Monday, November 30, 2009

Family, Food, and Football...It Must be Thanksgiving!



After a l-o-n-g week of working on the boxes in the garage, we took a break from unpacking to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday.  I hope each and every one of you has been blessed with much to be thankful for this year.  My own list would include:
  1. My family...gathered around our dining room table...and the relatively good health we all enjoy.  This was our first meal in the dining room of our NC home, and we were thrilled to set places for Missy M, as well as Brother and SIL J&J.  We had a lovely day together...and even though Brother T and SIL LaD couldn't join us this year and M had to return home with her pups on Saturday, we were able to meet J&J for a farewell breakfast at Cracker Barrel on Sunday for a bit more fun.  The camera...set on timer...took that photo (right) of us.  I'll be sure to follow Mr. T's suggestion to use the flash next time to even out all those shadows.
  2. A bountiful harvest...including the potatoes from Missy M's garden...and groaning sideboard.  We served all the usual Turkey Day dishes:  turkey, dressing (which we made in the crock-pot again...a very moist way to prepare it), glazed ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato souffle, cranberry sauce, relish tray, rolls and gravy...followed by cheesecake and/or pecan pie for dessert.  The only hitch in the whole day came when the oven (which came with the house) decided to start issuing error codes (?!?) and then burn everything inside...fortunately, this occurred when the casseroles were being heated, with the only real casualties being the tops and bottoms of those dishes and the rolls.  I guess next Thanksgiving I'll be thankful for a new oven...?  Oh well...
  3. A happy ending to the saga of our move from MO.  This time last year saw us in a tizzy, preparing to make the move to NC, which turned out to be even more trying than we had anticipated...so, I'm three times thankful that this is all behind us...and that we are all still smiling...and still speaking to each other...!
OK, that covers the "family" and the "food."  What about the "football?" 

On Saturday...which was an absolutely gorgeous day...Mr. T and I headed to Durham for the Duke and Wake Forest "rivalry" game (left).  The Methodists vs. the Baptists, so to speak.  Sad to report that the Blue Devils allowed the Demon Deacons to take the lead...and they never got it back.  Sigh.  At least we had fun in the sun.





I absolutely adore the Duke campus.  With all the stone buildings and arched and leaded windows, this is one of the prettiest spots in the state.  As we were walking back to our car, I took this shot (right) of the Duke Chapel, which is stunning inside and out.  (Yes, that is the moon you see...:)  We went there to hear Handel's Messiah when we lived here before, and I'll never forget how moving that performance was.  Suggestion:  if you do go, be sure to take a sweater...those stone floors can make the space a bit nippy, shall we say.


While Missy M was here, we got to a couple of yarn shops (Knit Picky in Winston-Salem and This 'n That in Greensboro).  Good time of year to go pet some fibre, for sure! 

On our way home from Winston, I took the exit for Old Salem...one of our favorite places.  We didn't have a whole lot of time, but I found a parking space right in front of Winkler's Bakery, so we joined the crowd inside.  OMG.  What wonderful, yummy smells!  M stocked up on Moravian Cookies (in the tins), and then we got some sugar cakes, still warm from the oven.  I took this photo of the goodies along with my Cat's Meow of Winkler's, which I've had for years.  Still special.

Several have asked about Elmo's eyes.  I'm happy to report that he's doing much better.  Missy M took him to his follow-up vet visit today and reported that the pressure is still below those high numbers he registered when the glaucoma started.  Can he see out of both eyes?  Well, that's still up-in-the-air, as he doesn't really respond appropriately to the gestures that the vet tests him with.  The verdict:  M still has to administer the three kinds of eye drops, as the vet wants to maintain the progress he's made.  Of course, at this rate, they are going to have to start going to the vet in an armored truck...too bad M can't get Elmo on her health insurance.


When all the pups were here with us, I took this shot of The Boyz:  Elmo, Mr. T, and Gus (right).  Thought it was so cute.  Can you see the logo on his shirt?  It's for Binford Tools...motto:  Real Men Don't Read Instructions.  Ahem.  Got that one on a trip to Disney World.  Fits...in more ways than one, wouldn't you say?


About a half a second after I snapped that shot, Ella Rae jumped up in the middle, as you see in the other photo (left).  What a little imp!  The boys look like "great...here she comes again."

Yes, we had a wonderful weekend.  And, now we are in the middle of decorating the house for the Christmas Holidays.  The garage will just have to wait a little longer, I suppose.

We got the outside lights, etc., up and out yesterday before the sprinkles arrived.  Good thing, too, as today has been drab and dreary...chilly and wet.  I did get the candles in the windows this morning, so I'll be ready to post some photos tomorrow.

Be good!  Remember, Santa's watching!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Another One of Those Busy Weeks


It's the week of Thanksgiving...and the gang's all here!  Check out that shot on the left of the Drool GangDuchess in the lower left, Gus in the center back, and Elmo on the right.  And, can you even see Ella Rae in the upper left?  They are all piled up on the sofa bed in the den.  As they had all tried to sleep on our bed the night before...with us...I finally gave up fighting for some space and made up the sofa bed to finish out the night by myself.  Of course it wasn't long until I had company (Ella Rae and Elmo) join me.  Sigh.  What can I say?  Gotta love 'em!


As I mentioned in my last post, Mr. T and I motored to a half-way meet-up with Missy M in Charleston, WV last Friday.  We brought Elmo and Ella Rae home, while she went back to Huntington, where she had work to do over the weekend.  I took this shot of Pilot Mountain on our way up Highway 52, north of Winston-Salem, NC.  It's a state park, and the origin of the fictional town of Mount Pilot on the Andy Griffith show.  (He's from nearby Mount Airy, NC)  Yes, you can drive up the mountain, but you arrive at a spot to the left of the big "knob"... maybe you can see that little outcropping over there beyond the "dip?"  Great views of the surrounding area, especially on a clear day, which this was not.

Mr. T has been taking vacation days (use 'em or lose 'em)...meaning, he hasn't been traveling...but still working from home this past week.  We've spent our time trying to knock out the rest of the mountain of boxes residing in our garage...what a chore!  Some of these boxes have just been re-packed/re-labeled and moved three or more times...I don't think we've touched them since we were in Georgia.  We're in the middle of the unpacking and organizing, but have called a halt to that work in order to get ready for Thanksgiving festivities.


Missy M arrived on Sunday, and it's so wonderful to have her here!  She's contributing to our Thursday meal with home-grown potatoes (photo, left)...can you believe this harvest?!  She tried a method that was new to me:  growing them in bags, which she ordered from the Gardener's Supply catalog.  The proof is in the potato!  It worked, big time.  I checked our garden before the frost that was predicted for last night and found a few green peppers and green tomatoes...but no green beans left to go with those small-ish ones.  The rest of them will be boiled, mashed, and served up with turkey gravy!


She also brought along a new craft she'd learned from one of her co-workers:  making no-sew quilted ornaments.  My cousin Betty Jean made one of these for us years ago, and we still place it lovingly on our tree each Christmas.  While the cheesecake and the pecan pie were baking today, Missy M taught me how to fold and pin the little rectangles of fabric she'd already cut for us into the styrofoam balls.  Later, we'll get some wide ribbon to tie around the center to hide all those pins.  The blue and white one "in progress" in the lower left in the photo (right) is my very first attempt!  The Pumpkin Crunch was for sustenance...:)

So...we are working our way through the Thanksgiving To Do List.  I've polished the silver and set the table for six.  Made the 3-Bean Casserole and the Sweet Potato Casserole, the cheesecake and the pecan pie; baked the cornbread and chopped the veggies for the dressing.  N/M/E and Missy M have gone to the Honey-Baked Ham store for the ham, which will be scored and glazed later...and tonight we'll begin the brining process for the 19# turkey that's resting in the fridge.  The Riesling is chilling...and the roll recipe is on the counter.  I'll make the tea that morning, mash the potatoes, cook the rice and steam the broccoli .  Gravy comes after the bird is cooked for 4 hours.  Relish tray with grapes, olives, celery, and N/M/E's pickles.  Did I forget anything?  Oh yeah...the cranberry sauce...don't forget the cranberry sauce! (Two kinds...the one with the whole berries and the one without...as we have different tastes to accommodate.)  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it all!


As you can see (left), Gus can hardly wait for the Dog Show to begin.  Forget all that football, he says...after the Macy's Parade and Santa's arrival, that's the best part!  He'd better rest up for all that excitement...:)

It's going to be a great day on Thursday!  Gobble, gobble!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

See Seven States in Eight Days!


Let's see...what has kept me from blogging lately, you might ask?  Been on the road again, I might answer.

To recap...

Started in North Carolina, where Autumn was in all her glory (see the photo of our Hickory trees in back). Headed to Kentucky via Virginia and West Virginia.  Left Kentucky, returning to NC via Tennessee.  Left NC, going to Georgia via South Carolina.  Returned to North Carolina.  Collapsed on floor from exhaustion.

It all started last week with a call from Missy M.  Elmo, the youngest Basset member of the Drool Gang, who now lives in Louisville with Ella Rae and Missy M, had just been diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes (a very scary, but fairly common malady to the Basset breed, unfortunately).  As he required three kinds of eye drops, three times a day...and had a couple of follow-up vet appointments during the week...not to mention needing some extra TLC during the work-day hours, M wondered if I could put my Nurse/Nanny hat on and come to KY.  Of course, I was out of the door without hesitation. 

Well, that's not exactly accurate, since I always hesitate when I have to leave N/M/E...but Mr. T came to the rescue, promising to arrange his work schedule so that he'd be at home as much as possible.  And, where would we be without good friend AW, who doesn't seem to miss a beat in adding "drive Miss Edith to the doctor" to her weekly rounds? Gotta love'em!

Good news:  Elmo is responding well to the meds and has had a great report from the Vet/Opthalmologist. The pressure in both of his eyes has dropped substantially below the high levels of just a week ago.  He might even be able to see a bit out of his right eye (although he's probably never going to regain sight in his left).  He still has to have the eyedrops, but Missy M is great at administering them.  A real pro.  Me?  Not so good at that, actually, since I managed to miss both of his eyes with all of the drops...having to resort to using a tissue to mop up the (extremely expensive) liquid as it ran down his sweet face and try to get some of it back on his eyelids...hoping for cure by osmosis, I suppose. 

Then, as the Dr. said it was OK to board the pups, since Elmo was doing so well, we continued with our originally scheduled plan of going to the Gatlinburg for the weekend (see photo of Missy M's new car, a Honda Insight...headed to the Glamour Slammer...complete with Bobble Head Ella Rae hanging out the back window. 


This weekend had been planned around the UMemphis/UTenn football game.  Don't want to talk about that, except to say:  if I ever hear the song Rocky Top again, it will be way too soon.  If you can make out the photo of the stadium (left), you will see that we were seated directly over the UT band, which had way too many opportunities to play their favorite tune.  Sigh. 


The color in the mountains was "past peak" as they say, as you can see in the photo (right)...very different from what Mr. T and I observed during our September trip. Our hotel room had a lovely balcony, from which we could see the Ober Gatlinburg Tram and the rushing Little Pigeon river.  I thoroughly enjoyed our short time there, as always.  Of course, lots of other folks were in the mountains, enjoying their time there, too.  On Sunday, we joined the multitude on the path to Cherokee (as we can no longer take I-40 into NC due to the destruction caused by a recent rock slide).  The photo to the left shows our view on 441:  tail-lights, as far ahead as one could see.



Home again...for a whole night.  Then, repacked my bag to head to ATL for a couple of days.  Hurricane Ida and I got there about the same time.  Let's just say...I don't think there is a deficit of rainfall in GA anymore.


Home again, home again yesterday...bringing Ida along with me.  Rough drive.  Thought it would never end.  Glad to be here, safe and sound.  Had over 3.6 inches in the rain gauge this morning...and a little lake in the back yard.  Also, all those lovely leaves that were on our trees?  Now on the ground (right).

Will be making a quick up-and-back trip to WV tomorrow to meet Missy M for a dog exchange.  She's got work to do that requires some travelling...and we would rather have the whole Drool Gang here with us.  More the merrier! 

Then, we're looking forward to a few days around the house to get ready for our family Thanksgiving, when we'll be joined by Missy M, along with Brother and SIL J & J.  A little more unpacking...a little more decorating...with a little more knitting in between.  I love this time of the year, don't you?

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