Let's Get Cooking!

 Let's get cooking...or at least visit the kitchen today. Lol We're having another beautiful autumn day albeit still just a bit too nippy to enjoy a lot of time outside in clothes that are comfortable for all of the chores I have ahead. And so, I am staying inside again and catching up on the inside things that are always needing doing. My grand dogs will be here either tomorrow or early Friday so things that can get done without them following behind my heels are on the docket right now. But first, let's head to the kitchen. I don't really think there are a lot of changes but let's go check it out anyway.

I still love all of my local, seasonal tea towels. I love them because of their sentiment but mostly I think because of their watercolor feel. I am always drawn to watercolor...sure wish I could do it but it seems to be a talent that I am totally lacking.

Just look at those little hands and feet on the turkeys on the side of the fridge.

If I have anything that has a turkey on it, you can be sure that it will find its way into this month's decor...even all of the little handprint turkeys that I have from so long ago!

Every time I put out these ceramic pilgrims that I did back in my "ceramic making obsessed" stage of life. I marvel that I once not only hand hands steady enough to paint that small detail but eyes good enough to see it! Lol And I still love the pilgrim hat flower pot that daughter #3 helped my very young grandson make oh so many years ago!

 The cross stitch I made back in 1985-again, much better eyes-and my beloved candle Thanksgiving set from Woolworths that hubby and I bought for our first Thanksgiving after getting married-60 years ago now!! Every time I look at them I am transported right back to my childhood because my mom had the same ones for all of my growing up years as well. That is what made them so important to add to my newlywed holiday decor-it wouldn't have been Thanksgiving without them in our home.

So here is where I put the flower bucket I got from daughter #1 after I got it rusted up to my liking. And, I slipped the wheat that I've had for years and used in other places into it for now.

That is this year's kitchen. I must admit that as I watch all of the posts of people decorating for Christmas, I am starting to feel the itch but, I know I won't cave. I am just making note of all of the things that I see that speak to me. I have always been very traditional in my Christmas decor-mostly just lots of red, green, greenery and vintage Santas. My likes haven't changed but I think I might add even more of the greenery now that they have the faux stuff that looks and feels so real-that is, if I can still even find any more and it doesn't break the bank to buy it. Now that there are so many decor influencers touting all of their finds, things go viral and sell out so quickly. In the old days I probably would have been able to find anything I wanted because I was always in a store somewhere but these days even though I still enjoy the shopping just as much, I don't enjoy the traffic, crowds and obscene prices...not to mention the fact that I really do have a lot of this kind of stuff so some of my fun these days is finding new ways to use the old stuff.

I am heading off tomorrow while I am still "dog free" so I will let you see any treasures I find. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned.

Just as Promised!

 What an incredible day we're having. I woke up to 33 degrees but "feels like" of 21 and fully expected to be freezing but I'm not. The heat didn't even come on during the night even with those temperatures. The meteorologist explained it all with strong wind gusts, etc., etc. but, I just know for my very simple brain, it is actually beautiful out there. It's a bit chilly but, after all, it IS November and that is what one would expect.

In any case, we have a soccer game here in town tonight-and it might be a bit nippy-but, until then I'm catching up on lots of things and remembered I promised you I would be back today...so, here I am. Let's head into the living room.

Since Thanksgiving decor is few and far between these days as people rush Christmas more and more, I end up putting out all of the pilgrims and turkeys I have and then just bringing back lots of my autumn decor to fill in the gaps.

So, once again, this area gives me pause. Thankfully it is the last time I have to worry about it because the "new" shelf went up about a year ago so it has now found decor for each of those months. That being said, I didn't want to do more peat pots and kind of just forgot about anything else until it was decorating time. I was hoping I could find two similar turkeys, pilgrims or whatever but I couldn't so I started here with the wood pumpkin on the left and the tin one on the right.

And, I didn't like it but left it for a bit. As I was going through pictures, I realized it might look better with some antique gold Rub n' Buff so....

...I tried that, And it still bothered me a bit. I liked the gold better because of the gold leaf dish and gold frame on the chest below the shelf but, I didn't like the gold pumpkin next to the gold turkey-and the turkey couldn't switch sides because you would lose too much of the pumpkin on the sign. And so...

It still isn't pleasing to my very "symmetrical self" but, it is what it is. Lol

So that is the living room for this year. I'm off to have some lunch and then start to think about our soccer game tonight. It's going to be chilly but, soccer doesn't last as long as their other games so I think we will survive. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Breaking News!!

We interrupt this blog to bring you the latest news update!!! Today we were going to head into the living room for our next stop in our Thanksgiving tour. But, thanks to grandson #2, that will not be happening. Instead, I will regale you with my latest "just go with it" story.

Yesterday was moving along as scheduled and I was actually sitting right here at my computer ready to start my blog when I got an email from my grandson asking me if I would like to go out to lunch with him. Well, that's an offer not to be refused so I immediately accepted. And then the wheels started turning. Something has been perking in my brain for a bit but I had, so far, successfully put it on hold.

There is a very long prequel to my story that I won't bore you with but those of you who know me know the details. Just a snippet to keep the rest of you kind of up to snuff...for 76 years of my life I had never had any Christmas tree but a live one. I LOVE them for all of the feels. But, two years ago-for many reasons-I had to give in and get an artificial tree. I know in the scheme of things that that is not all that big a deal. But, for me it was. And, to make matters worse, I quickly looked around town and couldn't really find one I liked so I ordered one online-something I really dislike doing because I like to see and feel the things I am buying.

I will take the blame for a lot of it because I was biased against pre-lit tress for two reasons. First off, I had heard horror stories of the lights failing and what a hassle it is to re-do them and, since I like colored lights in the family room, I didn't like the LED lights on these pre-lit trees.

And so, my choice arrived and when I opened the box, I actually started to cry. I am not a crier but for all sorts of reasons, this hit me hard and I felt like a huge part of my holiday and memories would never be the same again.

Let me say that I didn't allow that feeling to last long. I put my "big girl pants" on and got to work. And, it took me three days to complete that tree!!! It needed endless "fluffing" then extra sprigs wedged in to fill voids and then forever to get the lights on it! But, it came out OK and with the addition of some balsam scented sticks to hang from the branches sent to me by daughter #2, I made it through and, as always, we had a wonderful Christmas.

Fast forward to last year when it was even harder to get that thing to "fluff" and by the end of the season, three strings of lights had gone out.

I know, I said I wouldn't bore you but some pre-facts ARE necessary. I couldn't wait to pack that thing up and I actually sent it to daughter #3's warehouse for storage...out of sight, out of mind! And then I began to see posts about this incredible tree that went viral and sold out everywhere and no one could find and it went together in less than five minutes and it fell into perfect shape and needed no fluffing and, and, and.

And somehow my brain filed that information away and came back into place this year when I first started seeing that tree on posts again. And I started a pro/con list in my brain. And every time the pros won out, I talked myself out of it for lots of reasons-not the least that the store was a good bit away at a very bust intersection that I am not crazy about not to mention that it would be heavy for me and might not fit in my car and, and, and.

And then I got that invite and it all became clear. I had googled the tree on Friday and my local store had 37 of them. Again, I could order online but I wasn't falling for that not seeing it in person thing again. And so I asked Hud if he would help me out and he loved the idea of being my partner in crime-and I say that because my girls are all probably going to wonder why in the world I would make this choice but, I digress.

And so, first we went for a wonderful lunch and had all of the time in the world to really talk and catch-up. And then we hit the store and I was like a kid in a candy store. There it was and it was perfect. One of the pros that I did take into consideration was that I needed at least three new sets of lights this year and boy did their price go up. I could subtract that from the price of the tree. Not to mention the two plus days that I would need to get the old one up again-not to mention how many trips up and down the ladder that would take-and it was a no-brainer. And with my sidekick along, he snatched that huge heavy box up with no effort what-so-ever and we had paid and were out of that store in record time.

My plan had been to wait but, honestly, as soon as Hud was on his way-after helping me with a printer update-I opened that box and sat down to read the directions-as if you really needed directions. Lol And, as soon as I did that, I picked up my phone and there was a reel on FB of someone else just buying said tree and challenging the time advertised for setting it up. It looked so easy...almost too easy...and you know how things like that often work out so I decided to give it my own test. And.....

....one of these things doesn't belong here. LOL

Obviously things will get moved, cords hidden, etc. before I get it all gussied up for Christmas but this is fine with me for now.

I should be getting paid for this endorsement but, honestly, this thing went together in less than THREE minutes!!! You literally just drop one section into another and it lights and falls into place. It has a number of color and timing options but my favorite will definitely be the twinkling clear lights...and I am going to have them on all through the rest of this month and then hit the ground running for Christmas. And, it comes with a foot pedal and a remote. It can even be set on a timer. 

When I think of all of the work I just saved myself, I am giddy! I love this thing so much...and my grandson for actually starting the whole process with his invitation to lunch. What a fabulous day-a beautiful new tree and time spent with a precious grandchild. What could be better!?!

I apologize to all those of you who stuck it out this long but you did get a bit if a sneak peek of the family room and I will be back again with more of the real tour tomorrow...I promise. I'm off to make another big pot of soup to get me through the next chilly week we are expecting. Stay safe and stay tuned...and stay warm!

P.S. Right before I headed to bed last night, I googled the tree again and my store was down to 3 left! I am SO glad I snagged one before that became unavailable again!

So Much to be Thankful For

 Welcome to the beginning of our Thanksgiving 2025 tour. We'll start on the porch.

I think I smile every time I see this flag. A few years ago it was so faded that I almost threw it out but then thought about maybe giving it a refresh with some acrylic paint. I wasn't sure how it would work but, honestly, I had nothing to lose. And, much to my surprise, not only did I have fun painting it, but the result was more than satisfactory...and I have proudly flown it since.

These mums have been here since the beginning of October and might just hang on until the end of this month to get me through Thanksgiving. The pots that have finished one bloom are just beginning to rebloom as the others are losing their first bloom. Fingers crossed.

Here's the other thing that acrylic paint saved. The Florida sun is rough on things...just ask my hard wood floors. When you lift the corner of the rug in the living room you would not believe the difference in color...but, I digress. Lol This sign was also pretty much ready for the garbage but a bit of paint gave it a second life as well. 

So that is the porch for Thanksgiving. I was going to head on into the living room as well but I have a lot of pictures to share so the post would just be too long. I think I will stop for now. I have all of the windows open on this beautiful day. I think I will grab a quick lunch and then head outside to do some weeding. Tomorrow I am hoping to get back out behind my fence and cut down some more of the things that are encroaching. We shall see how that turns out. Then, hopefully I will be back on Monday to head on into the house. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Towanda!

 She's Back! I love it when Towanda comes for a visit...although I suspect I will be paying for her visit for a few days. Lol

I started my Halloween to Thanksgiving swap out on Sunday and, as most of you know, I like to start early and just keep on keeping on until I can't stand straight any more. That happened on Sunday and Monday and I was going great guns and thinking maybe two more days. But, I had a dentist appointment on Tuesday so that ate up most of the morning and granddaughter #5 had an early SOCCER game that afternoon. Yes, we have added soccer to "our" sport's schedule as well this year. Lol I got a few things done in between but not much.

And so today, my plan was to hit the ground running and at least get all of the Halloween packed back up and up on the shelves in the garage so I could get my car back in there. That almost worked...until it didn't. As I was just getting ready to start my second cup of coffee I got a text from grandson #2 asking if I could send him some of his baby pictures for the yearbook. Lucky for him he was born the year my digital photo files started so at least I didn't have to go through boxes and boxes of photos that used to be in a yearly order but have been gone through so many times that it is now pretty much all a hit or miss. Lol

Of course, those old photos are "in the cloud" so downloading them takes a little more time and then, since they're on the computer but not my phone they have to be emailed instead of texted-although I'm sure there is a way to fix that, I just don't know what it is! LOL In any case, when I told him I could do it but to give me some time, he admitted that he had waited until the last minute and needed them by 3 this afternoon. My husband used to have a sign in his office that said something along the lines of "your lack of timing does not necessitate and emergency on my part" when people would bring him a bag of receipts and expect their tax return finished that day. Of course, he was a softy and always helped people out if they were in a bind with timing and I, of course, did the same. That got me a later start than I had hoped but just look at the cutest I was reminded of.

After that, I just knew Towanda was ready to lend a hand and, I'm happy to say that she came through and I now have every Halloween Rubbermaid full and back on the shelves as well as all of the larger things up on those top shelves and ready to wait another year. I must say that I do kind of surprise myself every time I complete that last task. Just when I think I may not be able to pull it off one more time, Towanda pays a visit and I am good to go! Of course, I still have to decorate the bathrooms and put all of the Halloween stuff away that is stored in all of the guest room closets but at least the end is in sight.

Granddaughter #5 has 3 soccer games this week-two away and last night at home. So off I went. The last time I watched a soccer game was when she and her brother played at the YMCA when they were much, much younger. 

And just when I thought I was barely beginning to understand some of the lacrosse rules, I now have an entirely new set of rules to understand. And it might take awhile. To me, it just kind of looks like a LOT of running and kicking a ball. Lol It was beautiful but chilly evening and the moon coming up could not be ignored.

So this was only her second game ever since YMCA days. They are training her to be a goalie but they have a really good goalie right now so we didn't expect her to go in unless they were winning by a lot. I guess we failed to figure what might happen if their goalie got hurt-which she did when she dove for a ball and hit her head on the metal frame of the goal net. And just like that Presley was in! To say that we were nervous would be the world's biggest understatement but before we knew it, just a few plays later, she had her first chance and made a save! By then, the original goalie was back but Presley had her 15 minutes of fame and I am so proud of her. It takes some courage to put yourself out there in any position but the goalie? With everyone's' eyes on you and depending on you to "save" the team? I'm not sure where she gets that courage from...definitely not her Nana. Lol

So I am back to getting things tied up and then I can get some pictures and begin our Thanksgiving tour before it is time to switch to Christmas. I wish I could jump straight over but I just can't. And this year that might come in handy. Daughter #3 is supposed to be hosting us this year but grandson #1 (her son) plays on the Coast Guard Academy football team and this year they are leading the conference and it looks like they will be heading into playoffs. If those games happen around Thanksgiving, their family will be headed to CT and I will take over hosting. This is a change that, in my younger days, I would already be planning but, as I have told you, with my now very large family, I have had to learn to "go with the flow" so we shall see how this works out. At least my home will be ready...wish I could say the same for the menu! Lol Stay safe and stay tuned.