Here it is another Monday Morning.  It's cold.  The car was covered with frost and needed a good scraping this morning. 

We had a wonderfully restful long weekend at Chez Wood.  Wednesday after work, Elanor and I baked pumpkin and apple pies.  Thursday we got up and put the turkey into the oven and then got prepared to watch some parades.

To quote Inigo Montoya, "I don't think that means what I think it means.....".  In my mind, when you say Parade, I envision marching bands and floats and some movement down a street.  The parades in Philadelphia and NYC have become production numbers and not so much parades.  They have performances by dance troupes and singers in staged areas and there is a decided lack of marching bands.  Being a former band geek (a majorette for years), they are my favorite part. 

Em and Jim came for dinner and it was good.  We had a good meal and talked and just enjoyed each other's company.

Friday, Pk and I planned to go to the grocery store to do our regular shopping.  We kind of got sidetracked.  First, we went to the diner for breakfast and then decided to take our car to get a good cleaning and a coat of wax put on for the winter. 

The next stop was to Lowe's to get 2 things, a light bulb for the refrigerator and a leaf rake.  We came away with some paper for the front door, 2 containers of LED lights, a 9' blow up Stewart, 2 lengths of lighted garland.......you get the picture.

This brought us to noon and we decided we'd had enough and went home.  We did get up early Saturday morning and get the groceries.  Pk and El put lights up outside and I put away the groceries and did the laundry and cleaned out my spinning supplies.  I made a big pot of turkey soup for dinner and it was a good day.  Oh and we made 7 Fruitcakes.  Yes, we like fruitcake.  These are dark and deliciously flavored with rum and spices and lots of citrus flavors.

Yesterday, we got up early and went to Columbus to the Flea Market.  It was a very good day!  My favorite cookware is Calphalon.  We own a set that I've cooked on for over 35 years and it's still going strong.  I picked up a large frying pan with a lid, a new double boiler set up and a wok-like pan that will work for a number of dishes and a cast iron dutch oven.  All at really good prices. (the calphalon still has the stickers on it and hasn't been used and it's so expensive in the stores).

Pk got a couple of woodworking hand tools-something called a "scorp".  I swear I think he makes this stuff up because I don't know any better.....

And then we ended our weekend laughing out loud at Despicable Me.  It was a good way to ease back into a work week mentality.

And now we are at the point where it's 4 whole weeks until Christmas, really plenty of time, but people will start the "OMG!! Buy ALL the things!!There is no time!!!".  That is so not my style.  I'd have an ulcer if I let it get that way.  We will decorate next weekend and then buy our tree the week after.  There is a plan and it will ease us into the holiday season with our sanity intact.

Penguinski!

Are you ready?

Good Monday Morning!  Three more days until Turkey Day!  I love Thanksgiving.  I get to cook and spend time with my family.  This weekend, I made Cranberry Fruit Relish.   Years ago (more than 30!), I found this recipe and tried it.  It has become one of those, "it will ruin Thanksgiving if we don't have it" things. 

Usually, I put it in a container and put it in the fridge but this year, I remembered I had a few pint jars left over and I put it in them.  Much easier to store. Isn't it pretty?   And so easy.  Here's the recipe

Cranberry Fruit Relish

I bag fresh cranberries

Orange juice

Sugar

1 can peaches

1 can pineapple chunks

Approx 1 cup chopped walnuts

1 can mandarin oranges

1- Put cranberries in sauce pan (pick out the ugly ones)

2- Add enough oj to cover them (this is a judgement call since they float and are hard to cover)

3- Simmer until the cranberries pop (they actually make a popping sound. It's very cool.)

4- Taste and add sugar to taste.  Turn off heat

5- Add remaining fruit and nuts and stir together.

You can use what ever fruits you like.   I imagine fresh fruit would work as well but since it's Fall around here, canned is easier to obtain.  As it cools and you stir it, the relish will take on the ruby color.  It is delicious with poultry or pork.

I will un-pin this when I get home today but here it is.  One crocheted receiving/stroller blanket for Em's friend Amy and her husband Mike.  I am rather proud of it.  It came out better than I expected.  Now I can get back to knitting my socks to trade for hand forged dpns.  

But, it's Monday morning and I have to get to work.  Today is our Thanksgiving Luncheon here at the center.  We serve over 250 folks a full on Thanksgiving meal.  It's one of my favorite things we do.  I have a clinic full of people so today promises to be busy.

And today's quote seems vry appropro. "There is only one happiness in this life.  To love and be loved" -George Sand

I've been trying to write this for a week but this software is old and my newer ipad doesn't play well with it.  I'm experimenting with doing the writing on my desktop and then adding photos on my ipad.  We'll see.

I don't have much to day about last week's election result.  Except maybe for one thing.  It's been our way in this country to accept the outcome of an election whether your candidate won or not.  We all work together to pull our country forward.

Some years are harder than others......

In some more pleasant news, last weekend as I was getting dressed, Pk called up from downstairs and said, "Quick, look out back".  I did and I saw 3 young deer wandering in our yard.  We've lived here for over 30 years and never once have I seen a deer in our yard.  We were enchanted.

This might have been a different story if there was still a garden for them to attack but since the garden is done for now, they were welcome guests.

I only got one photo of the neighbor's gorgeous trees this year.  Shortly after I took this, the weather got windy and now most of the trees are naked.

Emily has a long time friend who is having a baby in January.  I pulled out a crochet hook and my rusty crochet skills and am working on a lacy receiving blanket.  It's really pretty with a nice, soft halo.  It's an acrylic blend but part of that blend is mohair.  Now, I like mohair as much as the next person but it is a PITA to crochet.  Especially when your basic skills are not as sharp as you might like them to be!  I have started over a few (ok, 10) times and have cut off large swaths of the fabric because I didn't like the way it looked.  I have until Dec 3 so I have to stop dithering and finish it. 

Thanksgiving is coming up next week here in my part of the world.  It's one of my favorite holidays.  Family, good food and togetherness.  I am cooking this year and Emily and Jim are coming for dinner.  We will make our traditional menu (there will be a mutiny if I change a thing) and watch the parade and maybe a game or two. 

Friday, we took off and will make Fruit cakes and perhaps on Sunday we will make a trip to the Columbus Flea market.  It's absolutely huge and a ton of fun to walk around.

So, how are you doing in the wake of this tumultuous election season?  Are you settled back down?    I think the next 4 years will be anything but smooth.....

I was trying to figure out what to say about today.  Election Day.  It's been a long slog of a campaign and I am so glad it's finally here (although it feels like it's been an eternity, it also feels like BOOM! It's suddenly here!).  And Randall Monroe said it perfectly (he writes the online comic XKCD). 

In the Grand Scheme of Things, one election cycle is not All Important and sometimes it can feel like it doesn't matter for whom you vote.  Just getting out there and casting your ballot makes your small voice become part of a larger one. 

This is my 20th Presidential Election.  I've voted for men who've lost and some who have gone on to win.  What I've never been able to do before was vote for a woman.  It feels like we're taking a giant leap forward to catch up with the rest of the world.


Is the woman candidate better just because she is a woman?  Of course not but she brings such a wealth of experience to the table and a different perspective.  I really like her "stronger together" ideas.  It takes all of us in our wondrous diversity to make a country that has an "open mind and a good heart".  When has a candidate EVER spoken of our country having a good heart?  Never in my experience.

This newly 59 year old woman can't wait to see how she'll work out. (yes, I am an optimist.  Why do you ask?)