Our Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a very quiet Thanksgiving this year. John woke up sick on Tuesday morning, putting the kabosh on our IHOP/Harry Potter date. (We still haven't seen it, so don't tell me anything!)

Wednesday I got off work early and went home to catch up on all my TV shows and knit some stuff.

Thanksgiving day John was finally able to keep his food down, so we went ahead with preparing our dinner. We had Cornish Game Hens, mashed potatoes, peas, and salad, finishing with Southern Pecan Pie for desert. The pie is a Lady & Sons recipe and boy is it sweet! John really liked it, but Pumpkin Pie is still my favorite. I was able to finish all but one Christmas gift after dinner as we listened to The Carpenter's Christmas album. Best Christmas album ever, in my opinion.

Friday I finished up my Christmas shopping before going to the Wong's for another Thanksgiving dinner. John was still down so I went alone. I made Pumpkin Pies for the party, which are the best ever! Later, we watched the last of The Lord of the Rings while eating more pie.

Saturday I had an early rehearsal and late concert. We spent 3-1/2 hours waiting to rehearse and then sing 5 minutes at the end of the concert. The upside was that we were hidden backstage and didn't have to wear our concert dresses! Somewhere inbetween rehearsal and the concert I dragged out all the Christmas decorations and slowly started putting them up.

Sunday we were tired and lazy. John finally felt human again, so we went over to a church close by to get our tree. It's a really nice White Pine, so soft and homey-smelling. I had another concert in the afternoon and then came home to a long bath and home-made pizza.

Today it's back to the grind of reality and the beginning of Christmas Concert season.

A little bragging

The Columbus Dispatch did an article on John's research this weekend.

This is the link.

Injustice!

I've been seething about this all weekend, so I thought I'd share it with everyone in the hopes that writing it out will help me get over it.

I was walking the dogs Saturday morning, as usual. And, as usual, they did their doggy business. As Tony was doing his I realized that the bag I carry on our walks to hold the business bags was empty, meaning that I didn't have anything with me to clean up after them. I felt really bad about it because it is so rare that we forget to bring a bag. Apparently John had used the last one the night before and I didn't check to make sure there were any. Anyway, I decided that I would come back after our walk and pick it up. About a block later, Daisy had to do her business. Just as she was finishing, a cop drove by. He saw that I was not picking up after her, so he backed up, rolled his window down, and said:

C: "Ma'am, are you cleaning up after your dog?"
Me: "No, I just realized that I left the bags at home. Do you have something I could use?"
C: "Ma'am it's not my responsibility to carry pick-up bags for your dog."
Me: "I realize that, I just thought that you might have something I could use. I will come back and clean up after them."
C: (Rolling eyes with sarcasm) "I'm sure."
Me: "I WILL!"
C: "Yeah, I'm sure." (same rolling of eyes, more sarcasm)
Cop drives away.

Oh, I'm so mad about this! The one time in a year that I forget a bag and a cop treats me like a liar! I wanted to say: Excuse me, but I am a responsible person and I'm a Christian and I don't say I will do something that I don't intend to do. Of course I thought of this afterward. Later, when I did go back and pick up both piles, I hoped he would drive by again so I could throw the bag at his car! But I would probably be arrested or fined or something. Stupid small town cops! Don't you have anything better to do?!?!?!?!?!!!

P.S.
I had to sing a Tommy Walker song for the rest of my walk to calm myself down. It sort of helped, but at least I can think now that his sarcasm came from dealing with people being stupid and irresponsible. I choose to forgive.

H is for...

Hat

I crocheted this hat for John from a pattern written down by my Grandma Eunice and made up by my Aunt Lois. I used Dune Twist in this yarn. I want one now, too, but in a different color.

Haircut

Friday before Halloween I cut my hair off again. I just couldn't stand it so long anymore. (Sorry, John.) Rachel at Laus Deo Salon did a great job, I can wear it curly or straight and both look good.

November roses: part III

It turns out that even five inches of snow followed by a solid week of below-freezing nights can't deter this rosebush. It's really a star! Our other two bushes are starting to behave like it's fall.

November roses: the sequel

We got five inches of snow on Saturday in a strange lake-effect snowstorm. It snowed all day at our house, but one mile to the west, or ten miles to the south or east, they got nothing but a bit of rain (all at the same elevation). Ten miles to the north, of course, is in Lake Erie. Happily, it's been in the upper 50s this week, so it's all gone now. Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of winter?