Morning Glory Studio

think write thursday | for this my heart is grateful ...

 

 

 

 

for this my heart is grateful: Health. 

    Mine, Norman's, my family's and my friends. One may have all the money and power in the world but without good health...as Sarah Ban Breathnach says on the eve of Black Friday and the advent of frenzied buying: "We can purchase the best medical treatment in the world, but good health is not for sale."  Simple Abundance, November 24 ...

for this my heart is grateful: Family and Friends.

    Some far, some near; some old, some new; ...all dear. Honestly, I can't envision life  without...

for this my heart is grateful: Food.

    The refrigerator is full with good, healthy food...including a few items to satisfy Norman's sweet tooth (and I must admit, I occasionally sneak a cookie  or a scoop of ice cream, too)...

for this my heart is grateful: Roof over our head. 

    We are comfortable, secure and the inside temperature is appropriate for the outside thermometer reading...

for this my heart is grateful: Flowers

    Those that grace the table and the hearth bringing colorful joy to even the greyest of days...

for this my heart is grateful: Wealth.

    Not in terms of all dollars and cents - no luxury cars (Norman's Benz is a 1989) and  both run (fingers crossed). We are comfortable. As Lorrie Marero, Clutter Diet owner says : "May you always be grateful for having more than enough."

for this my heart is grateful: Sound minds ... 

    Our brains are still making those connections and we can think, reason, make reasonable decisions on most days. Although I must admit, somedays I stop and ask: What was I thinking? ...

for this my heart is grateful: Memories, remembered and those, yet to be made ...

    I saw a little girl tentatively put money in one of the Salvation Army's red kettles and I was immediately transported back to my childhood and holiday seasons past throughout my life. The red kettle is for me and I'm sure others, synonymous with this season - as is the "turkey photo" that introduced this post. Do you remember making these with your hand in  elementary school? 

for this my heart is grateful: You...

    Thank you for joining me on this blog. Know that you are too a big part of the memories I treasure. May your Thanksgiving be filled with many special memories, too.

Cheers~

PS. Terri of Graphic Ventures is a dear friend and graphic artist. And be sure to visit Carole Knits for others' Thanksgiving gratitudes.

 

think write thursday | fave Thanksgiving dishes...

   

        This week's Think Write Thursday prompt invites us to share  a favorite recipe and if we can, to tie into Thanksgiving since it is so close. So, with those prompts... following are my favorite Thanksgiving dishes:

• Cranberries  (whole ) cooked the day of...this was my childhood task, one I started when I was about seven and loved - still do; I so enjoy watching the berries come to boil and listening to them pop-pop-pop...
• Mac and cheese: my mother made from scratch, using egg and milk to bind the ingredients and adding huge, yuge, chunks of sharp cheddar cheese, baked at 325 degrees,  30-40 minutes. No flour in this dish. yum, yum. Here's a recipe ...
• Sour cream jello: despite that it is the property of gelatin to gel, mine never does/did until, in the late '60s, a neighbor taught me a trick: I replace the cup of cold water with a cup of sour cream - I use fat free -  and mix the ingredients with a fork and pour into a mold. Perfect gelatin every time and it is so good, either as a dish served with the meal or as dessert...
• Corn pudding: This is a very easy and tasty dish that has been a Thanksgiving/Christmas staple for at least 25 years; I first encountered in the early '80s, from a friend's mother. To this day, judging on the variations from a quick google search, this gift is quite popular, still.   Here's my version: 

                                1- 12 oz. can creamed-style corn

                                1-12 oz.can whole kernel corn, drained

                                1- box Jiffy corn muffin mix

                                1 - stick margarine

                                1- 8 oz  cup fat free sour cream

                                2-eggs

 Melt the margarine in a 2 Qt bowl (casserole dish for baking; I just mix everything right in it) and then dump in all the other ingredients. Mix well and bake, 350 degrees, 40-50 minutes or until done when toothpick is inserted in center. Let cool a bit, and serve. This tastes even better the day/s after. Enjoy!  Some recipes even call for adding oysters...I don't as not all people like ...

Thanksgiving invites us to stop and give thanks, gratitude for the blessings in our lives plus to share them with family, friends and especially strangers. We value these memories and are grateful for them. Though our plans for the day include Thanksgiving potluck at a friend's, we have made a donation  to a local food pantry that feeds the less fortunate. I am thankful that I can share.

I am going to fix a small turkey and the above items...cause nothing tastes better than Thanksgiving dishes the day after! What's on your Thanksgiving and gratitude menus?

Have a great and tasty Thanksgiving Day!

Cheers~

 

what's for dinner? thankful for Thanksgiving meal memories...

   

“An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day.” 
~ Irv Kupcinet

Thanksgiving Day     Thursday 26 november 2015        circa 7:27 am

It's early; all I hear are the sounds of silence: a clock's tick; a creak here, there; an occasional car. Today, the atmospheric conditions are just right and I can hear a plane take off from National Airport, easily 5 miles away…and closer to home: the sound of the Metro train.

My mind travels to Thanksgivings at home with my parents and sister. It was just generally we four for our extended family were in Oregon, Louisiana and New York…When we lived in Muskegon, I think we might've spent an occasional Thanksgiving in Chicago and when we lived to Toledo, I know we went several times to Detroit - there, my great aunt Susie, my maternal grandma's oldest sister lived…and she could fix a mean pot of creole gumbo (both my parents' roots are in Louisiana). But generally, we were home: we four, no more …or so I remember.

Our Thanksgiving meals were always plentiful:  

• beef roast, ham, and roasting hen - my mother didn't like turkey very much…so, we had hens.
• cornbread dressing - always cooked separately from the hen;
• mashed white potatoes and baked sweet potatoes; macaroni & cheese. My mom “rocked” some mac -n-cheese: she cooked elbow macaroni and added healthy chunks of cheddar cheese, egg and milk - never flour - and baked. Yummy.  Another of her favorites, but not mine: scalloped potatoes; they were tasty but not my taste;
• broccoli, and/or Brussel sprouts, and green beans; occasionally acorn squash;
• fresh cranberries - cooking them was my responsibility from about the time I was 7-8 years old…and
• fresh lake trout - if my dad had been fishing and successful with a catch;
• desserts I don't remember tho' I'm sure there were some - my dad liked sweets and usually someone gave us a pie or cake…and we always had ice cream. 

Of course we did not eat all that food in one sitting; we had plenty leftovers- they always tasted better to me - or we froze for future meals. 

I cooked my last big meal several years ago… These days, we're the guests and take a dish; I usually make corn pudding. Yum!

Here's wishing you the best Thanksgiving. Enjoy not only the food but also the memories.

Cheers~

PS. Don't eat too much! 

Thanksgiving 2014

 

As we transition into this glorious holiday season, may we all be grateful for having more than enough!

 I wish all a very happy Thanksgiving - a day filled with family, friends and great food! Enjoy! ( And don't eat too much!)

Cheers~

 

PS. I plan to stay more connected...for real!

i am thankful for...

This week's Ten on Tuesday prompt is 10 things for which we are thankful. What follows is just a sampling of the things that are on my list of 30 for this month:

1. Norman's morning serenades; everyday I  wonder what song will capture his fancy. This morning: "San Francisco, open your golden gates..."
2. Monday morning quilt guild meetings - they are a chance to get a lot of ideas, be inspired by what others have done and learn a nifty technique. Yesterday, I learned how to crochet the chain stitch. That was a major accomplishment for me; for years I've had zero success whenever I tried to crochet. Watch out world, here I come! (HA!). And yes, we also crochet and knit at guild meetings.
3. Grocery shopping for the holiday and the next ten days or so, done! We're having a quiet day and trying one of those turkey breasts that is both white and dark meat combined, along with the usual menu items: veggies, salads, desserts.
4. Good health, despite an occasional "old" feeling, as my grandmother characterized morning  aches and creaks.
5. Order slowly but systematically coming to the upstairs. Painting is done. A new sink/vanity for the bath,  some type of shelving for the studio and deciding  about the floors: carpet, new flooring or refinishing the wooden floors ?- are all that's left to do.
6. Living in a  part of the country that enjoys the four seasons. Fall is my absolute most favorite season and this year has been quite nice - despite Sandy. We here in the Washington DC are extremely fortunate and thankful that we were not impacted by the storm. 
7. Residing in the Nation's capital. There are many wonderful museums and events that take place, many being free. So many choices for learning and expanding one's horizons, regardless of age.
8. A stack of new magazines and several books awaiting my attention. I'm looking forward to an extended MSQT Thanksgiving morning.
9. Famly and friends near and far. It is always great to connect and reconnect with those who have graced your life and this past week, has brought a cornucopia of such connections...with more scheduled for the weekend.
10. Sunsets (and sunrises, too). They never cease to wow!

                      (photo taken after a concert at University of Maryland, Sunday 18 November)

 Here's wishing you a very lovely Thanksgiving and ever many more sunsets!

Cheers~

 

 

 

 

 

 

thankful for...

a wonderful day.  family. friends. sunshine. good food. too much food. 

bone tired. goodnight.

gathering and gratitude...

Honoré here: It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here...and that Friday means Christmas is just around the corner.

Today, I found myself out among the hustle and bustle of people trying to hit the highways to get to Grandma's house - or wherever -  or in the grocery store buying turkey (hope they're fresh 'cause thawing might be a real challenge)  and all the trimmings for dinner.

I'd not planned to be out today but it rained so much yesterday that I switched plans...and I needed to pick up a pumpkin pie  made by my friend Pat. I'm glad I did. The weather turned cold and blustery and being out just seemed to be right.

Everywhere I went or looked I saw familiar signs of the holiday season that's upon us: lots being readied for Christmas tree sales; families leaving the public library, each with an armload of books - looks like they are planning some serious reading for the holidays; my local Starbucks donned with its Christmas decor and featuring seasonal drinks; town Christmas banners on display. I even saw some twinkling lights and wreaths on a few front doors.

We're expecting  9 for dinner; last year, it was just Norman and I. Tonight I will make cranberries and bake an apple pie (Mrs. Smith's). Tomorrow, I'll put the turkey in the oven and make the corn pudding. Friends and family are bringing veggies and other items. Everything's being served buffet style...

I plan to have an extended MSQT; always love it when there is a holiday. It is so super quiet all around. Just a great time to contemplate all that for which I am thankful. And I'll watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

            (this photo is from the 2010 parade; taken from the tv. almost as good as being there...)

Best wishes to you for a great Thanksgiving.

Cheers~