Smokin'!

My mom and dad are here, we're having 30 for Thanksgiving dinner and I work until 12:45 today! Scatter-brained? Yes! Discombobulated? Definitely!

BUT!

I have a secret weapon that's called FAMILY! So there's LOADS of help for all the prep work/cooking/decoration/cleanup, etc. Jules (always my very secretest - that's a word, btw - weapon) desperately tried to have Turkey-day at her home, but all the ~children~ overruled. They all informed us - from the oldest at 30 to the youngest at 2 (ok it wasn't Little Miss Magic, it was that 8 year-old Connor-Man) - that tradition dictates Thanksgiving is always here while Christmas is always there! There being Jules and family's home.
Whatever! Just know getting to the big day is a lot of work, but once we're all seated around the table(s), we'll all count our many blessings and be very thankful we've all gathered together one more year.
That said, the time for bloggin' will be a rare event for the next week like anyone will really miss anything.
So, my friends, I want to wish every one of you a very blessed day full of wonderful moments that turn out to be future moments you give thanks for. Thanksgiving...the very best holiday...

May Thanksgiving day and the thoughts behind it be just wonderful for everyone!

~~~

xoabb
expecting thankful thoughts all around!

Above photo taken of our smoked turkey last Thanksgiving '08.
Click here to see it!

P. S. We always have 3 turkeys each Thanksgiving - a traditional roasted one, a deep fried one (though last year that didn't work out at all! Go here for a good giggle.), and a smoked one. This year, we're only doing two as our friend Tony is doing the smoking honors for us in his Big Green Egg! Just thrilled as , 1. It's one less thing to do, 2. I know it will be delicious & 3. "Houston we have a problem" won't repeat itself this year!

Taps

{Taps}

Day is done,

gone the sun,

From the hills,

from the lake,

From the skies.

All is well,

safely rest,

God is nigh.

Go to sleep,

peaceful sleep,

May the soldier

or sailor,

God keep.

On the land

or the deep,

Safe in sleep.

Love, good night,

Must thou go,

When the day,

And the night

Need thee so?

All is well.

Speedeth all

To their rest.

~~~

Sky Watch Friday

Do join us!

Two Words...

Memorial Day at

St. Paul's on-the-Green,

Norwalk, CT

Their annual tribute to our

fallen soldiers in Iraq/Afganistan.

One flag for each of our fallen.

Around 800 new flags had to be added this year.

~

Two words:

Thank you.

From the very bottom of my heart.

~~~

xoabb

Just two words...

There are more Memorial Day cartoons here.

Cartoon by John Cole - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com

First Day is Done

Driving around this CT Northeast area I live in, I came across the above. A sculpture on the grounds of an estate in our ~Gold Coast~ area. The homes here, which are all directly on Long Island Sound, can't even be seen from the road, but in this case, their sculpture can! (UPDATE - mom just informed me that Claes Oldenburg created the above sculpture. You can learn more about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claes_Oldenburg.) How appropriate for my evening sighting after the first day of school! It's really quite impressive. At least 25 feet tall and true to the last detail. If I had that on my front lawn, it would be my front lawn! (BTW, how long has it been since you've actually seen an eraser - normal size - like that? Does this date me to ancient times?? Yes? OK!! I'm OLD!)

~

On another note, a fellow "former native of Missouri" blogger has honored me with the following award. I really appreciate this because she managed to describe what this blog of mine is all about when I haven't really been able to. Louise of the very readable and wonderful blog Potted Frog bestowed this on me and described me as follows:

"Another "expect anything" blog with lots of ~great~ [her word not mine, tho it pleases me immensly] photos. She is from my home state (as is Lisa from above) and that makes her (and Lisa) extra special."

Thank you thank you! I so very much appreciate this, Louise! Louise's blog is much the same as she described mine - never know quite what will be there, but it's always entertaining (I hope) and, in her case, simply wonderful. (Lisa's is so very good too.)

I can easily pass this on to Mary, Helen, Michele, Kate, Daryl and Lyn, and, oh yes and my brother Bill, among others...let's not forget Klaus, and, of course that mental friend of mine...well, just sometimes.

O alright already! I obviously could go on and on! There are many places I visit that have outstanding photos and words - these just happen to be a few of my very favorites. Hope you can visit a few of them, too.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

P. S. Don't even ask me how Weight Watchers went this week!