Six Days Late and a Dollar Short

I see that many folks have been stating what they are thankful for on a daily basis on Facebook.  I bet most people reflected on their gifts on the actual Thanksgiving Day.  But, being the rebel that I am, I'm doing it six days  AFTER the holiday.  (Actually, it has nothing to do with my rebellious nature, and everything to do with my laziness)

So, in an attempt to catch up on the month of November and the holiday of thanks, I am grateful for:

My cute baby holding the cutest baby.

Thankful that Rose did the cooking.

And the cleaning.

And the entertaining.

And the DingDong buying.

So thankful that I was around when these two sisters were born, watched them grow up,  and that I'm still around to meet the newest member of the Jackson/Hodge Family.

 

Thankful to be able to show Matt what a real American Thanksgiving was all about.

Gluttony and Sloth.

 

Thankful that these two don't take me too seriously.

 

Thankful that the St. Louis Arch didn't fall over as these four looked out the windows at the very tippy top.  

Thankful to be able to combine my oldest friend, my newest (and last!!) husband, my youngest child and my second favorite Englishman.

Thankful to spend time with my OLDEST brother and 2/3 of his family.  (just missing one nephew!)

 

Thankful to see these two enjoying parenthood and even more thankful that it's them and not me.

 

MOST thankful for the best friends on the planet.  

And my most faithful blog reader:  Michael Jackson.

 

 How many of you guys have Michael Jackson reading YOUR blog?  ;-)

Yow!

 

Goodbyes Suck

Hellos are so much happier than Goodbyes.

Hellos are full of promise and fun.

They are all about what is going to happen and what could be.

Goodbyes feel so final.

They are an ending.

 

Hellos are giggles, stories and new memories being made.

Goodbyes leave you feeling a bit empty and like something's missing.

Hellos are adventurous.

Hellos are making new friends.

Hellos are happy.

Goodbyes are a big heavy sigh.

I don't do them well.

Early Turkey

I'm getting ready to head out tomorrow, and didn't want to miss a chance to celebrate with all of you, this most wonderful of food holidays.  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, butter, wine, laughter and naps.  Ahhh.  It's the best day of the year!

Let's check in on the perfect family--

 

Here, I see the perfect family in their perfect house with their perfect children. 

But wait, let's look closer.  

Son is all by himself on the couch playing the accordion.  No one wants to hang with Junior.

And, turkeys are just running loose?  One even sits at the table?

And, who is the extra babe in the kitchen?

Me thinks again about the perfection of this family.

 

Turkey See Saw.  

Huh?

 

Now, this is a party I'd like to attend.  The stars are all there.

But, why is the one dude looking away from the turkey?

 

Ummmm.  I'm not even sure this is legal to put in my blog?

 

 

Why am I thinking this Turkey is Popeye after he ate some weird potion?

That aint no Olive Oyl though---

And finally...

 

Yeah.  High Heels, Apron and Bra.  

Perfect Hunting Attire.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL. 

Kentucky Fried Wedding

We took a little road trip over the weekend.  Well, it was an eight hour road trip in all.

We drove through South and North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and on to our final destination of Prestonsburg, Kentucky.  We took Matt with us to show him a bit of the good ol' USA.

While there, we stayed in a cottage at Jenny Wiley State Park.  I am told the Kentucky state park system is one of the finest in the country.  The park was very pretty, and we even saw a few deer running loose.  And a rooster.

We also saw this ancient piece of technology:

When was the last time you saw a phone like that?  

We attended the wedding of my friend, Breann.  We knew no one at the wedding, other than her.  But, what the heck, I figured it was a great excuse for a road trip. 

How about the cake, eh?  The picture doesn't even begin to capture how very pretty it was.  It was adorned with edible glitter.  Who even knew such a thing existed?

We drove eight hours and managed to end up getting lost on the way to the church.  We missed Breann walking down the aisle, but did get to see the vows.   How in the world did we do that??

Many congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Rogers!

And in three days, we're back on the road for a thirteen hour trip.  

10-4 Good Buddy.

Greetings from Asheville

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Asheville, North Carolina watching English Premier League Football.  (soccer)  What a world we live in, eh?

It's been an insanely busy week.  Our friend, Matt, extended his stay from a weekend, to a week.  On the eve of his leaving, he extended again, so now he will be staying with us until the 27th of November.  We are thrilled!

We are all on the way to Prestonsburg, Kentucky, for the wedding of one of my co-workers.  I've never been to Prestonsburg, Kentucky, but have sure heard lots of stories.  I look forward to sharing my experiences.

I enjoyed the best Mexican food last night.  Remember, I've been stupid dieting forever now, so the chips and salsa I ate were like manna from heaven.  There was a salsa bar at this restaurant and I was able to try six different salsas.  My favorite?  Pumpkin Jalapeno.  I kid you not.

(photo by Sir)

Are we all ready for Thanksgiving?  We'll be traveling to St. Louis for the holiday.  We're taking Matt with us to see what a real American holiday is like and show him the wonderful Midwest.  He's been all around the world, but hasn't yet seen the farmlands of Illinois.  Oh, the corn in November!  :-)

And finally----  My dear friend was without power for 16 days after Sandy. I can't even imagine what she's been through during this time.   I'm sure I speak for everyone when we say, "Welcome Back Mel!"

Mid Week Mute

First Oysters of the Season

You only eat oysters in months with "R" in them.  We're a month late.

 

But, this weekend, we ate some of the lovely little things.

We have a friend visiting from England, so what better to do than have an impromptu oyster roast?

 

England meets Cuba via cigars.

 

We are so lucky to have such wonderful people in our life.

 

And I love that we can "mix" our friends and end up with a wonderful friendship cocktail.

Oysters unite the English, Americans, children, neighbors, Republicans and Democrats.

It's like our own little United Nations.

Complete with a pearl---

And some Butter Pecan Moonshine.

(not much of that to be found in England--)

The good times just seem to go so quickly; which is why I'm so grateful for this blog, so I can look back on these times and smile. 

Making Memories.

Mid Week Mute