was left homeless along with my mother and father.  Now I have no idea why my husband was not with me and why I was without a home with my mom and dad, but that's what it's like with dreams!  So we are homeless, but we could not find anyone to help us.  We kept asking different people and then asking those same people over and over again, but not only could we not get any help, everyone was so mean to us.  It was so sad and frustrating.
 I forced myself to wake up slowly so that I could remember what my dream was about and ponder what was making me so sad.  I was trying to make sense of it.  I realize now today, more than ever, how thankful I am to have a home, a loving family, and a caring mother and father.  I feel so bad for all of those people in the world, during this season especially, that don't have that. As  I slowly got out of bed, my feelings changed from a lingering sadness to a renewed happiness.  A better sense of what I have in my life.  I'm so glad that I have a husband that provides for me and children and grandchildren that I can kiss and hug and admire their beauty and health.  I feel like I need to make another person's life better if I can.
We had a great Thanksgiving, and that could be what inspired my dream.  I hugged and kissed my beautiful granddaughter, Leanna, all day!

I was surrounded by family.

And we all enjoyed great food!

Look at the wild hair on this little girl!  Because of the way the baby hair is rubbing off, she's now got a mix of  mohawk and  mullet.  She is just the happiest little girl.  And so am I!!

I Am Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!  This is my favorite Holiday next to Christmas.  I love the food, the smell of Thanksgiving food throughout the house, the crackling fire in the fireplace, and a beautiful family to enjoy it with.  I'm thankful for all of this.  I'm thinking of so many that aren't able to have a Thanksgiving like this and it makes me appreciate and realize even more how fortunate I am and I am truly thankful.  It's easy to take for granted all that we have when we really have never experienced not having!
My mother will be here shortly so we can make our stuffing.  This has become a tradition between Mom and me for about the last 10 years.  Ever since we've lived in the same town.  She breaks up the bread into cubes while I cook the celery and onion in butter.  Then I add brown rice, walnuts and apples.  We prepare this while we have a glass or two of wine. Part of the tradition! Our stuffing is the best I've ever had!  I'll be up early to stuff the bird and stick it in the oven. By mid morning those delicious aromas will fill the house.  Thanksgiving dinner is actually a very easy dinner to prepare, it just uses up a lot of pots, pans and dishes.  The clean up is the hard part.
My cousin and his wife and two children are arriving later tonight.  My son, Austin, and his family will be here about noon tomorrow.  It will be a great weekend.  The weather is not sounding good for late tonight and morning, though, so I hope the travel for everyone is safe.
I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Wish I Had Time to Tell You About ------:

Boobs and Bones - that was going to be my blog post for today -  but I didn't get time.  I'll have to save that for another day. I have some things to say on this.

My birthday - it's today and I had a wonderful visit with my Great Aunt (Grandma's sister) and two cousins.  I made a nice birthday lunch with visiting family, Mom and Dad and Hubby.  I was going to show pictures and talk more about my day - but I don't have time now.

My Grandson's Kindergarten Open House - that's tomorrow. Hubby and I are leaving in the morning to be able to get  there.  We don't want to miss his very first school open house.  I'll have to show pictures and tell how it goes as soon as I can.

Christmas Shopping - Mom and I are going to Pittsburgh's Monroeville Mall to start our Christmas shopping on Saturday.  We'll have to leave early because it will take about 2 hours to get there.  Hope I have time to tell about it later.

Christmas Decorating - will start Sunday.  I do a lot of it and if I don't get started it won't get done until after Christmas!  I have to stay on schedule.  I'll post pictures when I get the chance.

Thanksgiving Dinner - has grown in number of family members coming.  I'm very glad about this and I love making Thanksgiving dinner and having family here.  But it takes time, you know, to shop, prepare and cook. I hope I have the time to take pictures!

If I had more time, I'd go into more detail, but I have to go knit to get a sweater finished for my son for Christmas.  I'm running out of time!

Beautiful Week of Indian Summer

Well, everything kind of caught up to me.  This seems to happen to me every year during this season.  I think a combination of change of weather and trying to do too much.  Now I have a cold or small bug of some sort.  Nothing major, just enough to not feel myself and have very little energy. I'm on the other side of it now, though, thank goodness.

After I got back from the kids' house last Friday I decided to take it easy over the weekend and on Sunday I just watched Lifetime Movies all day while I knit. That was such a luxury and something I really should do more often!  I haven't done anything like that for a long time.

This is where my little Fergie lays while I knit.

This is where I sit and knit.  Ellie Mae is usually laying on my lap.  You can see the purple baby sweater on the foot stool that I almost have finished for a friend's daughter's baby shower this Saturday.

Now on Wednesday, I'm starting to feel a little better.  This is a beautiful, warm and sunny Indian summer day here in Pennsylvania.

 Look at this beautiful view on this sunny day off my back deck.  I don't have the skills or the camera to capture how pretty it really is.  The sun is so bright that the lake water is just sparkling.  Can you see the ducks out there swimming?  There are a lot of geese out there in the early mornings.  They look pretty, but they come up into the back yard and make a real poopy mess.  The neighbor has staked up wire to try to keep them out.

So I think the rest and the sunshine is now encouraging me to get up off my butt, get a shower, and do something.  

Two weeks ago was the Grand Opening of the new Wal-Mart Superstore in our small town, which was a really big deal for us.  I was getting groceries there for the first time and came across this packaged soup.  It looked good so I thought I'd try it.  

It was delicious!  and 0g. Trans Fat to beat.  I didn't leave it at that, though. I wanted to doctor it up a bit so  I added my own potatoes and then topped off the bowls with sour cream, shredded cheese and bacon bits.  

It was really good! During this weekly Wal-Mart trip, I decided to get the Tortilla Soup.  That's what I'm making for dinner.  It's simmering on the stove right now and it smells like an Autumn Indian Summer day inside the house.  

I got out a few Thanksgiving decorations.  I do more Autumn than specific Thanksgiving decorating, but on my front foyer table I do set out these little ceramic Pilgrims and turkey that I believe my mother made years ago.  I also have to have a couple little bowls of candy corn sitting around or it just doesn't feel like Autumn.

Probably next week I'll be starting some of my winter and early Christmas decorating.  I do so much that if I don't start early it won't get done in time for me to sit back and enjoy it. My Spokane kids are coming home for Christmas and I want to have everything done before they get here.  

They just sent me this updated picture of my little two month old Heath.

I haven't seen him since he was 1-1/2 weeks old so I can't wait to hold him again and his 18 month old sister, Riley.

I love this time of year, but I need to feel good and not be stressed, pressured or rushed so that I can enjoy the season and not just work at getting through it!

Thankful That Christmas Trees are Done

Oh my, I'm getting tired.  A very content kind of weary.  I finished my Christmas decorating today.  I put away all the boxes and vacuumed and swept the mess left on the floors.  The only minor details left are some new fake poinsetta bushes for the window boxes outside the second floor windows and some adapters that are needed for the outside extension cords.  That's on my schedule for tomorrow, along with a haircut in the morning and Thanksgiving dinner grocery shopping.
 There will only be four of us for dinner this Thanksgiving.  I usually have around ten to thirteen.  Now with son #2 and family in Spokane, son #1 and family in Germany for ten days,  Grandma and Grandpa now in the nursing home, that just leaves my Mom and Dad and My Bob and me.  The four of us are also leaving the day after Thanksgiving to visit the kids in Spokane.  Packing for that trip is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday evenings.  My Bob suggested that with so much going on we should order out or eat out for our Thanksgiving dinner just this once.  I just can't do that! I love preparing Thanksgiving dinner.  I love the smells and watching the parades on TV while I cook.  My biggest challenge is going to be in trying to prepare small portions.  I'm not used to that.
Because of the Spokane trip is the reason I had to (wanted to) get all the decorating finished before we leave.  As I promised earlier, I have pictures.  I just have to say, though, that after looking at the pictures I don't think they do justice to the real thing.  It's hard to get a picture with all the lights lit and have it turn out good. 

This is my Victorian tea room tree.

My dining room tree - all crystal and gold

Angel tree outside my bedroom

Shoe and purse tree in my loft

Living Room tree in gold, burgundy and old fashioned blown glass ornaments.

(I think this tree is leaning now that I see it in a picture.  Note to self - fix that)

This is my foyer - with flash

Foyer - without flash

I didn't get pictures of the front porch tree or outside yet.  Not quite finished there.

So that's my Christmas tour so far.  Will show more of the tour later, that doesn't involve the trees.

I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  I am very blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.