Thursday, November 24, Thanksgiving Day. I sure have been slacking when it comes to writing these days, although life is a bit more settled here at home in Mesa and there isn't a whole lot to write about.
I decided to stay home and cook on Thanksgiving Day and invited Pat and Roger to join me and just happened to check in on Arlene yesterday and learned that she wasn't going anywhere, so I invited her to join us too. All during the night, I was thinking about Kirk, my neighbor who is wheel chair bound and hasn't been doing well since the summer. So I went over and asked if he wanted to join us but he said no, so I offered to bring him a plate of dinner when it was ready.
I cooked half the turkey (the whole one wouldn't fit in my convection ion or the grill) on the Holland Grill, and it turned out wonderful. It sat on a bed of cut up apples seasoned with allspice and brown sugar and was basted with apple juice - moist and beautifully browned. I might have to do the same with the other half. I made the dressing, cranberries and pumpkin pie and Pat made the potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, and green bean casserole. We had an enjoyable afternoon, a cocktail or two and lots of lively conversations.
Friday, November 25. Happy 50th Birthday to my daughter-in-law, Tracey! I got up this morning, got dressed, took Frisco out, and headed to the clinic for my annual blood work before eating or having any coffee. I got a sunken feeling when I noticed there were no cars in the parking lot and the sign on the door said closed for Thanksgiving. Dang, now I have to do it again on Monday.
Each year after the grandkids celebrate their birthdays, I have assembled my favorite photos of the last year and compiled them in a photo collage that gets printed and framed and hung on my wall. It is a long process since the program that I use, Printmaster, is loaded on my PC. The photos have to be downloaded to the PC, cropped and dragged into Printmaster, arranged on the page and then saved in a format that is recognized by all - .jpg.
Many times throughout the year, I stand and gaze at the collages, remembering each photo, the occasion that it celebrates and the milestones those little girls have made through the years. I finally finished the latest collages and this is the final result.
Charlotte, Age 4
Camille, Age 2
