Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone who reads this has lots and lots to be thankful for. We certainly do!

We had hoped to have an "orphan" couple (Army friends of Craig's) join us for dinner, but the man has to leave early for an overseas trip. But we will enjoy having Craig, Cassie and Greta here with us. Brian, Sheila, and the boys are going to go to Keith and Janet's for dinner tomorrow. That will be the first time the two families have been able to get together since Brian and Sheila moved to Virginia in July.

I am sticking to a very traditional meal with little in the way of being creative. A different recipe for sweet potatoes is about as exciting as it gets. But my family is happiest when I don't get too carried away. Cassie is bring an apple pie which is awesome because she is a great cook and baker. We have several bottles of wine at the ready, so even if my dinner is less-than, no one will know the difference.

We are making some progress toward Christmas gifting and planning. Of course I think that every year, and still end up with something pushing me at the last minute.

Ken gave me a television for my birthday, and he has been struggling to get it hooked up to cable for a week. Who would have thought it would be so complicated. But it will be very nice when it is up and running in my sewing area. With some rearranging and a new higher cutting table (thanks to Craig), I can sew my heart out and be entertained. I could stash some food upstairs and have everything I need without ever coming downstairs.

Happy Thanksgiving. Ciao

Baby Ben Balks

I spent several days in eastern Washington and spent three mornings watching Ben; or sometimes I spent the time almost standing on my head to please him!! He is just three months old, but he decided I was neither his mother nor his grandmother, and he really didn't take a shine to me. But even after all of that, I think he is very cute. I plopped him in his little 'saucer seat' so he could be upright and look at me, and he charmed me with lots of cooing and smiles.

I spent the afternoons with Karen as we visited some fabric stores, took her mother to lunch, went out to dinner, and spent some time sewing. She and Rod and I also spent some time discussing winter travel plans, and we do have something in place at least for the month of January!!!

Ken and I have decided to stay home for Christmas and leave just a day or two after. We will spend some time in Brookings, OR, and then move on to the desert around Quartzite where we will meet up with Rod and Karen for a "Desert Rat Rally" which is sponsored by their Alpine group. Of course we don't drive an Alpine, but this rally is open to SOBs (some other brand), so we get to join in.

This will be a good learning experience because we have been tempted to try to desert camping for a few days, but never quite figured out where to get a permit much less figure out where to park. This way someone else can figure all of that out. So that takes us to the first week of February, and that becomes a big mystery again.

Colleen and I went in to Seattle early this morning to meet Cinda for breakfast at quite an authentic French cafe near Seattle University. I had cafe au lait, bread and butter and an egg bake in a ham cup w/cheese and lots of butter. Yum yum.

Colleen had a couple of hours of work before she had to be back down here, so I whiled away the time in the Queen Anne neighborhood near her office. It was quite enjoyable and I managed to spend very little money.

Cool fall days with some color lingering, but I think we have rain later this week, and then it will undoubtedly look very much like winter. Ciao