Thanksgiving Feast

We had 14 at our house for Thanksgiving. I thouroughly enjoyed it, however I am not sure why I didn't eat much. It was probably due to the anticipation of new company and all that munching on olives and stuffing prior to dinner.

We were able to have a family from our church over and an elderly lady and seat them all at our dining table. We also had my nephew JJ and his family over. Savannah and the little boys had a lot of fun running around the house playing.

A friend I made through Savannah's school mate also came over for pie so if you counted all that together there was 17 total.

I think next year I would like to go to someone's house or just have something smaller. But this year was our first and so I wanted to be sure it was like having my family over. It felt great to be able to help those in need this year as well.

And then there was pie:

The Pecan Pie was the first one gone, then the Cherry.  I admit they were pretty good! I also made Dutch Apple but it seemed to be too sweet and I am not sure I have the touch for making an apple pie of any sort as I have tried several different times with several different recipes. Next year I will have to come up with a new idea I guess. Our guests brought many pumpkin pies as well, but I think I am the only one that really likes pumpkin so they took just as much home as they brought I'm afraid. I did miss my sister's cream pies - that is for sure.

All stuffed and ready to roast.

Charlie brined the bird overnight. We thought we purchased a 15 pound bird but it ended up being closer to 19 when we looked a bit closer. Isn't it funny how the turkey looks appetizing before it is cooked?

Silly Pets, part 2

Muffers is a loner cat. Usually. The only time I have seen her be completely friendly 24/7 was when Charlie and I were seperated this summer while he worked here in Wisconsin. The other time you see a lot of her is when the cat food is out. She reminds you that she is there. She will rub on your leg and meow. I'm not sure where she likes to sleep or not, I don't see much of her during the day. Sometimes I do find her napping on the placemats on the kitchen table or on the chairs. She doesn't sleep with us or on the couch much. She has different sleeping spots all the time. A few weeks ago it was on the coat bench. Usually wherever you find her fur that is where she has been sleeping.

Muffers likes to go outside for the most part - mostly to roll in the dirt and enjoy the fresh air and sun, but she doesn't hunt like Buddy does. She has no front claws and she is mild mannered. She is curious though and does like to play with bugs and cat nip. I've never seen her pounce a bird like I have Buddy but she does make a funny meow while she watches them.

Unlike Buddy Muffers absolutely hates the dogs. She scowls at them. Buddy does cuddle up to Bear every so often - he always has, but Muffers cannot stand him in the same room with her. She tries to swat at him with her clawless paws. Bear doesn't even acknowledge what she is doing, but I'm sure he would if she could snag him.

Muffers likes fresh drawn water, but not in a water dish or by way of toilet. When you are using the restroom, she will jump up to the bathroom sink next to you and meow and sometimes put her paw on you to let you know she wants a drink. So long as you fill a cup or the sink with fresh tap water she is good to go. During this summer she has been drinking in our water fountain on the deck, but now that it is cold there is no water in it.

Muffers has curly belly hair. It is the cutest thing and fun to rub your nose in. She has a pink nose and loves her chin scratched, when she is allowing you to pay attention to her that is. She usually wants to "make muffins" meaning kneading with her paws on my belly. No other belly will do, not Daddy's or Savannah's, just mine. I am pretty sure it is cause it is soft and gushy and of course fat. She usually chooses to do this while I am on the computer, why? I don't know. Maybe because she knows it is a sit still position and well Muffers hates to be bothered when she wants what she wants. She also prefers to come to you to pay attention to you and not the other way around.

Muffers will not eat anything other than dry cat food, except the one time she was out and ate dry dog food that is. She goes crazy and super hyper and funny on cat nip and loves to roll around in it. Muffers was a stray kitten who walked into Charlie's apartment when the boys and I were visiting him in Wyoming. It has been 8 years since he cleaned her up and we have had her ever since. She is our baby.

Little Miss Priss.

Here is Muffers actaually content with Savannah, this is a very rare moment!

Silly Pets Part 1

I just love our pets, even though they are reason for 75% of my cleaning duties. Here is part 1 of the day in a life at our house with our pets...life is just not the same without them...

Our orange tabby, Buddy, is the youngest or our pets and is an outside cat. He meows at the door at the same time each morning to be let in. When you open the door to let the dogs go out to potty, he comes in. Charlie calls it "changing of the guards." When he gets in he'll wander around and scope everything out while meowing really loud to make sure we know he is in the house. After all is fine he eats from the cat dish (depending on what he's hunted and caught the night before - yes I have seen him hunt and eat just like a cat in the wild) and then he chooses to drink water from one of the toilets in the house. (Even though I draw fresh water every morning.) He walks around the house some more meowing, works his way in and out of cupboards in the kitchen and bathrooms (why I don't know and have no idea how he has opened closed doors with knobs - he is crafty) then finds a spot to settle usually on my bed or on the front room furniture, just so long as it is quiet. He bathes himself and then sleeps all day. We don't hear from him again until about dinner time when he wants let outside to hunt again. Just last week I caught him outside attempting to pounce on a squirrel while hiding behind a tree. He was unsuccessful and didn't bother to go up the tree after it. My guess is that he has done this before and either got bit or out ran several times and learned his lesson.

Here is Buddy sleeping behind my sewing machine. Can't get much quieter than that, I don't use it much!

Mr Snoopy!!

Halloween

Jake and Savannah carved their pumpkins while we watch Fantastic Four in our theater room. Charlie made his famous pop corn with our new machine and built a real fire in the fire place.


Sunday Savannah and I started off our venture to get treats when we ran into her friend, Lily, who she knows from Girl Scouts. It was good in that we didn’t have to go alone.
The weather was beautiful and we were done by 5:30 – we were too full on munchies to have dinner and bake our Halloween cookies though. I guess we’ll have those tonight.




Savannah’s bucket was overflowing. We got her this bucket when she was a baby and I just insist on her using it ever year, but I think it is time to put it up and get her a real bag.

This morning she asked me “What does November have?” and on our way to school she looked at the neighborhood houses and sighed and said, “I miss Halloween.” It is hard to explain that she doesn’t miss Halloween, it is just the experience of happiness and fun she is missing. Someday she’ll get it though.

Hope you all had a safe night.