With Gratitude - Thankful Round 2!

 It has been another Thanksgiving come and now gone, and though I was relatively healthy for this one -  we still chose to stay home and skip all the driving, bring dishes here and there, and going to loud places- it always feels so chaotic!  I did however, find ways to be thankful and to have peace while remembering that I love to cook, bake and definitely love to eat the good food! 

This was our Thanksgiving dinner - low pressure Mac n Cheese, Corn Pudding and some New Yorks that needed to be used.  The Hubby got to try a new meat rub he made up, and the corn pudding/casserole is as close to his mothers recipe as we have been able to make!  I am thankful we have her recipes to go through (at least some of them), and that we can try to remember some of her favorites too.  I am thankful that Reed and Keyona were ok with us having a quiet day and that they were able to enjoy the day with her mom and family.  One of my hardest things is to try to juggle the Holidays without melting into a heap, or trying to live up to the expectations in my head, and trying to balance loving the here and the "there".  I am thankful for the kids here and their grace, and their love.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year - I had a successful hip replacement that has taken the pain level down by 1000%.  For the past few years I have been in pain 100% of the time, and doing anything very strenuous was out of the question.  Being in that level of pain is exhausting and I didn't even realize how much until it ws gone!  Over the summer it all came to a head and I was hardly able to walk, much less do yard work or greenhouse things!  Hence the very reduced garden posts!  I should be healed enough to do some (or most) of it next spring and I can't wait!

These guys did some trimming this fall of some of the trees and berry bushes in the yard and I shudder to think what they will look like by next spring, but Im also thankful to see these Moose in the yard as there has been a sore lack of them  this year!  The winters have been hard!

Ike really would love to go and play with the little guys!  He doesn't realize they are 10 times even his size (he weighs 150 pounds now)!

I made a new sourdough recipe that the school nurse gave to me and it is delicious!  It uses Sourdough Discard so theres really no waiting, except I do recommend that you let your discard warm up before making because otherwise it takes forever for the rolls to rise! You can get the recipe here.

Sourdough is really not as hard as it is made outto be - it is a little bit time consuming, and takes some planning ahead but its really a worthwhile endeavor!  More on that later - future blog coming about all things sourdough!  I am thankful that I have a fantastic Sourdough starter and friends who share great recipes! My Mom and my Daughter in Love are both into it even - they are both kitchen Goddesses, which I am also thankful for!

We all went to Moms for a game day for Black Friday and that was really fun!  Pictionary is always a fan favorite, and I am thankful that I was on an artsy team and we won.  I still get worn out fairly easily since the hip surgery so I have to pace myself.  I did do some shopping at one of my favorite places - I don't usually Black Friday Shop but Spunky Monkey is so much fun and I have lots of friends with spaces there - its a co-op sort of store with lots of vendors under one roof!  And there's coffee - not "home coffee" either - its the good stuff!   I'm thankful for good coffee and tea! 

Check them out here - Spunky Monkey- you can shop online too!  I got some Christmas things that I can show you later - after they have been gifted!  My girl from the Spooky Bling Blog - Wanderlust Gems - has space at Spunky Monkey too!  And so does my Cousins Daughter - Dash of Ash! She makes amazing things too!  I am thankful that I have a local shopping spot to get some fo my gift items for people on my list and that they are so friendly!

I am still missing my Rye and Granny for the Holidays, and it has not gotten easier but I am finding ways to navigate the days and not fall so hard down the dark holes of grief.  Writing still helps, and quilting still helps, and hanging with the Reed and Key helps too.  We march some more! Thankfully!

I hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that our Holidays will be too.

Be Thankful and Blessed Be!