THANKSGIVING PREP.

Well....if you are reading this, and not in your kitchen, you are probably not hosting Thanksgiving OR you've got a big generous family who will all be bringing a dish!

In times past, I always enjoyed spending the day before Turkey Day......cooking away as I listened to sappy Lifetime TV movies.  Our move 'down south' has created such a distance from family that popping in for turkey and pumpkin pie is no longer an option.  Actually, we lived about 3+ hrs. from any family anyway, so gathering was usually a weekend long event.  Our son (the perfect child) and his wife now live on the West coast and in fact are in Argentina to be part of her brothers wedding on Friday.

So.......we are still keeping busy, but in different ways.  'The husband' is considering putting up the Christmas lights since it's a balmy 46 degrees and rising.

Me?? Instead of cooking potatoes in hot water.....I steam cleaned our bedroom carpet.  Yup, I really did.

As a youngster growing up in Wisconsin in a city on the shores of Lake Michigan, I can still picture snow on the ground during this holiday.  The family generally gathered at our house.....two sets of Aunts and Uncles each with 4 kids, and our family with 4 kids......gosh it was festive.  The Packers ALWAYS played that day.....usually against Detroit and everyone would gather around the TV yelling about stupid plays and/or screaming with delight over the great ones.  Touchdowns by the Packers were a free-for-all.   It was a different time then, when families were physically close and bonded.  Only 2 of the 12 offspring still live in that town....the rest have scattered across the country; TX, OR, CA, NC.

This year it will be just the two of us, so we decided to forgo the traditional Turkey/Stuffing/Pumpkin Pie menu for a standing rib roast, Yorkshire Pudding, fresh sugar snap peas, AND.....ta da.....Turtle Cheesecake......which can all be easily prepared tomorrow......when we WILL give Thanks for the wonderful life we have.