Granny's Pie Factory

 It was pie, pie, pie this year!  Too many pies!  Too much pie, but because pie is so pretty, feast your eyes on the fruits of my baking labor!

 Here's my office door, decorated with the pumpkins I colored when I was in first grade AND peek-a-boo JAMES!

 Beautiful jewels!  Cranberries!  I boiled one cup water, one cup sugar and added two oranges and an apple.  I blended it and YUM!

 I had a few tastes of lemon meringue for lunch!  Like I said, we didn't even make a dent in all this pie bounty.  I made TOO much food.  Period.

 The banana cream was a favorite, so it went home with Bryan.

More balls of beauty!

 Holidays are incomplete without party mix!

 I had a lovely talk in the kitchen with sweet A.  Look at her go with her knitting.  She learned in Prague when she was in college, so she knits differently than I do and I love to watch her!

 First and second born enjoy some music-making together!

 Aria savored her limited screen time!  Cute!

 Grampy is willing to be the monster.  Yes, the grass is still green!  Yay!

 One table had red plates and one table had flower plates.  We have enough plates.  I never need to buy more dishes.  This is good to remember, so I don't become a dish hoarder.

 Bill calls Atticus "Go Along, Get Along, Gus-Gus"!  He really does hold his own for a two year old!

 Here is our football fan, Bryan!  He helped in the kitchen, too!

 FINNERS!  

Back to Granny's Pie Factory

 I splurged and bought a garland a bit early!  It smells like the forest!  Heavenly!

 I also found a turkey herb pot!  It made a nice centerpiece.

 This recipe is just right, every time!

 And then we walked down to the park!

 Little Miss Bug was starting to feel the beginnings of the flu. Sad face!

The family piper entertained us.  Aw!  The smaller pipes are quieter and he's GOOD!  

We had a great day!  It was peaceful.  Answered prayers.  I pray for peaceful and affirming family gatherings because being with family is so precious.  I wish to make the most of every moment.

The weekend is ahead.  CB's baptism and then Monday through Friday holds SO MUCH FUN!

I had coffee with two fantastic friends last week and came away so spiritually lifted and this week I'm having coffee with three friends, enjoying my monthly book club, celebrating Millie's fourth birthday, dining with one of our favorite couples, and going to a morning performance of Disney on Ice with the local grands!  FUN!

See?  December is glorious!

Angela at Tracing Rainbows is hosting A Pause in Advent and Sunday is the first Sunday.  Please come back then and pop over to all the good pausers, too!

Thank you for peeking in!  (BIG THANKFUL HUG!)

Already Thankful

 Samantha Rose turned 5 today!  Happy girl!

 I hung the Christmas tree fairies all over and now it's time to gather them up and plan the tree!   Have you seen the movie One True Thing?  I love the part where the ladies group (called The Minnies) decorate the Christmas trees.  The take it so seriously.  The film is one of my favorite homey delights.  It's sad, but the good parts make up for it.

 It's cold and the wind doth blow!  Tea hits the spot. I gave up cream/coffee creamer/milk because I was overdoing it.  I don't mind now and I'm really not missing it.

Our granddaughter (Cadence, the oldest) is getting baptized on Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent.  How special.  We can't wait.  Eight years ago, she was a baby like sweet James in the photo above.  James has pink cheeks and rosebud lips, doesn't he?  I like holding him and looking at his sweet face.

Tomorrow, I shall bake pies and I PRAY that it is a good day for pie baking.  

Meatloaf for dinner.  It's a quiet and happy evening.  I am thankful for the way God provides, for the way He makes everything work in such a broken world. He's a mystery.

Pre-Thanksgiving Chatter

 It's Bill's birthday and I'm staying home all day until dinnertime.  We're going over to Kelli's to celebrate! I spent some time in the kitchen baking the "cake" but it turns out I bought two brownie mixes instead of cake mixes.  Drat.  I WAS going to make two sheet cakes and put chocolate pudding between the layers.  Now, it'll be brownie sundaes.  The grownups never want cake but the grands will love all the chocolate goodness.

 Thanksgiving is just around the corner!  Do you bake your pies early?  I never do, but Birdie and Miss Bug told me they love pie (pumpkin and lemon meringue) so I'm more motivated now.  What's your favorite part of the feast?  Mine is the potatoes and gravy. 

 I like to place pastry leaf shapes on the open-faced pies.  The leaves are hanging in funny places in the kitchen!

 Whatcha drinking?  Here's what we're drinking today.  Detox water: mint, cucumbers, and lemons soaked in a pitcher of water all night (in the refrigerator).  YUMMY!

 And speaking of water.  I LOVE annotating my books and taking my time to read something a second time in order to learn and observe the author's skills (and great imagination!)  This book is VERY worthy of careful reading.  

 Now that we're inside more, I'm grateful for polka dotted things.  

 Gourds!  Do you love them?

 You can tell that I am snapping around with my big camera.  Here  is the wall in my study.  Can you see my little granny eating her dinner?  How about my parents and sibs? My friend Lisa's artwork?  Betty's? Gladys?  My Susan Branch collection?

 Oh my goodness!  My sewing machine (38 years young) was held ransom at the repair shop (not really) because fixing it cost a fortune.  I can't bear to tell you how much I paid, but I am so thankful for her little fixed self now.  The man at the repair store (millionaire, I'm guessing) said that there aren't very many of these good old machines around and that seamstresses are looking to buy them.  Oh, okay.

 My desk is full of stuff.  I can't seem to clear things away.  I don't know where to put them.  I like "the coach" because someone gave it to my dad. He was a basketball coach when he was young.  I like having a coach at my writing desk.

Some wise person (I'm not sure who) said you should KNIT EVERY DAY, even if it's just a few rows.  I have been!

As the feast day draws near, I'm VERY thankful.  I'm thankful for my Bill and our kids, in-law kids, and the grands.  I'm thankful for my mama and my sibs. I'm thankful for very nice friends. I'm thankful for you.