Thanksgiving break

Thanksgiving break was busy and productive. I have so many things for which to be thankful...namely my family, friends, co-workers, students and their parents. I was most thankful to have a break to do a few things that I wanted to do instead of had to do!

I did a lot of smocking.

(and to think when I finally finish this dress I have to smock another one exactly like it! My friend, Neena, smocks dresses two at a time for her sweet granddaughters and mercy me, Neena, how in the heck do you do it?!?)

I also did a lot of eating!

I did some Black Friday shopping.

A few years ago I woke up around 5 on Black Friday morning. I was pregnant and in the stage of my pregnancy where you quit being able to sleep. I was awake with no hope of falling back to sleep and also bored out of my mind. Then I realized....the mall is OPEN! So, I heaved my 8 months pregnant self out of bed, got dressed and headed out. I was surprised at how much fun I had, and I’ve shopped Black Friday ever since! You always hear horror stories of people being trampled but my shopping experiences have been the complete opposite. Of course, if I was shopping for plasma screens or computers I’m sure my story would be different! In my experience though, the other shoppers are even helpful. I’ve had folks dig for dvd’s for me or tell me where to find an item I’m looking for if they’ve seen it somewhere in the store. Sure, there are long lines and a lack of parking places, but it’s all part of the Black Friday experience to me!! I also love coming home knowing my shopping is pretty much DONE for the season!

Saturday night, Guitar Boy and I went up to the church to set up the Christmas trees. Here’s a picture of him that he didn’t know I was about to take....

I’m sure he’ll be thrilled when he realizes I posted this pic. :-)

The tree we put up in Memorial Hall looks nice, don’t you think?

Too bad we put it in the WRONG place! Ah well, The Chef moved it Sunday morning.

Our church is built around an antebellum home that was given to the church years ago and Memorial Hall is where the church offices are housed. Memorial Hall is rumored to be haunted by Mr. Pickford, the former owner. Our pastor has had a few strange things happen when he’s been alone, working in his office. Just this very evening, The Chef came through the kitchen and the empty dishwasher was running, and no one else was in the building. Guitar Boy and I didn’t have any Mr. Pickford encounters the other night, but we still set up the trees and got the heck outta there as quickly as possible anyway!!

Saturday morning was also a work day to prepare for the Live Nativity this weekend. So all you local peeps, be sure to come out!

I also did loads of decorating over the weekend. I even remembered to get my Christmas dishes out! Oh yeah, and Thanksgiving was also my birthday and The Pastor made a pumpkin cream cheese cake for me! (much better than the yellow cake mix with chocolate frosting I made for her the week before!)

We won the Egg Bowl AND I watched Elf about eleven thousand times.

Doesn’t get much better than that!

What about you? How was your Thanksgiving?

Smocking

Making progress.

Weekend recap

The weekend started off on Friday night with Kindergarten movie night. We had a farm theme. Everyone dressed up like a farmer and we watched Babe

in the gym on the huge gym wall. Parents brought blankets and sleeping bags and everyone sat together and ate popcorn.

Here are two of our Kindergarteners. Aren’t they dressed so cute? They loved the popcorn and juice and honestly? I think these two boys here were the only ones actually watching the movie. All the other kids were so excited to be at school at night hanging out on quilts and sleeping bags that the social aspect won out over the movie!

We also celebrated The Pastor’s 70th birthday this weekend!

The Pastor has inoperable ovarian cancer and has already outlived the 2 yr prognosis she was given several years ago. A 7oth birthday was one we never thought we’d be able to celebrate with her. God continues to love and bless us! Happy Birthday, Pastor Margaret!

The Chef made some kind of roasted eggplant with tomatoes, onions, parmesan cheese and some other kind of stuff for Pastor Margaret’s birthday meal. I’m sure the dish has a fancy name but since I’ve no idea what it is, I’ll just call it GOOD!!

I spent most of Saturday watching cheesy yet awesome Christmas movies on ABC Family and the Hallmark Channel while I.......

....started Decking the Halls!!!!

Normally I never, ever, ever put up any Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving. That is just beyond wrong. Borderline sinful, even. However, since moving into this house with abundant square footage I’ve developed the compulsive need to have a Christmas tree in nearly every room. So since becoming Crazy Christmas Tree Lady I’ve had to get an early start. It’s the only way I can pull it off.

The picture above is the downstairs finished basement that flooded in the dreaded Flood of 2010. The room is still a work in progress. In a few weeks we’re having the fireplace converted to a wood burning one and I have plans for the long bare wall in the back. Note the eyesore that is the treadmill. Unfortunately, there’s just no other place to put it!

This is the tree that I’m working on in the dining room. Yes, that is a bed sheet being used as a window covering in the background. We are beyond classy, I tell ya! Truth is, The Chef did some repairs on the plaster wall around that window and rather than put back the ratty curtains that used to be there or buying new window treatments, I’m convinced I can make some. Unfortunately I haven’t figured out how to do that yet and have yet to run into one of my sweet elderly seamstress friends at church to ask for help, so the bedsheet remains. I’m probably about a week and a half away from going into full blown panic attack mode over it. But as of right now I’m still hopeful!

So far today I’ve spend several hours of my time folding mountains of laundry.

Yesterday I decided on a smocking plate for this dress.

Rather than use several colors I plan to smock the entire thing in ivory. It’ll be pretty, don’t you think?!? Hopefully I’ll finish both dresses before next Christmas!

I also had to finally face the unfortunate task of switching Dogos’ clothes out from summer to Fall/Winter. After all, it is November. About time, don’t you think? Actually, I’ve had the Fall/Winter stuff out, I just haven’t gotten the Summer stuff taken out of drawers and put away.

This was as far as I’d gotten when I decided to take a break and blog. After folding laundry for nearly 3 hours, I could hardly stand to look at another article of clothing!

The Chef has also been busy. Over the past 2 days he’s smoked 6 pork butts and our Thanksgiving turkey. The pork is for Room at the Inn that our church is hosting tonight.

Room at the Inn is a program for local homeless men in which area churches open their facilities and prepare a hot meal for supper as well as a hot breakfast. The men are able to eat, shower, and sleep in a warm comfortable place for the night. I’ve no doubt that they will enjoy the pulled pork that The Chef has made!

So that’s my weekend so far. How about you?

Discovery

Grandma Sandy has discovered that it’s really hard to blog during the school year!

Not really a news flash, eh?

I’ve got lots of things to say, just not much time to say it.

BUT my goal is to find a time during the week that can be designated just for blogging.

So any of you out there who may still be checking in, don’t give up!

We’ve still got a field trip to Grandma Sandy’s hometown coming up!

Soon, I HOPE!!