Thankfulness

Thanksgiving madness (of the good variety) is in full force around here…

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I am almost certain you are in the throws of the same madness.

I have been baking like crazy.

Doing all my vegetable chopping for tomorrow.

Roasting homegrown Fairytale pumpkins.

Pureeing them.

Draining them.

(love this sort of pumpkin ritual)

Baking with them.

Getting all my ducks in order for tomorrow.

I am throwing a tiny bash.

With a handful of special friends.

I am so excited to see some of my dear friends.

My friend Joyce and I have been e-mailing each other like mad.

All excited to get together.

This is my 3rd year hosting my own Thanksgiving, and I really love it.

Having people you enjoy over at your home.

Good food, good friends, laughing, sharing tales.

So excited.

Plus, it forces you to clean your house.

Bonus.

Dusting.

Music.

Pre-holiday fun.

Warm house.

Oven working away.

Amazing scents.

Taking some last treats from the garden.

As autumn creeps in.

Still trying in the desert land, to find its way to us.

It will be 79'F tomorrow.

The yellowing ground is slowly creeping in to the vegetable garden out back.

It's been so warm.

We had 1 little freeze, but covered things.

Although some things did crisp up.

Others are hanging on, still.

Birds chirping.

Matty chasing them around.

A huge surge of tomatoes happened in early autumn, but as nights are chilly, I have decided to start using green tomatoes, just in case they don't ripen.

There were about 150 green tomatoes out there.

I boiled some with yellow chilies, and made a green tomato salsa.

(with onions, garlic, olive oil and a tinge of white vinegar + salt)

I drizzled it over baked tilapia, with some avocado.

Lemon.

Yumm.

Then, I used the green tomato salsa as a base for black/kidney bean soup.

Yumm.

I gifted some for fried green tomatoes, and we still have oodles plus.

It's an autumnal treat really.

Before the cold snap hit for one night last week, I brought in two wagons of gourd love.

Some are still hanging around out there, but they have climbed into the trees too high, and will have to fall out.

Beautiful sunsets.

Miles in autumn light.

His human dad is holding a treat.

Hence the intense face.

Pecans in our pecan trees.

Picking them with my Matty, handsome helper.

Little piles.

Delicious pecans.

Our last pomegranate of the season.

Wisteria on the front porch is turning, and looks so festive and pretty.

And then.

Just like that, over the last few days, the pecan trees turned golden.

As the peach tree follows…

So pretty.

Changing leaves.

Everyone who sings and plays an instrument will bring theirs tomorrow.

Guitars.

Piano.

My sister is horrified that Lovee lets me use his microphone and one of his amps.

🙂

The pumpkin cheesecakes are cooling.

As are the traditional pumpkin pies.

The edges of the pumpkin cheesecakes always get too dark, even if I cover them.

But it doesn't change the flavor at all.

Delicious.

Sinful.

I have my dishes out, ready to set the long table.

Mister Lovee's grandparents' table.

I found it tucked into one of our sheds a couple years ago, and was thrilled.

I brought it in the house right away.

It's very mid-century, maple colored wood.

All handmade, beautifully.

With extender leaves.

Which we always leave open.

It touches me, to use this table.

The big turkey is thawed.

I can't wait to put it in the oven in the a.m.

Taking today to make and bake let me really soak in the taste of the season.

 

I am always so very thankful.

A special day to be extra thankful, bonus.

 

The most special thing about this Thanksgiving?

My baby is turning 2.

Born November 22, 2010

To Chief and Daisy.

Adopted by us when he was 5 weeks old.

 

King Miles of the Santa Catalinas.

 

I love Miles and Matty so much.

So so so so so so much.

Miles has brought us such joy.

Words can not describe my love for this fur.

I turned around yesterday, and saw him sleeping with his hedgehog facing me like that.

You should have seen me.

Quietly and frantically scrambling, trying to get my camera together.

Remember him here?

Oh, my heart.

This morning Lovee and I watched some home movies of baby Miles.

Miles and Matty wrestled in the background.

Miles would stop every so often and look at himself on the screen.

Perplexed and interested.

He was such a beautiful round baby.

And such a nice and loving big baby.

Thankfulness abound.

Thank you for being here.

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, I wish you the most glorious day.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

Love,

Vanessa, Mister Lovee, Matty and Miles