Another Holiday Older and Wiser...

They looked cold out there....

...so I brought them inside.

I just love the timing of the strawberries on this Strawberry tree too... just in time for the Holidays.




Growing up I had the most fabulous Holidays with all the trimmings. I also had a mom, aunts, great aunts and grandmas doing all of the work.... No wonder I had so much fun back then! And come to think of it, I didn't feel nearly as tired back then, than I do now.

By the time everyone gets here for our holiday dinners I am ready for a long winters nap. Honestly, I don't care how much you do in advance it is still a lot of work and extremely tiring.

I know it is meant as a compliment when guests show up and say you are like Martha Stewart, but really, do I or you, really want to be known as a woman, who has a staff, of who knows how many, divorced and a prison record?

We had a very nice Thanksgiving and it was so warm and cozy inside. It was a lot of work and I will do it again next year and the next year after that as well, Lord willing, but I am just so thankful that we only do this once a year because I am just exhausted! You see, I don't have the aunts, great aunts and grandmas to help with all of the work here like back in my childhood days.

This Thanksgiving marked my 25th year of hosting Thanksgiving for family and friends in my home....if my sweet potatoes bring my boys home for a family dinner then I am all for it! As our families get older it becomes harder and harder to make the gathering of some of these Holidays all happen. I now compete with boy friends and girlfriends parents family activities and schedules. I find it so interesting that all these traditions over the years that nearly did me in, is now, what is not only.... pulling them back to the nest..... but their special friends as well.

No boyfriend or girlfriends parents will ever get some of my childrens favorite Holiday recipes from me...ever! If they want it, they will have to show up at my home with my child and eat it with the rest of us...once a year!

We gave thanks...
We ate more food than we should of...
Washed dishes..
watched a Holiday movie....
Played games...
said our good byes to our guests...
Same as we have done for years, only...
this year my father was missing from that table...

Be thankful, for everything and everyone, right here...right now.


~enjoy