Happy Thanksgiving!

~Friends~
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((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Wishing all who celebrate this holiday, a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!!!!-:¦:-
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~Becky~

Happy Thanksgivng to you , Becky, may God Bless us all...
Debra

Happy Thanksgiving Becky, Debra and everyone.

Thanks Debra and Helena!

I've been cooking today. Getting everything ready except the mashed potatoes (which I will make before we get ready to head to my son's home for dinner). Veggie casserole, Sweet Potatoe Casserole (which is delicious!), Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownies (box mix) which is to die for! I used to make or buy pies and cakes for the dessert, but they just didn't get eaten. My family doesn't like Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, or the usual Thanksgiving desserts. Waste of time for me to make or waste of money to buy these pies if no one eats them. So this year I decided to make something that I KNOW everyone will eat! LOL! How's this: Double Chocolate Brownies (warmed up before serving), topped with French Vanilla Ice Cream, Hot Fudge trickled down the ice cream and brownie, and then topped off with whipped cream (exra creamy) and a cherry! LOL! I mentioned this idea to my family and you should have seen their eyes light up! LOL! I think I hit on the perfect dessert for my crew!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving Day!

I know the day after - Black Friday - is going to be crazy! I haven't decided yet if I am going to brave the crowds or just stay at home until Saturday or Sunday. We are exchanging names this year with immediate family because everyone says money is tight. Each person fills out a standard suggestion list on Thanksgiving Day, then folds them up, drops them in a large bowl, and then everyone draws names. We don't tell who we got. I think we set a limit of $100 this year per person. Everyone was actually relieved when I suggested drawing names. We used to do that years ago when money was tight and everyone always enjoyed it without becoming too overwhelmed on spending for Christmas gifts. So I figured this is a good year to do it again. :-)

And so the Holiday Season begins ... Count down to Christmas ... 30 days! lol

This message was edited Nov 25, 2009 10:21 PM

Sounds like a wonderful Dessert and a wonderful time with family for you. You and your family are actually doing something I have been lobbying with my sister in law and sister and the three of us think that is the most sensible and budjet wise ( since we all know who is having hard times in our family) and it would make it alot of fun, I think. *sigh* why are so many people afraid of sometning different? maybe a change?
two different things for us this year, Joe made a pumpkin chiffon pie from our fresh pumpkin, and I made grandmas Pecan Pie, and I know there will be something chocolate and yummy from someone and I can't wait! I ususally make a choc cream pie. that will be christmas when the other 6 people will be here..;D

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Debra - Our family finds it a lot of fun to draw names and NOT tell anyone who they got. One year we didn't even put who the presents were from (just who they were for) and played a guessing game on Christmas day to figure out who the gifts came from! Process of elinimation by asking just 5 one word answer questions! The other plus besides saving quite a bit of money, is that I pass out a suggestion/wish list to each person to fill out. It has sizes, colors, jewelry preference, game system games, books, music, etc. as well as about 5 lines at the bottom for things you really want. Now we know we won't get everything, but to actually get something that we each really want is nice. Many times at Christmas, everyone just buys whatever gift just to have one to give. A lot of times money is spent on gifts that the person doesn't really want. Happens every year! So everyone always likes it when we do the suggestion lists and draw names because we know we are going to get something we really want. LOL! Or something that is the right size or color or type of jewelry or the game that was really wanted. Of course, gift cards are another thing we each like. But it's nice to get a gift card from your favorite store not a store that you wouldn't shop at. I've given away (as gifts) many gift cards that I would never use. So it's nice to get a card from my favorite stores. And you will laugh ... my favorite stores are Home Depot and Lowes and Tractor Supply Store. LOL! No surprise, huh? LOL!

If anyone wants a copy of my gift suggestion list, dmail me your email address and I will send it to you. :-)

I am so glad we are going to my oldest son's home for dinner today. I didn't have to clean my house really good. LOL! I taught that boy well ... he now knows how to stuff a turkey and bake it. He still buys the jars of turkey gravy (which I do too) and he is providing the drinks (not alcohol), the Hawaiian Sweet Rollls, and whatever else that is easy to do! His wife cooks, but mostly Chinese (which is delicious), but she leaves the Thanksgiving cooking to us. When we had Thanksgiving last year, her parents were here and enjoyed it with us. Her parents went nuts over the Sweet Potatoe Casserole. They had never had it before. And they liked everything else too. My Mother really liked Christine and her parents. (My mom passed away before my son and Christine got married.) Her parents don't speak English and we don't speak Chinese, but we managed to converse. Christine translates for everyone. After dinner we played a chinese game. (I forget what it was ...) We really had a lot of fun! This year they are in NY and my Mother is gone, so it will be different. Especially since my Mother passed away. Actually kind of sad today for everyone. :'-(

I did have something that was amazing happen this morning (amazing to me, that is). I go out every morning at the same time... 7:30 am to put seeds in the bird feeder and squirrel bowls. And then I usually take a walk around the backyard to see what might be blooming. This morning as I walked around near the Cape Honeysuckle tree, I could hear the hummer buzzing. I hear and see it almost every morning. Well, this morning it was chirping (actually a squeaking sound - first time ever that I have heard it in real life ... I have heard it on the internet so I knew it was hummer talk! lol) Anyway, I saw it zipping around and around the top of the tree which is about 5 ft. taller than me. It was going nuts! And then I saw that there were TWO hummers! I have never seen more than one bird at a time. They were chasing each other and then they would stop and perch in the C H tree. So I just stood there and enjoyed their antics! They finally came to rest about 2 feet right above me and just sat there looking down at me! LOL! I believe that they are used to people (probably migrating birds or feeding in other yards) and were probably wanting me to put out my feeders. (Very little is in bloom in my yard right now, so not a lot of nectar plants to feed from. ) They were not afraid of me at all. The female usually does get close to me, but this is the first time I have seen the other bird. I am wondering if the other bird is the baby of the female? They weren't attacking each other, more like playing. The other bird does not have a red throat ... so I couldn't tell if it was a juvenile male or a female.

All of this was a first for me! For those of you that get lots of hummers, this is probably no big deal. But for me here in central/south Florida on the east coast, this is quite a sight.

I immediately thought about my Mother. She was always listening to my hummer stories ever since I started seeing the birds about 3 years ago. She always enjoyed the birds and gardening. I don't think it was a coincidence that I was witness to this on Thanksgiving Day. :-) What are the odds? I am out there every day at the same time and have not ever witnessed 2 hummers playing before. And today I see it ... of all days! For those of you that believe in "signs", then you will understand.

Anyway, back to cooking! Y'all have an awesome Thanksgiving with your loved ones! I feel blessed abundantly. :-)

Becky I have had that happen and two hummers that are Male are going to fight for territory so you need another feeder 100 ft away from main hummers feeding spot.
I found this out last year, so put up small feeders at all the flowering hedges out back this year.
Good ideas on the Christmas thhing so am going to bring it up at dinner today.