No Thanksgiving Week Is Complete Without.....

an unexpected trip to the pediatrician!!!

This picture is also on Laura Beth's blog post.

We're all using it - it's so great and such a usual baby smile, but not for John.

I've seen John - I know he's happy - he just doesn't effervesce that much.

He's constantly "studying" things and that's serious business - so he can't issue so many smiles - but given the proper antics - he can be amused.  We can't wait to see how this all plays out in his toddler temperament as well as the preschool and early school years.

Anyway .....  John woke up with a crusted eye and redness .... he's just recovered from Pink Eye - and here it was - back again - after phone calls to his pediatrician (couldn't refill prescription without seeing him) I called our family friend and former pediatrician to my adult daughters and present pediatrician to Ann's children - He could see him at 11:15.  We had 45 minutes for 3 adults and 2 children to be dressed and ready and in the car.  We were running around like crazy - but we made it.

Already we'd planned a trip to Huntsville - just not so early - so it made for a longer day than anticipated.

Naps in car seats just aren't the same as naps in beds.  But we did it.

All the while Kate was traveling home from Winston Salem - a seven hour drive.  

Laura Beth, Scott, John, Ada and I met Ann, Steve, Ellie, Luke and Andrew at 5:00 at Taziki's in Huntsville for dinner.  It was fun - chaotic but laughable and a memory to add to our repertoire.  Kate was planning to join us - but she stayed in Scottsboro - choosing not to add another hour to her 7 hour trip - When we returned home I rode with her to a local restaurant and the two of us visited.

Did I mention that Charlie left for Point Clear yesterday, after church?

Charlie, come home!  He'll be here on Wednesday with his mother.

So - phase 2 of Thanksgiving Week has begun.

Kate is home.  We miss Sarah, but she gets a week with us at Christmas!

How is your Thanksgiving week progressing?

They're Here

and the Holidays are in full swing at our house...


How do I know?  Well,  Charlie and I never have football on at 8:05 pm - and I'm never not on the couch at this time - and I am never cooking so much so late and all day - and - well - most of all - there are two little angels asleep upstairs -

But really most of all - the 5 cousins were here, in the house, and running at full throttle tonight....

Okay - this is it

tomorrow is the first wave of "thanksgiving".


Laura Beth, Scott, Ada and John will arrive some time around midday - I'm guessing.

Remember those sleepy pictures I showed on the last post?  I could post them again - only this time it's the night time kind of sleepy - and I am probably about to turn in.

Charlie is about to go to the grocery store - the Wal-Mart batch of Thanksgiving groceries.  In the morning he's getting the Food World batch - that's right - he likes to do the grocery shopping - and I guess at this stage of our life - I like for him to, also.  There will be so much going back to the store - I'll be there, too.

Kate arrives on Monday - and there we are.

I made cranberry sauce today with fresh cranberries.  I usually buy it in the can.  That was the whole cranberry sauce.   I'm also going to try making some jellied cranberry sauce.  We like both in this household.

I cooked chicken today and used lots of celery and onion - for the broth - good, seasoned, homemade broth.  for Thanksgiving.  And now I have cooked chicken in my freezer.  That's always great for last minute Chicken yummies - like Chicken Pie, Chicken Casserole, Chicken Salad, Chicken 'n Dumplins - or soup.

Here's to the season - I see John and Ada tomorrow.

Afternoon and Eyes Are Heavy

I'm sitting down just for a second - but not for long.

I've been making some "good stuff" in the kitchen and remembered that I can't remember to get my camera from Ann.  Maybe I'll get it tonight.

While the last batch of the yummiest cupcakes ever (but not really cupcakes like you think of them) are baking, I told myself I could sit down just a bit.

For fun here are some images which illustrate the way my eyes and face feel.

Do you get the idea?

Okay - now I'm going to give you something.

The recipe for these cupcakes which are not really cake cupcakes, 

but not brownies - better than both, I think.....but they're called

Chocolate Cupcakes

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate

2 sticks butter

1 cup flour

4 eggs

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups nuts

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler.  Mix flour and sugar with a spoon.  Add four eggs one at a time.  Stir as little as possible to mix.  Add melted butter and chocolate.  Add vanilla.  Stir in nuts.  Fill paper baking cups 2/3 full and place in muffin tins.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes (no longer).  Makes 24.

Let them cool down before peeling the paper and eating - or, heck, sacrifice one or two and eat them while they're hot, even though they will completely fall apart.  Still good. 

It's Tuesday Already

and a very rainy Tuesday.


I'm glad.  I like the coziness of indoors.  I like the way car tires sound on wet pavement as a car goes by all along - It all sounds active and busy - but I'm inside - I like it.  If my camera was not out at Ann's house  (no fault of hers, nor mine - just circumstances) I would take a picture and show you our sugar maple in the front yard.  It's changing all the time now - leaves are falling - they're on the tree and on the ground - it's all wet - so it's glowing today.  It really is.

So, yesterday, on my way to Huntsville, about 15 minutes west on 72 - my 95 Corolla which I drive and have grown very fond of - well - it broke down as I was talking to Laura Beth.  It wouldn't have but it needs oil more frequently that I am aware of - Charlie postponed putting it in - not knowing I would be traveling - and well - no oil - sad engine.  We had to have it towed and looks like what we've been putting off will have to happen - a new used car.  As all of this was happening and later when we met the tow truck to have it towed - I wished for my camera - so - I could take pictures and post about it - then I thought - "silly - don't start posting about your corolla and all of that and having it towed - please think of something else"  -  I dismissed that notion.

Well - it just so happens that the writer of one of my favorite and very creative blogs did post, today,   that just the other day her car broke down and she happens to be a great photographer and lives on the west coast - she took beach pictures while she waited for the tow truck.

So I'll  refer you to her blog post  for a good post written around the breaking down of cars.  I also like the other honest things she writes about - she has two sons - one is recovering from open heart surgery.  His name is David.  Her youngest son is Mattie.  She makes jewelry and take pictures and is creative with fashion.  I look forward to her posts.

Lisa Leonard Online

Saturday Night.

After Auburn beat Georgia

and Ann went home -

well, I needed to put together tomorrow's beef casserole.

but first I did a little channel surfing -

I went back and forth between two movies.

Pearl Harbor and Notting Hill.

I really like those two movies.

Naturally - Pearl Harbor made me think of Mother and Daddy and their generation and all their emotions and the intensity of that time.  Notting Hill makes me think of the ten ka zillion unrequited love situations, especially with all the music in that movie - good grief.  But then it ends so marvelously - Everybody is happy.  Pearl Harbor is an impossible love triangle - but it's so much about intense friendship - It was that situation when what's his name was dying and Ben Affleck was telling him not to die - it was that moment that brought my tears  -  ahhh - emotional me at age 59 - here at home by myself.

and now, after putting together the casserole and cleaning up the kitchen - and it's 10:49 and I'm waiting for Charlie to get home - guess what is on TV?  Driving Miss Daisy.  I LOVE that movie, too - She is so much my grandmother - my paternal grandmother - and that world in Troy, Alabama when I visited my grandmother there.  Wow.

This seems to be a night which spirals me back to my parents, my teenager years, and my grandmother - crazy stuff.

But Auburn did win - and now - if we can just find out that Cam Newton is being honest and if we can just get through the Alabama game.  All of it is beginning to pale and get rather smudged.  All the fun we were having - and now, it's not as much fun as it was.  At least not to me.

Saturday Night.

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

to whom belong wisdom and might.

He changes times and seasons;

He removes kings and sets up kings;

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;

He reveals deep and hidden things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with Him.

Daniel 2: 20-22