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.

It’s been an amazing month so far. While I was waiting for Movable Type to let me back into my blog, we became grandparents for the fourth time. Sophie was born early in the month, and she’s a charmer with loads and loads of dark hair. I haven’t started shopping for her just yet, but I did manage to get her baby quilt done before she was born. Welcome, sweet baby!
My youngest niece turned 21 yesterday. There are at least eight birthdays in October in my extended family, but turning 21 is pretty significant. Happy Birthday, Becca!
Dear Husband has a birthday coming up next week. He has been initiated into the world of Medicare, and if we didn’t know our government was screwed up long ago, we definitely do now! We did an on-line enrollment three months ago and still don’t have a Medicare number. AND, we continue to get mailings telling us that it’s important that he sign up for Medicare before the enrollment period closes. Our government at work.
The boat is home, safe and sound, as is the sailor, home from the sea. The second weekend of October was glorious, the epitome of Indian Summer, and that was the weekend they lifted the boat from Lake Michigan. DH was truly sad to have missed the sailing that weekend, but the following weekend a storm blew in that made him thankful he was home, high and dry! And the storm that came through yesterday was so bad that they closed the Lake Shore Drive bike path, and probably should have closed Lake Shore Drive, too, given that there were 22 foot waves.
I put out the invitation for Thanksgiving for this year, and so far we have between 35 and 40 people attending. I love having the family gather.
Scraps on a Mission has one month left before we give the quilts we have made this summer. We had hoped to finish twelve, but I think the five of us will have completed more than two dozen just since June. This has been a MAJOR growing experience for me. I’m so glad I’ve had the chance to participate.
Today, I sent off a box of 67 six-inch crocheted squares to Shelly Tucker, who oversees Share A Square from her home in Denton, Texas. Shelly is busy putting together part of the 100 afghans we hope to give to Camp Quality in Frankfort, Illinois, a camp for kids with cancer. Four of us contributed to that box, and another package will go out soon.
It’s time to look for a cat! We need to give a needy cat a home. I plan to visit our local shelter, and see if I can’t find another cat who will live up to the reputation of my two previous cats. My-Sister-The-Nurse’s family speaks in horrified tones about Jamar, my gorgeous Seal-point Siamese, and Edward Scissorhands had a lot of personality, too.
I hope you’ve all been enjoying October as much as I have. Happy Fall to you all!

I had a lovely conversation with my friend, Shelly Tucker, this afternoon! She reminded me of her Rule of Tens. Whenever you are faced with things you really don’t want to do, do ten things you don’t want to do, and then treat yourself to something you would rather be doing.
You can do ten minutes of a chore that you HAVE to finish, and then do ten minutes of something that’s more fun.
She said that there is a caveat. If you choose to do ten really simple things, like, picking up a paperclip that has been lying on the floor, you are obligated to do 10 times 10! It makes it worth doing the tougher stuff, don’t you think?
I love her approach to getting things done. I need to apply it to my life.
Thanks, Shelly, for the visit, your friendship, and for such good advice!

This past weekend was just exceptional! Actually, it started on Thursday. Dear Husband and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary. I have to admit that I didn’t realize it was our anniversary until the UPS man delivered flowers.
“Flowers?” “Wait, what date is it…?” And then I realized I’d almost forgotten our anniversary. The flowers were from my sister, Frankie, who sent them by way of thanks for nine thank you notes I sent her. I was only nine months late in getting out Christmas thanks, and five months late in doing Easter thanks, but she rewarded me for my hand written efforts with the most beautiful bouquet of coral roses with a lime green foliage and golden rod. The flowers are just exceptional!
So, I sailed into the weekend on a high, having gone to dinner with DH Thursday night, just a laid back meal at a local Mexican place, and then a trip to visit one of his job sites. *G*
Saturday, very early, DH went off to sail and I got ready for family and friends to join us for dinner. Frankie and her husband and their wonder dog Sydney arrived close to 1:00, and a friend of theirs from Wisconsin found his way to us shortly after that. Frankie helped me in the kitchen, getting things underway to make eggplant Parmesan. She also took over the work on the silk flower arrangement on the foyer table. I had flowers I wanted to work with, but couldn’t get the ratio of flower and container right. I’ll take a picture of it and post it later.
Our oldest sister, My-Sister-The-Nurse, brought her husband and one of her 20-something grandsons to the house shortly after 4:00, and she set up a fabulous appetizer layout for us to nosh on. We continued to pull things together for dinner so that the eight of us were ready to eat on the stroke of six!
Eggplant and Chicken Parmesan, Vermicelli with red sauce, green salad, foccacia and pugliese breads, followed by pumpkin pie. I was going to offer more desserts, but we figured everyone would be stuffed with dinner. I had two-thirds of a pan of the eggplant left, and that’s what we had for dinner tonight!
The conversation and laughter at the table was fabulous. We talked about television humor today and what was on when we were kids. Our youngest family member, who has spent most of his growing years in London or Perth, Australia, didn’t know the names: Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, Bill Cosby or Jackie Gleason. We were trying to decide what was missing in what they call “comedy” today, and along the way a lot of silly jokes were tossed around.
All of Saturday was in preparation for our attending the dedication of a tree at church in Mother’s memory. We attended church, and were blessed with sunshine just before we stepped out for the dedication. Mother’s best friend brought red ribbons for us to tie on the branches. Mother’s favorite color was red. She would have loved it!
And, the Empty Nesters invited us to join them in their monthly pot luck. I took a raspberry pretzel salad, coleslaw and broccoli slaw to share. Those ladies know how to put on a yummy meal. I need to get the recipe for the fruit salsa!
It was just a great weekend. That feeling has continued today despite the rain. I’m coasting on the joy of spending time with family and friends and just having a darned good time! I hope putting together Thanksgiving will be this much fun!

Yes, let it be heard here: I AM AN OLD FOGEY!
Part of my extended family attended church at my Mother’s church this Sunday. My oldest sister and two of her children, my youngest sister and her husband, and a friend of theirs from Wisconsin, Dear Husband and I attended the contemporary service. I have tried to “go with the flow” and just worship and not be critical, but the contemporary service is not for me.
I studied music and music education. Along the way I realized that my way of worshiping was going to involve music. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!” And I did, and have. But, at this particular church, for the contemporary service, they post the lyrics on the screens at the front of the church and have two (or more) people at the front of the church leading the hymns. There is no written music to read. It is extremely difficult to sing out (and make a joyful noise), if you don’t know the music.
Okay, perhaps if they sang the same songs over time, you might begin to learn the music, but as a visitor I am muffled and can’t encourage those around me to sing with me. It defeats my worship, and leaves me feeling cranky.
I understand the reasons for what’s being done. The church is saving on the cost of hymnals, and the cost of royalties to project the music on the screens. Perhaps many younger people have not learned to read music, so the hymnal is wasted on them. And the modern music is more in line with what younger people hear and like.
I miss the traditional hymns and the traditional parts of the Protestant services. I miss being able to harmonize and lift my voice in worship. Clearly, I will have to attend the earlier service in the future.
The old fogey has spoken!

Many moons ago, more than twenty five of them, perhaps as many as thirty five of them, there were two nieces and two nephews who went shopping for their aunt. At the time the Kliban Cat with the red sneakers was very popular. These four wonderful children purchased a desk set, two pillow cases and a mug that all were decorated with the red-sneakered cat.
Over time, the desk set has been packed away or lost, but the remaining pieces, the pillow cases and the mug were still seeing regular use. Unfortunately, this week, the mug slipped from my hands and the handle broke!

I was tempted to keep the body of the mug, because I’ve had so many years of enjoyment from it, but I’m at the time of my life when it’s time to simplify, so I bit the bullet and set it out in the garbage.
Thank you, Lynn, Andy, Terri and Steve for a gift that lasted for ages!
And thanks for the grins! Whenever I want to get a rise from your uncle, I put the cat pillow cases on our pillows! *G*