What's everybody doing today?

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Yesterday started off with DH stain removing some clothing, putting a load of washing on and hanging it on the clothesline to dry. We then set about finally putting the groceries away which is now done. In the afternoon I watered the gardens with the drip irrigation system and hand watered the potted herbs and fruit trees.

In the evening last night our pharmacy was having a good Black Friday sale so I topped our allergy medications and my iron tablets up to two years worth saving a huge amount of money. When did allergy medications get so expensive to buy ? , it is just ridiculous. Managed to get them in the clearance section for a good discount.

Last night's dinner was mince and vegetable stir fry and dessert was ice-cream.
 
Bills are paid.
Been to Wal-Mart what a zoo.
Strawberry needed Milk Bone Snaps.
We ran out last night.
Last box lasted 3 months.
Fried up the last of the drumsticks tonight for the weekend.
Laundry is washed ready to go into drier.
Strawberry has been out several extra times today.
Just got to put together my dish to take to Thanksgiving family reunion dinner tomorrow.
4 ingredients wahoo!
It's out of one of my cooking classes.
Everybody have a blessed day tomorrow.
Amish Heart, sorry about the oven.
 
My day started with much needed rest, slept until 9am. Then it was major laundry day… Help stopped by this afternoon, got the last piece of furniture(small office desk) back into my bedroom, first time it’s all been there since the flood on 25oct. I even got my backup desktop pc connected and running again.

I now have almost all of my herbal medicine tincture bottles cleaned and ready for tinctures and new labels. The last little group are soaking in acetone, finish those tomorrow.

Oh! And music… First time in over a year I’ve had music in my house (since my Bose wave system died). The cheap computer speakers I bought aren’t made by Bose but they aren’t bad. So today, instead of the tv for background noise as I worked around the house, I let my pc play album after album! A big, very soothing, improvement! I have all my old cd’s stored on my pc, dozens of artists… about 1500 songs. I set it on random and let my media player go all day.

The home nurse and the physical therapist came by to check on the folks… went over for both of them. Got all the folks laundry done as well. Now I’m tired again… going to bed early tonight.
 
Visited the neighbor this morning for awhile, she was leaving town. Said I could use her oven for the turkey. No way the 26 lber can fit in the Coleman Oven. She remodeled her kitchen and it's incredible. Mine is small and the oven, dishwasher, and built in microwave are down. She has 2 ovens, 6 burner range, a huge stainless fridge, all gorgeous. But she's 80, and is widowed, doesn't cook much. Granddaughter made the deviled eggs, I made 2 chocolate cream pies, fresh cranberry sauce, cornbread for the stuffing tomorrow, layered jello (sour cream, 2 types jello, berries, and pineapple), and youngest daughter made 2 pumpkin pies, using the pumpkin I cooked last week. Lots more cooking to do tomorrow. Husband is always so revved, he can't wait.
Workman replaced 3 large skylights this morning. Last hailstorm cracked them, and then rain seeped in. The parrot was entertained, he lives in the room that they were being replaced. Snow coming down steady.
 
Amish Heart said:
If the kid wants to go to Chic Fil A, there's one down the road from us. That's fine, too!
Started up the Coleman Camp Oven on the patio. Difficult at first to gauge temps when all I have is a hi to low range, and an external temp. I learned quick that 350 degrees is low. Did some cooking for tomorrow.
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Depending on how she feels she may not eat at all.
 
Amish Heart said:
Visited the neighbor this morning for awhile, she was leaving town. Said I could use her oven for the turkey. No way the 26 lber can fit in the Coleman Oven. She remodeled her kitchen and it's incredible. Mine is small and the oven, dishwasher, and built in microwave are down. She has 2 ovens, 6 burner range, a huge stainless fridge, all gorgeous. But she's 80, and is widowed, doesn't cook much. Granddaughter made the deviled eggs, I made 2 chocolate cream pies, fresh cranberry sauce, cornbread for the stuffing tomorrow, layered jello (sour cream, 2 types jello, berries, and pineapple), and youngest daughter made 2 pumpkin pies, using the pumpkin I cooked last week. Lots more cooking to do tomorrow. Husband is always so revved, he can't wait.
Workman replaced 3 large skylights this morning. Last hailstorm cracked them, and then rain seeped in. The parrot was entertained, he lives in the room that they were being replaced. Snow coming down steady.
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Neighbors like that are wonderful. Sucks that your kitchen is down though.
 
Started off the morning with continuing to tidy up the yard of the friend with firewood and organised the branches into small to go to the dump, medium and large piles. We had to roll the larger logs up a hill as the ground was so loose we couldn't use the removal trolley. Once that was done we had a bit of a break and DH washed the dishes and cleaned the benches and I wiped the dishes and put them away.

Not much else done as it has been so hot here today.
 
Entertaining a house full of guests, cooking like this is a small town cafe, tending to people like a hotel maid, running to the store for forgotten items, calling other family members who could not be with us, watching the live-stream of the Macy Thanksgiving Parade, and all of the other traditional Thanksgiving activities. Was happy to find 10 minutes to jump on the internet!
 
When I am finished perusing here, I will dust and sweep house, make turkey pot pie, green bean casserole and butternut squash pie for dessert. Then make rice and freeze to add to dog's food as needed.

We may have company again in a week or so, not sure yet.

Ordered a new blender last night on black (Wednesday)? special. And a Joyce Meyer Every Day Living Bible. That's my Christmas and all paid for with cash back from our one credit card.
 
Sentry18 said:
Entertaining a house full of guests, cooking like this is a small town cafe, tending to people like a hotel maid, running to the store for forgotten items, calling other family members who could not be with us, watching the live-stream of the Macy Thanksgiving Parade, and all of the other traditional Thanksgiving activities. Was happy to find 10 minutes to jump on the internet!
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Need some free time to yourself...

Tell everyone that you just had surgery and ain't doing so good...

They all stay away....:LOL:

Ain't it cool how that works ?:lil guy:

No crowds today..1 daughter ,2 GKs coming over later for ham dinner I bought, and they will take home all leftovers..... :cool::)

Jim
 
Happy Thanksgiving!
I got up at 07:00 this morning and started cutting veggies for the stuffing. Pulled the turkey out of the fridge to get it ready and when I cut into the plastic I very quickly got two garbage bags and double bagged that rotting bird and put it in the garbage bin. I went into town to see if I could find a turkey and my wife said she wanted a pecan pie. I asked what her second choice would be and the answer was PECAN PIE. The bakery in town was sold out of pecan pie a month ago and the grocery store hadn't been able to get any from their suppliers... I asked the lady at store bakery and she said they might have some frozen pecan pies on sale near the checkout counter. I got two for the price of one! I picked up some dried bread for the stuffing instead of making my own since I was running behind schedule and found a partially defrosted turkey at the meat counter.
Once back at home I pulled the neck, heart and giblets from the turkey and put them in a 6 quart sauce pan to brown. Once that was done I minced the meat and added the onions and celery and sauteed it in butter and olive oil.When it was ready I added water and it made a nice broth with onions and celery. I added sage, thyme, rosemary and parsley. Put the dried bread into a large bowl and added the broth mixture and stirred to get all the liquid absorbed. I let it stand until it cooled and filled both cavities in the turkey without any left over. The oven was preheated to 450F so in it went with a tent of aluminum foil and a cup of water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Timer was set for four hours (18 pound bird) and I will take the tent off after that to brown the turkey. I will be using a thermometer to check for done because the bird was not completely thawed.
I pealed and cut potatoes for mashing and I have some butternut squash from the canned goods pantry that I will fix like candied yams. Some home frozen corn is resting on the stove with the potatoes and squash waiting to cook after the turkey is about ready. The pie will go into the oven as I take the turkey out and it will be ready and cooled when we are ready for it.
It has been a great morning so far and looks like it will only get better.
 
Sheepdog, you have been one busy guy today! I'd bet most of us have been.

I have to be careful about standing too much as the back always hurts when I do. If I can sit down and cook, it is much better. After shoveling snow this week and being on my feet in the kitchen, I am feeling it. Glad daughter and b.f. are cooking the turkey and many sides.
 
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Hubby and I had a nice quiet day
He watched videos online on how to work on his bobcat and military trucks and he also watched part of a documentary on Vietnam
I read some, watched some tv online
It was very cold outside with the wind chill in the 20's and low 30's. the winds were howling all night and most of today
I made our dinner and now we're both relaxing some more.
Hubby plans on going to Lowes and Home Depot tomorrow morning early( crazy guy lol). I'm staying home
I have laundry to do tomorrow ( sheets and blanket)
 
Well thankfully we haven't had to break into our main winter firewood stack yet, due to having a lot of firewood scrap ends from a load of junky firewood a friend bought for us, I've been burning the smaller pieces from stacks I put on our decks and ran through all of those and today pulled the cardboard back from the scraps I have in the driveway and found that I still had a lot left and brought a wheelbarrow full to stack on the deck. The scraps are mostly hardwood and when I stack the woodstove full they can burn up to two days, our old Sweethome woodstove serves us very well.
 
Well, I survived another "Family Reunion" Thanksgiving day. Whew!
It's the first one since mom died.
It was hard, but we made it.
My youngest sister is finding out it's hard to be large and in charge of all the details of this gathering.
Had to send her back to dad's house twice for things she had forgotten.
I had offered to bring them over when I was opening up the building.
She told me "NO" she got this. Okay, you got this.
Me, I just set back and watched, smiled.
She forgets that mom and I have stepped up to the plate after my Uncle died to keep this going.
Only done it for about 12 years now.
When somebody would ask me a question about doing something, I would refer them to her.
When cousins,in laws get aggravated with her attitude, then I stepped in, but not before.
Her daughters later told me, she was getting frazzled.
Told them I wasn't frazzled a bit.
Got a pot of vegetable soup going in the crock pot, well the vegetables are simmering anyway.
Made a vegetable tray, am using those vegetables in my soup.
It's only 7:20 pm, but I'm thinking about bed.
It's been a long day.
Just reading forums relaxing.
 
I went down to my grandmothers for thanksgiving dinner. She’s 99 but had advanced dementia, heart breaking. She turns 100 in just a few months. It was the smallest group I’ve ever seen for a holiday there, only 15 people. We were talking around the table after lunch… One aunt who keeps the stats said up until ’05 the average crowd was around 80 people. It dropped to an average of 60 until ’12 but really dropped after that.

An entire generation graduated college/high school… moved away for jobs, more college or military, began their lives elsewhere. Sort of sad but I know grandma and grandpa would be proud. They raised 10 kids, who raised another generation and so on. It’s the way life goes… I think the last Christmas before grandpa passed there were 6 generations present for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner that year. (I have a huge family)

Anyway, I brought mom and dad 4 to go boxes of food back home. Dad didn’t feel like going down for lunch and mom wouldn’t go without him.

I dozed at bit this afternoon then stuffed myself again for supper… Watching Ole’ Miss and Miss State play college football tonight, good game so far, tied at the half.
 
Started making the big meal, then thought a bit more and decided that our plan to pick up my mom (90 years old) was not a good one. She would have trouble on the residual ice patches on our driveway. So we decided to pack everything up and take the meal over to her place. Of course, her goal in life is to be the first to mention that everything is not hot at the same time the instant it is served. Well, six crock-pots later we had a plan to transport and keep food hot. Seriously you guys, I know you like me and all, but stop sending crock-pots! We have quite enough already. I had no idea we had so many until I had them all drug out. The sad thing is we still had one more in its original box, unopened (it was a wedding present - we were married in 1982). Luckily, when we got to my mom's place (a senior living community) we found a large flat to transport everything on (it was like those you can use at Home Depot). Perfect for moving a herd of crock-pots and other paraphernalia from our truck to mom's kitchen.

Funny, earlier today I was looking at Black Friday ads and almost - almost! - ordered one of those Insta-Pots. Basically a high tech crock-pot. I'm kindof glad now that I didn't. But I still may. You know, you can never have too many crock-pots!
 
Since this is the first Thanksgiving that we have had to ourselves I felt the need to make it special for my bride.
I cooked a traditional but abbreviated turkey dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, faux candied yams (I used some acorn squash because the sweet potatoes are all used up), gravy, sweet corn (my wife's favorite), and pecan pie. (I didn't make the pie but I made the whipped cream). I cleaned as I went (not something I typically do) and then after dinner I did the dishes, put the food away and cleaned the kitchen. It took three doses (properly timed) of my pain meds but it was worth it. I treated her like the queen she is and showed her that it is OK to have our first Thanksgiving dinner with just the two of us in the 19 years we have been married. We usually have a house full of kids and their kids so this one was a bit more for her than for everyone else.
When she asked me why I went all out I just told her the truth... I am thankful to have her. It's the truth and it gave me lots of points beside for future use. I enjoyed treating her special.
I am going to take it easy until bed time and see how I feel in the morning.
I do want to let you all know that I am thankful for each of you. You are a great group of folks - even those I don't always get along with. You all are family to some level and some of you I am proud to call you friends.
I hope your day of giving and thanks was as great as mine whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not. Blessings to each of you!
 
We are up and around early to take my car down to the dealership to have a few recalls fixed, and the air con, and the passenger front seat that doesn't want to go back and forth. Youngest daughter spent the night, and we plan to get a Christmas tree today, so little granddaughter can help decorate before she goes back to California on Sunday. Youngest daughter also wants me to take her clothes shopping, too, for an upcoming convention she is going to in a couple of weeks. Luckily she chose a small boutique store, so I don't expect any crowds.
 
Youngest son called. Black Friday sale (extremely fantastic price) on on item that is hard for him to pass up. After discussing it with his wife they agree their budget can take the hit IF he sales one of his similar items to fund the majority of the purchase. Hence the call to me. Well I have a Gen I and he owns a Gen II for sale. We agree on a price and I electronic transfer the money to their account.

I'm out of storage space so I warn him that when he delivers the item (3 or 4 months) he might be drafted to help increase my storage space.
 
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