My, oh my, it was brought to my attention last night that I am not 30 anymore. Christi, our daughter and her good friend from Houston and I went “exploring” today, all day and did the Sam Moon trip, Hobby Lobby, Mexican food lunch, Weirs, Mardel’s and finally The Market, where upon arriving at home about 6:30, we unloaded the trunk, with our Sonic drinks in hand. Standing in the kitchen getting out the necessary pans to make “puppy chow” which, I have to admit is the best food invented since faitas on flour tortillas, there are now 4 of us in the kitchen, while I am trying to make chicken spaghetti and get it in our stomachs before 9 p.m.(which I have learned ,I cannot eat at 9 without taking a bottle of tums to prevent heartburn). Anyway, the girls are making this chocolate dream of a snack while I am cutting onion and bell pepper and trying to convince Frosty that he would be a much better help to me if he would go undo the new porch christmas trees we just had bought, rather than standing right beside me telling me a better and more efficient way to make the chicken spaghetti. So……finally at 8 we sit down to dinner. Monta, our friend from Houston, who works as a dr in the emergency room, begins to tell us stories of her internship while living in New Orleans. We laugh till we cry at some of the stories she tells us of how she was constantly trying to decipher what the people would be trying to tell her with their cajun accent and she would have to run and ask other dr’s what the people were trying to say, before she could treat them.

It is now 9 and the girls decide that we should now begin our crafts which we had bought to make at Hobby Lobby. So Frosty and Noel clean up and we get the infamous glue gun out…..Martha Stewart, look out! We put the puppy chow in the middle of the table and with the help of glue that would hold an elephant to a grain of rice suspended in mid air, AND the glue gun, we begin. After 30 minutes of doing more snacking than crafting, we cannot find the glue which we had just used. After looking for it for 15 minutes, I realized that I had picked it up and thrown it out in the garbage. Well, we are liking what we are seeing. The crafts actually turn out great and we want to go back and get more to make. But Noel, has had it. It is 10 and I am exhausted. I keep looking over at Christi and Monta and keep wondering how they are just sitting over at the table, laughing, snacking and gluing, no sign of exhaustion. What is wrong with me? Why am I so tired………then I remember………I have been laughing, shopping, snacking and gluing for 30 years longer than them………..So, girls, “turn out the lights when you are through” Noel is off to bed! But thank ya’ll for a most fabulous day. It will be a treasured memory in my life. Love to both of you, Noel Write to tell one of your favorite Christmas stories!

Only 4 more days to go. It is just an awesome time of year. It just smells good, no matter where you go, you are either smelling cinnamon for the pine cones everyone seems to be selling, or baked pies when you enter the grocery stores, or coffee brewing, since the cooler weather brings out the need to always be sipping something warm……..whatever you are near, there are just some aromas which signal Thanksgiving. It is also another reason to give thanks to our Creator for the wonderful senses He has given to us. Think about how good you feel when you walk in and smell the onions, celery and buttur simmering, getting ready for the dressing. Or that pumpkin pie, how it reminds you of so many wonderful past Thanksgiving memories. Begin today to think of something that you have not thought about in quite some time to give thanks. Don’t you think that it honors God to just stop for a minute to thank Him for His provision to us. No matter what kind of year we have had, we might have not gotten everything we wanted, but very few of us are in “need” of material things. He has met our needs and has given us His grace and mercy, but most of all, He has given us His Son, who took away our sin. Now that, is the most important gift. We need to pause and give thanks forthat most undeserved gift.  We can live, knowing we have eternal life, an abundant life, with God the Father, because of our belief and trust in His Son……..what an amazing gift we have, we need only to accept it. Think about that when you are stirring the green bean casserole. Thank Him when you are whipping the cream. Share the Good News when you are in the kitchen with a family member or friend who might not know what Jesus Christ has done. Pray that each and every person who walks through your front door this year, will feel loved and accepted and leave that day know ing that they have been in the presence of the One who loves them….Ask the Lord to be your honored guest at your Thanksgiving table this year and see what a difference it makes in the meal and the memories.  You will be surprised!

WEll, it’s already hapening, the doorbell is ringing, the suitcases are already beginning to line the front porch and the company, they are a coming. Am washing sheets, loading up on Dr Peppers and Tums, as all our out of state company is prepared to get as much Mexican food as possible the week they are here. So one Taco lunch is behind us, with, I’m sure many more to go.

But, I have to update you on the stuffed bell peppers we had on Fri night. They were a winner. So will post the recipe today. They were so easy to make, and warmed up well for leftovers. Just returned from Sam’s where we bought 2 more hams, and a turkey. Tomorrow, I guess we will be buying another stove for the garage, as we only have 1 oven and have no idea of how we will be cooking all this meat. Spent the morning in a Care Now clinic with my daughter who had been trying to fill out paper work while holding a screaming 3 month old. You know as a mom of grown children, how we still love to feel “needed”. Well, I got my fill of feeling “needed” this morning for a couple of hours holding Caleb. Bless his heart, his ears were red and hurting and filled with fluid, so our “little” 19 pounder 3 month old, had his first sick dr visit. And of course, Nonnie got pics of it. There are just some things which you cannot let slip by. This was truly a Hallmark picture. Jodi with no make-up after being up all night with no sleep, Caleb screaming and we are trying to figure out what the dr is telling us between the screaming and the accent, I just had to have a picture of this for his baby album. This was also a Krispy Kreme moment, but after driving to the parking lot, I realized that they had closed. So, I decided to come home, like a good little Nonnie and eat a piece of rye toast. And this is only the first day of the Thanksgiving week!. I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the week holds. It will be fun to see!…..3 trips more to the airport, inlaws, special diets, ah……….why can’t every week be a holiday?

Got the corn bread in the oven, tomorrow the pie crusts in the freezer and poof, Sunday will be here when the first of our company arrives. Christi will be here on Sunday. Our daughter from Orlando will be here so I will have company in the kitchen. We might document making the food on video to play back and see all the fun we have. Just a thought.

Anyway, I finally went back to art class yesterday. What a treat. It was so good to see the ladies who Cora and I paint with when we get to go. I know this is suppose to be relaxing, but I get so tense sitting there trying to do it perfect, that I leave with a stiff neck, wondering why in the world do I attempt such a thing. But the truth is, I love it. It is one of my most favorite days of the week, when I get to go and I look forward to it more than any past time hobby. So now today, just made about 10 cakes for orders and am getting so excited about all the cooking that will take place next week. I think I mentioned the other day that we are going to try a few new things this year, so will let you know how that goes. The recipe for today is Ellen’s Cheese Spread from a friend, Caroly Allen

Do not let the ingredients fool you, this is simply delicious and everyone just stood around it and kept getting bite after bite and wanting the recipe. So here am passing it on to all of you!