Turkey Dinner on Tuesday

It worked!

It's just as much work to have Thanksgiving on Tuesday as it is on a Thursday, but it worked.

We're feeling thankful and our bellies are full.

 We recruited some cousins to help fill out the "kid table"

 rounded up enough desserts to satisfy a small army

 and were thrilled to have mom and dad join us.

We're stuffed full of turkey and all the trimmings, thinking thankful thoughts and resting up for our big trip to the big city.  

this morning, it snowed

We woke up in the dark, two girls and I, and sat together under blankets at the seminary table until the sun came up.  It was then I noticed the snowflakes.  They were fluttering around, coating surfaces, teasing us with their presence, because I knew they would end.  Secretly, I hoped they would keep falling at least until the last child woke up, so I could share in the revelry as he looked out the window to see early signs of winter.  Wish granted.
The snow has stopped, and mostly melted away now that day has arrived fully.  Just two hours from now I'll be putting the turkey in the oven and prepping for our early Thanksgiving Day feast.  We contemplated skipping the big meal, but around the table on Sunday we voted unanimously to hold it on this fourth Tuesday of the month.  A few phone calls later, the seats at our two tables are reserved and we're anxiously awaiting the sights and smells of the great kick-off to the holiday season.
Here is why I am feeling Thankful on a Tuesday:
-all is calm
-family and friends are on the way
-this morning it snowed
-I can still tell both sets of parents that I love them
-my reasons to feel thankful far outweigh any reason I might have to complain
-my husband made me a deluxe custom-for-me omelet for breakfast
-I have no plans to leave the house today
-there's a fire in the fireplace
-dessert was made before the turkey went into the brine
-there's a hot shower waiting for me upstairs
-I am loved
-Enrique texted me from the bus a few minutes ago, and said he's on his way to the big apple... I'm excited for his great adventure!
-in less than 24 hours we'll be on his heels
-it's the most wonderful time of the year

I hope your Tuesday brings even more reasons to feel gratitude in your life.

tolerance and respect

We attended a vigil in town Sunday night.  Someone in our community was wronged.

As part of a great human family, we are taught to do good to one another.

 I hope the message of many hands, one community shone bright.  We can't stand for the slander of God-given dignity in what makes us unique. 

Living together with mutual respect for one another's differences should not be such a challenge in today's world.  

C'mon people now,

Smile on your brother

Everybody get together

Try and love one another right now.

spicy

Leaving Provincetown last weekend I spotted the Atlantic Spice Company as we drove on by.  I was disappointed

that I didn't know it was there, and felt sad as we kept driving. It took me about three minutes to work it all out in my head before I said out loud

"Would you please turn the car around?... I want to go back."

It made me think of a song I used to hear a LOT when the older kids were little. We watched many hours of Sesame Street, and I probably enjoyed it just as much as they did.

"Nearly missed a sunset,

nearly missed a rainbow,

nearly missed a shooting star going by..."

I resolved to myself some time ago, to make an effort to have fewer regrets if it were possible. I'm getting pretty good at "no photographic regrets" and now it pleases me to report that I did not nearly miss the Atlantic Spice Company driving on by.

 By the way, they are not paying me to promote their business.  I just really loved browsing through the aromatic aisles of the store.  I came home with a large bag of catnip, a bag of mulling spices and some chopped dried onion for next to nothing.

 I'm sure I could have filled a cart if left to wander longer... the prices were great and seeing gourmet spices and herbs in such large quantities made me strangely happy. I may not make it back to Truro soon, but you can bet I'll be visiting their online store.

I like life a little spicy.

alas, the keys

Sometimes I think we live in that secret part of Massachusetts where, not unlike the Bermuda Triangle, things tend to mysteriously disappear.  Take car keys, for example.  We are now down to one set of keys per vehicle, and, if you knew how many vehicles call our driveway home, that is no small number of lost keys.
This morning I woke up with purpose.  Not to say that there isn't purpose EVERYday, but today we had an early set of deadlines to meet.  Of note is the long-awaited third grade trip to Plymouth. This included a 7:30 am departure and a 5:00 pm arrival.  With Mr. Dub off to work before we even see the dawn's crack and Mesquite now driving the HS shuttle, I was left with one weather-worthy vehicle and a 15 minute window of time.  Good thing it was cold outside.  I thought to myself "I should probably go outside and warm up the car."  It was then I discovered that my keys were not on the hook.  Then not in my coat pocket, not on the counter, not upstairs in the bathroom and not accidentally dropped into the drawer.  (Heart rate rising as I imagine cancelling our participation in the field trip would not be a popular decision:  The Mayflower was on the line!)  I knew that texting and calling the other drivers in the home would not be an option at this point.  Even if the keys were located, there would not be time enough to have them brought back home so that I could resume the taxi service.  And so the village comes into play.  I'm grateful for my people.  It sounds so cliche, but it really DOES take a village to raise a child in this home.  I called a neighbor with a third grader, and was able to provide a ride for mine.  My ever compliant Leeli, who thought she would be the recipient of the rare treat that is the ride to school, made the bus.  And today was the day I was able to knock down my email inbox, prepare a few seminary lessons, vacuum some cobwebs and cat hair out of the family room, and catch up on laundry.  All while snacking on the chocolate covered cinnamon bears that my ever-true friend Cynthia mailed me from Utah for my birthday.  When these kinds of stars align in my world, I can then easily forgive Mr. Dub.  Alas, it turns out the keys went off to Nashua today in his coat pocket.  He needed to grab the only set of keys (to MY vehicle) to retrieve his car charger, and neglected to put them back.  Meanwhile, I had a friend on standby to help shuttle me to the middle school and then to an orthodontist appointment this afternoon.  Then I was able to make contact with the HS shuttle, and all will be right in our little world.  Imagine not making friends with your neighbors?  I can't imagine how sad a few someones would be if we hadn't.

James 2:8

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well

there's a new baker in the house

...and the finished product(s) disappeared

before I thought to snap a pic.

The more [cookie makers] the merrier!

Provincetown

best 24

Mr. Dub and I were married on November 11th.

I love our anniversary date, because we share it with the Veterans, and it's always a holiday.

 We spent a relaxing weekend together on Cape Cod to celebrate.

 Just Dub and me (and the camera).

He frequently teased me because I am wont to photograph EVERY.THING.

He challenged me to photograph this broken lock.

 So I did.

I think it's a fine picture.

I call it "good lock at the pier."

 One of our favorite stops was Fish Pier in Chatham.

We ate REALLY fresh seafood

and watched the seals playing in the harbor.

We did a lot of walking on beaches

and reflecting on our time together.

Twenty-four years goes by pretty fast.

I called him this afternoon at work to wish him the official

"Happy Anniversary"

he didn't even skip a beat

when he replied

 "Best 24 years of  my life."

I agree.

(he came home with two dozen roses)
24=score.

honorees

 We attended a lovely banquet to honor my parents.

 It was a beautiful night, and good to be there

to hear such nice things said about Mom and Dad.

 Aaron's tribute to mom's generous nature was especially touching.

 The Northborough Interfaith Clergy honored them for their service to the community, and especially to their family and their church.

They're pretty great people, and the BEST parents.

on my birthday

 I stood for a long time staring out of my new kitchen window. I have a new and greater appreciation for the phrase

"Let there be light!"

 The temperature was perfect.

 I enjoyed a lovely drive to visit some folks who were really happy to see me.

 After dinner there was pumpkin cheesecake. And laughter.

I may have nudged the green numbers piped on...and Big Wilma will always be a favorite term of endearment--my kids make me laugh.  Laughter is a terrific gift.

EVERY year is a jubilee year

Today I woke up 49 years old!

My brother says it's my jubilee year.

I say EVERY year is a jubilee!

How can I not feel jubilation when I am enveloped in a village that should be called Creme de la Creme?

I'm treating myself to a long shower and a drive.  Perhaps there will be a stash of chocolate along for the ride.

Huzzah!

nobody told me

When I was little and dreamed about being a grown up, I never imagined including in a description of my day some of what I now consider to be my happy reality:

I eat handfuls of dry Honey Smacks from the box and call it breakfast.
All six beds in the house rarely get made on the same day.
The laundry seems to take on a life form all its own; multiplying and replenishing the earth.
I look at the toppling piles of paper and things to do, throw up my hands and mumble "you win."
Lunch means grabbing the remains of someone's unfinished breakfast, and sipping the not quite empty water bottle discarded from yesterday's sports bag or backpack.
A trip to the grocery store is my most exciting outing of the day.
A phone call from a child or a friend triggers delightful belly laughter.
I count sincere and vigorous laughter as my workout for the day.
If the dishes get washed, it feels like winning the Super Bowl.
"Come on baby, light my fire" means being married to someone who will call and offer to do the grocery shopping on his way home from work.

Any more you would add to the list?

Mr. Dub turns 50

 We kept busy most of the day with soccer games and then party prep while we waited for Mr. Dub to return from Stake Priesthood meeting (in Ludlow, MA--90 minutes to the west) where, on his birthday, he not only chose to attend, but he spoke as well.

At 10:00 pm he pulled in, and enjoyed birthday calls from sons.

 We had singing and cake sometime before 11:00 pm.

It's never too late for a party with cake!

 Dub's mom came through with her traditional birthday fig cake;

it was mailed from Virginia.  This year's cake was especially tasty.