Thanksgiving Week....Post Views...27,753

     Tuesday, Nov. 22 was a good day.....didn't seem it would be when it started.   The sky was cloudy and threatened rain.  I was a bit stiff and achy.  By 10:30 the clouds cleared somewhat.  I needed to cut back the overgrown rose "trees".  Rain was in the forecast for the next several days, so I decided to go out while the weather was amiable.  

The air was chilly, but shortly the sun peeked out, making Gram G change into a lighter jacket.  What is not right about the pink glove picture??

When she finally admits her one true love is never returning from the sea.....

After 90 minutes trimming it was time for a lunch break.  The many leaves in the Hobbit yard were pleading to be picked up, but just as Gram G regained some energy the rain had already returned.  

How do you like them raspberries???

With the rain having set back in I needed something to do that didn't involve sitting on my duff.  Time to make "organic" raspberry jam...

    In the summer as my red raspberries ripened (frambuesas rojas to Latinos) I froze them in small amounts (the ones I didn't eat).  


What's home cooking if you don't have a little mess?
I opted for the no cook "freezer jam".  Never tried it before.   I was a bit appalled at the amount of sugar, but I guess that is what jam is about....

Came up with this amount from 6 cups of berries and 4 &1/2 cups sugar,1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1 box of certo.....and about 2 hours of work. 
Little ones will be gifts...

Next time I don't think I will use the lemon.
Keeps in frig for a month or in freezer for one year....



 Enjoying the fruits (berries) of one's labor

Wed. breakfast of veggie omelet and
 organic raspberry jam on whole grain toast.....yum....very trendy....

Time for duff sitting....catching up on the Roloffs, Life Below Zero and 
Continent 7: Antarctica.  Wonder if I have a suppressed "cold and snow" complex....nah....
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    So Wednesday was Thanksgiving Eve.   Most of the country was battling traffic as they fly, drive, bike or walk to wherever "over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house" is.  Since I live in grandmother's house I didn't need to travel anywhere.   It was "sit around a bit" and bake pies day.  So 2 pumpkin pies I made from recipe and premade crust.  (1 pecan pie would simply be thawed out the next day.)

Come evening I decided that a Lord of the Rings marathon would make the holiday complete.  

And that it was time to say goodbye to pumpkins.  
So while the movie was playing in the background I cleaned out 3 pumpkins and got seeds ready for roasting.  Put them in the oven to roast and wait for yummy.  
Unfortunately they didn't taste as good as they looked.  They were close to "burnt" with a few almost rotten ones mixed in.   Goes to show that not all Gram G's projects turn out blue ribbon perfect....Been easier and quicker just to dispose of the 3 uncut pumpkins.  
     About 11:30 after 2 LOTR movies I reasoned that the 3rd movie would be great to watch Thanksgiving night after all the festivities were over.   Time for bed.....

 Happy Thanksgiving Day....

     The Happy Turkey spent the morning sending "Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!" text messages to family.  She's happy every year that she gets by without ending up in the roaster...... 




Gram G spent the afternoon and evening at the Miller house..

Deb's turkey in the roaster and turkey in her house.....







Angie, JJ and Gracie

Gram G's favorite stuffed turkey.....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!

     Back home about 9:30 it was time to finish out the LOTR trilogy.  Thanks to the turkey dinner, I did the grandma thing and fell asleep by 10:30;  woke up 12:45 as the movie was ending.  Went to bed AND stayed awake until 3:45 AM.  Bummer....


AH.......BLACK FRIDAY.....

After the good fortune of sleeping till mid morning I was ready to shift focus..

NOPE...NOT Black Friday shopping...was glad to stay away from that....lack of finances also makes good motivation to remain peacefully at home. 

It was time to start cleaning the house in preparation for family visiting the following weekend.   Time for the Hobbit clothing to be stored until the next Hobbit gathering hosted at Gram G's home.

Once again my misguided Christmas cactus bloomed beautifully for Thanksgiving....




    Thanksgiving,
      2015.

This faithful plant has been with me since it was a sprout 5 years ago.  


Saturday afternoon there was a "sun break" in the midst of rainy days.  There actually wasn't any sun, but weather was mild enough to encourage me to rake up wet soggy leaves and trim the constant growing greenery along the driveway.  Let it be noted that I do NOT have any deciduous trees on my lot....

OK....I have one

SO.....this time of year is the height of "thanksgiving" for me.   I try really hard to surround all those "not my" leaves with  "thankful" instead of complaining.  Thankful I have health, strength, endurance, enjoyment of the outdoors, lovely landscaping to look at, a cozy house and nice yard...thinking of all these while cleaning up other folks leaves that have blown into my yard.....  

What happens when you've sat on your hay bail too long.....

This has been a good 7 Thanksgiving Week days in the life of Grandma G.

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" Psalms 107:1