Saturday

It was another beautiful morning with a cool breeze lowering the temps enough to once again turn off the a/c which we had to turn on Friday night, Nancy and her mom were having hot flashes anyhow after our quiet times and a wicked breakfast for me I ventured out to the garden and yards. I passed on the pumpkin pie Thanksgiving Day at dinner so I made up for it by devouring the last of the pie, 2 rather healthy pieces for breakfast. Needless to say that held me until about 3 PM when I had a handful of pretzels and some Cheetos. I knew we were having a crowd for supper with tons of eats so I coasted until then.

I transplanted some zinnias and marigolds as well as bulbs then weeded the beets and parsnips. This is the first time I've ever tried growing them, parsnips. They are a delicious root veggie much like a carrots but only sweeter. I bought a package at the veggie stand last year and loved them. They are up about and inch. My tomato plants have grown 3 feet in height since we've been home and are loaded with small green tomato's as well as the 1/2 runner beans have climbed my poles and are settings beans as well. I should have both for Christmas dinner. The beet greens are magnificent and oh so pretty and delicious as well as the transplanted lettuce seedlings will be ready for the salad bowl in a week or so. Kale, broccoli and snow peas are coming along as well. The collards are huge and I called our Galax friends who live near us to come on Monday and get a mess. They freeze them as well for later dates. Well that's about all the updates on the veggies except the radishes are growing as well is the cucumber plant. I have a volunteer potato plant that is a couple feet tall from peelings I've composted, curious to see if it will make. The front yard grass plugs are growing as well as the Bahia sod. I've been watering it everyday as well as sprinkling a little fertilizer around it as well.

Well Nancy got in the mood to put the Christmas Tree and other decorations up so I was in the attic getting down all these tubs of stuff. Our tree would make our mountain friends probably think twice about us because we have a synthetic one but its beautiful. Thanks to the Dalton Gang we get the real tree smell from the wreath they made and sent home with us. If and when we finally move to the cabin we will decorate our 2 large blue spruce's in the front yard but they will probably be too big by then, oh well it was a passing thought( the move permanently).

We were having Nancy's folks, GG, Pap, sister Betsy and niece Arianne for supper and it was dewisheous(Annsley word) with bone in pork chop, red spuds with fresh parsley, buttered carrots and a cooked spinach casserole and a fresh salad and of course a loaf of French bread. They all had warmed brownies with ice cream and whipped cream for dessert, I passed on that as I picked every one's pork chop bones, that was my dessert. Anyhow Pap and I watched tons of football while the gals sat in front of Ariannes computer looking, laughing and dissecting every photo for over 3 hours and they still wanted to do more but it was 11 PM and Pap and I were ready for the showers and some horizontal lab. Finally they left around 11:30 as we had to say good-by to Arianne as she heads back to Miami where she is a private school teacher, she also teaches voice and piano. Such a beautiful, talented, and single young woman. I think she is having so much fun going all over the world she hasn't really decided to settle down and copy her mother and sister who have 17 kids between them. She comes from a family with 11 children and her older sister(4 years older) has 6 all under the age of 7. Yikes that would be enough to make anyone decide to stay single plus all she has to do is visit and she gets her maternal nurturing fulfilled, anyhow she is such a delight and a fun gal and what a talker and laughter. She has us all hanging on to her every word.

Since I'm writing this Sunday morning we must get ready for worship at Element and we are having brunch there as well. Check out her picture on Friday's blog; Arianne is the one with the dark black hair with her hands on Annsley back in the picture with Jill's sisters. LATER