THANKSGIVING AND BLACK FRIDAY....

Well, we have another successful T'giving behind us....it all went without incident until about 8:30p.m. Take into mind I made the pies...after our 2nd go round of "the feast", some of us were finishing it off with dessert...Krissy yells from the kitchen, Sandra there's a nail in this pie...now, you have to understand,Krissy is our a brunette in a blondes' body at times (sorry, Kris, but its true, right Kat???) Knowing I had put cloves in the pie, i thought thats probably a piece of clove that didn't get ground up...I looked, of course it wasn't a nail, it was a screw, yes a screw!!!!!! GREAT FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTORS, where the heck did that come from..it was lodged at the bottom of the pie,just on top of the crust, so it had to have come from the pumpkin mixture..I was sure I had solved the mystery, thinking that when i beat it with my electric mixer maybe it had come loose..i mean what else could it be or have come from?????NO SUCH LUCK..ALL SCREWS WERE INTACT UPON INSPECTION.... Poor Bubba, said" I would have a second piece but i'm afraid you might have a razor blade in there somewhere".Kenny was appalled that after he graciously invited me over for Thanksgiving that this is how I would repay them..Minerva ended it with "are you trying to screw us????"""""The ironic thing is I was very careful to make sure that none of the hair that i am loosing by the handfuls would end up in the pie....Now, we have decided it was in the can of pumkin or evaporated milk...but we have moved on, but unfortunately this is something i will be living with at least through the Christmas holiday and every Thanksgiving from now on....Now, did I mention black friday????? I had never been to a black friday event ever...how I let my nieces talk me into going (to which one didn't end up coming anyway) is still beyond me...I had just turned over early this morning thinking , thank goodness the girls decided not to go......well as soon as i entered into the sleep zone again, i thought i heard something..yes, there it is again. Yep, the dreaded phone call came...It was Minerva..are you ready????No, i don't think I should go....come on..no, you know standing in line and walking on the cement is not good for my knee...come on, we have mom's handicap parking thing, you can ride in the scooter ,, we''ll park in the handicap parking,but you have to come..are you sure i need to come...yes i'm sure..get up......ok....I DID IT!!!!!!! I can't believe I did it..We stood in line for about 30 minutes, it was a long line, i had my scooter (the thing ran so slow, i had to abandon it eventually, yes i know, but hey the crowds were crazy....).I do not shop so this is a HUGE DEAL to Jim...now rewind to 9 p.m. last night...got the call from Steve...he was headed to Best Buy to camp out...there were tents set up, football and soccer going on in the parking lot and bbq's at his spot...he was camping out to get a chance on a
$300 computer for Amy....I called him early this morning...HE GOT IT!!!!!Steve is an avid black friday shopper...he does what needs to be done to get the good deal, even if its sleeping out...So this is my life in the last 24hours...what am i doing now??? I called Minerva, we both decided we are ready to venture out again-----to WALMART...I never go---i hate that store, but for some reason we both want to go, so i am headed in for another shower and the tennies are at the front door...I am ready for the holidays...........................

NOVEMBER & THANKSGIVING...

Absolutely my most favorite month and holiday. November is the promise of 2 months of holidays and in the middle Thanksgiving. The day I have anticipated all year long. I have rarely ever cooked "ole Tom" myself. Those who know and love me would just as soon I stay away from the bird. My past experiences with Tommy havn't been so good, so I do what I do best. I am the "guest". I know, I know, you think its because I adorn a tiara, isn't it? Trust me, this is an act of love that I do for my family. One of my best friends and sister-in-law, Minerva, does the spread...and once you've had her menu, well, lets just say, you'd understand why no one wants me to mess with our fine feathered friend....But I do bring desserts. That is my contribution each holiday season. I save everyone the chance of food poisoning but bless this with my sweets...it works well for everyone..Ask anyone in my family....I have been up since 7 and have 2 fresh strawberry pies cooling, and of course, I just pulled out the pumpkin pies...my house smells wonderful!!!! I called Minerva to check on her and what is going on at the Simpson compound, and well, lets just say, she's had a minor setback..Now, we didn't plan on smoked turkey, but, ummm, dinner has been delayed while my brother, Kenny put the fire out in the oven....Don't be alarmed, the firetrucks were not called, he showed up in the nick of time and saved the day with a box of salt....apparently Minerva had way too many things going on at once and the aluminum pan had a hole poked in it...the sounds she heard coming from the oven, were not the results of her basting Tom, it was her basting dripping on the heating element, thus the fire....we laughed and then I remembered my own mishap 2 years ago...Again, I was up early, hmmming christmas carols(so what, i like them). I was baking 2 lemon meringue pies. I had lost my recipe for meringue, but i clearly remembered you just add sugar to egg whites and beat till they peak..well, apparently, too much sugar is NOT a good thing...the fire alarms went off, Jim ran into the kitchen, I am wondering what is going on...I was just thinking, I should have cleaned the oven before I started baking...Jim opened the oven and there were my 2 pies---ON FIRE--flames were all over them..Jim threw them in the sink and turned the water on...did that tick me off or what? I mean I had been squeezing lemons all morning and had plans for these pies...he didn't have to throw them in the sink...couldn't he have scooped the fire in the sink instead???? He says it didn't work that way, but I could have saved those pies...I learned a very valuable lesson that day...egg whites and too much sugar can be lethal..hahaha...use a recipe!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone...

WHO IS YOUR AUNT 'REA'

Every family has one, or should....You know, the aunt, when just by the mention of her name brings a smile to your face instantly and brings warmth to your heart....She's the one you can call when you're going to be in "town" and she'll leave light on..Hospitality is her middle name....On the Simpson side of our family, it is our 'Aunt Rea'. I don't know exactly when Marie Simpson Ellis got the name Rea, but I am sure it came from the mouth of one of her first nieces or nephews. She is Marie to everyone else...The name Aunt Rea brings to mind many, many things... It brings memories of the best grape jelly ever to be canned and has made its way to homes all over the U.S. Everyone looks forward to it and secretly hopes she has made a little extra for them to take home in their suitcases. Aunt Rea has the wonderful gift of patience, and, well, lets just say most of us don't have it without medication..haha!!! I've never heard her raise her voice. She is the glue that has kept the Simpson clan tied together for many, many years and family is probably the most important thing to her. I regret living so far and being a homebody (to which I must blame this on her brother, Richard, as I take after him,hehe) because I have not gotten to know her even a fraction of what I would have liked to...I do know that I am warmed by thoughts and memories of her as I am sure everyone that knows her are. I also know, that I strive to be the 'Aunt Rea' in my own neices and nephews lives. She is a wonderful role model and am so happy she belongs to "us".....I love you Aunt Rea..I know I don't tell you have as much as I should and I admire you so very, very much...I love who you are and wish you a blest and Happy, Happy Birthday......Sandra