Thanksgiving Traditions

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Ahhh, what could be better than Thanksgiving dinner shared with family and friends?.... (yawn... stretch... ) Perhaps that nap that always follows? :) We sure hope you had a fabulous day with your family and friends!! Tradition... Thanksgbing at Turner Mountain. And as always we had a FABULOUS turkey dinner! Pictured around the table before the feast begins: Marge, Julie, Judy, Larry, Tim, Jim - absent, me, taking the picture :)

Judy, of course, made enough for 20 people - bless her soul! YUMMY!! We always laugh about how long it takes to prepare and how little time it all disappears!! This year I volunteered to make the desserts. Of course, I had pumpkin galore that Makenzie and I'd cooked while she was here for her visit... So Weds night Jim helped me make: 20 pumpkin muffins, two pumpkin pies and a cheesecake pumpkin roll...(all in a pear tree - ha) I got some good reviews, though! (whew!) Thanks for everything everyone! We left stuffed as always!

Jim took the day off yesterday. It was SO nice to have him home. He got a few things done outside, readying for the Winter to come. After lunch he thought we should go pick out our Christmas tree - another tradition... something we usually do on the day after Thanksgiving. So we hopped in the dually truck and chugged on down the road to a small family owned Christmas tree farm about 20 miles from here. The wind was blowing hard and the skies were a gloomy gray, but hey, we were in the Holiday Spirit!!

Halfway there, it started to rain... and then... TO SNOW! HO, HO, HO!! Still smiling, we tied our hoods tightly around our heads and braved the wind and pelting rain and snow. Walking backward now to save our faces from the cold wet assault Jim shouts, "Who's great idea was this again!?"

I laughed as we kept looking. Sizing up this tree and that.

"This one!" I shout. (my tradition... never make a final pick before walking the whole lot first. )

So Jim shakes his head... "Can't pick one out YET!"

Jim points to one.

"Nah... Too fat." Walk. Touch. Look up and down. Walk, walk, walk. -Trip over a small tree because my hood it tied so tightly I can't see a thing. (hoping no one saw me!)

How bout this one, Jim?"

"Nope too tall"

"Ya think?

Walk, walk walk. Wind and rain as strong as ever... Feet now wet, getting colder. Have about rounded the whole lot... walk, walk, walk. Look, look. Size up and down. Walk, walk, walk. Laugh about how great the weather is today.

Crazy weather and all, we really love going on these walks through the mini pine forests. Today we are alone, but most days there are families with their kids and dogs. All looking for that perfect tree. It's fun to listen to all of them do the same thing we do. We always had an artificial tree growing up... I always dreamed of having the real thing. And ever since I've left home, I have. There is NOTHING like the smell and feel of a real tree. Those that have never had one don't know what their missing! But then, I have a strong husband that loves having one too and doesn't mind carrying it and getting it into the stand for me. Yep, I'm pretty darn lucky!

After a sizing up a couple more more serious contenders, we walk back to the first one I picked and chopped her down. They shake out the needles at the farm and wrap it in some netting to make it easier to get it through the door at home... and off we go toward home.

Getting her inside was a trick... the recent rains had the trees soaking with lots of moisture - making them twice as heavy..(like I said - good thing for strong husbands!) Jim gets it put in our water bucket stand. We've learned a lot over the years... Like the key to keeping the needles on a fresh tree: keeping them full of water. Not those little stands either... the ones the tree places sell. They can make any crooked tree straight and holds a gallon or more of water. Here it is before we cut the wrapping off...

And, TA-DAA. A fresh pine smelling tree, ready to be decorated... any takers? That's tomorrow's fun for the day! --Shopping the day after T-Day is not one of our traditions... but for those that do: LET'S BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!