Thanksgiving Week or Weak or Binge...

How was your Thanksgiving Week? Mine was successful. I made it through it virtually unscathed!!

Monday was to be grocery shopping day. It was also the day Claude had his appointment with Dr. Slaubaugh and I had a Friends of Sadieville meeting. I did laundry in the morning and went in the afternoon to visit Papa. A trip to Walmart to clear the Thanksgiving grocery list was then accomplished with the exception of buying shredded coconut. I walked up and down the baking aisle 4 or 5 times. Could not find shredded coconut at all. I went through the canned fruit, check the center aisles with baking things for the holidays displayed on them, through the fresh fruit and vegetables, everywhere I could think shredded coconut might be to absolutely no avail. This meant I would need another stop at Kroger to find shredded coconut. UGH!! Grocery stores are an absolute zoo before a holiday and I had really wanted to be done with it by Monday. Oh well... Then back home to put those groceries away before racing to City Hall to have a brief Friends of Sadieville meeting and then decorate for Christmas in City Hall. There were three of us there and we accomplished our business meeting as well the decoration in a couple of hours. Yippee!! Back home to Claude's nice dinner he prepared after he returned home.

Tuesday the 20th, I went into Georgetown and practiced the organ for Sunday. Then to Kroger to get the shredded coconut and a few other things I found. Visited with Papa. While visiting Papa, Matt (Papa's roommate) had (and always does have) his television on MSNBC. They chatter away about everything over and over and over again. This time I did notice a warning from the Center for Disease Control regarding Romaine lettuce. It was all, every single leaf, being recalled. If it was in a salad mix you were to toss it away. If you purchased any Romaine lettuce you were to throw it out and disinfect the area where you had it stored. It seems there is an E. coli outbreak of a particularly vicious strain. Okay, I had purchased my three stalks in a bag of Romaine lettuce for salads and making sandwiches on Monday. I had finished my grocery shopping Tuesday in the zoo that was Kroger that day. I received a text from Claude. He received a warning text from our local news station saying, "Throw out all Romaine lettuce." What should we do? I assured him he should throw out that bag of Romaine lettuce and I would make one more trip to a store before coming home and get some iceberg lettuce. Goodness. When I talked with Claude that night I assured him I was not going back to another grocery store, or maybe any store at all, until at least Monday of the next week. He understood completely. At least we would not give any of our family the chance at E. coli this time.

Wednesday, I went in to visit Papa. My car steered itself into the Love's Travel Stop in Sadieville and right up to the order window to get a Mello Yello. One the wall outside the drive-thru was this sign. It just cracked me up. 

After visiting with Papa, I asked him if he remembered what the next day was. He said I was bringing him out to the house the next day. I just gave him a big "Yeah You!!" for remembering that. 

Then it was home to await the arrival of the Marx family that evening. Claude was smoking the obligatory brisket. The Marx family arrived about 6pm and dinner was ready. 

Hayden showed me this little thing he made. It is a flashlight made out of an Altoid can. How cute is that? His Mother has him taking 4-H and this was a project they made. He learned to use a soldering gun to make this. To me, this is the equivalent of a glue gun for a crafter. He was happy with his project. I took this picture and sent it to Keith Soressi. This is a dear friend from our Maryland days. Keith always kept a can of Altoids in his pocket. He had three of the best behaved little ones you have ever seen. On Sunday mornings they would come in and take their place on the row in front or behind us. Then Keith would take out his little can of Altoids and each child would open their mouth and receive this little treat before Church began. I knew Keith would appreciate an Altoid flashlight.

Once we convinced Hayden that, this time at least, his parents would have the guest bedroom and he would sleep in the basement we were almost ready for bedtime. Bailey opted to make a bed in Claude's office upstairs on two layers of sleeping bags. Everyone tucked in we all tried to enjoy a good night's sleep.

Thursday my intent was to get Papa about 10am. Alas, I was off schedule. At 10am I was making Magic Cookie Bars and Banana Pudding for desserts. Then I hurried in and picked up Papa about 11:45. Geez!! He was happy to be getting out of the nursing home for a bit. While Claude and I finished putting our big Thanksgiving meal together for a 2pm dining time, the family watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which the Mini's had recorded for us. These kinds of things are better for Papa as he cannot hear hardly at all and having pictures in front keeps everyone going. We all enjoyed the smoked turkey dinner. Then we retired to the living room where I displayed pictures of the Mini's as babies on the television. Hayden just kept saying, "You have a LOT of pictures!!" And...I do. But it was fun for them to see themselves when they were born and us to share memories of their childhoods with them. I brought out dessert for everyone. It was time to get Papa back to the nursing home. Before we left, Hayden gave him a card he wrote. He had a writing project at school and needed to write a card to someone. He chose to write to Papa. Papa is blind in one eye and can't see well in the other and really couldn't read what Hayden wrote. So Hayden read it to him. Sweet moment in time. 

For our evening meal I had the pleasure of watching Michael teach Hayden the fine art of making sandwiches for everyone. Michael makes great sandwiches. He is Jewish and deli is a big thing in his family. He has perfected sandwich making and we had assured him he was going to put together our sandwiches that night. He called his son, Hayden, in and had him help him. Quite fun to watch.  

After dinner we played some Apples to Apples for Bailey. Then Hayden wanted us to play poker. Now, I have never in my life played poker. But Hayden has learned how and he and his friends play at lunch with sunflower seeds. They are all brainiacs and this is probably a good way for them to learn some strategic thinking. Any who...Hayden came with all the poker chips and cards and wanted us all to learn to play this new thing he has learned to play. The closest I have come to this is Yahtzee. 

Hayden sent us all a picture to save on our cell phones so we would know what the hands were and how they were ranked in order of importance. Michael dealt the cards and we played two open hands so we could learn the ropes a bit. Then we were off and playing. I was the winner!! How in the world did that happen? I may never know. Andie posted on our family Facebook page these three pictures with the caption, "Our Matriarch is a card shark! She is the first annual Turkey Day Texas Hold'em champion!" Oh my...what an honor. I will just add to that, that I was the last one to win a round of Apples to Apples. So, I have no swelled head about any of this.

The Mini's each had something they wanted to binge watch. Bailey wanted to watch the first three or four of the Harry Potter movies. She took up residence in the basement Thanksgiving day to begin this process. Hayden wanted to watch some more Big Bang Theory. He took up residence in the living room to begin his process. Bailey ended up finishing the seventh Harry Potter movie Saturday morning with Claude before the Marx family left. Hayden had 4 more episodes of Season 10 to watch when they left and all of Season 11. I offered to send the DVD's home with him but he wants to watch them here. Guess what we'll be watching at Christmas. Bailey on the other hand asked to borrow all seven of the Harry Potter movies to take home. She did and now we'll see if she watches them again. 

Friday evening I found Hayden like this watching something on his cell phone while Michael was watching college football. The stick is Hayden's cane. He came with a limp last year, I think it was Christmas, and saying he needed a cane. Can't remember how he hurt himself but he had a decided limp. When I stopped at the gas station I was surprised to find a display of canes on sale. Had to be done. I purchased Hayden a cane and he has loved it ever since. When he arrived at our home Wednesday, he had on his bathrobe and was walking with the cane. Such a kid!!

Friday, Katelyn posted this picture of our Raelyn. They had her at the hockey rink and she got out on the ice. Look at that happy little nugget. Later that day we got this picture of Raelyn. She was tired and asking her Dad to leave her alone while she watched things on Mommy's cell phone.  

The Marx family packed up and were out the door Saturday about 12:30pm. They were going to Hardee's for some lunch on the way home. I mean really, you need something besides brisket and turkey after Thanksgiving. We hopped in the Jeep and joined them for lunch and then had hugs before they left for LaGrange. 

It was a great Thanksgiving. We talked with Jake and Katelyn called. Nissa posted pictures of a surprise visit from Tate, their grandson. So it seems we all had a good day and enjoyed our food, family and rest. 

Now...on to decorate for Christmas...