Blessed Beyond Measure

Thanksgiving evokes warm memories of time spent in my grandma's home, watching the Macy's parade and eating lots of delicious food.  As a child it was one of my favorite holidays.  I suppose that was because of the family togetherness, the fact that Christmas was now even closer and because of the food.  Let's face it, I've always been into good food.  There was never stress involved, because all I did was show up.  Grandma did the lion's share of the cooking and my mom (and us girls when we got older), helped out on Thanksgiving morning. This is how I remember it anyway.

I still love Thanksgiving, but can't say it's stress free anymore.  Man, it's a lot of work.  Three days of cooking.  It's a good thing I like to cook or we'd be in trouble.  This year I decided to throw an extra little thing, like a 5k in the mix, because I didn't think I had enough to do.  Ha!  It all worked out just fine and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  The key was to start early and work steadily.  Prior to Thanksgiving day, I made the rolls and the desserts. 

 I baked the pumpkin pie, the triple chocolate pound cake and assembled the apple dumplings.  The pound cake was a new addition to the dessert line up this year, because I wanted some chocolate.  Pumpkin and apple is all fine and good, but a feast isn't a feast, unless there's some good chocolate present.

I made the cranberry sauce and the turkey stock (for the gravy), baked the cornbread for the dressing, the sweet potatoes for the casserole and put that bird in the brine.  The last thing I did on Wednesday, was set the table.  I hadn't given a thought to a centerpiece, so I just rummaged around and found a pretty little pumpkin (on the front porch) and some squashes in storage and voila.  It was rustic and that's the way I like it.

Early Thanksgiving morning, I put the turkey in the oven and left my husband with good instructions, to babysit, or I guess I should say birdsit.  Then I took off to meet Tara for the Turkey Trot.

She made a turkey feather skirt and found these cute socks for us to wear.  I'll just say I was a little apprehensive about the costume thing, but it turned out to be fun and we weren't the only ones there in costume.

We met up with Whitney at the beginning of the race, but she left us behind at the starting line.  She's a real runner.  Need I say more?

Here we go!

We did a combination of fast walking and jogging.  I've been having some problems with my feet, so I couldn't go all out.  Our plan was to have fun, not necessarily win the race!  We didn't even time ourselves.  It was so much fun and even though it seemed a little crazy to try and fit this in around the preparations for the feast, it was totally worth it.  I felt so good when I got back home, knowing that I had been outdoors on a beautiful morning and had started the day with exercise.  Now I could eat!

We even made it in the Times News.

Mark did an excellent job in my absence.  He baked the apple dumplings and the turkey to perfection.  The dumplings were my grandma's special Thanksgiving dessert, and even though no one else would probably mind if I didn't make them, it makes me happy to have them on the dessert table.  Aren't they pretty?

After a quick shower, I was ready to put on my apron and get back to work in the kitchen.  The dressing, turkey, sweet potato casserole and apple dumplings were baked.  I left the green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy and brussels sprouts to the end.

Look at the way my husband carves the turkey!  We found this demonstration on Youtube a few years ago and he's been doing it ever since.  No more hacking around the bones as we had done for years, resulting in a platter of pulled turkey.  Now the platter has nicely sliced white meat on one end and dark on the other.

Dillon's plate is artistically arranged, with a tiny bit of cranberry sauce on his turkey.  He doesn't like it, but tries some every year, thinking it might grow on him.  This was not the year.

Before we started the meal, I had to snap a few pictures.  Of course I did.  Grandma and Grandpa are in their regular seats.

We had two visitors around our table, Kenzie's fiancee, James, and Jantzen's girlfriend, Emily. We were happy to have them!  Of course, we missed Travis and his family, but they were cooking a Thanksgiving meal in their home.  We talked to them later in the day and watched Margeaux jumping around on the furniture.  She may have had one too many M&M's.

Happy Thanksgiving 2016.

We are blessed beyond measure.

And I'm a little tired.

Can I Babysit? You Bet!

This cute couple is going to a wedding and they need a babysitter for little Margeaux.  Would grandma be willing to come down and take care of her?  You bet!

Margeaux's mom is creative and always coming up with new activities to keep this little girl busy, like bow tie pasta in a dishpan with bowls for scooping.  Who would have thought something this simple could be so entertaining?

Grandma helped Margeaux plant bulbs in their back yard.  I'm not sure about the growing season at Hilton Head, but hopefully these will be blooming this spring.  Then she can pick them for her mommy.

She loves to play in the dirt.

Look at those little hands.  So precious.

On Sunday, we went for a walk and collected pine cones. I had been scoping these out on my walks and wanted to take some home for decorating.  She was a good helper, carrying the bag and picking up cones.  We picked up tiny ones and really big ones!  And those boots, really, aren't they the cutest things ever?!?

I found a little time to sneak away by myself and enjoy the beach.

It was chilly enough for a blanket over my legs, but I didn't mind. 

It was a great place for my Sunday prep.

A perfect weekend. 

 Time with family. 

 Lots of hugs and kisses. 

 And the beauty of the beach.

Call me next time you need a little help.  Okay?

It's a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood - Hilton Head Island

One of the things I love to do when I'm traveling, is to get out on foot and walk the neighborhood.  There is so much more to see than from the confines of a car.  It was interesting to see how the clean up effort from the recent hurricane was progressing.   Although a great deal has been done, there are still large piles of downed trees and branches on the sides of the road. 

It was warm and sunny on this Saturday morning.  Leaving the mountains and coming to the beach is especially nice at this time of year.  What a difference in temperature five hours from home can make when you're headed in a southeasterly direction.  It felt downright tropical.  This route is one I usually walk when I'm on the island.  It takes me a few miles from Travis and Becca's house, by the schools and recreation buildings.  It's a nice neighborhood and I met lots of other people out walking.

I love the spanish moss hanging in the trees.

There were so many pinecones.  I returned another day, with a cute little helper, to gather some to bring home for decorating.

The damage from the hurricane was evident everywhere I looked.

What a blessing to be able to visit with my kids, have health that allows me to get outside to walk and move my body and enjoy the sites and sounds of the neighborhood.  I feel grateful today!

Rhythms of Rest

I love the principle of Sabbath. 

Since I was a little girl, dressed in frilly dresses and patent leather shoes, Sabbath has meant going to church with my family.   I was raised in Southern Baptist congregations, which meant Sunday School first, followed by worship service where the choir and congregation sang good old protestant hymns like, Just as I Am  and Amazing Grace.  The preacher then gave a sermon (which lasted about twenty minutes and felt like an eternity).  Afterwards, everyone stood around and visited with one another before loading into cars and heading home.  Opening the front door, we were engulfed with the smell of pot roast that had been cooking while we were gone.  Lunch was delicious.  Always, so delicious.  Something about being at church made you extra hungry.

I liked church then and I like it now.  For me, Sabbath will always include public worship.  Being with like minded people who encourage and support me, and love me with all my faults, is important. That community of believers has changed over the years.  Right before I was married, I converted to the Mormon faith and subsequently, my husband and I raised our children in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The Sabbath continued to be a day of going to church (much longer meetings), where we sang hymns, partook of the Sacrament and listened to inspiring talks.  I've served in the youth, children's and women's ministries, which have kept me busy.  Sunday isn't a day of rest.  There's visiting afterwards and then going home to a good meal (which now has been prepared by me, instead of my mother).  Some things change, some things stay the same.

As a Latter- Day Saint, we believe the Sabbath is a holy day and the meeting where we partake of the Sacrament is the most important one we can attend.  We covenant each week to remember our Savior, to honor the covenants we have made with Him and to serve Him to the best of our ability as we partake of the emblems that represent his body that he willingly sacrificed for us.  Sometimes when you do something often, you tend to take it for granted.  I've been guilty of going through the motions without thinking about the holiness of the sacrament.   Lately though, I've been trying to be much more intentional about preparing myself before I arrive at the meeting and keeping my mind and heart focused on my Savior during the ordinance of the Sacrament.  

I've been reading lots of books on the Sabbath , as I'm so interested in how people of other faiths keep it.  The Jewish sabbath is especially beautiful, and faithful Jews are serious about their sabbath observance.  Lighting candles, special meals and prayers are some of the things that set this day apart from the other six.  I like the idea of starting and ending sabbath at sundown.  I've been trying to prepare my home, food and church responsibilities so I can be ready to begin my sabbath at sundown on Saturday (Jews begin theirs on Friday).  It feels really good to know that I won't be scurrying around trying to gather things up to go to church or cooking big meals on Sunday.  

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  The book that has motivated me to think about how I keep the Sabbath is Shelly Miller's Rhythm of Rest.  I've read it twice in the last month.  It's so good.  And even though we are of different faith communities, we both agree on the importance of keeping Sabbath and that it is ordained by God to be a holy day.  Shelly teaches that Sabbath is for worship, but also for rest.  Americans in general have a hard time stopping to rest, and practicing Mormons have a hard time resting on Sunday, because of all their responsibilities.  It's just not part of the culture.  I'm ready to change that for myself.

 "The Sabbath is not for the sake of the weekdays; the 

weekdays are for the sake of the Sabbath.  It is not the

interlude, but the climax of living."

Abraham Joshua Heschel

Taking some ideas from Rhythm of Rest and other places, I've come up with a plan to help set the Sabbath apart in a special way.  It doesn't always work out, but here are some of the things that I've been practicing in the past few months.

I start thinking about the Sabbath about the middle of the week, realizing that I can start then to prepare myself and my surroundings for a restful Sabbath.  What will we be eating over the weekend?  Have I shopped for the items we need?  Will we be having guests at our table, or will it just be the two of us? Is the house clean?  Do I have gas in the car?  Have I planned and prepared my church responsibilities?    I'm serving in the primary organization right now, and that means preparing lessons, making sure the teachers are in place and prepared, etc.  

"Saturday is a special day, it's the day we get ready for Sunday."  This children's song teaches an important lesson about Sabbath preparation, but waiting until Saturday to try to prep myself and my home for Sabbath is a recipe for complete exhaustion.  It takes more than one day for me to have my home ready for the Sabbath.  I like to take a long hot bath with candles and bubbles on Saturday evening.  This is my signal that Sabbath has begun.

We have afternoon church this year, which means our services begin at 1:00, leaving me time in the morning to enjoy a nice breakfast with my husband, take a long walk or sit in my favorite chair and read.   I'm looking forward to fires in the fireplace and snowy days. These activities are nourishing to my spirit and help me feel rested.  I make the bed and wash whatever dishes won't fit in the dishwasher and other than that, I don't do any house work.   I light candles and we eat in the dining room.  I make special food, that we don't eat the rest of the week and maybe even dessert! 

The Lord knew we needed a day to rest from our work and to focus our thoughts on Him.  Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy is a commandment, after all.  The to-do list will still be there on Monday.  For me, learning to "keep the Sabbath" more intentionally is coming from a place of love, rather than obligation.  He loves me and wants to give me this beautiful gift of Sabbath.  I love Him and want to accept it with open hands and heart. 

It's my favorite day of the week.