Thanksgiving was a blur as my dad and I prepared a feast for the whole family. I baked Apple, Pecan, and Coconut Cream pies, and a few other goodies the day before. I also made Mom's traditional Amish Date Pudding recipe that comes from her side of the family. I started by baking a date cake, and then I pulled it apart in chunks and mixed it with whipped cream and bananas. It may sound weird, but it's DELICIOUS, and there are rarely any left-overs. On Thanksgiving day, we had turkey, smoked pork loin, ribs, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, Cranberry Celebration, deviled eggs, various other dishes, and for my dad's side of the family.... Hawaiian stuffing and white rice. Yum! I was on my feet for two days solid in preparation for this meal and it made me realize just how much my mother did to make the holidays special for everyone. Have I mentioned how terribly I miss that woman?
In fact, we used to hit the Black Friday sales together after Thanksgiving, but this year, I was so tired from taking over many of the Thanksgiving duties that I could barely keep my eyes open. My husband was a brave man and volunteered to shop with me since I've lost my Black Friday partner in crime. He went with me to Kohl's at midnight, but after that, I just couldn't go on any longer. We went back home to my dad's house to get a good sleep. We went to a few places in the afternoon at our leisure, but all in all, it was a light day of shopping. It's alright, though. Let's face it... most of the things on my family's shopping list can be purchased at Western Drug or the Feed Store. My family just isn't into gifts that can be found at the mall.
I also celebrated another year of life this week, although it seems like I've been celebrating all month long. (Not that I'm complaining, though.) On Sunday night we had dinner and dessert at my in-law's place. I know they love me because they fed me a pumpkin cake roll with pumpkin ice cream for dessert even though there were many pumpkin haters sitting at the dinner table. It was a real sacrifice. LOL!! On Monday, the kids made me a fireside breakfast, and my husband took us out for Mexican food that night. He bought me a new 50mm lens for my camera. I also got an inexpensive remote control so that I don't have to run to the camera to set the timer, and then run back to my spot and act like I'm not completely out of breath when the camera goes off for a family portrait. Now we can just snap a picture with the click of a little remote button.
When it comes to birthdays, I used to get all wrapped up about my age and the numbers. Not anymore. Now I savor each birthday and look forward to them. I've got a new attitude. The way I see it, I should be thankful for every day God gives me on this earth because there are no guarantees about tomorrow.
What a wonderful week it's been! I look forward to the up-coming holiday season, and a little break from the rigors of homeschooling.
Feeling too blessed to be stressed,
Nell
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