Never Up North......

Before moving south, tradition held that our Christmas tree was decorated on Christmas Eve and adorning the house didn't take place till mid-December. Our decorations did however remain in place till mid-January.

Here in South Carolina lights are glowing and trees are trimmed on Thanksgiving if not earlier and homes are barren again on Christmas night....how different. Acclimating to this change took a few years but I'm happy to say my house was fully decorated today....taking 8 or more hours of labor. Friday the tree will be completed and the front porch as well. Lots of time to enjoy the festive atmosphere.....we hold slightly to the northern way of doing things and keep the tinsel and lights aglow till after the New Year.

It was an exhausting job. We took our walk after Thom returned from golf and he sweetly offered to spend his golf winnings on a Chinese dinner allowing me to skip preparing our meal. Very much appreciated.

With a reviving shower I finished up a few odd chores and while watching the Biggest Loser I got started on my holiday peanuts.

Done now and ready for a fast forward TV recording and bed.....

Baked, Cooked, Feasted.......

A 9:00 a.m. haircut appointment then home to settle in to a day of baking and cooking for Thankgiving. My contributions will be apple pie, cheese cake, Ben's birthday cake and a sweet potato/apple bake (a new recipe). Preparations kept me occupied in the kitchen the entire afternoon with culinary pursuits only interrupted for our daily walk.

The final dish dried and returned to it's assigned spot, it was time to freshen up and head for the Moravian Love Feast at church. Thom and I were servers as we had been last year. It was a quiet, subdued service....prayer, song and the sharing of sweet bread and cider followed by testimonies and words of thanks and acknowledgment to fellow members.

Back at home at 9:00.....the Biggest Loser.....tea and a cup of multi- grain cheerios...another labor intensive day on the horizon.....

Cutie Pie Pilgrim And Turkey......

A special treat this morning....we drove to Rock Hill for the Thanksgiving Program at the pre-school Tanner and Tristin-Grace attend. It just doesn't get any cuter then 3 and 4 year old children singing about turkeys! They were adorable. The performance was followed by an amazing array of homemade deliciousness....we enjoyed the food and the company. Back to their house for some fun time together then back on the road.

We made a few pit stops to shop (with no success) and settled in back home at 4:00 p.m..Although my "to do" list is extensive I decided to ignore it and just make dinner and call it a day....tomorrow all will be accomplished.

I'll beat the Thanksgiving Day rush by proclaiming now how grateful I am to the Lord for all our precious grandchildren!

Today's Turkey......

Our traditional Thanksgiving will experience some rearranging this year. Having my father on dialysis has presented some scheduling challenges and an out of town football tournament will result in the absence of one family from the Thursday feast. So....we invited the Tarantinos to join us for our church holiday dinner this evening.

They arrived early afternoon and we had a great time playing games and just hanging out. I served only snacks in anticipation of the miles of goodies awaiting us in the FLC at 6:00 p.m.. My parents made the trip also and we loaded our plates to overflowing and enjoyed our "pre-turkey day" turkey. It was a very fine time!

Stuffed to the gills ....ready to relax....

Dealing With Disappointment......

Early start this morning....awakened by Thom's goodbye kiss at 6:22, I began my housework before sunrise. Hoping to attend a BBQ at the Glen Springs Boys Home (where our church members had roofed the dormitory this past summer) I needed to be done and ready to go as soon as Thom picked me up from work. Sadly, that didn't happen. The course was packed and an afternoon tournament prevented him from escaping in time to make the luncheon. So...it was peanut butter and fruit as usual. Instead, I toured the grocery aisles for weekly specials and visited the library for a new read.

We did get in our walk as well as scrubbing and bleaching the front porch so the remaining afternoon hours were spent outdoors being productive.

Dinner and a quiet evening on the agenda....full day tomorrow....

I'll Take It......

November 20th......almost 70 degrees.....perfect for that walk Thom and I fit in between his return from work and our trip to Colleen's house.

It had been a fine day all around and was enhanced by an enjoyable few hours with Colleen, Carson ,Lylah and Mike's mom Regina. We shared pleasant conversation over coffee and donuts, a little playtime with Carson while admiring tiny Lylah as she slept the afternoon away. One laughable story after another led to a later leaving time then planned and spaghetti was served at Camp Carney well after 7:00 p.m.

Retiring in front of the TV we watched "Expelled", a movie we have been anxious to see for some time. It was different in presentation then I expected but still amazing in content .....what the world will accept as doctrine in an effort to deny God and moral responsibility boggles the mind. Nonsense wrapped up in the science of "Darwinism"....leaves me shaking my head at the blindness and arrogance of man.

It's time to quell my frustrations with some scriptural truth so I'm off to bed with my book....

Thursday......

Errands and chores filled this lovely autumn day. Busy and pleasant, productive and tiring.....blessed and thankful.....