Shopping!

Am pleased to say that Thanksgiving was as it should be - a day of over eating and indulgence. The morning started with home made (from scratch, folks!) caramel rolls - one with nuts, one without. They were beautiful coming out of the oven and were even better then imagined. I am loving trying new recipes that involve yeast - and I sure never thought I'd EVER say that. Made a double batch of the dough and used the other 1/2 for dinner rolls - they were good though the dough was a bit 'stiff'. Thankfully, B. assisted with the kneading and rolling out of the 2nd batch 'cuz my arms were sore from the morning's work. The dinner rolls were great - not 'pretty' but tasted good.

Dinner was delicious and everyone pitched in. H. was my 'sous chef' and assisted with chopping, etc. for the stuffing. B. helped as my 'pastry chef's assistant', kneading and rolling. J. helped with EVERYTHING - including a last minute trip to the store - and of course, he's the turkey master. This year's bird was pronounced 'the best ever' and s/he really was. We didn't stuff the bird this year - we used the Bobby Flay method of having broth and veggies down below and the turkey on the roasting pan rack above. S/he was a most tender, juicy bird and absolutely delicious! Was also a Butterball - so that's what we'll buy next year, too.

I'm also pleased to report that I've done my fair share of Black Friday shopping - and even more pleased 'cuz I did it all in the comfort of my warm, cozy house. Coffee mug in hand, I've made a start on presents for all. Still a couple left to ponder - but for the most part, am close to 'done'. Though I'm never 'done'. But this year, I'm sure going to try to be. We've been getting the kids ready for 'remember, the Disneyland trip was partly Christmas' - hope they don't forget 'cuz there really will be slim pickings under the tree. They'll get some cash-moola, which is their favorite thing anyway - and then the annual trek to San Francisco for some post-holiday shopping. We always love that day and it's tradition!

J. and the boys are heading out soon to visit J.'s brother. I will hang here, possibly working on some work stuff and running the dishwasher a zillion (more) times to return the kitchen to it's pre-Thanksgiving state.

J. is also working on an outside project that like all projects starts out small and grows. He's scraping paint off of trim and priming and repainting a piece under the sliding glass door. It's been looking miserable for years - and we want to get the wood repainted and protected before the rains start (again). So it's scraped and awaiting a coat of primer. Then two coats of paint and that should see us through another decade, I hope. The primer was my idea....gives outdoor wood more 'longevity' I think. Though J. required some convincing.

I'd love to work outside tidying up but it's freezing. Maybe later today when it warms up a bit.

Monday looms larger than life....returning to work is a bummer. This week (like every holiday week) is jam packed with 'stuff' but it's still a nice break from the daily grind. The best part is no alarm - so returning to waking early on Monday will be hard. And the work that awaits even harder. Time off goes so quickly. Time working does not. Sad, isn't it?