I was in the car today with Dear Husband, coming home from a quick trip to the grocery store. It’s been the kind of day when you want to stay inside, curled up by the fireplace, reading a book or napping. It’s gray and rainy, and we’re still recovering from our wonderful Thanksgiving, but not quite ready to be rushing around in the world.
I said to DH that I probably don’t tell him enough that I love him. I was thinking how good it was of him to go with me to the store, when neither of us really wanted to be out. He responded that it was probably the same for him.
I told him that when you’ve been married as long as we have, a woman enjoys hearing a gushing vow of love from her husband now and then.
He made a noise that sounded like the last bit of a shake being sucked up through a straw. “No, Dear. That’s not what I was looking for. That was a SLURP, not a gush. You need to work on your definitions.”
I’ll be endlessly entertained by him, until the day I hit him with a cast iron fry pan! *G*

Whew!!! What a day it was! I love Fall. I love the changing colors, the reds and yellows and the clear skies and wind. I love the entire season as it moves toward Thanksgiving, which for me, is the high point of my favorite time of year.
Yesterday 38 family members joined me in celebrating one of my favorite holidays. I have been working for about two weeks on chores. We’ve put the gardens to bed, had the trim on the house painted, washed windows and chandeliers inside and out, and generally readied the house for guests. I wound down my activities with Scraps on a Mission so that I could tidy up the studio, and put the dining room back to order, where I had been using the table to quilt lap quilts.
This week I washed everything that sits on the counter in front of my kitchen sink, and washed the inside of the windows above that counter. All our bird feeders are on the north side of the house and my family will stand at the kitchen windows looking out on the feeders, asking me about the birds that have come to dinner. I wanted everything to sparkle and shine. I made sure that the feeders were filled to capacity!
I made dough for refrigerator rolls and for sugar crisp, because I wanted to have them on hand as gifts to my sisters. I could not accomplish this dinner without major input from them. I dusted, and wiped down the faces of the appliances and cabinets, and I took the time to reorganize the cookie sheet cabinet and the Rubbermaid stash! My youngest sister has a way of keeping me on my toes about the Rubbermaid, and if I haven’t gotten to it, she’s been known to help me out with it.
My-Sister-The-Nurse came to spend Wednesday with me to set and decorate the tables. We had four tables with either table cloths or antique crocheted mats, and real silverware. I was talked into using heavy paper plates again this year. I’m sure the kids all felt that was something to be thankful about. *G* Sis cooked the hamburger and Italian sausage for the lasagna, while I finished baking the last of the rolls. Dear Husband put together his traditional lasagna when he came home from work. It just needed to be reheated on Thursday (and it was REALLY GOOD!)
Frankie and her husband, their oldest daughter and two dogs arrived after dinner on Wednesday. We chatted for a bit, and most of us turned in early. Thursday morning, Frankie created a wonderful breakfast for us, so that everyone could make it to 3:00 when appetizers would be available. She created a sausage and egg casserole with peppers and broccoli that was divine, and cheese grits. Well, one out of two ain’t bad! I ate a full serving of the grits, but I’m just not a grits girl. From our discussion I learned that the mush I ate when I was a child is the same thing, with less moisture content. I assume that the texture is what bothers me about the grits, but I can say that I prefer good hash browns to mush, too! lol
I made four recipes of bread dressing, and got the turkey into the oven. Family began arriving by 1:00. Of the 39 people present, seven were between the ages of three and eight. My oldest sister has the tallest family members, and I think two dozen of them might have congregated in the kitchen until it was time to serve.
The meal was astonishing, as usual. Everyone contributed something to our feast, but I have to say that the companionship was the best part of the day. I really tried to talk to everyone. For the most part, I got quick little visits here and there, and I didn’t get to everyone, but I tried! There were members of three generations seated at my table, and it was fun to find the connections the youngest ones shared with the older ones. I hope that when they went home they took with them the ties to our family that are so important to me.
So, it was an exceptional day. We have so very much to be thankful for. I’m glad that we were able to come together to celebrate and give thanks.
And for those of you who have read this post, thanks for your friendship!

Putting the house and gardens to bed for the winter seems like nesting to me. Because we invite family to celebrate Thanksgiving here, I tend to do the equivalent of Spring cleaning to prepare. I’ve had a lot of help so far.
My favorite painter has come to paint the soffits and fascia. I didn’t realize how badly in need we were of sprucing up around the outside of the house. It looks brand new once again!
The next helper up to bat was the landscaper who helps me put the gardens to bed. Without him things would look really rough through out the winter, and it would be a MESS to clean up in the Spring, just when the gardens should be at their peak.
I have help with the floors and bathrooms, but this is the time of year I take down and wash screens, and wash inside windows. This week, we’ll see the man who does the outside windows, the chandelier, and the high windows inside. It’s always nice when they sparkle and let in more light.
It’s time to think about baseboards and cupboards and pantries and closets. I have a basket of ironing to do when there’s something I want to watch on TV, and I’ve been reorganizing my studio, putting things in order, and trying to bring some logic to the collection of equipment. I need to clean out drawers in the kitchen, and bring some order to the storage cabinet before my sister comes and sighs at me. I need to wash hurricanes and dust lampshades and in general, make the house fit to be closed up for the winter.
This is the first step to nesting for me. Get it clean, and then find a quilt and a good book and light a fire in the fireplace, and simply enjoy the fact that I’m inside where it’s warm! My-Sister-The-NUrse commented on Facebook this weekend that she had begun storing up books, on her Kindle, and in traditional form, to read. She’s beginning to nest!
The next part of the nesting program will be reading magazines and surfing the web for new soup and stew recipes. I have a nice collection of recipes, but there’s always room for more.