Holiday Season

Since I’ve been so bad about posting lately, I thought I was due for an update.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving Holiday. In the morning we made pancakes (a rare treat for us) and sipped coffee while watching the Macy’s parade. Funny how there was a time when I knew who all those singers and stars were. These days I get all psyched when the Rockettes finally show up. I also got the dinner started early, this year I made pot roast (due to lack of preparation for the turkey) with all the other normal Thanksgiving dishes: the cranberry marshmallow salad, greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and blueberry crisp for dessert. It was a great meal, and somehow pretty low maintenance considering the roast cooked all day in the slow cooker.

Thanksgiving afternoon was very pleasant, so we decided to take a hike out at Kennesaw Mountain, just northwest of the city. Our plan was to build up an appetite for the yummy dinner. Kennesaw was a very important defensive point for the Confederate Army during the civil war, so if any Civil War buffs come for a visit – remind us to take you there. It’s a nice hike and there are a few historical markers that make it a little educational too.

Later that weekend we went to visit Don’s mom in Mooresville. We had a nice visit – although a short one. One of the highlights was checking out the new ice cream shop near her house. The shop had a fun game at each table, and we sat at one that had a game of pickup sticks. I was shocked to find out that neither Don nor Florence had ever played. I’d like to say I wiped the floor with them – but I think Don won the first game despite my advantage. I was just too kind at showing them all my old tricks! Do kids play games like that anymore? We had a great time drinking coffee, having our afternoon snack, and testing our pick up skillz….

Lately we’ve been trying to get all the Christmas shopping done early, and have so far succeeded. This weekend we finally got over the hump of holiday chores – the house is clean, the freezer is stocked and ready for my family to arrive, and I’m almost ready for the holiday. This will be a busy week – I have a few holiday parties at work, a December visit to the elementary school for a fun holiday project with the kids, a day of continuing education to finish out my 2008 requirement, and I think I’ll be ready to start relaxing.

This past week, I met two friends for dinner and holiday shopping in Buckhead. Sam, Jen, and I had a great dinner and dessert at an obscene hour of the day on Tuesday night… we decided to take advantage of the holiday season and our sort of flexible schedules and met at 5:30 for shopping and dinner. It was so fun to eat appetizers and watch the rush hour traffic on Peachtree. This weekend we also attended Sam & Nehal’s Holiday Party and had a lot of fun catching up with some friends from B-School that we haven’t seen in far too long.

Somehow, I have even made time to make two Maple Nut Rings for a few lucky friends this week! That always gets me in the mood for the holidays. I had to fend Don off and keep him away from them though, I’m sure we’ll make one for us once my family gets here for Christmas next week. Then, we’ll be off to ring in the New Year in Maryland & NOVA with Don’s family. Should be a busy remainder of the month! Happy Holidays!