Twas the Night Before

I'm not sure if my favorite part of this menu I created in 1977 is that the beverages list includes 'booze' or that the above is "served with gravy if desired." There are no italics but you can tell. (I still don't eat gravy.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thursday to my non-American friends!

Thankful

Thankful for stitching. Thankful for you. Thankful for a sister who, when I said I didn't feel like cooking, ordered a precooked meal. Thankful for two nieces who love dinosaurs and want to be pirates. Thankful for my pooch. Thankful for the dude. Thankful.

Here's what I worked on last night, instead of preparing a huge dinner.

This is Liz Turner Diehl's 16th Century Knot Garden. It is stitched on a piece of evenweave with the kitted Madiera threads. I started in nearly ten years ago. And the last time I stitched on it was in 2012!?!? Can that be? I added the purple flowers and a bit of green (see the closeups).

Going to spend more time stitching thankfully.

Continued Thanksgiving Preparations

I'm afraid stitching has taken a back seat to Thanksgiving preparations. Today I made a cheese ball. If you were going to make one, if you used this recipe yours would be very similar to mine. (I can't give you our actual recipe because it is my aunt's closely guarded secret, which is actually all over the internet.) (And frankly, I use way more blue cheese than even she calls for!)

Then I cracked open a box of Jiffy mix to make corn muffins. This is step one for Triple Corn Stuffing, out of the Black Family Reunion Cookbook. This stuffing is delicious and decadent, and I only eat it once a year.

BTW, we finally ate the little pumpkin from Farm Share Friday. We had the hazelnut, pumpkin, and feta salad. It was amazing! The dressing totally made it. Be sure to try it. (The pumpkin skin was edible, which was a surprise.) Also, the dude has seen the veggieducken recipe and now he is all gung-ho. If we thought we could get away with it, we'd serve it for Thanksgiving dinner. As it is, it's probably a project for Saturday. Stay tuned!

Thank you for your comments. They keep me going as I near the end of NaBloPoMo. And I am sorry that I still owe a few of you replies. I'll get there!

Turkey Day Countdown

Action shot of tonight's Thanksgiving related task: cranberry sauce.

I was also supposed to clean out the refrigerator but I had to work a little late and it threw off my schedule as well as my desire to do much besides sit on the couch.

I was motivated to work on the cranberries because 1) it takes 10 minutes and 2) I love cranberry sauce. (I hate gravy, but I am dedicated to the sauce.)

Thanksgiving

We have so very many things to be thankful for this year. Here are just two. (These two turkeys have fattened up nicely since June, haven't they?) Five months and two days old.

Giving Thanks

A Thanksgiving Tradition: When we were kids, my aunt and mother alternated Thanksgiving so we were always moving around, and I think that's been true of all my Thanksgivings--alternating for the first 22 years, spending a year in NYC (cooking my "Christmas bonus turkey" for my roommate and a coworker), having a variety of experiences in Los Angeles--going to friends' parents' homes, friends' apartments--for sit downs and buffet-style potlucks--and hosting our own. And one year I went to Toronto to do research for my dissertation. Then we started having Thanksgiving with my cousin. Last year, we went back to my childhood home for the last holiday meal before my parents sold it. So it seems like things are never quite the same, but there's always broccoli casserole (broccoli whizzed in the blender and baked in a cheese sauce).

A Thanksgiving Memory: One year, the dude's group--which included people from England, India, New Zealand, the former Yugoslavia, Wales, and Colombia--planned a Thanksgiving. One of the organizers wanted to sell tickets so that everyone spent the same amount. (Commie.) The dude's roomie--the only other American woman--and I protested vigorously. It took a while, but we finally made everyone understand why you wouldn't sell tickets to Thanksgiving dinner. So we figured out how much the turkey bringer was spending ($6, with discounts and coupons) so everyone had to bring $6 worth of food. That made for A LOT of mashed potatoes. The ticket-guy was bringing the soup, and showed up late with frozen soup. After we had a lukewarm dinner sitting in whatever chair we could find, he insisted on reading poetry. (He was pretty bossy about an American holiday for a guy from England--you know, the place we were giving thanks we didn't live in anymore.) He read a poem, a true poem of thanksgiving (not a lot of the crap you get when you google "thanksgiving poem") that was so moving I actually cried. I had to forgive him. Still, that was the last Thanksgiving with him.

Five Things You are Thankful for (aside from friends, family and health or the obvious).
1. Stella. She gets me out of the house, makes me exercise more, and when we're driving to the dog park and she puts her head on my shoulder from the backseat, I totally melt. Also, she is teaching me a bit about patience. And as the nights get colder, she's a warm snuggle.
2. My library. You know I love it so much I joined the board of the Friends, and what would any of us do without my Friday stitch-ins with the old ladies?
3. My bed. When I go away, I'm always so happy to come home to the cloud-like Tempurpedic with Tempurpedic pillows and new microfiber fleece sheets. I love going to bed every night, and I sleep the sleep of the just. (Don't tell anyone, but I don't deserve that.)
4. Our shared hobby, needlework. I wouldn't want to try to live without it: the way the rhythmic stitches bring calm to my day, the feeling of having created something, all these "cheap" Christmas gifts I am getting out of it. It's a good thing.
5. The internet. It brings us together, need I say more?

Happy Thanksgiving!

And if you don't celebrate, why not? Just find a country you are happy not to live in, gather friends and family, load up your plate with food, and gorge! (Sorry, you won't be able to get your stores to open at 3 am and give you outrageous deals, but as far as I am concerned, that whole aspect of the "holiday" is disgusting. And I refuse to shop until Saturday at the earliest, but only if I actually need something. Harumph.)

Happy Thanksgiving

This hung in my parents' kitchen for many years hence the antique patina.

I'm heading to where the heart is.

Happy Thanksgiving

to my American friends and those of you who'd like to join us in gorging today.

Not Another Stella Sunday

I really thought the DNA results would arrive this week. They say they shipped on 11/10 from Oregon. Apparently they shipped from the moon! So I cannot do the big reveal today.

Instead, Missy Ann declared Melissa's last post, the "Thanksgiving Menu Meme."

We're having Thanksgiving at my parents' house this year. And because my mother is in full-on house selling mode, there can be absolutely no cooking or baking at her house. Heating up, okay. So she is getting most of the dinner from a local supermarket. They will make turkeys, potatoes, squash, rolls, and two pies. I told her that the reason we don't just go out to eat on Thanksgiving (as she has wanted to do for years) is that we want the dishes that make our Thanksgiving our Thanksgiving. So I am bringing broccoli casserole and triple corn stuffing--of which I have spoken many times (the recipe is available in the Black Family Reunion cookbook) (Yes, I know, we are Whitey Whitersons from New Hampshire. Deal.) Sissy is making Marla's Potatoes (cf BFR Cookbook). I volunteered her. She hates to cook, but I know she's made them before. My aunt is bringing some kind of date pie. Do you think my mother will let us make fresh whipped cream? (Do you know I was in college before I had whipped cream from a can?)

Speaking of college and being home at Thanksgiving--for the first time in 20 years--it's my 25th high school reunion while I am at home. I think I would rather chew off my left arm than go--and as you know, I know what it is like to stitch one handed. What do you think? There's a poll for that.

July Goals

Thanks so much for giving me the month off from the drawing--or rather redirecting the attic giveaway. Now to get my sorry ass to the post office. Which is across the street. Did I mention I have become incredibly lazy? If you want evidence, I present

The June goals list:

1. Anniversary present for the dude--about halfway
   
2. Complete Flea Market Souvenir--nope, but we're getting close
   
3. Finish-finish one project from the to-be-finished pile--nope
4. Make an anniversary giveaway--Done but drawing pushed to July
5. Use up the red paper scraps--I'm a month behind, just finishing up the white scraps.

See? I didn't complete one item on the list. I've decided to extend the month of June to the end of the holiday weekend. With any luck I can get the first two crossed off the list.

The rest of the month will be "Christmas in July." My stitching will focus on the Christmas pieces in my WIP pile.

• Shepherd's Bush, Reed's Stocking
• Shepherd's Bush, Anna's Stocking
• Mirabilia, Christmas Elf
• Heart in Hand, Monthly Mania, December
• Bent Creek, Snowman Stocking
• Heart's Content, Merry and Bright
• Dimensions Kit, Santa

I think I'll stitch one-at-a-time again and start at the top of this list and work my way down. Snowman stocking, don't hold your breath. This focus will also serve the purpose of getting on with #64 on my 101 list.

I cannot close without a shout out to Barbara for making me a little treat in thanks for the birthday present I sent. Completely unnecessary but deeply appreciated all the same.

Barbara writes that this is Five Birds by Barrick Samplers stitched with HDF silk. It is stuffed with wool roving to keep my needles and pins sharp. The backing fabric is outstanding, though you can't see how orange those gold bits are. I love it. Someone else loves it too. She's always trying to put her mouth on it--pretty much her answer to everything in the world. In homage to Barbara who always leaves us with photos of one or all of her brood, I give you Stella's "glamour shot."

Will I Ever Laze Around on the Couch Again?

I've got to work late tonight. It should be interesting. A chief justice of a foreign court is coming from one of those places that requires us to have heightened security.

Nevertheless.

Tonights blog-fodder comes from Lee.
My Favorite part the Meal: I think it’s the stuffing: the recipe is from the Black Family Reunion Cookbook. I don’t care what color you are, you need this cookbook. I’ve waxed poetical about the triple corn stuffing before.

Worst part of the meal: Canned cranberry sauce. People! It’s so easy to make from scratch. Make it on Tuesday night and it will gel nicely for Thursday. Good stuff. Do it! Do it, Do it!

Anything new in the meal this year: I don’t know, my cousin hasn’t told us what we’re having. But the first time she cooked Thanksgiving dinner for us she made creamed onions for her husband. His mother’s recipe. Not so much. Oh! I almost forgot, I'm making Alton Brown's sweet potato pie recipe this year.

Dishes that we don't make anymore, but I'll always miss them: Cranberry shrub—cranberry juice with a scoop of lime sherbet floating in it. We started every Thanksgiving with this when I was a kid.

Thanksgiving

Thankful * for family * for friends * for turkeys who give their lives in service of their country * for doctors * for needle and thread * for second chances * for women's community * for books * for intelligence * for the end of the visit * for ice cream * for safe travels * for football * and yes, Coral, for stuffing!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American blogging friends and faithful readers.

Thanksgiving Eve

I haven't been home for Thanksgiving since college. (20th reunion in May!) But tomorrow the dude and I and Sissy and her dog will rise wicked early and drive the 7 hours home to break bread with...I don't know, whatever crazy crew my mother rounds up to sit at her free dining room table.

1. Which do you like better: Cooking at your house, or going elsewhere? Cooking at home, then I'm in charge of what we eat.
2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird? Free frozen turkey. It's about how you cook it.

3. What kind of stuffing? I love oyster stuffing but my father makes the most excellent Triple Corn Stuffing from the Black Family Reunion Cookbook.

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie? I once carried a sweet potato pie from Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch (Los Angeles) to my cousin's house in Alexandria, VA. I was the only one who ate it. Honestly, though, I am not a big dessert eater on Thanksgiving. Did I mention there was triple corn stuffing?

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing? Whole point.

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu? I don't know. The menu and players shift regularly. When we were little, there was hell to pay if my mother didn't make broccoli casserole. (Cheese sauce with specks of broccoli in it.)
7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock? Yes. Is that a yes or no question? If not, soup.
8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier? More burners on the stove.
9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour? Crack of dawn. I've eaten Thanksgiving at 2:00 most of my life. I definitely prefer it.
10. If you go to somebody else's house, what's your favorite dish to bring? Homemade cranberry sauce.
11. What do you wish one of your guests wouldn't bring to your house? Once one of the dude's friends brought a bottle of cognac that he took home with him. If you're that cheap, well, I don't have to tell you.
12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you're happy to see? No drama, unless the whole family is together.
13. What's your absolute favorite thing on the menu? I think I mentioned the stuffing.

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm a bit disappointed that, on the day before Thanksgiving, I bitched about my family who drove 6 1/2 hours to take care of me. I'm going to blame the pain. The worst thing about the pain is that I have to have my right foot done eventually. And it will all start again.

I am Thankful...
...for a family who drives 6.5 hours to change ice on my foot every 20 minutes
...for my cousin who is cooking the dinner and who on Monday took care of my vomit
...for the dude also taking care of vomit (just as he sat down to breakfast) and you know, for all the rest of it because there is a lot of it
...for my nieces who cheer me up*
...for my new boss who, besides being a great new boss, sent me a little care package
...for my podiatrist who does good work and plays chess
...for nurses who maintain an amazing sense of humor in face of a lot of shit, literal and figurative
...for the resident-on-call who told me that wanting to know when the pain would end wasn't a stupid question (I was just a stupid person asking a question)
...for the very fact of bunion surgery, which has improved in the last twenty years to the degree that I have a 98% chance of not having to have it again, on this foot.

I am also Thankful for things that haven't happened in the last week...
...for stitching that helps me maintain my sanity
...for my friends for much the same reason
...for therapists, again mental health thing, but they do this for so many more people who are dear to me
...for my cold little house, which is only cold if you're an old person not paying the heating bill
...for the food I'm about to eat, mmm, triple corn stuffing
...for my two feet!

* My niece, Lala, chose a mum made into a turkey with a pompom and chenille stems as my get well flower. But when she saw it, she said, "Mom, we could make one of these for auntie." Oh, her craftivity warms the cockles of my heart.

Happy day, be ever thankful!