just imagine!

 ....a dark rainy morning, when the rain turns to sleet and snow then back to rain again, driving down a lovely back- road with dear husband, in search of a Christmas tree.  The corner in the living room is cleared and ready, the tree stand and little pieces of wood and the drill are ready to hold any sized tree perfectly in place.

But, both the tree places we went to had other ideas today.  They were maybe baking bread for their Sunday dinner, or doing some last minute shopping.  Google said they were open, and their signs were out, but upon calling them, no, not until Black Friday.  Seriously, as it should be.  But, we had hoped.  

There were trees we could go buy at Tractor Supply, or Lowes, but Lowes said they were shipped from Oregon. Um, we live in the middle of rural upstate New York, surrounded by pine trees, no, we don't need one from Oregon.  So, we wait a little bit.   It was a lovely drive though, we drove down some roads not too far from here that neither of us had ever been on!

After church, we came home and got the lasagnas in the oven.  I made them last night after all!  From 8:00 to 9:30, in fact.  Two pans of lasagna, and one small bread loaf glass pan of zucchini lasagna. ( I baked the zucchini in the oven first, got the water out of it, then made it the same as the other stuff, with lots of meat sauce with hot sausage and ground beef, layers of assorted shredded Italian cheeses, two layers of ricotta.)

Kathryn and Margaret were planning to go do their Thanksgiving meal shopping this afternoon.  Their husbands and their children were going to stay here at Grandma's house to hang out.  Well, then they invited me, and Evelyn, and Camille, how could we say no?  We took Rhys with us, and left Paul, Darius, and Adrian with Wulf, Tennyson, Blythe, Achilles, and little Jamie.  

We went to Aldi, where I got some snacks for Friday's Friday Pie Day, and the stuffing stuff (celery, onions, bagged stuffing cubes), some butter, eggs, cream, and some beef to put in the crock pot tomorrow or Tuesday.  It was a great outing, lots of laughing and fun, then home...the lasagna was done and the house smelled amazing.  I had also made a pan of brownies, so the kids were happy.

Rhys, Wulf holding his baby sister Blythe, Tennyson, and Grandpa and Achilles watching Bugs Bunny.   Jamie was toddling around.

Jonathan got home from Winnipeg safe and sound, it's like a 23 hr drive each way.  He was tired, to say the least.

Pies, pies, pies!  I think I'll make a big fat blueberry, two apple, two pumpkin, and Camille is making a lemon meringue.  Maybe I'll make a chocolate too.  I guess I should go buy some blueberries, I think I have everything else.  If Cam wants me to make the crust for her, that's a total of ten crusts, because the blueberry and two apples have double crusts.  Maybe I'll make those tomorrow.  I also need to get more whipped cream, perhaps some vanilla ice cream.

We're having our dinner at Ben and Ashley's house, but I think I'm going to try to get a turkey tomorrow for another day, perhaps when Miss Charlotte Claire is home from Germany for Christmas.  We bought her a plane ticket:)

Abigail is coming for Thanksgiving, yay!  I need to wash the bedding in the guest room, and vacuum it up in there.  It'll be super nice to have her.  I think most of the family will be piling in on Friday for Pie Day.  I love it.  I simply don't know who to sit and talk to, I move from here to there, and try to soak it all in. It'll be loud and busy and crazy and it'll get all messy again, but it's so nice to have them all here.  

Tomorrow, after water aerobics, I might try to get that turkey, drop off stuff at the thrift store, pick up a few more things I had ordered, then start on the pie crusts...then stay home on Tuesday and get things done.  Plans, ha.  Right?  They're loose, very loose.

If I was giving a prize for the bestest commenter on my blog, wouldn't we all agree it would be Marilyn?  She's my dear Aussie/Canadian friend, from the frozen north:). She's so kind and sweet, and I always like hearing from her.  As I've said before, long ago, I was a scoffer and a sceptic about "internet friends", but now I am a believer.  I have experienced good, positive comments, kind thoughts, loving encoragements, and I care deeply about my dear online friends.  I think the internet can be used for bad things, obviously, but also for really good things, and my blog friends are evidence of that.  I am truly thankful for all of you guys who read here, and who write blogs I can read too!

It's too quiet in here after such a busy day.  Jon went to bed, Paul went to bed, as he's hunting in the morning, and Camille is  at the diner with some of the girls.  The dogs are snoring, the cats are sleeping quietly, and here I sit in the comfy chair, facing the empty corner with no Christmas tree ha.  I've had a good day, I'm a good kind of tired, a happy tired.  Have a good sleep, all!