Sunday, November 30, 2014

Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving...


Thanksgiving was different for us this year.  I was in SAM's with my good friend Deborah.  She had come to town for a day of quick shopping with her mom.  When she's in town, she calls to see if we can get together, even if it is only for a couple of hours.  I was debating what kind of turkey to buy...smoked, just a breast...or maybe not a turkey at all.  I said that I hated to buy a turkey just for Warren and me.  That's when she said, "Come to Carlsbad, and have Thanksgiving with us.  It will just be family."

This is her "just" family...people from Montana, Kentucky, and various parts of New Mexico.

So we went...
Warren driving...I love to take pictures of him driving...

...and I am so glad we did.  We had a wonderful time.  Allen started it all off with a prayer of Thanksgiving, and allowed others to join is as they felt led.  Oh my goodness, I do not think there was a dry eye in the place.  Such sweet prayers thanking God for His provision, care, and love.  The young man standing next to me...who has some limitations...thanked God for allowing him the ability to be on his own: living as well as working, and for making him just like he was...limitations and all.  So precious.

The spread was amazing.  All the men and women in Deborah's family are fantastic cooks.  There were green beans, and sweet potatoes grown from their garden, pecan pie made with pecans from their trees, and Elk tenderloin from one of the boy's hunting expeditions.  There was the traditional turkey, and ham plus all the fixings.  We did not lack for food that's for sure.



Starting at the left: ham, turkey, elk tenderloin



After we ate, Allen had a prize for anyone who could answer who had the first Thanksgiving parade.  Everyone thought it was Macy's, but they did not.  Gimbel Brother's in Philadelphia had the first parade.  The winner was Demetrius (who also brought the elk).  He won this wonderful prize...

 Yes, I bet you wish you had one!  Allen called it a nose bra.  Not to be alone in the wearing of this wonderful item, Demetrius had his girlfriend model it as well.  I was so glad I did not win this treasure.

my awesome man...so thankful for him.

our selfie.  

Me and Deborah
Best friends...
Okay, when Deb lived here, people got us mixed up all the time...even her husband got us mixed up. Back then, we had the same hair color.   If my hair color was not from a bottle, my hair would be the same color as her's is now.  The interesting thing is that one of her brothers looks like my brother.  The first time I met him, I could not believe it.  Tom is on the left...Deb's brother right.



Amber sent this picture of Mark and his friend, Spence cutting their turkey.  Mark and Amber had Thanksgiving at their friend's house since they were moving back to LA the next day.  Amber made the meal though, because Kristina and Spence were going to have pizza for Thanksgiving.  
Spence (left)  Mark (right)
This spread is for 4 people
Amazing pies

Luke sent us this video of Sawyer's sledding experience Thanksgiving day.

Anyway, it was a good Thanksgiving for all.  

Another selfie... to wish all a Happy Thanksgiving. We do not look the greatest here...Warren was back from a bike ride, and me from a run.  We sort of had sweat hair...


So Thankful!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Amazing photos of Maggie and a mouse...

"Never play cat and mouse games if you're a mouse." -Don Addis

Maggie is a good mouser.  Several days ago, she wanted to be let into the house, and unbeknownst to Warren, she had a mouse.  She let it go in the house.  Thank goodness this happened to Warren, and not me.  He caught it, and threw it outside.  Today, I noticed she was playing with something in the yard.  (She is a good lizard catcher, too).  That's what I thought it was, but upon closer inspection, it proved to be a mouse.  I grabbed a broom to hit it to death, but it got away.   Maggie found it again.  She liked to toss it in the air...And I ran to get my camera...

That's the mouse in her left paw...kind of blurry, and I am sure traumatized...

The mouse is right above her mouth...

She does let it run around some...the mouse is at the end of her extended paw...

The mouse is right in front of her face to the left...another gray blur...

Stalking the mouse...

You can just see the hind quarters, and tale of the mouse...to the right of her left paw...

Grab the mouse...

Throw it up again...

Repeat...

This is her "football" catch.  She could have been a receiver.  For the Green Bay Packers, of course.
the mouse is at the end of her right paw...

it's at the end of her left paw...

It is right between her ears...

I just thought this was funny...

holding it by the tale...

You can just see the tale at the left paw...and the mouse in an arch above her arm.  

I don't think she liked me getting too close to her mouse...

She's going to take it somewhere else...

She watches it, waiting for it to run away...
 At this point, I was afraid she was going to lose interest, and let the mouse get away.  I sure did not want to have it around...so...I grabbed the broom, and hit the mouse.  It was toast.  Gone, as in no longer living.  Maggie was none too pleased with me.

She ran under the trees to get away from me...

to look for new creatures to traumatize...

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Happy Anniversary to us...

"When love is not madness, it is not love." -Pedro Calderon de la Barea

We celebrated our anniversary in two parts.  Our get away time was earlier than our actual anniversary.  One of our favorite places to visit is Santa Fe.  We went there the first weekend in November.  I always think I know the city, but every time we go, we discover new places.  This time we stayed at Don Gaspar Inn...which is a bed and breakfast.  It was fantastic and romantic!  It is a beautiful place with lots of fun nooks and crannies, the rooms were furnished with everything you could imagine, and the food was wonderful.   It was almost like being in paradise.  I highly recommend it.   It was within walking distance of the Plaza, and other points of interest.

The patio area...our cabin was at the end of the path...right behind the fountain.

The eating area
Breakfast

We went not only as an early anniversary, but to pick up our custom made hats.  We were fitted for them in June, and it took this long to have them made.  We are pretty pleased with our hats.  They are 80% beaver and 20% rabbit.  These hats are made to be worn in even in rain or snow.


Warren standing on our porch.

Our actual anniversary was last Friday.  Warren was off, so we had the whole day to do things together.  We had the time jam packed with activities.  We had an early dinner at Cattle Baron, then went to the Craft show, Holiday Magic. We bought us a wind chime.  It is adorable.


the creamer is made to be pouring into the sugar bowl...


 We both thought it was unique, and agreed that it was best to keep it inside.  Things have a way of being stolen if they are outside.  The creamer and sugar bowl are from Sweden.  I like old vintage items a lot...old spoons, forks, serving ware, creamer, and sugar bowl.  We put it in our bedroom, so we could look at it every night, and when we wake in the morning.

We also took a bunch of photos of who else, but US!  We started with a "selfie" taken with our iPhone.  They are always fun to do, and can look sort of weird.  I like them anyway.

Then we took photos using a remote.  I wanted to get some photos with a Christmas theme, so we could use them on our Christmas card.  I used pictures here that will not be on our Christmas card.


We had to have some photos with us in our new hats.  



We ended the day by watching a movies here at home.  Snuggled in our comfortable, and warm bed.  It was the perfect ending to a very fine day.  It was a grand anniversary...33 years.
 
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