It’s Sunday and the family that traveled over the river and through the woods to visit “Grandma’s house” is back home and there’s a Ziploc bag in my fridge screaming at me to be creative with its contents: one dried out turkey leg, part of a wing and bits and pieces of light and dark meat. I gave most of the turkey, all the gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce, rolls, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes away in take home goody boxes for all my guests, but kept sort of a martyr bag of leftovers for us.

Why’d I do that? Why didn’t I just get rid of all of it? I asked Nelly (my inner child). 

“So, are you the one who decided to keep some of the turkey when I was making up the “to go” boxes?”

“Yep!”

“Why’d you do that?”

“Because I like the drumstick and I didn’t get to have one on Thanksgiving because you said the real kids would want them and then they didn’t even take one but Pa Pa Gary ate one.”

“So, when you saw the one left you put it in the bag to keep.”

Happy Thanksgiving.

I wrote this poem when I was a young mother of three. I had volunteered to host our family’s traditional Thanksgiving Feast for the first time, and the poem tells the whole story. It has become somewhat of a tradition in itself, as I share it every year with you. 

The following is an account of a disorganized Thanksgiving Day (from experience) and an organized one. I hope it makes you smile and plan ahead.

ORGANIZED SCHEDULE

6:00 a.m.   Exercise, shower, fix hair, put on make-up and dress in festive clothing.

7:30 a.m.   Say prayers, read inspirational material.

8:00 a.m.   Make bed, dress, eat a hearty, bacon and egg breakfast (no toast or potatoes) take a walk, and check appearance of the front door and entryway.

9:00 a.m.  Stuff turkey with stuffing prepared yesterday, have children set holiday table. (Silver was previously polished.) Boil potatoes (they were peeled yesterday and have been soaking in cold water overnight). Make pies         (pumpkin filling, apple filling and dough were made yesterday and refrigerated).

10:00 a.m. Listen to holiday music; check table, centerpiece and candles. Bake pies. Whip potatoes and set aside to be micro-waved just before serving.

11:00 a.m. Put turkey in the oven.

Noon  Prepare a light meal, soup and salad for family.

Don't let Thanksgiving stress you out. Take couple minutes and watch this video clip where I give you ideas to reduce stress.

So many of us rely and depend on the lessons Marla provides us with. Marla and I sat and talked at one point and this was one of the most important things to come out of that chat.

 

                                

 

Mrs. Claus Shares Stocking Stuffer Ideas for the 5 Senses

The House Fairy and I recently took a trip up to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus and see what’s new in the stocking stuffer department. Mrs. Claus is in charge of that and she was very happy to show us her latest ideas for stuffers.

She starts each season with an empty shoebox for each child and by Christmas Eve the shoeboxes are filled with all the goodies she has collected for each one and the contents fit perfectly into the stockings Santa puts them in on Christmas Eve. She explained this year all good boys and girls will receive gifts in their stockings which please each of the five senses. She told us her husband fills stockings for all ages, so her ideas range from those for small children to those for teenagers and even moms and dads who have been good.

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney with Care

Gifts for the ears:

CDs

Earrings

Muffs

Whistles

Mp3 players

Concert tickets

Radios

Ipods

Earplugs

Gifts for the nose:

Perfume

Room deodorizer

Candles

Incense

Nose plugs

Breath Spray

Certs

Tic Tacs