Simple Comforts

I have just collapsed onto the couch after another busy day. I find these days that I spend a lot of time thinking about the things I didn't accomplish...I didn't make all the Thanksgiving left-overs casseroles I had planned, another day went by without cleaning off my desk, my work To Do list continues to grow, and the first snow came before I got around to preparing the garden for winter.

Tonight I'm taking a different approach. I'm enjoying a few simple things I did accomplish. After putting three bags of fresh turkey stock in the freezer I admired the dozen or so zucchini muffins, made from zucchinis I grew, along with several bags of tomatoes grown by me. And while I may not have made the casseroles, I have lots of stock for many bowls of soup some day in the future when I have the time. And the left-over turkey is in the freezer too, so those casseroles still have hopes for future meal satisfaction.

It's comforting to know I do accomplish a lot, with a little help from the freezer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and takes some time to reflect on all you are thankful for.

For those of you who enjoy interesting tidbits and trivia, I heard a fun story on NPR this morning about why we call turkeys, turkey. Apparently this bird, native only to North America, gets its name from far away. Don't you think it's time the turkey got an American name? I'd love to hear any ideas! To read or listen to the full story click here.

Halloween 2008

Here are some late Halloween pictures. Cooper and I made a last minute trip to Michigan for the Halloween weekend. Cooper loved his costume (conceptualized by me, created by Erik. Check out Flickr for some better shots.). He made it to about 6 houses trick-or-treating before losing interest, preferring to watch the other kids in their costumes and blow bubbles. The weather was unseasonably warm which made for a great night for everyone.

Ready to go with Grampa

Heading down the driveway

The first stop was at the Sweeney's,

my parents' next-door neighbors.
They had quite a set up with a table, chairs,
firepit, and wine.
What a way to give out the candy!

Off to the next house!

Sampling the loot and blowing bubbles with Gramma.

Reilly (dressed at Mark Phelps) and Cooper

Reilly and Jack (dressed as a commando,

which he thought was a strange name for his
costume because it sounds like he isn't
wearing any underwear)

The three cousins (and one proud Grampa)

One last political video

Don't forget to vote November 4!!!