Giving Thanks

What were you thankful for this Thanksgiving? ...long weekends, cool whip, elastic waist pants, smoke detectors, paper plates??

This year, Bill and I were thankful for Thanksgiving humor. We ate lunch at Ev & Jayne's. Our reservation was for 11:00 but of course we weren't there until 11:15ish. When we arrive, the host says, "Well, you weren't the first one to arrive." I'm thinking his remark was because we were late. After hanging up our coats, he leads us to a table set for 8 with a little mee-maw sitting there obviously without the first clue what is going on. Bill and I look at each other wondering what the heck is going on. Bill heads for the table....obviously the smell of turkey and dressing has taken over and he really doesn't care where he sits. I, on the other hand, am frozen in my tracks. Ah, excuse me! Mee-maw's hair isn't even on straight and there is no way I'm sitting there. Mr Host Guy...are you even being serious right now? FINALLY, a giant frozen turkey must have dropped on his head because he says, "Calahan?"...oh you're at this table. After a very awkward 10 minute conversation about the weather, we eat!

But wait, frozen turkey? Bill and I talked about the possibility of me cooking this year since his family all went to Colorado for the holiday and it was just the 2 of us celebrating the holiday together......sigh......he decided to order a turkey dinner from Krogers. We swing by to pick up the taste treat and decide to sneak a peek. OMG! it's a raw/frozen turkey!? It's in that plastic packaging with the plastic mesh bag. I look at Bill with what must have been a combo look of what have you done sprinkled with this is freaking hilarious! He is staring back with a combo look of what have I done, what am I going to eat for dinner and why are you laughing? We decided to ask one of the deli girls for the turkey 411...another sigh....it was a fully cooked turkey that just needed to be warmed through. By this time, we'd had way to much Thanksgiving humor so we went home and took a nap.

Naps are another great thing to be thankful for!

Hope you find plenty to laugh at and be thankful for everyday. But if you're looking...at least your name isn't Pumpkin!

Yummy!

Nothing says "You made my day!" better than a package on your door when you come home...especially if it's Dale and Thomas popcorn. (Scrapbook stuff is pretty good too, though.)

This is the best popcorn ever. We're hooked! Thank you Jason, Crystal, Ashley and Allison!!

I spent most of the day getting ready for the scrapbook retreat this coming weekend. I always say I'm not going to take a ton of stuff but still end up taking a ton of stuff. My goal is to get 4 books done.

We just watched 60 Minutes with the President-Elect. I finished the Peanut Butter with White Chocolate popcorn and Bill finished the Chocolate Chunk with Carmel drizzle popcorn. Now, it's time to go watch one of my favorite mindless shows, "Rock of Love Charm School"

Sharon Osbourne rocks!

Where Did My Extra Hour Go?

Since Northern Indiana started observing daylight savings time a few years ago, I have yet to talk to anyone that thinks it was a good idea. We "fell back" one hour on Sunday morning. Sure I might have gotten one more hour of sleep but I've been feeling one hour behind all day today! If I'm going to get an extra hour, I want to be able to do something with it!

Friday Night - Again this year....no trick or treaters. Poor Braughk was the center of our Halloween attention, but isn't he so cute!?

Saturday - Tri Kappa cheeseballs! We made over 1,800.

Sunday - I finally downloaded the pictures from our trip to Alabama. Here are some of my favorites.

After seeing this picture, I can understand why Rodney wanted us to call him "My Lord" all weekend...Renaissance Fair?, yeah right!

If The Broom Fits...Ride It

I actually have a pair of socks that say that!...Thank you, Leigh!

Halloween really is one of my favorite holidays. I'm not sure why unless it has something to do with my fascination for all things spooky (see previous posts) or just because it is in the fall, my favorite season. I came across this and thought it was pretty funny.


Pretty good, huh? I love living out in the county but Halloween is a real bummer. We do not get any trick or treaters. When my mother lived with us, she would guilt people into bringing their kids out so she could see them dressed up. I guess I enjoyed it as well.

I think my scariest memory is going to a Halloween party with my parents (guess I could just stop there, right?) when I was about 9 or 10. When we arrived and got out of the car, Dracula came walking down the drive to greet us....holy crap! I seriously had dreams about Dracula for years. Ask my husband...as I'm typing this I just asked him if he remembers my Dracula dream and he told me exactly!..."You're sleeping in your big girl bed with the covers pulled up to your chin. But, little did you know, Dracula just got off the city bus at the end of your street and is running down the block toward your house and as he gets closer he cuts across the neighbors yard, jumps the fence and crashes through your bedroom window onto your big girl bed and..." by this time I'd either peed the bed or woke myself up screaming. YIKES!!!

Hope your day is spooky (and evening if you so choose)!

Something So Simple

Do you remember the last time you went out for dinner and had a really great server?...one that catered to your every need and realized you were ready for a refill even before you did?

I have never been a server. I guess God knew better. But let me tell you, when we are fortunate enough to get one when we go out for dinner, we make sure to tell them and tip them well. So, tonight's post is going directly to the point...getting a good server can make or break your dining experience. Tip the good ones well with the hope you'll be lucky enough to get them the next time.

Hello.....Molly?

The trip to Alabama was short and sweet! It was in the mid 70's and sunny when we left there yesterday and it's snowing here in Mishawaka tonight. Someone please remind me why I live in Northern IN.

The ghost tour was really interesting. I was definitely into the experience more than everyone else but they did a good job humoring me. I didn't get to see Molly, but check these out....






The last house we visited on the tour was the Wright Douglas house which is now part of the Kennedy Douglas Center for the Arts. I walked up the front porch steps after the tour had finished and most people had left. I took a picture through the front window and got the first picture. I couldn't believe what I saw in the view finder so I took another to be sure I hadn't done something to make the picture turn out this way and got the second picture. Of course, I think I caught the orbs by surprise in the first picture and once they realized I was out there, they took off leaving the clear view of the room. No one has a better explanation so I'm going with it.

We took some really nice pictures on a walking bridge with the Tennessee River in the background. I'll post some of them in the next few days.

Happy Days are Coming

As I mentioned, we're going out of town this week. (ATTN: If you are a criminal interested in visiting my house while I'm away....DON'T! Every door and window is equipped with silent alarms that go straight to the police station and all our neighbors. You'll never make it out alive.) There, happy Lover?

During our visit with my cousins, we are going on a haunted tour. Several books have been written about homes haunted in the Muscle Shoals area of northern Alabama. WELL! it's just my luck that a large concentration of the haunted homes are in Florence where my family lives. I am so psyched for this! Several books have been written giving detailed accounts of the "ghosts stories". One of my favorite stories is about Molly, the most visable and renowned ghost in Florence.

Molly lived in a home on Court Street back in the 1930s which is the University of North Alabama Bookstore today. At the age of 11, Molly was bitten by her loving dog that had contracted rabies. After several days of illness, Molly died in the home. Molly has been seen by visitors at the bookstore as well as people visiting the college. She has even been seen during the daytime. Most often she waves at people that pass by but if you're lucky enough, she may ask you if you've seen her dog.

Now that I am completely in the Halloween mood, I've included a picture of this year's Halloween card. The card base is a transparency - which I totally love these days....OK, still...and the skeletons are smudge stamped.





I probably will not have a chance to post again until next week but maybe I'll have some crazy spooky pictures of Molly and her ghostly friends from Florence.

Happy Monday!

Do you ever have a hard time finding something to be happy about on Monday? After enjoying two days of virtual freedom, BAM! it's Monday. Today, I'm pretty happy about getting this blog up and going again after a minor melt down on Friday night (bye-bye Facebook, too).

Speaking of weekend, mine was good. Saturday Bill and I went to a wedding at the College Football Hall of Fame (see Amber Reed Photography blog for photos!) Sunday I finished winterizing the yard. It may seem crazy to consider that part of a good weekend but BOY! am I glad to have it done. I'm that much closer to being able to scrapbook on weekends now!

We're heading to Alabama on Thursday. We're visiting my cousin, Leigh and her husband, Rodney. Here is a picture from their visit up here over the July 4th holiday.