The Last Year for a Real Tree?

Look carefully at the tree.  Where is the stand and where is the rest of the tree?
On the lot the tree looked great!  We saw it, we liked it, we bought it.  When we
started to put it in the stand we realized that the trunk was VERY crooked.
 We always tie up the tree, but last year it fell even being tied!  Because it looks so precarious, I have decided to decorate it minimally, just in case.  Plus, we will be taking it down early this year since we will be going to Miami for Christmas.

So, I may be on the hunt for a really nice artificial tree with the lights already on it.  I'll just have to figure out where to store it......

My Wild Tear

Happy Thanksgiving!
I am truly thankful for my wonderful family and friends.  We have a precious addition to our family, not only in the form of a daughter-in-law, but also her family!  We need nothing......food, home, job, health....we talk almost daily these days about how thankful we are for them all.

But I can multi task----and still manage to get upset about the little things.  I have been on a tear for the last couple of days regarding the wedding announcement (I bought) in our local paper.  The article wasn't long.   No attendants, no flowers, no music, no long description about the bride's dress.  So I put in a couple of interesting things about the necklace the bride wore (her mother wore it in her wedding), the garter (made from my mother's wedding dress) and one of the cake stands used for the individual key lime pies that were the dessert, in lieu of a cake--- my great grandmother, grandmother, mother, sister, my nephew and now my son used it in their weddings. All of that was left out.  After several emails to the editor, I finally gave up.  It was like talking to a wall.  No apology or recognition that things were omitted.  I am finding out that I am not the only one who has had problems with our paper when "buying" an announcement regarding weddings.  Why is that?  Some days the whole paper is only 2 pages long, so you would think that they would be thrilled to have something to print, and print all of it!  I will say, that when I made a mistake by leaving out a party in the article we had printed for the wedding weekend,  they reprinted it.  I was very appreciative of that!  So I am pretty surprised that when it was their error, at least to me it was an error,  I did not get the same cooperation.

Oh well. Now I am off to bake the dressing, assemble salad, bake the turkey, make sure the kitchen is clean and tidy for the grandmothers' visits,  and wait for my middle child who is running the half marathon in Atlanta.  I hope he gets home by 1:00.  That's when lunch is served!

Wishing you a fun-filled day of celebration and thanksgiving.

The Last Party

Saturday was a reception on the bride's hometown with the people that her family wasn't able to invite to the wedding.  It was a a lovely historical home that had just been decorated for Christmas.  Cocktails, appetizers and music greeted us and then we were treated to a delicious meal and desserts.  I didn't know that many people, but everyone was so festive and happy to meet my son and his family.

I had a sense of sadness that there will  be nothing more to celebrate!  The newlyweds are still glowing and all smiles.  The families of both are still thrilled that they found someone special.  We so enjoyed the bride's family and I will miss talking to and seeing them as often as we have over the course of the wedding planning. I thought I was over the "down" time after the wedding.  But today I have been teary, yet again.

Now I am working on Thanksgiving, as everyone is.  But my heart isn't into the decorating like I normally am.  This will be the first Thanksgiving without my son.  One of many, I am sure.  But this is the first.  He will be with his wife and her brother's girlfriend's family.  However, they will be here Saturday to celebrate our Thanksmas with my sister and her family.  This will be the last time all of us will be together for at least a couple of years because my nephew will be joining the Peace Corps.

So, I will decorate the Thanksmas table a little more than for Thanksgiving.  And of course will have party favors.  This year I am into Pinecones.  I will use the party favors to decorate for Thanksgiving, and then some will be used for Thanksmas.  Those table decorations will also be their party favors

Each lady will take home the candle holder with the pinecones in the base and matches.

Each guy will take home the pinecone tree decoration.  They will also receive a homemade beer made by the No. 1 son. (Last year he made Pumpkin Ale.)

And then of course the place card in the predictable presentation.  But hey, it's a pinecone!

What Have I Done???

Thanksgiving is in just a couple of weeks---yikes!  I will have 2 of my (now) 4 children here for a week, so I knew I would need to go ahead and get started on making some things to have on hand so that the only thing I will be cooking for is Thanksgiving.  Also, my side of the family gets together only once during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays because it started getting too complicated to get together for both---I won't go into that drama.  So, we get together for "Thanksmas" on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  It has become a normal holiday and word for our family, and has worked out quite well, so far.  Because my mother lives where I do, we have gotten together at my house for the last several years, so between having a normal Thanksgiving at my house for whomever is here on my husband's side of the family, and Thanksmas, I am worn out just thinking about it.  Hence, the cooking now, for then.


I have made a healthy chili, taco soup and gumbo that are all in the freezer, ready to pull out when the time comes.  I have a couple of ideas on some healthy sides to go with the decadent dressing and gravy.  So what did I do today?  I got a bee in my bonnet to make a dish we had in Costa Rica about 10 years ago that has rice and hearts of palm.  It may be more decadent than gravy..... 2 sticks of butter to make the bechamel sauce!  Cream!  Rice, onions, celery, swiss cheese and parmesan cheese!  OH, My, GOODNESS!  It is layered like a lasagna.  I am surprising my loving husband tonight.  Then I may have to give it away to get it out of the house.  If is isn't good, I am saved!

If you have never had hearts of palm you are missing a treat.  They are really good with artichoke hearts and adds a special twist to a regular tossed salad.

A Little Info

I found the cake toppers on Etsy.  I found out, almost at the very beginning, that the Bride was not going to have a traditional cake.  So, to make my own fun, which I did quite a bit, I found cute cake toppers that were made to look like the Bride, Groom and their dogs.

The signature drink was Firefly and lemonade, served in candle jars with a top that had a flower cut out.  The straw fit right in the center of the flower.  (The Groom introduced me to Firefly when it first came out.)

Lanterns took the place of flowers and were also used at the reception.

The reception was going to have a low country boil as well as Indian food, so the groom wanted  a good ole Southern menu for the Rehearsal dinner. The Groom's grandmother made the dessert because it is his favorite.

The table toppers were black and white paisley.

Spiritual meaning of the Paisley

The paisley design is rich in spiritual and symbolic meaning. In India, the paisley signified the time of harvest, a time of both socio-economic and spiritual significance.

In Eastern religions, the two paisleys are reminiscent of the yin-yang, the interaction of two polar energies of which encompasses creation (a befitting motif for the union of marriage).

(http://applesofgold.com/jewelryblog/tag/spiritual-meaning-of-the-paisley/)

So, from beginning to end I tried to have the groom, especially, but the couple in my thoughts as I planned the dinner.  

One more thing

Just in case there is someone who hasn't already seen some pictures from the rehearsal dinner I will post a few.  The venue was perfect for the couple--outside and casual.

Now What?

Well, the wedding is over, the couple is on their honeymoon, I have fallen into emailing and texting with the No. 1 Son's wife (I still call him but that may have to change, too, if he starts not returning my calls!!!!!) and I suddenly have more time and brain space.  So now what?  Since I am not longer the MOG, I am thinking I will change my blog to something else until the next time I am in wedding planning mode.  Stay tuned while I figure it out.  I may have to change the name of the blog to suit my latest obsessing....