Giving thanks

Thanksgiving, this holiday ranks right up there with all my other favorite holidays. I don't really have a favorite though, they're all good!
Thanksgiving always brings back warm memories and yummy smells from childhood. 

My mom would "dress" the turkey very early Thanksgiving morning. 
I'm sure she cooked that poor bird for days!

Before she would stuff him, she always did a formal introduction that always made me giggle. 
She would shake his leg and introduce herself; 
"Hello Tom, I'm Dolly. Please pardon me as I stuff your insides with goodness. I'm going to make you very tasty!" 
She just couldn't get so personal without proper introductions! 

I've since tried doing the formal introduction with my turkey. 

All went well until my darling daughter declared that she couldn't eat a bird that I personalized with a name and introduction!

Well, I guess she gets Thanksgiving Tacos and we get the bird! 
Ha, that sounds like someone actually flipped us "the bird!"
No bird flippin, just ,moist, juicy, tender, aromatic, tasty turkey.

Here's to a tasty Tom bird, pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream and a nap in front of the fire!

We have added the annual tradition in our family of voicing what we are thankful for each year. 

Here are a few precious ones of my own: 

Mobile hotspot

In this journey of life, I'm finding myself quickly approaching the half century mark.
The big 5-0 is looming on the near horizon.
It feels like I'm picking up speed to reach that goal on a daily basis.

Considering the alternative, I'm ok with approaching that milestone.

That's right, I'm now entering that dreaded middle age.
Perhaps that is why I am always so warm.
Or, perhaps it's because, Ahhhmmm, I'm a mobile hotspot.

You heard me right.

A mobile hotspot.

You know that whole tethering thing.

Wikipedia wants us to think tethering has something to do with turning your smartphone into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot sharing your phones data  connection.

Well, we mama's, we know a thing or two about tethering. 

For Pete's sake, we had a peanut sized baby literally tethered to us for 9 whole months. That turned into a toddler that was tethered to our legs in any new situation, that graduated to a youngster that was tethered to us dropping them off at grade school. Moving on into the teen years the tethering took on new definition as they were tethered to us in monetary ways that were somehow connected to the use of the family vehicle. 

Womanipedia defines the journey this way: 

Mobile HOTspot; A young woman who turns up the heat to attract a young man, therefore starting on her HOTspot journey. Accelerating forward she encounters her first tethering experience. Realizing this is a marathon not a sprint, 9 months later her HOTspot journey has her becoming mobile. Chasing her little darlin she decides to share her data connection and tether another littler peanut. Life zooms along at light speed. Before long she enters the last of her HOTspot years. She will experience flashes of heat and night sweats. Unexplained bouts of joy and sadness all at once. Then, thankfully for everyone, before you she knows it, the HOTspot years will be a fuzzy, distant memory. 

There you have it. 

The new improved version of a mobile HOTspot. 

Perhaps this middle aged thing won't be so bad after all. Clearly, many many women have gone before and survived. 
Their husbands, hopefully they survived this journey too! 

Falling in love with fall

Fall this year has been nothing short of dreamy. 

Chilly mornings.

Warm balmy days.  

The smell of a crackling fire. 

The billowy smoke coming from chimneys.

All the makings for the definition of dreamy. 

Until of course Halloween day. 

Downpour. 

Monsoon. 

Drenching rain. 

Did I feel a tidge bit guilty rejoicing in the fact we are now empty nesters and were not slopping through the soggy night?

Nope.

Really enjoyed the warm house, the hot dinner, the warm beverage. All while waiting for our one trick or treater. 

Now, what to do with all that leftover candy... 
This is exactly why I should not buy candy that I like, I now may become the new definition of plumpkin. 

A plumpkin stuffed with Tootsie Rolls. 

But, let's focus on the dreamy part of fall!

Kiss the girl!

It's true.

My firstborn is getting married!

She is over the moon happy.

So are we!

I think he is too, look at that smile, well for that matter, look at hers!

Ok, trying really hard not to gush and oooohhhh and aaaahhhhh.

Smooching at it's finest.
They don't seem to have any hesitation with the smooching part.

Nope. 

Ok, are you done yet? 
I need some special people photos. 

My threesome is now going to be a plus one!




Five + one happy guy = The Stuart Six!