TURKEY TALK

WELL,

I did try to post sooner this time, but I misplaced the cord that connects my camera to my laptop.

I thought I left it at the beachhouse, but I found it today while straightening up.

We had a great Thanksgiving!

I must say it was so much better than anticipated. 

Since my mom passed away (three years ago in Feb.) holidays are definitely not the same.

My mom always did things perfectly, while my dad was just there, unobservant like a lot of men.

I now try to keep things as simple as possible.... but also as much like my mom did them as possible.

I know that the "extras", like the china, crystal, fancy pickle relishes and pitchers, fifty side dishes and ten desserts are only more work for him and aren't necessary right now.

 I miss the fussier times though.

I miss my mom.

We got together with my family.

I only have one sibling, a brother.

He is married and only has one daughter, so our get togethers are very small.

Ugg..... that is one thing I do not like, small families.

Let me just go on the record here and say I pray for a lot of grandchildren. 

I really do want to be a part of a large family.

#3 and I started her Thanksgiving break by grocery shopping and baking the most delicious apple cake a few days ahead of time. Her school gets the entire week off for Thanksgiving and I love spending that time with her!!

butter, butter, butter

(apples, spices, OJ, coconut.....I will share the recipe later.... remind me!)

See my laptop?........ We watch movies while we cook.

We watched "Somethings Gotta Give" this time.

...more cooking and preparing...

this is a recipe for "copper pennies", a pickled carrot dish

When my "granny" died, I asked for her recipe box.

I keep it just as she kept it....... a mess.

I cook from it every holiday... the recipes she cooked.

I LOVE holding the stained and crusty cards in my hand and smelling them.

My kids want to send me to therapy sessions. 

Thanksgiving Day we drove to my dad's (I hate calling it "My dad's") house.

My girls got busy decorating it for Christmas. 

They were wonderful!

My dad acted like he didn't care, but kept walking through.

This is the almost finished project......

My mom had a thousand other boxes of decorations, but we just stuck to the tree and a few other table things.

Pretty, but not like she did it. 

On to dinner.....

My dad and Barrett, #3, trying to turn the oven on!!!!!

My girls and my niece in "line".

From my dad's we were headed to our beach house and so we took our dogs with us. 

Lola (left) and Charlie (right) were very confused all day.

They had never been to Papa's house before and definitely had never been confined to  screened porch for an entire day!

My sister in law kept them company.

I forced everyone outside for pictures.

My dad is sooooo uncomfortable when a camera is pulled out, but I did get him to sit for a few pictures.

My mom would be so mad at how he dressed.

He was "Best Dressed" in high school and she liked him to keep up the look, but lately he has started to "dress down".

It makes me laugh.

.....and I know I am gonna get it when #1 reads this post...

she was so unhappy with her hair that day

We headed to our beach house that night.

Friday we did a lot of this.....

the weather was bea-U-tiful!!

 I cooked a little Thanksgiving dinner for just my family.

For years, I spent Thanksgiving in a car....all day long.....driving from one family to the other....taking a tour of North Carolina.... and now that my children are older I have started cooking on Friday.
Thanksgiving weekend is not fun without a little leftovers in the house!

BF1 drove from Raleigh to join us for the weekend. 

One of Art's sisters visited us the next day.

BF2 did too.

All of the kids did homework most of the day...

I love our little beach.

It is a "family beach" and there is alway something going on every holiday.

During the day Saturday, they had the Christmas parade.....

next year I am decorating our golf cart.....

My sister in law shagged with one of the clowns!

That night I tortured the boys and made them go to the Flotilla Christmas Parade

and then Art made them work for their dinner....

because he was still recovering from his shoulder surgery. 

We steamed oysters under the house....

I did not go shopping Black Friday.......... I did do almost all of my Christmas shopping on

 Cyber Monday though.  I feel like I need to invite all of the delivery guys in for drinks and dinner  because there has been a nonstop parade of them at our house this week.
 I am getting to know them well.