Turkey Perfection

My very first turkey - (have always ordered one or done parts) was perfect! Golden brown, moist and came out of the oven right on schedule, my dressing was good, pretty good, not great, my purple cabbage to die for, gravy ok - pukey color - forgot the kitchen bouquet. And Santa knows Julia and I have my very own Julia cooking pot. Red to match my kitchen too! Wahoo, more meals to come.

Sad note, we had company yesterday, one of whom was 18 months old and her Mom is pregnant, all of us down on the dock and right across from us one of our neighbors kids and a friend shot with shotguns, two Canadian Geese!! We heard bullets hitting leaves around us!! It was awful! Ken called the mom, now answer, so we went over there, Ken told him how many laws he had broken and next time the sheriff will be called. This kid is a lifelong hunter and knows better, very upsetting!!!!

Snow and Girls

We had the Girls for our little gathering on 12/13. They were all dressed up and cute as could be. We had lunch on real china with silver and they made personalized cups and opened presents. Both behaved well and a good time was had by all!

Sunday 12/20, Lili was home and the three of us went to chase snow! We drove to Landrum (at the border of NC & SC), then took back roads to Saluda (had lunch) ,Tryon and ended up the day in Hendersonville. Snow was at least 12 inches or more. Gorgeous, cold but so much fun.

Ken, Lili and Bogie in Saluda, NC

Bogie matches the snow!! All you PETA people, he had a coat on, but it got wet and he was shivering, he did better without a coat. He loved the snow, except it had no gross smells (his favorite)

Ken and Lili in Saluda

Church in Tyron, (everybody forget this one, it could be my Christmas Card next year!!)

Hendersonville, NC - between border of SC and Asheville, NC - lots of snow.

Monday we (some SIS) members took one of our current clients (a Hurricane Katrina transplant) and her son (senior in High School) Christmas shopping. All of us should do something like this - to see how a good portion of Americans really live! The son was thrilled to get a mattress cover, comforter/sheet set and pillows (as all he has now is flat pillows and a throw on his bed) and Mom wanted movies - she hit the cheapo bin and found every scary movie they had. We did get her some of the food her regular food stamps won't bey, but those two had the best time! Tomorrow two of us are taking the Mom to her counselor to get a ham for Christmas and now that she has a walker she is looking forward to spending time in the kitchen and cook her son a Christmas dinner. We have a member of SIS that is going to help the son apply to colleges (LSU - his first choice and he qualifies for in-state - since his real home was the 9th ward) and get that boy a college degree. He is taking physics and statistics this year in high school! on top of working at Panera Bread! Very rewarding for us!

Mad Rush

Last Thurs and Fri a group of ladies went to the Biltmore Candle Lighting (house decorated for Christmas) and then the next morning to the Grove Park for the Gingerbread House contest and lunch. Can't take pictures at the Biltmore so just imagine the biggest private house in the US decorated to the nines! All fresh greens and trees, smelled heavenly!! Very crowded and expensive tickets, only need to do that every 10 years or so! The main tree was 30 ft tall, (in a house sitting room!) and it was the second, (brought in that day). They start the Christmas season on Nov 1, so the first tree was dried out, that day the new fresh tree brought in for the rest of the season.

Grove Park, not nearly as many entrants or adult entrants, lots of children, it's expensive making those things so I'm sure the economy got to them too.

The winner, 2 ft tall approx, beautiful, but hard to tell where the gingerbread was. It was called 2 turtle doves. There are two birds on the inside and the base is beautiful leaves and fruit - Williamsburg style. Really pretty.

This is me this morning - plus a drive to Union for the Dempsey Christmas, tomorrow Emma & Kaitlyn, which always includes some kind of craft project and last night was our formal Dinner and Dance party. Many (not bragging) came up to me and said I had the prettiest dress by far!! Wahoo, if only I could have breathed in it!! It was pretty! Copper and bronze tea length v- neck (plunging) and pleated waist with extra room for my fat rolls below the waist!! Ken wore his tuxedo with his Christmas tie and cumberbun. Not many men where tuxedos now, I think they all should wear one, they look so handsome!!

Got to roll peeps, chow