Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our home to yours!

~happy thanksgiving~

One of these is in my oven right now and my house smells wonderful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

~gobble, gobble~

more thankfulness

No list of thankfulness would be complete without listing my husband and son. My two greatest gifts! The epitome of unconditional love and acceptance on this earth! They make me laugh every day. They make me whole. My support system, my love life, my reason to do and be. I love my guys!

time marches on

Last year my family celebrated our first Thanksgiving and Christmas without Dad, and this year we will celebrate these holidays without Mom. I'm sad. But I am also joyful. I have been abundantly blessed. One of the greatest blessings are the parents who raised me. A girl could not have asked for a more stable and loving home.

As I cook my contributions to our Thanksgiving meal there will be some sadness and some satisfaction. Satisfaction in knowing that I am passing the traditions I shared with my parents on to my son. Satisfaction that I am exemplifying to him that grief is natural and that joy and grief CAN walk hand and hand together!

THIS far...

I am thankful for my God!

2 Samuel 7:18 says:

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:

"Who am I , O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?"

Oh how far the Lord has brought me...and continues to bring me on a daily basis. And I don't deserve it! Before I was even born my sins were forgiven. All I had to do was accept!

Thank you God!

~Unknown Blessings~

When I arrived at work this morning and turned my calendar to the new month of November, I found this bit of wisdom waiting for me:

Give thanks

for unknown blessings

already on their way.

-Native American saying

That made me think of Jeremiah 29:11:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

With a promise like that, how could I not be thankful for Unknown Blessings?

~Allow yourselves to be blessed my friends!

Highlights of my holiday weekend

Highlights of my Thanksgiving weekend:

• Family gathered in my home to celebrate and give thanks
• 6-yr old niece playing hopscotch on my tiled kitchen floor
• Amish friendship bread starter from another niece
• Talking to two nieces about ZSQ’s and fabric sales
• Early arrival of my nephew and his friend (who is like a nephew too!)
• My brother’s family in from Arkansas
• Momma getting to be together with all her living children at once
• Niece and nephew spending the night
• Stephen sleeping over with them the next night
• Early morning fabric shopping with hubby
• 3 hour nap with hubby
• Making ZSQ sandwiches with hubby
• Christmas shopping and out to lunch with hubby on Saturday
• Chili and football game watching with my sister, BIL and yet, another niece
• Spontaneous Sunday morning trip with Sister, BIL, niece, hubby and son to find some Amish settlements in OK (I never realized they were there and I’ve lived here for most of my life!)

~@my

Thanksgiving Stuff, and a recipe

I feel it! That holiday feeling!! Isn't it delicious? My house will be filled with loved ones tomorrow...and then when they are gone...I get to take a nap or craft or do whatever I wanna do!! JoAnn Fabrics is having a doorbuster deal on Friday $1.49 per yard for snuggle print flannel and cozy solid flannel. I'm loading up! I have lots of Zippy Strippy's to make! Here are some I've already made:


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I like the "idea" of shopping on black Friday, but in practice - not so much. I'm hoping that JoAnn's will be full of nice, normal, sedate crafters like me! :)

Thanksgiving cooking - While I'm hosting Thanksgiving, I don't have a whole lot cooking to do. V is making the turkeys, and I will make Green Bean Bundles, deviled eggs, a pumpkin pie and a coconut cream pie. Family members will be bringing side dishes and desserts to share.

And speaking of food - Here's a recipe for this yummy soup we love. In fact, I made it last night:

Delectable Potato and Ham Soup

3 1/2 c. peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 c. diced celery
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
3/4 c. diced cooked ham
3 1/4 c. water
2 TBLS. chicken bouillon granules
salt to taste (I don't add this 'cause the bouillon makes it salty enough for us)
1 tsp. black pepper, or to taste
5 TBLS. butter
5 TBLS. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

You could top with a little Mozzarella, but we like it as is!

~@my

Thanksgiving week

Preparations are being made for my second favorite time of the year! The house is looking good (Thank you Virgil for dusting the ceiling fans!). The refrigerator and pantry are filled with the makings of some awesome grub. Family and friends are due to arrive around noon to 1 pm on Thanksgiving day. I'm counting down to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The Cowboys will be playing at 3 pm. Ahhh, yes, one of my most favorite days of the year! It doesn't hurt that I have 4 full days off work - and that we are planning to put up a few outside lights this coming weekend. (We are waiting until Dec. 6 to put up the tree - a real one!)And quite possibly we will make some tamales. And I am certain to do some crafting. Yes, this is a lovely, lovely time of year! :)

~@my