Thankgiving Pictures

My picture taking left alot to be desired on Thanksgiving. By the time I realized/remembered to snap a picture...the bird was 1/2 carved. I didn't even get any shots of Al and Lorraine. UGH! I guess that means we were having too much fun being together. Anyway, here they are, Thanksgiving 2009.

Here is where I remembered the camera. Jim carving the turkey.

Making the gravy.

Perfect turkey breast. It was so good!

Table full of deliciousness. Hope you all had a wonderful day too!

The Window

I always try to decorate this window according to the seasons. As a kid I remember decorations and seasonal things being displayed and it always gave me a grounded/comforting feeling. I still do it, even tho the kids are grown.

Autumn

Truly Thankful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNrBkDSpwnY

Happy Thankgiving

Days gone by

Remember days like this. Miss them.

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=c96a498221068ba0253e

Tom

Thinking about our bird today. Happy that he/she had a free range life. Sad that it had to end. Happy for the yummy goodness that will grace our table on Thursday.

I know I shouldn't, but I just can't help it. I have stolen pictures of my kids from facebook. I cannot help myself...

I just cannot resist these happy faces. Also...I miss them like crazy!

Preparing

I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week. My favourite holiday, coming up in 6 days! No gifts to buy, no eggs to hide, no decorations to put up. Just a simple day to remember and give thanks for what God has blessed us with and share a day with people that you love. I am happily getting ready for our Thanksgiving today. We won't have a crowd, we won't have John and Cassie...it may just be the 4 of us, but I am thankful just the same. Warm house, table full of the seasons bounty, football :), and the promise of Thanksgivings to come when my house will be full ...maybe even with Grandchildren.
I hope that you all enjoy this week getting ready for a day of thanks.

Cute couple

Just thought that I would put this up. Zachy and Tina...cutie pies.

Lonely Sunday

When I was growing up Sunday dinners were a big deal. After church my Mom would pop a roast (usually beef) in the oven, peel some potatoes, and set the table for a crowd. An hour or so later our whole family would show up and we would sit down and share a meal together. It really was a good thing. Even when we grew up my Mom and Jim's Mom still did the Sunday dinner thing before they moved away. The whole family would be there. It was comforting to go home and share a delicious meal with the people you loved most in this world.
I still always try and make the big Sunday meal. I will usually do a roast and mashed potatoes and gravy, especially in the chilly seasons. I was sitting here this morning and thinking it will just be Jim and I for dinner and that is just plain wrong. Times have changed and families move far away from each other. We can e-mail, and facebook and even blog to try and stay close but it is just not the same. Not even close.
I wish, I wish, I wish that I was setting the table for a crowd today, just like my Mom used to do

Brrrrrr

I have been doing an obsessive amount of thinking about ice packs lately and thought I would share my observations. Just in case you ever need to know.


We tried this type first. It has a nice soft flocked exterior that kept it from slipping and it came with large elastic "bandages" that could hold it in place.


This was by far the most expensive....called Peas. Kinda neat, little gel peas that freeze super fast and conform to your body. Downside, it melted pretty fast.

We tried this too. Even double bagged, it leaked. Thumbs down!

I got this one from work a few years ago. The gel separates as it melts and it takes really long to refreeze.

With all the advances these days we were surprised to discover that this one was by far superior. Really cold, melts slowly, and no need to wait to refreeze...

Ha Ha! Who would have ever thought!

Also, I had alot of time on my hands this weekend just sitting around with Jim. Hence this crazy post.

Jim has had a few scary complications from his surgery, but I am finally happy and relieved to say that today things seem to be better. Whew. I was also thinking that of all the people that I know who have had surgery, none have escaped without some sort of complication. Surgery of any kind is just plain scary.
I also realized just how close Jimmy and I are. I can read his body language and just know that something is up. Friday night he had an incident and we found ourselves in the Emergency room and I felt myself actually experiencing his symptoms. When his pulse became elevated, I felt mine pounding as well. When the medication that they gave him started resolving the problem and he fell asleep, I could relax as well. I have lived with this man for 27 years and he is part of me. No one can make me laugh as hard, wound me enough to make me cry, make me feel as loved, make me so angry, make me feel safe and taken care of and boost my self esteem the way he can. We are in this til the end and there is something pretty cool about that. I am cooking all of his favorites today. Zach is home for the Giants game. Today is a great day.

Feeling better

Foof

The pup had some problems this past weekend. A particularly smelly gland became clogged and infected and had to be drained, cleaned out, and packed with antibiotics. She was feeling funky Saturday morning before her visit to the vet, but come the afternoon she was back to her frisky self. Begging for treats and snuggling with Jim in his recovery chair.



Treat please

Yum

How about another?

Random Fall

Autumn is drawing to a close. The question I always ask myself as I drive around is when is the peak color and did I miss it? Every day is more spectacular than the last and I think that day is "peak". Then, all of a sudden the leaves are down and I feel like I missed it. Funny and weird, but true. Anyway, I think this is passed peak, but still beautiful.

Good friends, the Chair and Blessings

We have had a difficult past few days, but today...the world seems right again. Thanks in part to the new chair. Jim's pain from surgery came barreling in around 10pm on Thursday. The nurse told him to take his first Percocet at bedtime on Thursday. Too late. By waiting so long the pain was all the more difficult to get back under control. He was so uncomfortable and spent most of the night awake, downstairs on the couch, and unable to get up. Trying to avoid another bad night, he asked me to go up to Costco and buy a recliner that we had seen. I headed up there, but there was no one available to help me get it on a cart and load it into my car. Night #2 was worse and I realized that come hell or high water I was going to get that chair on Saturday. I headed up there again and said a quick prayer on the way that someone would be there to help me. I made sure the chair was still there and started to make my way up to the service desk and there shopping for a new phone were our friends Rob and Veronica. We chatted for a few minutes and when I explained why I was there, Rob just took charge and followed me over to the chair and had it loaded on my cart in no time flat. I paid for it, and the Costso people loaded it in to my car. Rob told me he would meet me back at home to get it in the house. He showed up with his kids and with their help not only got the chair in and out of the box but put it together, and settled it in the corner of the family room. Rob and Veronica are the best kind of friends that anyone could ever have. They are the kind of people that you could call in the middle of the night and they would be by your side in a matter of minutes. I know Rob was busy with the kids and Halloween, but he just dropped everything to help me. If you are a person of faith, like me...you know that it was no coincidence that he was there at Costco at that precise moment.
Jim climbed into the chair last night and had the first complete night of sleep since last Wednesday.

Comfortable at last