Before today’s actual post, here are a couple of pre-post items.
Last night we had our annual Community Thanksgiving Service at Manteo Bapist with seven different churches participating. Steve was in charge of it this year and did a great job putting everything together.
One of the songs was provided by the guys of Dare Challenge. This excerpt will give you a chance to see ahead of time the wonderful dinner guests we will have on Thanksgiving.
I had mentioned that Sarah would be in the Duke magazine and we were so excited when our copy finally arrived in the mail. We are honored to be part of getting the word out about this great hospital. (P.S. Sarah will be home Wednesday through Sunday this week. Hooray!)
A couple of weeks ago, Steve and his flying club took a local girl scout group out to introduce them to the world of R.C. flying. Their goal is to try and get younger members involved.
As you can tell, they had a high old time. And don’t tell anyone, but Steve said the girls were actually better pilots than the boys he took out a few weeks earlier.
See this fella? This is Bryan.
He is the husband of this lady . . .
and the father of these three girls. (He also has a fourth daughter, not pictured.)
Bryan founded a group several years ago called Outer Banks Sportsmen’s Fellowship. Once a month, anywhere from 50-80 men in the community gather in our youth house for a free meal consisting of wild game and/or seafood. After they eat, they listen to a speaker who is in some way connected to hunting or fishing.
As you can probably imagine, there is a preponderance of pickups in our parking lot at these events.
For the past two years, Bryan and the fellows have opened up the November meeting to women and also invited a woman speaker. We were treated to chicken, bear sausage, goose, and venison. I was extra, ultra, über brave and took a bite of it all.
Of course all those strange foods went down a lot easier with a helping of Mrs. Alice’s famous ‘nanner puddin’. (Alice is Bryan’s mom.)
At these events, chewing the fat always goes right along with the chewing of the game and the seafood.
Whether outside or inside, conversation and laughter flow freely.
I am amazed at how effortlessly the men put together these huge meals every month. I would be completely panic-stricken if it were up to me to cook for that many people.
But they calmly make their bazillion gallons of tea . . .
and bring in all manner of coolers filled with all manner of victuals.
The Dare Challenge guys are usually there each month and always enjoy themselves so much.
One of my favorite sights of the evening happened after all the cooking and prep had been done and the leaders gathered to pray for God’s blessing on the evening and on the people who were about to arrive.
Hats came off and hearts were joined together.
And then it was back to the cooking and the laughter and the evening full of good food, good friends and good times.
Happy Becky just wanted to wish you and your family a happy American Thanksgiving! ❤️ (I think today is the big day?).
Thank you, Jenna.
Yes, Nov. 23 was our Thanksgiving Day. We had a great time with Dare Challenge and today my goal is to rest a lot and clean a little. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your day.
Mel,
Thank you! I am about to burst into hyper active, super busy mode until our guests arrive at 4. Think of all the calories I will burn ahead of time. 🙂
Becky, Happy Thanksgiving to you and family! Just having myself, husband and best friend over for dinner. Just finished making fresh cranberries, sweet potato casserole, bread, celery and onion cut up for dressing. Makes it a bit less hectic doing some stuff the night before. Ever notice how some people call it dressing and others call it stuffing? I wonder if that is some regional thing, like pop or soda? Oh, I did get to pull out my Mom’s (and probably her Mom’s) Turkey Dressing recipe!
Kari,
I totally agree about doing stuff the night before. Or even a couple of days before. Helps the Thanksgiving cook keep her/his sanity. 🙂
I always thought stuffing was what you call it when you cook it inside the bird and dressing is what it’s called when it’s baked separately. Someone else may have some more insight on that.
Enjoy eating the dressing/stuffing that has been passed down through generations of love!
Happy Thanksgiving Becky! Sarah looks so lovely on that cover. She must be rolling in today(wed), very happy times. This Thanksgiving will be the quietest one I’ve ever had, I think. Sarah and I will be home. One son will be in Texas with his wife’s family and the other will be dining with his serious girlfriend’s family. My dad and siblings will be up on Cape Cod. I can’t travel because of Sarah. It’s all good, I will cook for the two of us and enjoy the Macy’s parade on TV, then take in some christmas movies when Sarah is napping.
I am thankful for:
2 healthy sons who are happily moving forward in their lives
1 sweet daughter who remains pain free and content
a darling granddaughter, the light of my days
Lesley,
Yes, Sarah arrived yesterday afternoon and has been hard at work helping Steve and I prepare for our big day. I told her she could have a little time to rest this morning but at about 10 a.m., we would start working again. She and Steve are a great work crew!
Even though you wrote with your “brave words” I can hear your longing for home and extended family. I will think of you and Sarah today . . . of naps, and Christmas parades and your many thanksgivings even in your solitude.
We’re traveling on Wednesday night to my dad’s for Thanksgiving at his house; our daughter and future SIL will also be joining us – so that’s five people. Daughter received her “Thanksgiving bonus turkey” from her job yesterday, and we will all share in the prep (while my dad snoozes or watches football) on Thursday morning. Thursday afternoon/evening we’ll travel back home because we’re headed to Paris on Friday.
I’m thankful for: Still having my dad alive. My tiny family. The ability to travel.
Stefanie,
What fun to know you will be getting a son-in-law soon! That is a BIG reason for thanksgiving.
Enjoy the from turkey from work, time with those you love and winging your way to Paris!
Heading to Escanaba to enjoy thanksgiving with our oldest son & daughter in law, 2 of our 6 grandkids, and her parents. We will be helping get dinner on the table this year.
Karen,
Back when we traveled, Escanaba was always our favorite place to go. Enjoy your time in a wonderful town with wonderful family.
How can I get my hands on a copy of the Duke Magazine? I’d pay for it in a donation to their peds cancer research program if need be! Congrats, Sarah! I’m so proud of you!
???Jodi
Jodi,
I sent a message to our editor at Duke since I don’t know have a clue how to get one. (I would have sent you one but they only sent us two.)
I’ll let you know what she says.
Looks like a fun night! Glad Sarah will be home for the holiday.My husbands mother has 5 sisters. They all get together and cook a full Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family with kids, grandkids, and great grandkids plus a few others ,we usually have between 100 and 115 people for dinner. We live in Central Ny and people come from Fla, Georgia, South Carolina., and California. It”s crazy , but it’s nice seeing everyone!Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Michele,
Sounds like a rip roaring good time! Six sisters all gathered together with various branches of the family is, I’m sure, a wonderful sight to behold. Someone must have a pretty large space to host 115 people! I am overhwelmed at the very thought. 🙂
Enjoy every moment.
What a fun night that looks like! Thanksgiving will be very low-key. I will cook a 21 pound turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green been casserole, with rolls as well as cranberry sauce – keeping it simple! My grandson will be at his mother’s in New Hampshire over the holiday break, my son and his girlfriend both head into work at 5. I think I’m more excited about leftovers than eating on the holiday! I will probably rent a movie, get cozy in a (rarely) quiet home, then most likely fall asleep and miss the movie!
Guerrina,
A 21-pound turkey? I couldn’t even LIFT it let alone cook it!
Sounds like a lovely day of good food and fabulous solitude. Try to stay awake through at least half of the movie!
We are going to eat with my sister and her husband. Her two grandchildren, oldest son and his wife will be there. Jim and I had planned to go out but she insisted we eat with them. I bought the turkey and my brother-in-law will smoke it. I am doing green beans and mashed potatoes at her request. Also doing a 2 lb honey baked ham and potato salad because I want to. She has a country ham, beans, corn, dressing and sweet potato casserole. Also she bought a six layer chocolate cake and key lime pie. I am going to try to buy some Watergate salad. I am thankful to be feeling great, God’s love and blessings and family and friends who have shown so much love and kindness since my diagnosis in June. Guess my favorite Thanksgiving is when we were all together. I always went to help Mama at 9 am and stayed until cleanup which usually ended at 11 pm. Daddy would help in the kitchen, too. Wonderful memories. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Ann,
I’m happy you have those wonderful memories of cooking with your mom and dad for Thanksgiving. I know you will never forget those long, joyful, tiring, wonderful days spent together.
Sounds like you have quite the feast planned for Thursday. So glad you are feeling well and able to enjoy food you love with people you love. Many hugs.
Well since you asked Becky,
We will be having a thanksgiving meal delivered from the honey baked ham store. As you know my mom is in hospice care and we have a meal train going. Someone is doing this for us. I’m gonna miss my mom’s cooking but thankful she’s still with us. As this might be her last. God only knows. I pray and hope it will be a good one for her. Only God knows that as well. The struggle is real… Please when your praying over you happy thanksgiving meal, you’ll slip a word in for us.thank you. I’m thankful for my mom. My family, and for God’s new mercies everyday.
Catherine,
How wonderful that someone is providing your meal. The honey baked ham store is one of Steve’s all time favorites; he LOVES their hams.
Please tell your mom Steve and Becky send their love and wishes for a peaceful, memorable thanksgiving with family.
She is blessed to have your loving care in these difficult days of her life. Hugs to all.
I will be cooking the meal but there will only be me, hubby, daughter, son-in-law and 2 adorable and perfectly sweet grandchildren. We go traditional all the way….turkey, stuffing mashed potatoes, etc. My son-in-law’s grandparents live in our town about 3 minutes away, so we will all go visit them in the afternoon and take a full Thanksgiving meal for each of them. (They are quite feeble and unable to get out of the house easily so we’ll go to them.)
I am so thankful for my family and for our health. We don’t have any serious, dread diseases.
I am beyond thankful that my almost 88-year-old father is so healthy, sharp, spry and active. Such a blessing!!
Finally, I am thankful for Jesus and His love and His sacrifice.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, both near and far. 🙂
LeeAnne,
How wonderful to take a Thanksgiving dinner to your son-in-law’s grandparents. I know it must mean the world to them to not only be remembered on this holiday but also to be remembered with such fabulous food. Bless you all as you spend that special time together.
It will be just my parents and me for Thanksgiving so we are going out. No cleanup to do! They will come to KC area on Wednesday and go home on Saturday. Sunday, I will travel about 90 minutes to see my younger brother’s combined community philharmonic orchestra and community chorus Christmas concert. This will be the 4th year I’ve been able to go – a little far to travel when I lived in Tampa. My brother is the director and my sister-in-law plays clarinet. My niece did play violin, sing in the chorus and accompany some songs on the piano but her college is too far to make the rehearsals this year.
Three things I am thankful for this year – that both my parents are still with us, my church and the best thing this year is an early retirement package from my job. My official retirement date will be June 29, 2018. After that I will get 40 weeks of retirement pay. This was truly an answer to prayer! Never expected this as my company has not doing anything like it in the 50+ years of existence.
Phyllis,
You must be an exemplary employee to get such a generous retirement deal. Enjoy this new chapter in your life!
No clean up sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Great food. No dishes. Win win!
Enjoy the orchestra and community chorus; sounds like a deligthful time. You are certainly blessed with a musical family!