Thankful... Take Two

I am a genius.

Not.

We hosted Thanksgiving again this year, which I love to do by the way,

and I completely forgot to take a single picture.  

Not one.

We had twelve for dinner and two more for dessert, and Not One Picture.

I could cheat and show you last year's ;D

The boys, peeling potatoes...

All of us crowded around two tables...

... it's kind of the same ;D

But not quite.

What I did get is this random assortment.

Draining the potatoes, and the window steaming up.  Modern windows are so much better insulated than they were when I was younger.  I seem to remember windows - especially in the kitchen - being perpetually steamy.  Was it like that for you?  Somehow a steamy window seems homey.  Or maybe I'm just weird.  (Don't answer that.)

I made all the potatoes the day before.  Two large casserole dishes of mashed potatoes.  Two small casseroles of Nana's (traditional) sweet potatoes, made with maple syrup, butter, and brown sugar.  And marshmallows toasted on top.  Because it's important to eat your vegetables, you know.  And another casserole of these sweet potatoes.  Yum.

I asked the boys to sweep the floor because I had been putting off mopping and waxing until right before company was coming (crazy?) and they did.  But they're boys, you know?  So I swept again.

Yah.

Then I mopped... better.

But this is what a happy floor looks like :D

I set the table the day before.

I know, I know, you're thinking, She set the table?  She forgot a few things...

Yah, about that.  We serve our Thanksgiving buffet-style, so the plates are in the kitchen, and the glasses/goblets are at the drink station.  Do you put all the food on the table?  Does it fit?  Last year we put four more people around these tables, and I don't think the food would have fit!

Also, we ask the blessing before we fill our plates, because I like for people to be able to eat their food while it's still hot (rather than waiting for the whole group and the hostess to fill plates and sit down).  Major breach of etiquette?  Or good, practical solution?  It works for us :D

I like my Chinese lanterns :D  And I cover nearly every surface with pictures.  Because I'm thankful for what's on the table (turkey!), but I'm even more thankful for what's on the chairs.

And guess what we woke up to, Thanksgiving morning?

No snow at our house, but it wasn't far above us.

Only one tree in the yard is still clinging to a few fall leaves.

And then.... everybody came, and I had all three racks in my oven full of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and stuffing, and there was a general joyful hubbub for the next few hours, and...

... voila, photographic amnesia.  No pictures of anyone or anything.

Veni.  Vidi.  Comedi.  Vici.

(I came.  I ate.  I conquered.)

When do you have your Thanksgiving dinner?  We eat around one.  That way, we can let it settle, eat dessert mid-afternoon, and then put out the leftovers again in the evening.

All amid incessant talking and occasional craft projects.

Which I don't have to show you, because, yah.  I meant to take photos, but, oh look a squirrel!

And now, can you believe it?  We're in the Christmas countdown.

I didn't leave the house today.  The whole Black-Friday-Shopping-Maul experience isn't for me.  

I did send Kerry and the boys out on a brief errand to K-Marche to get new CAP dress shoes for FIFTEEN DOLLARS A PAIR.  Sure they may not be the most well-made shoes in the world, but I bet they're the best shoes fifteen dollars can buy, and they only wear them about three hours a month.  And, you know, there wasn't exactly a line of crazed shoppers beating a path to the men's dress shoes.

I'm going to get up bright and early tomorrow and put all my fall things away and clean the house.  Doesn't that sound like a fun time?

I'll probably make the boys help me, because it goes so much faster that way.

And it's important training for when they have a home of their own some day ;D

But tonight?

They're watching a movie.  Spiderman.

You might say that I'm not particularly interested, and we'll leave it at that.

And I'm going to enjoy one more night of my my pumpkin spice candles...

... and my warm, sparkly fall decorations...

... and maybe a glass of Choco-vine, for one more night.

And just maybe listen to some Christmas music ;D