I know what you're thinking... she likes "pine cones"??? But yes, I do. I have a basket that I keep them in and every year I collect a new batch of just 'perfect' pine cones from when I'm out walking Honey or just walking. Gotta admit that I don't walk Honey much anymore. Now that we have 3 dogs it's such a big ordeal but I digress... Last time I collected a basket full of perfect pine cones I only had the one.
Anyway, so Thanksgiving was wonderful! We had a really great day starting with Houston's HEB Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was a spectacular show this year with lots of new and exciting things. First time I've seen the Nemo float, but Chris said it was actually Marlin because Nemo had a gimp fin. Who remembers Marlin's name tho? They had a rather large group of miniature horses being walked or drawing little carriages for full size humans but they were just adorable. Of course, as usually they had some old favorites - the big sun of Sunny 99.1, the giant turkey whose tail feathers turn on a spindle, and my personal favorite - Pancho Clause and his low-rider brigade making their cars hop through the parade. I loved it. I did, however, forget to bring my camera. So I have no pictures. Chris has some and I'll get them from him soon enough. Chris's brother Rob has actually been to the Thanksgiving Day Parade every year of his entire life.
After the parade we went to Chris's parents house for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. On the way there we saw a terrible accident involving a black pick up truck and a white car and a dog that was riding in the back of the pick up truck. It jumped out and the white car smashed into the black pick up truck but not before running over the dog then several people plowed through the dog before it became a huge back up of traffic. It was really sad to see a guy having to give his insurance information to someone right beside his pulverized "best friend" sloppy in the street in front of him.
And now to talk about the dinner.
I know. Poor taste but whatever this is my blog. I'll start with the pies because I made them and they were the most beautiful, most delicious, most wonderful pies ever - one pumpkin and one apple. I do have pics of those:
Don't they just look so beautiful? They tasted even better! I promise.
The meal was delicious! Roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green peas, carrots, bread sauce, and gravy! With liberal helpings of red wine. Oh my gosh I was so stuffed. I had to then, of course, take my annual Thanksgiving Day snooze because I sat down and became trapped under my belly.
Oh and I wrote a book - well it's not finished but it was more than 50,000 words and that's what really counts for right now. I mean that in November I also helped to elect a new president, voted and got others to vote, turned in my 2 weeks notice, went thru a layoff, started a new job, and managed Thanksgiving.
So, now that NaNoWriMo is behind us and Thanksgiving in the past it seems the question posed most often to me is, "What do you want for Christmas?"
Is this a trick question? I know it is. There are wrong answers, there are non-answers, there are safe answers, and there are lies. The truth is that it depends on the giver I suppose. From Chelsea I will love and adore anything she gets for me - it could be a painted macaroni necklace or a card that says I love you and it's the perfect thing. But do I "want" a painted macaroni necklace? Not really. From my parents - nothing. My mom, I have to say, is one of the most generous and giving and wonderful people ever born. Having said that, she also gives gifts that not many people have much use for usually from items available in the catalogs of stuff she sells from her store.
We're drawing names in our family - we're just too many now so Christmas is for the kids and we just exchange one gift now - for whoever draws my name I just want bath products from Bath & Body Works. Chris is a good gift giver so I know I'll like whatever he picks. From him I just like to feel like he was thinking about ME and what I like in a gift and its usually perfect. But if I were to answer the question honestly it would ruin the surprise. In his family they tell each other what they want and then the all get just what they asked for. So it's not really as "thoughtful" or something if they don't have to figure it out.
Then there are things I want - but not really for Christmas. You know? I mean sure, I need a new set of tires but it's hardly wrappable or Christmassy. I'd like to get a new windshield and tinted windows. I'd like a kick ass hair moisturizer and some make up from Bare Essentials - but these are things I want to pick out and purchase on my own. I want a treadmill and something to keep necklaces organized but I would have to like it aesthetically and it would have to be perfect or I'm happy to wait for the perfect one while keeping my necklaces in a jumbled heap on top of the dresser. I want a new belt for the vacuum and I want a maid to come help me clean house at least once a month, and I want a new fence and a garden and a plan about where we'll move after the lease here is up and a facial care system from Arbonne. But that's not what people want to hear when they ask "What do you want for Christmas?"
What I really truly want for Christmas more than anything else in the whole wide world, is to have some good ideas about what to get for others and enough resources to get them those things. I want to see the light in their eyes when they open a gift from me and they think it's the perfect thing. I want to be the giver. I want to spend time with people I love and share good food and thank the people who have done so much for me this year. Peace on earth. Good will towards others.
Oh and I want to hang out with Carmen!
LOVE
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