Thanksgiving Madness

Ok, I shouldn't say madness!  It was quite a relaxing and quiet 4 day weekend!  I enjoyed it so much!  I really need to win the lottery so I can have more of quiet, relaxing days!

Thanksgiving
This year I was lucky that my parents decided to stay in town and we had Thanksgiving dinner together.  My sister couldn't join us as she had to work on Black Friday (the joys of a retail career!) but she will be coming home for Christmas!

I have many things to be thankful this year even though I've had some major losses.  I am thankful that I've been given an opportunity to use the degrees I earned and the brain I have at my new job.  I am thankful that my family is safe and healthy.  I am thankful for the friends that have stuck by my side this past year and for the new ones I have had come into my life. 

My Dad does most of the cooking for dinner.  He makes the cranberry sauce (fresh not from the can!), the stuffing, and he fries the turkey (the best part!).  My Mom and I make the mashed potatos, sweet potatos, green bean casserole and the crescent rolls while Dad is outside frying the turkey.  This year, I made the desserts.  Well, one of them anyway. 

For the first time, I made a cranberry apple pie.  As I was putting it together, I had very little confidence in it.  Soooo, before putting it in the oven, I ran to Whole Foods and purchased a sweet potato pie for back up!  LOL!  I wasn't the only one doing that!  Came home and put the cran apple pie in the oven and crossed my fingers.  My Dad loved it!  Ok, he may have just been saying that because I'm his daughter but I tried it to and thought it was quite yummy!  It is the recipe from the Betty Crocker recipe book.  I suggest it to anyone who likes cranberries and apples!

Movies
This has been a week for movies.  On Monday I went with my movie buddies, Kati and Doug, and saw Harry Potter.  Yes, I loved it!  Yes, I've read the book and ultimately know how it ends but I enjoy seeing the interpretation on the big screen!  It did not feel like a 2 1/2 hour movie!  In fact, at the end of the movie I actually said out loud "NO!  I want more!"  Doug laughed at me and said he agreed! 

I also watched a few movies from my cable's On Demand.  I saw "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant".  If you like campy, cheesy vampire movies, this is one for you.  I enjoyed it thoroughly.  I think it is based off a comic book or maybe some type of anime story but I'm not sure.  The next movie I saw was "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.  Cute.  Good story for the older crowd.  It passed the time for me as I stitched! I also watched "Leap Year", a cute romantic comedy. 

Shopping
Luckily most of my shopping was already done.  I had a few last things I needed but nothing that could get me to go out on Black Friday.  In addition to it being Black Friday, the temperature had dropped 40 degrees (it was 80 degrees on Thanksgiving day) and was raining.  I stayed in, watched football and stitched.  My idea of a good day!  Saturday was a nicer day.  Still on the cool side but the sun was out.  I ventured out before the important football game of the day (LSU of course!) and picked up a few deals.  Nothing for myself.  Gifts for friends and family!  We have a rule in our family: You can not buy yourself anything new starting from November 1 til Christmas.  You want it, put it on your wish list!

Christmas Decorating
I used to put my tree up on the day after Thanksgiving.  I would put it up and decorate it while I watched the LSU Arkansas game.  But starting last year, they have moved the LSU Arkansas game to Saturday so the tree didn't come out until then!  I did start off on Friday with putting my Nutcrackers out.  I love Nutcrackers.  Just one more thing for me to collect.  Luckily though I only have 4 so not too many to store or put out!

Football
Well, the Saints won on Thanksgiving day!  That was a nice way to spend the late afternoon.  But then the Tigers lost on Saturday.  It was a horrible way for us to end our season.  We did end up 10 - 2.  That's a great record, if you think about it. I guess we are so jaded these days that anything less than the national championship is a failure.  So I should be happy that we had a winning season and look forward to whatever bowl game we end up.

Stitching
Of course with 4 days of relaxation I would have a stitching update!  I have a finish!  Yay! I made this for my Grandmother for Christmas this year as I pulled her name. It is a celtic cross. I love the colors in this piece!  The pattern is from Scotland, a gift from a friend who visited there.

I also finished one whole page of HAED's Mad Tea Party!  Woo hoo!  I am doing this one 2 over 1 and it is very slow going.  It has a tapestry feel to it.  I'm liking the way it is looking but not that it is taking so long to stitch on!