* IT'S THANKSGIVING TIME AGAIN! *

Happy Thanksgiving a couple of days early. 

Below are some photos that have appeared

 on my blog over the years, mostly on

Thanksgiving posts.

I've been feeling a bit melancholy...

As we get older, the holidays just aren't what they used to be, are they?

My siblings and their families live in separate parts of the US.

Iowa, Minnesota, Georgia, Oklahoma

Mark is in New Orleans so we won't see him, and Scott is unavailable...

So it's just Ron and me, but that's OK! 

(Mark IS coming home for Christmas!!)

I really am thankful for my life and all that goes with it...

but sometimes the thankfulness just kind of hides, ya know?

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY WEEKEND. 

* COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING *

* Countdown to Thanksgiving *
This is a reprint from a previous Thanksgiving post.

 

 

One of my Four Freedoms plates, by Norman Rockwell

 

I never spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents' home when I was a little girl. I'm sure it was because they lived hundreds of miles away from us and time just didn't allow it. I sometimes wished we could be there with them, and would go around our house singing the song in the You Tube video.

 

And of course, my wishes also included

the snow and the horse-drawn sleigh! 

 

 

 

 

"I suppose I will die never knowing what pumpkin pie tastes like when you have room for it." ~Robert Brault

https://rbrault.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

(Ahh, my friend Robert Brault has written more amazing words of wit and wisdom than anyone else I know! His books can be purchased on Amazon, and of course many other places.) https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=robert+brault 

* MY COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING - DAY 8 *

* Countdown to Thanksgiving *

 

Wow, tomorrow is Thanksgiving! How did the fourth Thursday in November arrive so fast?!

 

 

I just love these adorable pilgrim salt & pepper shakers!

They're from the grocery store, Publix, which is in the South.

My sister, Marian, sent them to me as a little gift in 2010.

 

Both of these photos are a bit blurry.
I'll have to take new pictures,
just as soon as I dig through more boxes! J

 

I was a bit melancholy the first couple of years we didn't have all of our grown kids and grandkids over for our Thanksgiving get-together. We always had our dinner the Saturday before most actual holidays, because it just made it so much better for them. No pressure and/or guilt about trying to make it to X number of houses, and X number of dinners....but this year, I am feeling much happier about going to one of their homes tomorrow! All I'm bringing is a couple of bottles of wine!

 

 

 

One of my favorite Thanksgiving/Christmas movies:

Miracle on 34th Street...the original, in black and white.

 

 

Fred: That baseball player sure looks like a giant to me.

 

Susan: Sometimes people grow very large, but that's abnormal.

 

Fred: I'll bet your mother told you that, too.

 

 

~~~

 

 

* MY COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING - DAY 6 *

* Countdown to Thanksgiving *

 

The TV show, The Waltons, began when I was a senior in high school. I immediately loved it for several reasons:

 

I like movies and programs about past eras, particularly the 1930s through the 1960s.

 

It was about family values, love, hard work, etc.

 

I loved the way it was narrated by the "real" John-Boy, Earl Hamner, Jr., and knowing that many of the stories were true or based on true events.

 

I dreamed of having a home with lots of kids, parents, and grandparents, all living under the same roof. Since my own childhood certainly wasn't like that, I wished for something similar when I got married. Ahh, the dreams of an 18-year-old girl. Maybe that kind of life was down one of the paths in my future...until that crowbar changed everything! J

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although my family isn't as large as The Waltons', I'm very happy with the way things turned out! And I have so many friends who are like family members, and that number seems to grow all the time!

 

 

 

~~~

 

 

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them,
is the true measure of our thanksgiving." - W. T. Purkis



* MY COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING - DAYS 3 & 4 *

 

* Countdown to Thanksgiving *

 

 

I forgot all about yesterday's post! I'm so sorry! I worked long hours, (and have the same schedule today) so I thought I better do my post now! J



 

One of my favorite coffee mugs! Harvest Blessings on one side.......



....And a scarecrow on the other!



This is the first cloche I made. (I'd never even heard of them until I saw a post on Marty's blog http://beckypovich.blogspot.com/search?q=Marty

All of these things make me think of autumn, obviously, but especially of Thanksgiving!

Have a beautiful day today/this evening.....wherever you are!

* MY COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING - DAY 2 *

* Countdown to Thanksgiving *

 

 

 

I never spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents' home when I was a little girl. I'm sure it was because they lived hundreds of miles away from us and time just didn't allow it. I sometimes wished we could be there with them, and would go around our house singing the song in the You Tube video below:

 

 

 

And of course, my wishes also included the snow and the horse-drawn sleigh! 

 

 

 

 

"I suppose I will die never knowing what pumpkin pie tastes like when you have room for it." ~Robert Brault http://rbrault.blogspot.com/

 

(Ahh, my friend Robert Brault has written more amazing words of wit and wisdom than anyone else I know! His books can be purchased on Amazon.)



* MY COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING *



* Countdown to Thanksgiving *

 

 

 



It just occurred to me that I'd like to post something about Thanksgiving, beginning today and "hopefully" every day until the Big Day, November 26th. (I wrote "hopefully" because I am working a lot of hours right now, but I'm sure I can at least post something short and sweet if I'm totally worn out!) I'm not even sure yet what I'll write about, but I will be sharing a variety of thoughts and feelings. 

This morning I thought about one of my favorite movies: Planes, Trains & Automobiles. There are several parts that I love to watch over and over, and others I tend to skip through (thanks to DVDs, etc.) It's fun seeing the St. Louis airport and watching Steve Martin walking near it, and through it. Some of the quotes I laugh at the most aren't going to make it to this blog post, due to the "language," but they are hilarious!

Here's some I'd like to share (all three quotes are in totally different scenes) and if you've seen the movie, you'll definitely recognize them:

Neal: He says we're going the wrong way...
Del: Oh, he's drunk. How would he know where we're going?


State Trooper: What the hell are you driving here?
Del: We had a small fire last night, but we caught it in the nick of time.
State Trooper: Do you have any idea how fast you were going?
Del: Funny enough, I was just talking to my friend about that. Our speedometer has melted and as a result it's very hard to see with any degree of accuracy exactly how fast we were going.


Del: You're in a pretty lousy mood, huh?
Neal: To say the least.
Del: You ever travel by bus before?
[Neal shakes his head]
Del: Hmm. Your mood's probably not going to improve much.

~~~

* Happy Thanksgiving *

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful day and evening!

* Thanksgiving is More Than Just One Day *

While Vern and I walked yesterday, I marveled at the glorious leaves, some of which still clung to branches, many covered portions of yards, and others skidded and tumbled along the streets and sidewalks. 

I thought again how everything that has previously happened in my life has brought me to where I am right now. How every event that occurred, whether happy or sad, has been part of my life's path. 

When I was a child the route was chosen for me by my parents, and then when I was a young adult, I decided my own course. Sometimes I needed to make a detour and other times the detour was already in place ahead of me. 

Countless people waste so much precious time fretting about "If Onlys." 

If only I'd taken that job I wanted.
If only my parents didn't do this or that.
If only I had more money.
Etc. 

I learned a long time ago to stop thinking that way. When and how did I figure that out? I really can't remember, at least not at this moment. 

All I know is this: I'm very happy. And material things have nothing to do with my happiness. Can I say that I'm glad every "bad" incident happened in order for me to be in this blissful state of mind? I guess that's what I've been trying to say. It's that domino effect.

Although I sincerely thought I knew what my feelings were about everything in my past, I didn't really begin to know until I began to write my memoir. I still have more to think about. More to learn. More to delve into. I'll just have to start on "the sequel," I guess. ☺

~~~~~

This post doesn't really seem like a Thanksgiving one, does it? I may have gotten a bit too reflective, but my point is this: 

I am alive. I am here on this beautiful earth. My life is not perfect and neither am I! But I'm grateful & thankful, every single day of my life for every single thing that happened along the way. It has made me who I am. 

~~~~~

Happy Thanksgiving!

And have a cup of yummy flavored coffee with me, with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles on top!

"This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control you own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy." -- Susan Polis Schutz

* Nostalgic Sunday *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday

Yesterday was our Family Thanksgiving and it was the usual madhouse! Food, fun, family, and a furry-four-legged-family-member: Vern! 

Vern on our walk 11/13/12

Poor Vern must've gotten into some food left unattended, or who knows what....because he got me up three times last night (actually all were after midnight) to go outside. He never gets table food, so that's what we think happened. He was better today!

~~~~~

When I was a child, my brother and I were always given the turkey legs to eat and we thought that was really great. Nobody in our family, including all the grandkids, will eat any of the dark meat. I just hate to waste any food, so most times I'll save it. It's good cut up and used in casseroles and salads. 

~~~~~

This evening, I flipped through my new Country Living magazine. As always there were beautiful design ideas and great gift suggestions. A couple of items I was delighted to see were cotton dish towels with cross-stitching on them;

Page 26 Country Living magazine, Dec/Jan 2013

photo taken by Becky

*Nebraska artisan Ellie Campbell will hand-stitch your initials onto these cream cotton dishcloths, inspired by antique French linens. (froggoestomarket.etsy.com)

~~~~~

and pretty recipe boxes with vintage looking recipe cards.

page 130 Country Living magazine, Dec/Jan 2013

photo taken by Becky

*Nicole Lissenden will paint your monogram on the lid of this bamboo box, which houses her super sweet cross-stitch cards. (minkletterpress.etsy.com)

Ahhh....two of my favorite things are maybe making a come-back?! ☺

~~~~~

*It's also time to announce the winner of Margo's give-away. The winner, chosen by Random.org is........Janel Gradowski! Congratulations! Please e-mail me and let me know which of the two giveaways you'd prefer.*

* Nostalgic Sunday *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday

Tonight I'm borrowing a post I did last year on November 15th. It was a Tuesday, therefore it wasn't a Nostalgic Sunday post, but it fits perfectly here.  The only thing I've changed is the "Welcome to my newest follower" which obviously makes sense. AND I'm also adding another quote or two!

Such busy times, but I'm trying to remember to take deep breaths, relax, and stay focused on what needs to be done...today, the next day, etc.

Such wise words from a little girl!

(courtesy: google)

Have I mentioned we're having our family Thanksgiving THIS Saturday? Since we're a blended family...Yours, Mine & Ours...there's more than the "usual" parents and in-laws involved, so things can get really hectic. We began celebrating this way quite a few years ago and it works really well. I always say, "How many huge Thanksgiving meals can a person be expected to eat in one day?!"

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, with Christmas a very close second. It's all about family, friends, and food! No commercialism. Every time I think about roasting the turkey, I swear I can actually smell that aroma and it brings such memories.....

(courtesy: google)

 I love to bake pies the day before. This year I'm making my usual two pumpkin pies, plus two apple pies. Oh yeah, and some banana bread with cream cheese frosting. Mmm good!

I make this type of crumble top apple pie and it's so easy.

(courtesy: google)

Welcome to my newest follower, Susan at I Think; Therefore, I Yam.  I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you! And BTW, Susan, I LOVE your blog title. It cracks me up....as all your blog posts do!

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." -- Denis Waitley

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many--not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." -- Charles Dickens



Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel. ~Author Unknown

Wishing You a Blissful Thanksgiving

Although we had our family Thanksgiving last Saturday, I'll be roasting another turkey tomorrow! The past couple of years The Ronald and I have gone to our best friends' home on Thanksgiving Day, but this year, we're the hosts. I've been having fun setting the dining room table, actually using my china and good silverware.

I put the centerpiece together, just stuck the appropriate foliage in the basket.

Can you see the turkey candle stick holders?

There are tiny personal S&P shakers at the top left of each plate, too, which I think are so cute.

In November 2001, I bought this beautiful Norman Rockwell plate. It gave me such comfort to look at, since it was only two months after the horrible events of Sept. 11, 2001.

As the months went by, I bought the other three plates that are part of this collection called:

 The Four Freedoms

Freedom from Want.

Freedom of Speech.

Freedom of Worship.

Freedom from Fear.

FDR delivered his State of the Union Address on Januray 6, 1941,

 stating these four essential human rights.

This is the best picture I could get this evening.

This picture turned out pretty well, I think....but a little dark maybe?

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many--not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." -- Charles Dickens





* Nostalgic Sundays *

Since we had our family Thanksgiving yesterday, I've been trying to think back all those years to my childhood Thanksgivings. At first I found it rather odd that I couldn't seem to remember anything really specific about them. Years ago, though, I heard that the best memories children have aren't those extravagant birthday or Christmas gifts, nor those vacations to Disney World, but they're the ones about snuggling at bedtime and having a book read to them, or the impromptu singing and dancing that their parents did when they heard a certain song on the radio.

I'm fairly certain when I was really young, like four and five years old, my older sisters brought a friend home for Thanksgiving dinner. They were in college at that time and there were always a few students who couldn't go home for the holiday, so they were welcomed at our house.

The only other thing I remember at the moment is that us "kids," my brother Mike and me, were each given one of the turkey legs, the drumsticks. They seemed as big as my arm and I couldn't even finish eating mine.

We didn't live near any other family members, so we never spent Thanksgiving at a relative's home.  But I was perfectly happy with My family and My home, and never felt like I was missing anything.

(As I've mentioned before, these happy memories are from the years before my parents split up.Things changed after that.)

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” –Cynthia Ozick





* I WONDER *

As usual, I've been mixed up about what day it is, but my laptop says it's Friday.

So, that means it's time for another I Wonder!

I wonder: If I'm becoming a real Miss Becky Homecky, because I baked four pies today! That is definitely a World Record for me! I've been making two pumpkin pies for Thanksgivng for many years, but I know that I've never made four, of any kind, in one day.

Now, before you get all impressed with my baking expertise....don't! Because I only use the easiest recipes and use every shortcut I can. Pillsbury rolled crusts, canned pumpkin, (does anybody use fresh pumpkin?) But, I am quite proud of myself for using apples, and not the canned kind!

My two pumpkin pies, ready to go into oven.

I'm not very fancy with the crust edges, either!

Baked, just right, and I only had to slide the knife in it twice.

Some years it looked like Zorro had his way with them!

This is my favorite kitchen gadget in the entire world!

If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't enjoy making apple pies so often.

I bought this at Bed, Bath & Beyond a few years ago and it still works great.

Layers of sliced/peeled apples, with sugar-cinnamon sprinkled on top.

I think y'all remember how much little things give me such joy?!

WELL, my Pampered Chef pastry blender is one of those!

I didn't have one for years and just used a fork, which worked fine,

but having a real one of these makes me feel like a REAL baker!

(this is the flour/sugar/butter mixture that gets sprinkled on top.)

Ready to pop into oven.

Baked, ready to cool, and serve tomorrow. Yummy!

It was 9:00pm when I took these from the oven. I still have things to do for tomorrow, but only simple things, like straightening up the family room, etc. So, all is good and I'm relaxed. Yay!

Welcome to my newest followers: "PJ @ Seens From The Backs Of My Eyelids" and "Cate Pearce." I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you!

 

“America has developed a pie tradition unequivocally and unapologetically at the sweet end of the scale, and at no time is this better demonstrated than at Thanksgiving.” -- Janet Clarkson. Pie: A Global History