Dear Reader:

Last evening my home held family and friends just fine…because we divided and conquered switching sides throughout the evening. It was its usual array of loud talking, children laughing and crying, foods cooking and some burning…in other words it was another wonderful Pre-Thanksgiving Gathering. The Good, the Bad, and the Burnt.

Before I share some of the photos from last night…let me first share three of my favorite John O’Donohue’s blessings for this special day of thanksgiving.

1. “May you experience each day as a sacred gift,  woven around the heart of wonder.”

2. “Take time to see the quiet miracles that seek no attention”

3. “Keep something beautiful in your heart

to survive difficult times and enjoy good times.”

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On the whole the cooking preparations went quite smoothly…the turkey breast cooked exactly like it was supposed to and had a nice flavor, as well as, the ham. The dressing and casseroles all came out just fine…the rice and gravy did well, plus add in Doodle’s sweet potato pie and Susan’s h’oeuvres, red potato/stringbeans dish, and banana pudding for dessert..a feast fit for a king.

I should have known things were going a little too well…I put the rolls in and then showed Susan Swicegood the computer room where I had just cleaned up (purged)….suddenly I remembered “ROLLS!”  The smoke was already bellowing from the oven…no one on the other side had even detected anything so the rolls looked like 12 pieces of charcoal.

We opened windows and doors…and soon the puffs of black smoke were just a distant memory in comparison to everything else cooking away.

Mollie brought the boys over around 4:00 to try to avoid the holiday traffic which gave Rutledge and I time to play games… like look for the secret key and Junior Ranger (he gets Ranger Rick magazine now and is really into the environment.) He and Ben both showed off their caps…Junior Ranger and Purple Heart Recipient.

Mollie brought several flower arrangements left over from her “sprinkle” last week…the house was decorated in pretty flowers.

Today, Thanksgiving, is always a relaxed day following all the cooking, cleaning, and preparation for last evening. Rewards abound in the form of …wonderful left-overs, along with the Macy’s Parade, Dog Show, and football games. It will be even more so this year as I “hold up” and work on getting rid of this bronchitis. I finally have time to simply stop and drop…on the sofa!

So until tomorrow….Have a wonderful and safe holiday with friends and loved ones…looking for the “quiet miracles that seek no attention.” 

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh