![\"thanx](\"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/thanx-buffet-guys.jpg\")
<\/a>See that little hand reaching for a sample?<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
This was a wonderful Thanksgiving day. As in several past years<\/a>, we celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends across the state, at the home of our son-in-law’s mother.\u00c2\u00a0 Always the gracious hostess and host and always fabulous cooks, Carol and her husband, Alan, prepare most of the traditional food.\u00c2\u00a0 The menu included roast turkey and pork loin, mashed potatoes, two gravies, and several sides, while the extended family guests bring desserts and more sides. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The desserts filled the entire table in the breakfast room.\u00c2\u00a0 With the exception of yours truly and my daughter (who studied the culinary arts from me), they are all fabulous cooks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Late Wednesday night after my lemon pound cake was baked and my other dishes were prepped– stuffed baked pumpkin,\u00c2\u00a0 garlic green beans and corn pudding–I sewed.\u00c2\u00a0 Embroidered dishtowels are my standard Thanksgiving day hostess gift<\/a>. The brown gingham-bordered towels are from AllAboutBlanks<\/a> and the designs are a combination of files.\u00c2\u00a0 The fall leaf spray is from\u00c2\u00a0 Kreations by Kara Autumn Wreaths<\/a> (a GORGEOUS collection) \u00c2\u00a0and the text and pumpkins were added with my Brother PE-Design.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By mirror-imaging the same fall spray design and adding two different expressions of gratitude, this pair of towels is a more attractive set as they hang side by side.\u00c2\u00a0 The colors were varied on each towel, though that hardly shows up in the image.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We had such a good time visiting with extended family we see infrequently.\u00c2\u00a0 Among the guests were 90 year-old Ruby who drove herself to her son’s home with her fresh-from-the-oven pumpkin, pecan and strawberry pies.<\/p>\n Ten month old dgd Vivian Rose toddled throughout the enormous house, appropriating pieces of jewelry from others then blessing their required charity with her sweet smiles.\u00c2\u00a0 Four year old dgs Alastair\u00c2\u00a0 delighted his baby sister with his antics.\u00c2\u00a0 Three college boys chatted with us about football and their studies in criminal justice and chemical engineering.<\/p>\n But the most entertaining topic of the day was Judy’s pre-Black Friday score of two pallets<\/strong> of University of South Florida paper plates!\u00c2\u00a0 Herself an alumna of\u00c2\u00a0 USF, Judy and Dave’s son, Matthew, is a freshman there.\u00c2\u00a0 She and her husband couldn’t be more proud of him and and plan to support the university and their son in every way possible.<\/p>\n “It was a great deal!” she told us.\u00c2\u00a0 “A package of 50 plates marked down from $9 to $3!!!!”\u00c2\u00a0 When she saw that an entire pallet was available, she intended to buy them all.\u00c2\u00a0 But then the stock boy told her that there were 4 more pallets in the store room!\u00c2\u00a0 She thought she exhibited considerable restraint by loading up just one more pallet, generously leaving 3 for other USF fans.<\/p>\n We laughed and laughed when she said, “Well, he’s going to be there for 4 years!\u00c2\u00a0 AND we use a LOT of paper plates!\u00c2\u00a0 AND these are heavy duty AND coated!”\u00c2\u00a0 The more we laughed the more she\u00c2\u00a0 tried to justify her purchase.<\/p>\n “AND I had an empty shelf in the barn!” which her adoring husband built to store her enormous and elaborate collections of holiday ornaments.\u00c2\u00a0 It is nearly full. This dear woman could have been Clark Griswold’s sister.<\/p>\n When we complimented Judy on the restraint she showed by leaving those 3 pallets, she announced that she had to save room in the barn for the USF paper napkins that would be on sale Black Friday!\u00c2\u00a0 I wonder if she will buy 8000 to pair up with the plates.<\/p>\n Now she is enthusiastically gearing up to use her new Brother embroidery machine to embellish shirts and other items with “USF.”\u00c2\u00a0 As I began suggesting sources for blanks, her mother, Ruby, told me to hush.\u00c2\u00a0 “Just how much room do you think\u00c2\u00a0 is left in that barn?”\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Her dear husband smiled, but I\u00c2\u00a0 couldn’t tell if it was a smile of indulgence or resignation.<\/p>\n Sunday, our pastor’s sermon was on thankfullness-giving.\u00c2\u00a0 I liked that.\u00c2\u00a0 Among the many, many, undeserved blessings which have been showered upon me and\u00c2\u00a0 my family,\u00c2\u00a0 I am thankful for a kindred spirit like Judy, who understands and perhaps exceeds my slightly immoderate purchases. \u00c2\u00a0 And I am thankful for each of you, the readers of this blog.\u00c2\u00a0 I hope you all reveled in a day of laughter, good food and thankfullness-giving.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Thanksgiving is just around the corner and so is tomorrow’s arrival of my grandchildren.\u00c2\u00a0 I love, love, love this time with them,\u00c2\u00a0 but not much else will get done.\u00c2\u00a0 So in advance of Thanksgiving Day, 2015, I am reposting memories … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n