Goodbye November



After Thanksgiving

This is my third attempt at writing this post!!  I keep losing it when I try to post pictures!!  Ahhhhh

Our Thanksgiving Day was so much fun.  The day began with DH and I tackling the 11# bird--buttered him down and gave him a good salt and peppering.  We made the mistake (for future reference) of not covering the whole pan with foil......our 4:00 eating time extended out to 5:00 before the 180 degree temp was reached.  And the recipe of mixing flour with butter ahead of time for the gravy is in the garbage!!  LOL
The drippings from the turkey kept drying up as I kept adding water/broth to what was in the pan.  I managed to have enough for gravy by adding a box of the Trader Joes Turkey Gravy (which I won't use again)  The kids thought it was the best turkey ever, though, and there were leftovers for all.  We rounded out the eve with pictures and games--fun, fun, fun.

The next morning, DH and I headed North to Bayfield.  I thought the Holiday Tree Lighting was taking place that eve, only to find out it was to be on Saturday at 4:30.  It was a wonderful event taking place at the Pavillion.  There were clear and red icicle lights hanging from the ceiling and a few banners of poinsettias hanging on the sides for decorations with candles on the tables.  There were tables of cookies with coffee, and apple cider provided also.  Christmas caroling was provided by the Rittenhouse Chamber Singers and

they were so good!!  After about a 45 minute concert, they paraded out to where the tree was standing, and as we all followed I heard the shout of "Wassail" and the lights went on!!  (before we all arrived around the tree)  It really was an enjoyable event!

                        













We enjoyed another Thanksgiving dinner (Barb's leftovers) with Pat and Barb that evening of laughs and good conversation.

Headed home again on Sunday, and so the week begins anew.  Now it will be a scurry to decorate for Christmas and enjoy all the happenings to go along with the holiday!!

Merry Merry!!



Ah Yes--the big day is just around the corner.  It has been a busy time since my last post.

I went on a Sister's Weekend with the sista's from St Louis, via road trip, to sista in Cincinnati.  We had so much fun!!  We went shopping and had lunch at our favorite 'Morgan House'.  Also, saw the play 'Wicked'

which was soooo good!!                                       



Also I was treated to a shopping venture in Old St Charles, MO  and lunch at Lewis & Clark before heading to the airport to fly home. 

The week home flew by with much activity!!  Football games, home parties, and helping dear daughter work on putting together baskets for an upcoming 'Gala" for our church.  I use the word 'help' lightly, as she and her friend have done most of the work....I just arranged a basket or two.

To round out the week we attended the T-G Winterplace Auction.  Of course, as usual, the weather turned ugly and we had newly fallen snow - over ice conditions to tend with on the drive in.  By the time we went home the roads had been salted enough that they were more wet than slick.

Onto a new week.............or a few days before the Holiday of Thanksgiving.  Trying to figure out the BEST recipes to use.  Will round out the shopping tomorrow and CLEAN.  That is my strategy.

Treated DH and myself to a couple of Caribou Latte's today  YUMMO!!!!

Later Gators!!

So fitting for my upcoming weekend with my sisters.  I am so excited....I will fly to St Louis and then drive with two sisters to Cincinatti to see my sister there.  It should be very fun - it will be the first time we will be together since Mom's internment.  It will be very different though, as this will be the first time without Mom joining us in a very long time.





This just kind of encompasses the upcoming Holiday of ~ Thanksgiving ~ the coloring, the words.  Just kind of struck me.  Got my salad put together for the funeral luncheon tomorrow.  Will get up in the morning  and add the grapes (left out the cashews for possibility of nut allergies);  and butter the 2 dozen buns. 

I am thankful that I was able to meet Don on his life journey.  Always a kind and happy man.

Sent my coffee 'basket' off tonight.  Dang, should've taken a picture.  Waiting for the SB and Caribou Christmas Blend coffees to come out and will add them in.....such darling coffee bags this year.

Just finished a Pumpkin Fireside Coffee and put me at a relaxed state for bedtime  LOL!

Don't let any bedbugs bite!!  ;-0

November comes

And November goes,

With the last red berries

And the first white snows.

With night coming early

And dawn coming late,

And ice in the bucket

And frost by the gate.

The fires burn

And the kettles sing,

And earth sinks to rest

Until next spring.

~ Elizabeth Coatsworth ~



Look What's Coming!!

Isn't this just the cutest bag for coffee??  I will probably just buy the coffee for the bag -- I know SAD!!

Starbucks, also, has a cute skater, and a snowman for their upcoming bags.



Just way too cute!!  Would make great gifts.......

I am helping make a coffee basket (which I may have mentioned before) for a Gala event at our Church.  I think I will put the Caribou coffee in and a SB gift card.  In my particular area there are more Caribou than Starbucks.  (As you can see by my former post, I said I had a Starbucks coffee bag in the basket; they can't be purchased until mid-November, so have changed my mind to the Caribou.)

Another nice day--in the 50's.  Very windy though--30 mph with gusts of 40!!  I did get my fountain cleaned out and covered for the upcoming cold season.  Also got 6 bags of salt for the water softener.  Made beef stew.  Did load of laundry.  Grocery shopped.  Drank SB Thanksgiving Blend coffee with coffee creamer added today....no latte - BOO!

Deer season opened today and DH got his deer hurray!!  He is happy.  Nice doe.

This would have been my Dad's birthday today.  He would have been 85.  I miss him.  I had a R&C and reminisced .......Miss you Dad!!  ;-)

Don't forget to set your clocks tonight....Fall back.  Yay extra hour !!

Catch ya later.

Here we are into November already.....well, it seems ALREADY!!

We had a wonderful Halloween with the kidlets.  They arrived as Hermione (Ms Em), a Storm Trooper (Lukie), Woody (Landon), and a Dragon (Isaac).  Angie was a cat, Steve brought his Ostrich outfit (he wore it briefly), Mike was a devil, and I was a Halloween Angel .  We had a quick bite of pizza burgers, and homemade cheese and pepperoni pizzas, grapes, chips and dip.  Then everyone loaded up onto the trailer and Mike pulled them around the neighborhood via the lawn tractor for Trick or Treating.  What a great time,  even the weather cooperated at a comfy 50 degrees.  The kiddos came back with their containers full of lucious candies and squeals of delight. 

I did take pictures, but as of this moment I don't have any uploaded to share, neither does anyone else, so I can't borrow from FB.....BOO!

The next day (Tuesday) I was lucky enough to be picked by Lukie to be his 'STAR'.  I met him in his classroom at 7:40 and we went to Mass together, then to the meeting rooms for a cinnamon roll and juice/coffee (YAY).  We met up with Emily and her 'STAR' , Angie, and then quickly headed back to the second grade classroom to visit a bit and then I was off to meet Amy at Bachman's looking for some more basket  items for the upcoming church gala.  She is in charge of the school baskets and she is doing a terrific job of putting themes/items together.  Then we met Barb T. for lunch at Applebees.  I picked up the kidlets from school then and we had a Mac n' Don's treat on the way home.   What a lovely day  ;-)

So, November is off to a great start.  I am finishing up my Coffee Basket for the Gala----I am calling it "Filled to the Brim".  I have two Fireside Coffees, a Starbucks Christmas Blend Coffee, 24 little coffee creamers, a coffee scoop, Apple Cider Tea, and I still need to purchase a Caribou Gift Card.  It is all put together into a large coffee cup planter--Amy's purchase and idea for the theme!!  I told you she was great!

Didn't stop at SB's today, but had some Delightful creamer in my fresh coffee this morn ....Yummy!!

NEXT Halloween!

Next year I want this at my house!!  I will get DH working on it.  :-)

http://www.youtube.com/embed/WAXMtUCcp7o