Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a great holiday. The primary focus is to be thankful and to eat. What a great combinations that is. My parents are coming for a few days and we are having Thanksgiving Dinner at our house. Sometimes we drive an hour or so away and spend the day with other relatives. This year I have to work all weekend and so we've decided to stay in Huntsville. We will be having the traditional Thanksgiving meal that I have grown up with:

Chicken and Dressing
Turkey
Cranberry Sauce
Green Beans
Fruit Salad
Sweet Potato Casserole
Rolls
Pecan Pie

If you are unfamiliar with the dish, chicken and dressing, allow me to educate you. In most southern families the Turkey if prepared at all is roasted without any sort of "stuffing". Instead we serve dressing. Dressing is a mixture of breads (both white and corn) cream of chicken soup, spices, onions, and chicken baked until golden brown. The recipes and preparation vary from family to family. We tend to eat ours a little soupier than some. We usually serve it with a gravy made from cream of chicken soup. We also traditionally eat dressing at Christmas time and on occasion at Easter. When my Mama was alive and we had Thanksgiving dinner at her house she would make several large pans. There was usually enough for everyone to take home as leftovers. She made the most wonderful dressing and my mother after many years of practice is able to duplicate the recipe. We're not having a whole turkey this year for such a small gathering. Mother bought a Turkey breast from the Honeybaked Ham store. I am not that big a fan of the traditional roasted and usually dried-out bird.

Years ago while I was in college my parents moved to Pennsylvania for a few years. I flew up to join them for Thanksgiving that first year. We drove the four hours to my brother's in laws house in Olney, Maryland. Their Thanksgiving meal was quite different from ours. But the overall tradition of sitting down together for a family meal and being thankful for God's blessings on our lives remains the same regardless of the food served.

Thanksgiving at our house is a wonderful time of fellowship and family time with lots of eating. Regardless of your families traditions I wish all of you a wonderful holiday.

Friday

What a wonderful day today. It's amazing how much more you appreciate your off days when you work so hard to earn them. It's been a long week and I am glad for the 3 day weekend. I know a good many of you will have a short week next week but I have to work next weekend. I spent most of today at the school, working in the clinic and in a teacher conference. I had a wonderful nap this afternoon.

Hubby has apparently decided on the purchase of a new camera after much research. I think he decided against the $600 model and went with something a bit smaller. The big thing with most digital cameras is there is a long delay between pressing the button and snapping the picture (shutter time?). We need a camera that is practical to use and carry around, though. I have seen so many beautiful trees this fall that I wish I could have taken a picture of. You really miss your camera when you don't have one.

We have no big weekend plans. Just the usual. I need to get some Christmas presents wrapped. We're going over to a friend's house for supper tomorrow night. I'm definitely going to get in some napping. Next week I work Monday & Tuesday and off Wed and Thursday. Wednesday the kids are out of school and we all have to go to the dentist. My parents are coming for Thanksgiving so there will be lots of cooking and eating (and napping, don't forget the napping!) Hopefully, I'll be back before then.

Have a good week!

Blogging

I've turned into one of those people who cannot take the time to blog a few lines. What is that about? Can't you sit down once a day or so and type a few lines? Well, actually, no. I've been working a lot of long days (10-13 hours) and when I arrive home I am too tired to even read my email. I know you are thinking that blogging is so much more important then email and that it should be my priority over say, sleep.

Anyway, last week my mother was visiting and we had a great week. I was glad to have a few days with nothing planned. We ate out for lunch and enjoyed ourselves. Most importantly I got some Christmas presents wrapped.

I've got a little cold now and that combined with exhaustion is making me want to do very little on my day off. I'm looking forward to my weekend off.

We are currently looking at a new camera and new cellphones and a shockingly expensive Christmas present for the whole family. It seems that once you start spending money you cannot stop. My old job is still paying me out my vacation time and I've been getting double paychecks. The money has to go somewhere and it seems so wrong to save it.

I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving.. Before you know it Christmas will be here. I mean they are already playing Christmas music at work. What we need is some good Thanksgiving music.

Okay enough is enough. You came here to see if I'm still around and I am and thank you for reading this far. I'm going to take the time to visit some of my favorite blogs now. And maybe, just maybe I'll be back in a few days.

Cool Weather

Well, I had to turn the heat on today. I really do not like to turn the heat on and then turn the air back on a few days later. That is a common situation here in the South. The temp in the house got below 60 last night, so I relented. Last year we had to turn the air back on briefly in December.

I finally got outside and planted some bulbs and pansies. A good thing, too, since we had a hard frost last night. My beautiful impatiens had finally had enough and died. I planted tulips and daffodils and hyacinths. Every year the ground gets a little easier to work so the bulb planting went quickly. My daughter was a big help, dropping the bulbs into the holes I dug and covering them with dirt.

We have some gorgeous fall color and if my camera was working I would take a picture and show you. Our camera never worked after our vacation. I've still got to get the pictures off the memory card. Hubby is looking at getting another one. He has been wanting a SLR camera but I didn't want to spend the money. Now I guess it is necessary. I think I might buy myself a small camera to carry in my purse.

We had a great time at the Auburn game last weekend and I know I should do an entire post about it but I have been so busy. I am enjoying the new job but between it and school activities it leaves little time for the non-essentials like blogging and reading blogs. I still find time to read, somehow, though.

I'm working all weekend and I just wanted to do a quick post because I'm not sure when I'll be back. If I didn't get a chance to visit your blog this week, I'm sorry and hope to visit soon.

Friday

I have been so busy lately. I've backed myself in a little corner. But next week I have two days set aside to spend with my mother. We're going to shop and eat out and enjoy ourselves. I am enjoying my new (old) job. I really like the schedule. Of course, in the evenings I am very tired, but the days go by so fast. I'm really enjoying the people I'm working with, too. My old boss has called me about 3 times to ask when I am coming back. It is nice to be in a career with so much demand.

Tomorrow is the annual Auburn University Alumni Band Reunion. My daughter and I are headed down this afternoon. I'll practice with the alumni band tomorrow morning and then we'll perform with the college band during the halftime of the football game and in the stands. Playing with the Auburn band was the most enjoyable experience I had in college and every year when fall rolls around I miss that excitement. It is nice to spend this little Saturday afternoon going back. My SIL is going to meet us in Auburn and sit with B during the game. Looks like we're going to have great weather (not as hot as usual). We're going to a barbecue at the pharmacy school for lunch.

Maybe next week I can check on how everyone is doing with NaBloPoMo. Have a great weekend.

Where Did October Go?

My goodness how time gets away from me. I seem to remember a few days ago it was the first of October and the weather was just starting to cool off. Now it is the day before Halloween. I was considering participating in the NaBloPoMo but now I honestly don't think I could do it. I'm just working too much. I don't even think I have the time to do up a bunch of posts and then post them each day. So good luck to all of the participants and have fun.

After I decided to not participate I saw this entry on Tangerine Zest. Great minds think alike, Ha!

I went on a field trip today with my daughter to Lyon Family Farms in Taft, Tn. This was a very well organized trip. We went on a hayride where the children picked their on pumpkins from the patch. We played in a corn maze, giant inflatible slide, and corn bin. The kids petted and fed all sorts of animals. We listened to they story of how the pumpkins grow and had a sing a long. We had a picnic lunch outside. Luckily, it warmed up enough to enjoy the day. The kids had a onderful time!

My mother sent this picture of me I wanted to share with you because it reminds me so much of Gina's picture on her blog.

I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween. Unfortunately, I have to work late and will miss out on the annual tradition of dressing up and begging door-to-door for candy. If our camera was not on the fritz I would perhaps get pictures but now I will only get stories. I'll be back (hopefully) on Friday to tell you about my upcoming weekend plans.

MDA Lock-up

Well, I survived my stint in the big house. I was "arrested" for Mucular Dystropy Association. I was picked up by a Huntsville Police Officer and escorted to Sci-Quest in Huntsville where I had to present my "bail" money to the "judge". I was very fortunate to have raised a good bit of money ahead of time. But I made a few calls and raised several more hundred. I am counting on the company I work for to match my first $1000, also. I enjoyed a good barbecue lunch (they ran out of banana pudding, though) and was escorted back home by limousine. I raised at least enough to send 3 children to MDA's summer camp. I am glad I participated in the fundraiser and am touched by the generosity of so many people. Several of my husbands colleagues came through as well as mine.

Book Update

While on Vacation I read the new John Grisham book, Playing for Pizza. It is written in his usual style but is not a legal thriller. The story follows a disgraced NFL quaterback on his adventures in Italy playing for the Parma Panthers. Just like his previous book, The Broker, it made me want to visit Italy. I enjoyed the book, although I thought it was too short.



I also read the latest Diana Gabaldon book, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. This is the second Lord John book she has written. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. I would only recommend it to those readers who are already fans of the Outlander series.



I just finished reading Track of the Cat, by Nevada Barr for the second time. This is the first of the Anna Pigeon Mysteries. My book club has chosen this book for November. I read it several years ago and have read all the other books in the series. Anna Pigeon is a National Parks Ranger and all of the books take place in different National Parks. Like other mystery heroines, people are always dying around Anna. There is always a murder to solve. Track of the Cat is not the best of the series but I think it is important (though not entirely necessary in this case) to read them in order. I highly recommend this series to any murder mystery lovers out there.



I'm sure I was reading something else before all of these but I can't recall now what it was. Must not have been that memorable. I have a lot of things still on my shelf to read. My SIL brought me two books when she was in town and I checked out one from the library. One down side to the new job is there isn't quite as much time to read. Bummer!

Jail Bird

Hey! Thursday is the day I am going to be locked-up in Jail for MDA. It's not too late to help me with your 100% tax deductible donation. Please!!! Any amount is appreciated.

Blog Fodder

Blog Fodder, blog fodder, where are you...

I am not going to blog about the ballgame yesterday. I've refrained from blogging about football this fall for good reason. I'm not going to blog about how I stayed up 'til after 11:30 (by myself) last night watching a game that did not turn out so well for us. Why do they have games starting at 8pm? T.V. of course. Football was all anyone wanted to talk about in Sunday School this morning (well, the men anyway). I really didn't want to relive it at 8 am this morning. Apparently, our rival school across the state had a big win yesterday. Some guy mentioned how the coach had shown he was worth the $4 million he had been paid. I can't help being thankful it isn't my Alma Mater that paid that much for a FOOTBALL coach. Anyway, I said I wasn't going to blog about it, okay? So STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!

Glorious Autumn

The kids and I loaded up the bikes on our new bike rack and headed out to the Indian Creek Green way this morning. The weather was wonderful (even a little cold in the shade). We rode about 1.5 miles then sat in the sun and had a snack before returning to the car. I had been shut up inside all week at work and it was great to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

Hubby and some buddies have headed to the mountains in Tennessee for the weekend and the kids and I are flying solo. Last night we picked up Pizza Hut and watched a movie. Tomorrow, after Sunday School we are going out for breakfast. This afternoon they are busy playing and I am just relaxing. I slept better last night than I have in weeks.

Thursday, night we had a house full. Mike from AtHomeDaddy drove over from Texas to go camping. My SIL drove over (from the other direction) to see him while he was here. Unfortunately, she did not get to stay but one night. Mike, if you are wondering, is just as entertaining in person as he is on his blog.

I had lunch with some fellow Homemaker's on Friday to celebrate Homemaker's Week in Madison. We ate at the Welcome Table, a small restaurant in Madison. Although, a little shabby on the outside it was very elegant inside. I had a wonderful lunch of chicken salad on croissant with sweet potato fries. I also enjoyed the conversation with the other ladies.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekends and this great fall weather we are having.

Monday

Where have I been? Well I went on vacation for a few days, and when I returned of course there were many things needing attention. The I worked all weekend. So here I am trying to catch up on a week's worth of blogging. So much for my ambition to blog two to three times per week.

Our Vacation to the Beach went well. We put the kids in seperate rows in the back of the Tahoe and that seemed to work really well. They did not have the temptation to irritate each other. As expected there was some argument on whose turn it was to ride in the very back. The weather was wonderful. It did not rain, was in the 90's every day and the water was warm.f

Our condo in Ft Walton Beach was adequate but had some problems. The first morning there I had planned to cook cinnamon rolls and discovered there was no bread pan or cookie sheet. And no pot holders, either. We couldn't find the remote to the DVD player. The bed. Don't even let me get started on the bed. But besides all that it was a relaxing vacation. We played at the beach and at the pool. I read a lot. We watched T.V and the kids did their usual playing. We ate out every night and had some nice meals. We raced go-carts, a vacation tradition.

My daughter's birthday fell during the week and we had her ears pierced. I had my pierced at age 6 but had decided she should wait until 7. I think she was suprised how much it hurt, but seems to be happy with them now. She is trying to be responsible and clean them every day.

We watched the first 8 episodes of Lost. I had checked it out of the library. We are hooked now. I went back to the library but they did not have the next set. I guess we will order it from Netflix. We finally got through the first season of Sopranos. Of course, now we have all the regular prime-time stuff recorded on TiVo and have to work our way through that.

Hubby's camping trip is coming up this weekend and AtHomeDaddy is driving out to participate. My SIL is coming in to stay a few days, too. So I guess we will have a busy weekend.

My fundraising for MDA is going well, however, I am still a long way from my goal. I wonder if they will really leave you locked up if you fail to raise your bail. Anyway, that is still a week away.

I really should have broken this post up into several and spread it over a few days to make it look better. Oh, well. Thanks for stopping by and I'll talk to you later.

Saturday

Today was the Madison Street Festival. Hubby and I, along with my daughter drove the 1924 Chevy in the parade. We had a good time waving to the crowds lining the street. The parade is just a short jaunt down one street and up another and includes not only the usual Boy Scouts, Beautie Queens in convertibles and marching band but also people pushing strollers and pulling wagons. The street fair seems to get bigger every year. The kids enjoyed the morning with the Grandparents. Hubby and I had a nice lunch out alone. I had to head back out to the street fair late in the afternoon. My Homemaker's Club has a booth every year to sell pizza and my shift was 4-6 pm. I brought home cheese pizza for the kids and donuts for everyone. I drove the Miata over to the street fair because I was afraid of the parking situation. The Miata is certainly a lot easier to maneuver in tight areas. The weather could not have been better. It was warm and sunny with a cool breeze. I enjoyed cruising around in the little car.

Thirteen Things I Am Going To Do At the Beach

Well Fall break officially starts tomorrow afternoon and we are headed to the beach for a few days. What I love most about the beach is the layed back atmosphere and the lack of pressure to do anything. Some vacations you feel like you have to go, go, go (like Disney World) but at the beach you just are.

1. Eat
2. Read
3. Sit and listen to the surf
4. Ride Go-Karts, a family tradition
5. Sleep late
6. Watch the kids play in the pool
7. Sit on the beach and read
8. Help the kids build sandcastles
9. Watch movies and stay up too late
10. Play games
11. Eat
12. Sit outside on the balcony and read
13. Spend time with the family

Changes Coming On

Tomorrow is my last day of work at my current job. I am leaving this slow-paced, quite workplace (with a window) to go back to the hurried, frantic pace of retail. I'm not really going to go into the reasons for this change because I don't feel I need to defend my decision. The decision was prayed about and it has been made.

The reason I'm telling you is that it will affect not only my blogging but my reading of blogs. At my current job I have lots of downtime with which to spend on the computer reading blogs. At my new job not only will I not have time but will not have internet access. This means I will only be checking blogs on my off-time. Sadly, I will be cutting down on the number of blogs I can keep up with.

So many people I have gotten to know through the blog-world and many of them I will miss checking in with several times a week. I will still visit, I'm sure, though not as frequently, and I will try to blog at least twice a week.

Monday

What a glorious Sunday we had. I stayed up too late Saturday night. I was too keyed up from the excitement of watching Auburn beat Floriday to sleep. War Eagle!! So Sunday morning we slept late. I went out for my morning walk with the kids riding their bikes. It was a great day weather-wise, one of those blue-sky, cool days we so longed for during the heat of August. I put out my yard display (first in the cul-de-sac, thank you). I took a much needed nap and took the kids out for ice cream. I enjoyed my hot tub for a while. I fixed a big pot of chili for supper and we watched the Japanese Grand Prix. My back is hurting again this morning and I wish I knew what I had done to it. But otherwise, I'm having a good morning and looking forward to this weekend (more later.)

Book Update

My Last book update was about 2 weeks ago and I've read quite a few books in that time. My mother left a bag full of books on her last visit. My favorite of these is Once Upon A Day by Lisa Tucker. This book is written from the view of the different characters (switching back and forth) and detail both their past and present to tell the story. The book kept my attention and I read it quickly. It is a compelling story about how some decisions both big and small can affect so many lives. Please go read Amazon's review to get a better idea of the story. I loved it.



Another very interesting title was The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue. You may be familiar with the legends of the Changelings: Fairies would replace children with their own weaker offspring and steal the human child for their own. The stories were used to explain a child who failed to thrive in rural areas. The Stolen Child is a "real-life" story of a changeling who grew up as the child he replaced, and also the story of the human child and his life with the fairies. Once you accept the basic premise the remainder of the book is quite believable. It is a different type of novel then my usual and I enjoyed the change.



I finished the short novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. The author actually wrote this story before his bestselling Tuesdays with Morrie (which I haven't read either). It is the story of how in heaven you meet 5 people who were somehow part of your life (if only briefly) and your life affected them or was affected by them in someway. These 5 people help the character, Eddie, understand his life and its meaning. It's a short story but very good.



I also read Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini. This is the eighth book in the Elm Creek Quilt Series. You do not have to enjoy quilting to enjoy this series (although it may make you want to learn.) The stories are well written and enjoyable. If you find them interesting I would recommend starting from the beginning with The Quilter's Apprentice.



Finally, I read Jimmy by Robert Whitlow. Whitlow writes really good Christian fiction. I enjoyed Jimmy but I was so dissapointed in the ending that I can not recommend it. It is the story of a mentally challenged boy and some of the adventures in his life in a small town. It was a good story until about the last 20 pages. If you are looking for good Christian fiction I would recommend other books by Whitlow, especially The List.

Shameless Plea For Money

I am going to be arrested!!

Actually, I am participating in the Muscular Dystrophy Association's (MDA) Lock-Up on October 25. I am to be put in "jail" until I raise enough money to send 4 children to MDA summer camp. How much does it cost do send 4 children to MDA camp? $2600. Wow!

Last year my good friend Beth's son David was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. Specifically his diagnosis is Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic, degenerative disease primarily affecting the voluntary muscles. David is only 3 years old.

Now everyone has heard about Jerry's Kids and the annual MDA telephon held each Labor Day weekend. Now this disease is affecting someone close to me and I am trying to do my part.

I know that there are a lot of other worthy causes to support and so this is my shameless plea for help from my internet readers. Any contribution is 100% tax deductible. I have a lot of money to raise and so I am looking for help wherever I can find it. Take the time to look at MDA's website and learn about this disease and the Association. Look at the Better Business Bureau's report on this charity. Do your own research and then please, please help me send 4 deserving children to MDA summer camp.

Go here to see my MDA fundraiser website.

And if anyone can help me put a linky on my blog to this site, I would appreciate the help.

Tuesday

I had a really good, relaxing weekend but it went by too fast. We skipped swim lessons on Sunday because frankly I needed a nap! Sunday evening the kids were racing down the hill to our house on their bikes. I had visions of an emergency room visit and stitches. But when the inevitable accident happened it was not that bad. B had to have tender loving care and bandages but she is alright. Of course, she screamed so loud from the street that I heard her in the house. I had just went in to check on the spaghetti on the stove. But I am glad I didn't witness the wreck. The aftermath was enough, thank you. Even though I knew it was coming, I didn't stop them riding. All children have to experience these things, right? Of course they had on their helmets, but perhaps next time I'll insist on not riding in shorts. On the bright side her brother was a great help. He walked her bike back to the house and gave her some of his chocolate milk.

Saturday

Today we had a family reunion. This one is held at my great-uncles farm about 35 minutes away. He has a beautiful back yard with tall oak trees for shade. It was a pleasant afternoon. There was a lot of good food. I enjoyed seeing relatives again. It was a little sad because this reunion last year was one of the last times I saw my Papa alive. His presence was greatly missed.

My cousin Janet and her family were there also. They too, live in Huntsville. Janet and I met each other for the first time at my first football game as part of the Auburn band. (We're actually distant cousins. My great-grandfather and her grandfather were brothers.) We both play trumpet and we happened to sit together in the stands at that first game. We were talking about where we were from and realized we were related. Her grandfather at that time ran a small country store in the town where I grew up. After the game her parents came over and we were introduced. It was a little strange but we became great friends. We roomed together the next year. Even though we live in the same town, we don't see each other often. We both work and have two children. I am hopefully going to the alumni band game in November and we will sit together in the stands again.

We returned home sated and tired from sitting in the warm afternoon. Everyone rested or napped. I still had to finish the laundry and refill the hot tub. (I had drained and cleaned it in the morning.) Tonight we tried out a new Mexican Restaurant out in the county a bit. The food was good and the service quick. The cheese dip was excellent. We will definitely be visiting it again.

We've been watching Sopranos on DVD from the beginning. I definitely do not like the language but the story line has captivated me. As hubby says, "They keep pulling me back in."