THAT was Thanksgiving?

My Thanksgiving HelHoliday was spent in the ER.
I was "blessed?" to work Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Friday we celebrated Thanksgiving.
It included:
Pumpkin Pies............I forgot the sugar. (seriously NASTY)
4 (count 'em 4) attempts at making pie crusts. (all ended up in the garbage along with the nasTAY non-sugared Pumpkin pie)
I finally looked at the gray haired guy standing in the kitchen
...looking scared,
watching his wife come apart at the seams...
and I said through clenched teeth.....
"go buy some pie crusts from the store!"
Thank goodness that it was only Black Friday
and the grocery stores weren't the places to be.

It wasn't one of the more stellar meals that I've tried to prepare.
Thank goodness for Tara(DIL) and Lynsey(daughter) who made hams, salads and
food fit for human consumption.

But as we finally sat down to eat and I looked around at ALL of my family.
My dear patient husband who loves me in spite of me.
My five children who are growing up to be awesome people and great friends.
My three in-law children who I feel like I've know for the eternities.
My seven grandchildren who call me names like namma, gwamma, gramma Tauna, dramma.

If I could only have one word to describe the emotion of that moment
it would be fierce. I love them all so fiercely.
I would do anything for them.
I love them with everything that I have.
It took my breath away.

We only had one day of celebration together.
But I am blessed.

Barefoot season MIGHT be over...

or NOT!

It really is beautiful.
I love the sights of new fallenfalling snow.

(My backyard tonight.)



I love that Howie cleans off my sidewalks and driveway.
I haven't learned how to use a snowblower or else I might help him...

or NOT!

I'm glad to be home snuggled in front of the fireplace and
NOT driving home from Matt's house as I was yesterday.
45 MPH on the interstate.


With little Miss Lexi in the backseat.
Singing the same song for 4 hours! For reals! It was awesome...

or not.

My white knuckles on the steering wheel.

jerk

(Am I bad for getting all warm and fuzzy inside when I see a big 4 wheel drive truck off the road cuz he was driving like an idiot?)


I got to meet Wendy on Thursday night and give her a hug
and tell her I loved her.
She is such a beautiful woman!
I also got to see Ann. She is a doll.

Well, one consolation with all this snow...
only 8 more months till it's gone.
or not!

I just MAY have gone to far....

.....in the organizing department that is.

My hair has been very UNORGANIZED!

It's been driving me crazy.

So........
I organized it.


It may take some getting used to.
The hairdresser did exactly what I told her.
(Susie, it was your future granddaughter-in-law! She did a great job)
but DANG, it's short.
I think I am going to love it
.....but it's gonna take some gettin' used to.

Now I probably should get on some high-powered meds before I get too much more organizational.

Very short and messy looking! Kinda like messy.
I had gotten a haircut a few weeks ago that was a total HACK JOB from some other gal that came highly recommended. So I had no choice but to "organize" it.

Life without a Laptop

I was without a laptop for 2 1/2 months.
I suddenly found myself with a ton of extra time with a
few extra minutes each day.

I'm AMAZED at what I was able to accomplish!

I canned anything that stood still:
-7 roasts from last year's beef
-3 huge batches of tomato soup (Thanks Connie!)
-4 huge batches of salsa
-48 quarts of spaghetti sauce

This is just a small area of my canning mania!
I was giddy to be able to put my canning supplies away.

I had a little surgical procedure and recuperated under this:

Thanks so much Kim!!!
I can't believe the work you put into this!
It's like being wrapped in a hug!

I read So many books!
I love to read.
I read the Little Farmer Boy in a couple of hours.

It made me wish I had children at home to read to. I love the entire series of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
I also finished this again.

So now I'll start reading it again.

Most shocking of all during this time of computerlessness....
I did something unheard of!
Brace yourself.............


I ORGANIZED STUFF!
I might have taken it to the extreme.
I organized a book shelf and some of the computer tools and stuff Howie uses when he fixes computers. It was just "floating" around.
So I labeled it.
I have no idea what the stuff was...pokey thingy?
but it got labeled.


Scariest cupboards in the house was above the washer and dryer.
Open at your own risk scary!


Who organizes hotel soaps?

I get a little bit happy when I open those cupboards now.
Am I weird?
My purse wasn't even spared from my mania!

The the most shocking thing of all is that it has stayed that way!

I'm not but maybe I need to be.
I'm more of a hurry and shut the closet/cupboard/purse kinda gal.
If I can't see it, it doesn't bug me.

It snowed last week.

In fact, it's snowing right now.
I'm not sure how I feel about it.

And this little monkey came by.

With his baby brother.

And last.
Say a prayer for Wendy and her family.
She's a dear friend I've yet to meet.
She sorta came to a blog getaway last month that I went to.
I love her and my heart is with her.

MY NEW ARRIVAL!!!!!

I've always been able to hide my pregnancies well.
Really well.
(Until at least the 3rd week)

Anyway, here's my new baby!


We're off to spend some special mommy-bonding time now.

The cat is a dope head

There seems to be a pattern.
The pattern is Destructive Behavior!

The news reported that a nearby country deputy "lost" a box of METH that's used for training purposes.
(for reals that was the news tonight! 5 pounds of the stuff in a box labeled METH.) uh,huh
Well, they need look no further.
My cat.



is obviously doin' meth.
The dopehead.


(evil I tell ya!)
7 days+ 14 rolls of toilet paper................14! I'm just sayin'
Bad kitteh!

Things I love.

I love my soffit and fascia.
It's true.

If I had EVER had a brand spankin' new house, I'm not sure I would have ever said that.
But I moved into an OLD OUTDATED circa 1960's house.
Turquoise SHAG carpet (AKA Turquoise GAG) in the dining room with matching striped turquoise wallpaper.
Mustard yellow GAG carpet in the living room with matching draperies and thing-a-ma-bobs sewn onto them.
Acoustical tile squares on the ceiling.
Dark wood paneling throughout the entire house.
When we bought the house I was so dang glad to have a house I didn't mind.
(We had moved out of a tiny apartment with our four children and I was so happy to have a house that was big.)

Over the years walls have been taken down.
Ceiling have been made beautiful.
Nasty carpet has been removed.
Bathrooms have completely been renovated.
Beautiful carpet laid beside beautiful wood floors.
My hubby built a beautiful brick surround for my woodburning stove.
And a hearth.
I love my hearth.
My hubby is very talented.
And patient.
(I'm neither talented NOR patient.)
It's often been PAINFULLY slow.
But the finished project has always been beautiful and worth it.


Our last project was painting the outside of the house.
and
putting up beautiful soffit and fascia.

Thank you to my three sons and cute son-in-law (who really knew what he was doing).
While they were working hard on Saturday...

I took a rooster Trick-or-Treating.

Also took a John Deere tractor, cute farmer huh?

Dorothy of Never Neverland or Oz or somewhere managed to show up in her red sparkly shoes.



(I'm still disconnected without a laptop.
It still takes 7 minutes to download a picture.
There are blogs I can't post comments on because of the dinosaur desktop I'm using.
I've asked for an early Ground Hog's Day present.
Hopefully the Great Groundhog will get my letter )