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What's better than Thankful Day? Why Thankful Day during Thanksgiving Week, of course. There's always so much going on for which to be thankful.
Last Saturday Sweetie and i cleaned Grandma and Grandpa's house as fast as we'd ever done it before, and got back in time for me to get a short nap, which i sorely needed.
On Sunday i went and stayed with Becca so her mother could just go to church and enjoy the service. Her meds have been adjusted and Becca is doing better, she even got to go back to school for a couple of days. It's a joy to be able to go stay with her.
Sunday afternoon i helped Ms. S get her meds ready for the week. The main reason i am thankful i can do this is that i can now tell at a glance whether and when she is taking her medication, and so can her family.
Then came Monday and while doing Carl's room, i was able to get to his entire video game cabinet. The DVDs and CDs will take a lot longer, but it's coming.
Ms. JAI and i had a wonderful talk on Monday afternoon as i worked. Then i asked her what brand of electric chair she had and could i take pictures of the labels and tags for Ms. S who needs one very much, and she said she wants to sell hers and get a leather one instead of fabric, for them to make her an offer. It's a blessing to be able to be able to help one person get what she needs, and another to get rid of what she doesn't.
While i wrote in more detail about Tuesday on Wednesday, i can say i am very thankful i was able to step in Tuesday and get Ms. S to the doctor. Also, i am glad i forgot my cold groceries at her apartment and had to go back (i was only two blocks away when i remembered), as the nice lady who leaves the meals had left the apartment opened up for the cat without checking to see if Ms. S was there. She wasn't, and while it's not a particularly dangerous neighborhood, you still don't want to leave your door open for the cat to come in and out when you are not at home.
It is also a very, very thankful thing that Ms. G was out of town Wednesday so that i was able to switch Ms. V to Wednesday. If i'd had to do that doctor run and cleaning Tuesday and do Ms. V's house, i think i wouldn't have been done before 9pm!
Wednesday evening, i actually managed to get the cornbread made and the hojaldras cooked, and i got a text from Grandma saying she hadn't precooked or prepared anything, could i please come early Thursday. Our plan for Thursday included taking #1 Son with us, but when i texted him we would have to leave very early, he changed his mind and said he'd risk coming in his own car. Thankfully, he just had it in the shop last week, and he got it down there and back safely.
Thursday morning, we arrived just before 8am to find no turkey in sight and a pristine kitchen. The only things ready were the cornbread i brought and the jambalaya that was a gift from a friend in the fridge.
Grandpa brought out the turkey while i got pumpkin pies in the oven and roux on the stove. He seasoned it, we put the probe in, plugged it into the oven, and got Mr. Tom off to Camp Hotpoint.
Grandma came in and assembled her creamed corn, mac and cheese, and the sweet potatoes while i was getting mashed potatoes and cornbread dressing ready, and don't forget stirring the roux and babysitting the pies in the oven.
Uncle P and Miss Eva came with the shrimp and grits, and the probe said the turkey was done in record time. Only it wasn't. Turns out the turkey was still partially frozen because Grandpa didn't start it thawing until 3 days before, not 4 days before. The area where the probe was did indeed measure as done, but the rest of the turkey was not. Back to Camp Hotpoint for another 45 minutes, but the giblets in their foil packet next to Mr. Tom were done so i got them boiling for gravy.
In spite of the turkey snafu, it turned out delicious and moist, and we had everything ready by around 12:30. Yes, folks, the whole Thanksgiving meal can be assembled and cooked in about 4 1/2 hours by a team effort if you try hard enough, but i promise i don't want to try that again if i can help it.
Grandpa fussed, but Uncle P and i got the kitchen cleaned anyway. He just likes to fuss, and we like to help him, so we help and he fusses and everyone is happy.
Yesterday was the traditional breakfast for the prayer group, and we are always thankful for that. Ms. GA had vegan banana walnut date bread to share with me, and sent me home with some of her vegan sweet potato pie.
The shelter was "closed" but open to staff and volunteers, so it was quiet there, unusual on a Friday night. While i love the bustle and watching people get to know the cats and adopt them, it was a nice change to only have 2 staff members and 3 volunteers and the cats.
It's been quite a week, a thankful Thanksgiving week, and we are all grateful.
Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Dyanne and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.
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Today is:
Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha -- Baha'i
Banquet for Monkeys / Monkey Buffet Festival -- Khmer Ruins of Lop Buri, Thailand (about 3,000 monkeys are served lunch while humans get to watch in what some describe as a riot but without the police; through tomorrow)
Decorate Your Dog Day -- supposedly to get him/her into the holiday spirit; but please, don't do it unless your dog enjoys it
Feast of the Holy Sovereigns -- Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii (in honor of King Kamehama IV and Queen Emma, the founders of the Anglican Church of Hawaii
Flag Day -- Kosovo
Holodomor Remembrance Day -- international commemoration of the Death By Hunger Genocide in Ukraine
Independence Day -- Albania(1912); East Timor(1975); Mauritania(1960)
Independencia de Panama de Espana -- Panama (Independence from Spain Day, 1821)
International Aura Awareness Day -- to increase the awareness of the human energy body, or aura
Make Your Own Head Day -- meaning an art project model or drawing, in any medium; have fun with this one!
National French Toast Day
Red Planet Day -- on the anniversary of the 1964 liftoff of Mariner 4, the first successful mission to Mars
Republic Day -- Chad; Republic of the Congo
Royal Society Day -- one of the world's oldest scientific academies, established this day in 1660
Runic Half Month of Is begins (stasis)
Small Business Saturday -- encouraging everyone to patronize local businesses for your holiday shopping
St. Catherine Laboure's Day -- promulgator of the Miraculous Medal
St. Stephen the Younger's Day` (Patron of coin collectors, numismatists, smelters)
Birthdays Today:
Ryan Kwanten, 1976
Anna Nicole Smith, 1967
Jon Stewart, 1962
Judd Nelson, 1959
S. Epatha Merkerson, 1952
Ed Harris, 1950
Alexander Godunov, 1949
Paul Shaffer, 1949
Joe Dante, 1946
Randy Newman, 1943
Berry Gordy, Jr., 1929
Claude Lévi-Strauss, 1908
Charles H. Alston, 1907
Brooks Atkinson, 1894
William Blake, 1757
Jean Baptiste Lully, 1632
John Bunyan, 1628
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Look Homeward, Angel"(Play), 1957
"The Grand Ole Opry"(Radio), 1925
Skywriting(as an advertising medium), 1922*
Today in History:
Skanderbeg and his forces liberate Kruja in Middle Albania and raise the Albanian flag, 1443
Ferdinand Magellan and his men become the first Europeans to sail from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean, 1520
The Times in London is for the first time printed by automatic, steam powered presses built by the German inventors Friedrich Koenig and Andreas Friedrich Bauer, signaling the beginning of the availability of newspapers to a mass audience, 1814
Ka Lahui: Hawaiian Independence Day - The Kingdom of Hawaii is officially recognized by the United Kingdom and France as an independent nation, 1843
Women vote in a national election for the first time in the New Zealand general election, 1893
US-born Lady Astor becomes the first female member of British Parliament, 1919
*Capt Cyril Turner of the RAF gives 1st skywriting exhibition in NYC; Turner spelled out "Hello USA. Call Vanderbilt 7200." 47,000 called, 1922
"Hopalong Cassidy" premieres on TV, 1948
The first Polaroid Camera is sold, 1948
Chad, the Republic of the Congo, and Gabon become autonomous republics within the French Community, 1958
The first pulsar star is discovered by Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish, 1968
Norway votes against joining the European Union, 1994
Wikileaks releases 250,000 classified documents and sensitive national security information sent by U.S. embassies, 2010
"Hamilton" sets new record for the most money earned in a week on Broadway - $3.3 million, 2016
The Australian state of Queensland raises its fire warning to "catastrophic" for the first time as 130 fires burn, 2018
Such a busy week, Mimi. Isn't it interesting how things turn out sometimes, like you forgetting your cold groceries and needing to go back to her house and discovering the door was open. What a blessing you HAD to go back.
ReplyDeleteLove the results of all the teamwork on Thanksgiving Day.
Wishing you a great week ahead.
You have a lovely long list of thankfulness. Sounds like a wonderful and beautiful thanksgiving meal had together with the family. Have a beautiful weekend.
ReplyDeleteYou are incredibly busy. I suspect that you head the list of things to be thankful for a good many people.
ReplyDeleteI had to research hojaldras and now I want some. They sound wonderful. I am thankful for, Tandy,
ReplyDeleteChelle, Ryan, Dillon, Beth, Kit, Hope, Michael, Jessi, Travis...that ten plus siblings, etc...
That's an amazing list, I don't know how you get it all done!
ReplyDeleteWhat a busy, crazy week you had! Glad the turkey cooked (eventually) in spite of it being partially frozen. REALLY good you forgot your cold food and were able to close that door!
ReplyDeleteWonderful list ~ I hope you have roller skates on ~ LOL ~ Glad turkey cooking went ok and that you made your house safe
ReplyDeleteLive each moment with love,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
These are all great gratefuls. You certainly have been busy caring for others too.
ReplyDeleteWonderful thankfuls. Glad everything worked out despite the frozen turkey.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad everything worked out well. I've read several Thanksgiving posts and it all seems like SO MUCH WORK, but then I remember back to when I did Christmases and was happy to do it all.
ReplyDeleteForgive me, but your Grat about the client who would sell to another client something that was needed, totally triggered Henny Youngman joke, (Not printing that one, but here's another: My wife told me the car wasn't running well, there was water in the carburetor. I asked where the car was, and she told me it was in the lake.)
ReplyDelete(ba rum bump)
Quite a week. Totally no surprise that everything came out right for your T-Giving meal. (the variety in the menu would have totally intimidated me.)
Have a good week.
I just reorganized all our DVDs and CDs. It was a huge project but I am so happy having everything organized and easy to find. Good luck with your own project.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a busy week. Glad you enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving after the initial snafus.
Weekends In Maine
Just reading about your life makes me breathless! You accomplish as much in a week as I do in a month! Your Thanksgiving meal sounds absolutely delicious. And I love to see a crew working together...
ReplyDelete