Thanksgiving

For many years our family would gather at Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill's farm for Thanksgiving.  I'm not sure when that became our gathering place -- in the late 1960s, I guess.  We loved going there when we were children and continued enjoying our visits as young adults.  As we got bigger and started crowding the kitchen table, Aunt Mary set up a "kids' table" for us on the back entry porch.  We enjoyed this 'cause we could shut the door between the porch and the kitchen and be silly.

As we got older and started our own families, we typically gathered for Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's house.  Then after they down-sized to their "retirement" house, one of my sisters frequently hosted.  Or other sisters would sometimes volunteer their homes.  We even had Thanksgiving dinner at our house one year.

But our families continued to grow and new spouses entered with their own family traditions.  Siblings lived out-of-state.  Sadly our dear grandparents and Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill died, so the Thanksgiving traditions changed further.  In 2009 we did not gather as we always had in the past.  To try to share that day with each other in all of our many homes, I suggested that we all take a picture of our Thanksgiving dinner plates and email them to each other.  It helped to see that we all could still participate in a Thanksgiving sharing of sorts no matter how far apart we all were.

Here are my plates from 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013 (this year).  Turns out many of us were able to get together last year so I apparently did not take a picture.

Each year looks pretty much the same.  Chicken kiev in 2009 and 2010.  A roast beef cooked in the crockpot in 2011.  And turkey breast cooked in the crockpot this year.  Can you tell that my favorite vegetable is green beans?  Don't worry -- my piece of pumpkin pie is waiting for me to eat a little later this evening.

Here's to family . . . . . near and far away . . . . . keep the family traditions near to your heart as you create new ones to cherish in the future.

1971 - Thanksgiving

Nasty Weather

Came across this email that I sent my sisters in June.  It's such a heart-warming incident.

I'm in the computer room.  I hear people talking outside the house.  Doorbell rings.  John answers it.  Woman says "We see some rotation in the sky.  Do you mind if we come inside for a little bit?"  I yell out "Yes" meaning "Yes, I mind -- get lost."  John lets them in.  (Woman and a little kid.)  I shut the door to this room.

She's on our phone and I hear her saying "We're taking shelter until it blows over."  I'm thinking f--- you.  That could be an hour.

Now I hear her say "Richard, we don't touch things in other people's houses."

She's probably a very nice person, but get out of my house, b----.

Now she tells her kid "Ask if you can please have a drink of water."  Hope John uses an already dirty glass out on the counter.

John checks the weather radar and tells her a big storm is headed this way.

She's calling back again and asking her daughter to come pick her up.

Now they're outside waiting for their ride.

I bet it was our decor that sent her scuttling back out into the ominous weather.

I'm such a mean person.  I would have left her and the kid out in the nasty elements to get blown away by a twister.

Her ride is here.  Bye-bye.

At least I won't have to huddle in the bathtub with 2 strangers.

P.S.  I don't usually use smutty language.  I leave that up to my sisters.

We're Millionaires!!!

We saw the tail-end of Jeopardy! yesterday afternoon.  The category for Final Jeopardy was “female singers.”  I immediately said “Aretha Franklin” without the clue being exposed.  Surprisingly, Aretha Franklin was included in the clue.

The clue was revealed and John’s answer was “Who’s whats-her-name?”  I said to J., “Yes, I’m sure that’s the correct response.”  Then he said, “You know, from Nashville.”  I replied, “Yes, that narrows it down a lot …. A female singer from Nashville.”

But that got me thinking, and my answer became “Who is Taylor Swift?”  Bingo.  That was the correct response.  And it turned out to be the person J. was thinking of, too.  AND none of the contestants got it right.  Bonus!

We made our score a true daily double and wagered our combined $500,000, and now we’re millionaires!

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Wondering what the Final Jeopardy clue was?  In 2013 she became only the third female singer after Aretha Franklin and Madonna to chart over 40 top 40 hits.

Girls Gone Wild III

Day 1     Wednesday, May 1 

     travel

     supper: Jane’s lasagna, salad, garlic bread, Susan’s cheesecake

Day 2     Thursday, May 2

     breakfast:  Martha’s homemade cinnamon rolls
     toured:  The Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson’s home, Nashville, TN
     lunch:  Bar-B-Cutie, Nashville
     supper:  leftovers
     movie:  “Parental Guidance”

Day 3     Friday, May 3
     breakfast:  Grammie’s coffeecake made by Amy
     toured:  President James K. Polk’s home, Columbia, TN

     lunch:  Puckett’s Gro. & Restaurant, Columbia
     Starbucks:  used the iPad to check our Facebook accounts
     Walmart:  obviously payday afternoon in McMinnville, TN
     supper:  leftovers and nachos
     played:  Telestrations

Day 4     Saturday, May 4  -  it rained
     breakfast:  Gribble’s Landing, Rock Island, TN
     shopped for t-shirts at the state park’s store
     crafts:  made photo albums
     supper:  Amy’s chili mac and derby pie
     watched:  DVD “Carol Burnett Show” and “The Trouble with Angels”
     played:  Scrabble

Day 5     Sunday, May 5
     travel

Time Change

Twice a year when the time changes, John resets the kitchen clock high up on the wall.  And twice a year when he finishes, it's always a minute or two fast and hung back on the wall crooked.  This year was no exception.

Correct time on the microwave

Two minutes ahead and hung unevenly

Drives me nuts sitting in the family room with a direct view of the crooked too-fast clock.

Table with a View

2001 - trip to visit Jane and Rod in Virginia.

Photo taken at George Washington Birthplace National Monument
Westmoreland County, VA