5 thing Friday - art, Thanksgiving table, comfort food, mirror ball

Long story short:  I want to change out the "art" over the mantel this year seeing as how it hasn't changed in years and years.  I ordered a print from Kirkland's, then when it arrived, I thought it would actually look better in the front room.  So on to Plan B, which is just make something myself.

Using some spray water and gold spray paint I added a little aged glimmer to a wood frame.  My plan is to hang a wreath in it, embellished with some picks, and fashion a Christmas tree scene below.  Its gonna be kind of shabby chic. 

Stay tuned.  

For no good reason I had FOMO about giving Thanksgiving such minimal effort.  I know that a lot of how I'm feeling about it has to do with grief, but I also know I want quality time with my family.  And even though I did work most of the day, I didn't want them thinking that they weren't actually the single biggest thing I am thankful for.  So I hauled out some stuff I already had - a plain tablecloth, white plate, battery candles, and greenery.  It wasn't fancy, but neither was the menu, and we ate off paper plates.

Taking my cues from "comfort food" I decided to fix Turkey and Biscuits.  Easy enough to top with biscuits and pop into the oven when I got home around 3:30 pm.   Right around the time the candles came to life, ha ha. And you know what?  It was delicious.

For dessert, I made Monster Cookies and No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls.  I spent at least two hours in my kitchen, not including the roasting of that bird last week, but I knew I would reap the rewards on Thursday with an easy meal and clean-up.  And today I will decorate the house for Christmas!

Check it out!

Mirror balls are IN and it just so happens that I have one.  When Mark was in high school he had his own little business DJing parties {named Rotation} with a mobile sound system, complete with twin turntables, giant speakers, and a mirror ball.  Years later, he hung it on the basketball goal at Halloween for our "Deadbeat Disco" theme.  Its going to be fun to decide where to place it and bring it out of the garage and literally, into the light.

A very hot summer and little rain spelled doom for three of the lantana I planted, and the ones that survived are looking pretty sad.  Maybe I will try again - rearrange them and add in some other type of shrub, like dwarf nandina.  For now, the ones left are hanging on for dear life.  This is one of those "tomorrow problems" and can be dealt with in the spring.

Let's get December started!

Gina

Monday menus #99

I pulled the totes with quilts down from the top shelf of my closet, just to check them and get them ready to set under the Christmas tree for my peeps, and I noticed this small section of quilt block with type print.  Do you see it?

On closer inspection I could tell it was part of the sewing instructions, printed on fabric, for a doll she sewed.  The woman had BAGS and PILES and BOXES of scrap fabric, and that's the piece she used on a quilt?

The funny thing is, I think my sister has that doll.  Mom really had a Cute Self sense of humor - I can see her laughing about this, knowing we would find it someday because we always had to examine her quilts to see which fabrics she chose.  So funny!

Monday - Fried Chicken, peas, sweet potato {Gina off, cleaning house!}

Tuesday - Veggie Marinara over linguini, salad {mow yards, powerwash patio}

Wednesday - Brisket with mixed greens, pickled okra, purple onion {assemble foods for Thanksgiving}

Thursday - Turkey and Biscuits, cranberry sauce, Pumpkin Balls {Gina work 630am - 3pm}

Friday - Day after Thanksgiving Turkey Noodle Soup! {10 am Subaru appt., decorate the house}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

**I am flipping the script on menus, eating non-traditional breakfast foods in the mornings (sammies, etc.), main meal at lunchtime, cereal at night.  My dietician thinks its a plan that might work for front-loading most of my calories and getting just enough food to keep my tummy happy at the end of the day.  Wish me luck!**

5 thing Friday - cleaning closet, wonky tree top, nostalgia, birthday, concert

 I ordered a new fire extinguisher for the house and decided to hang it in a very accessible place:

Its heavy, and I figured there was a stud directly under the shelf support in this small coat closet just off the kitchen.  So this was a quick mini-project, no skill involved, even though I did charge my drill battery up, just in case.

I no longer hang coats in here - rather, its now a cleaning closet.  All of the vinyl albums are still up there, too. This closet has had quite the transformation in the last year.  It was previously STUFFED with coats, games, vintage camera equipment, table leaves, and two vacuum cleaners. Now I can actually stand in here and access the things on the shelves.

For years the top of the vintage Christmas tree (ca. 1970) has bugged me.  It was so awkward and wonky - hard to get the topper to stay put.  Someone had folded over and smashed the top together.

But lookee what I had hauled out of the truck bed - bolt cutters.  They are massive.

A good snip and the bent and twisted wire was the perfect height and shape for the topper. This is one of those "why had I never done this" things*.  I say I want to buy a new tree, but I kind of love this one every year that I set it up.

I'm not decorating for Christmas just yet, but I am looking forward to adding some nostalgia around the house.  My mother wasn't one for decorating, but she did love this rattan Santa we found at a thrift store years ago.  It makes me smile to see some of her things around my house - almost like she's here celebrating with me.

For my birthday, I took myself to a favorite restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meal and my favorite cocktail.

I had plenty of time left to get to an evening event, so I bought a dessert to enjoy in Bridgid while I waited in the parking garage.  No food regrets.

This was the venue - one of the oldest buildings in downtown Austin.

Rings and Dragons Candlelight Concert

Have I ever watched Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings?  Both no.  But did I enjoy the masterful musicians who played hauntingly beautiful music by candlelight? Yes.  And overall, it was a very good birthday.

Hooray for 64!

Gina

*probably because I'm still doing things that Mark would never have let me do, or would have been really mad at me if I had.  So, slowly but surely, I am claiming my right to do whatever I want, including trimming off the wonky top of the Christmas tree...

Monday menus #98

Well darn.

I was all excited about drinking "dirty diet cokes" with the new flavors of creamer that have come out, until I got the results from my food sensitivity test...

It turns out that eggs, milk (casein)*, almonds, garlic, poppy seeds, and pomegranate are the trouble makers.  Plan B is to get some sugar free Torani syrups, Plan C can be to explore dairy free creamers, and Plan D can be to drink plain old diet coke and coffee.  I'm going to finish up what I have in the way of creamers, in either case.

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - Chicken and Peppers, jasmine rice {on call}

Wednesday - Pulled Pork, chopped salad {roast a small turkey, morning telehealth appt., afternoon dietician appt., on call}

Thursday - Happy Birthday, Gina! {dinner out, Candlelight Concert}

Friday - Turkey over chopped salad {might put the trees up, but I probably won't decorate them}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

*Many foods contain casein, which is a protein found in milk.  For example: milk, butter, yogurt, ice cream, half and half, sour cream, pudding, custard, sherbet, hot dogs, lunch meat, sausage, creamed soups and veggies, soup bases, white and milk chocolate, and dietary supplements and protein powders.

Gina

5 thing Friday - November, fire extinguisher, new car, cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving plans

 I cannot remember where I found this printable:

But I printed it and it lives above my desk and is EXACTLY what I want for myself this month.  And maybe the rest of the year, too!  I have been feeling better and that always translates to me getting things off the back burners and DONE.  But also?  I am trying hard to stay present, and experience peace in my inner thoughts.

One of the Fall projects was to get my extinguisher refilled.  Turns out, it was not the refillable type.  So I ordered a new one, complete with hanging bracket, and will be installed in a central location of my house today.  God-willing, I will never use it, but it will be there, just in case.

I sold the truck as a trade-in towards my new car.  Goodbye forever, stinky truck.  You helped me do a lot of things and I am thankful I had you for some of the hardest stuff.

Hello, new car. {she needs a name!}

I promise to drive you gently and take good care of you as you may be the last car I ever buy.  I am proud of myself for finally gathering my wits and courage and taking care of both things yesterday.  As I told the Subaru lady, I have paid for many a vehicle, but never actually bought one on my own.  And I think I made a good choice.

One of my sisters convinced me to make my own cranberry sauce, and I'm glad I did.  Whatever doesn't get eaten before Christmas will be used for Cranberry Oat Bars.  I also got a small turkey, which I will roast next week, then debone to make my Turkey and Biscuits for Thanksgiving Day, and also make stock from the bones.

Will I miss not making a full Thanksgiving dinner?  I don't think so.  And I have to work that day anyway.  I did very much enjoy my sammie last week made with canned cranberry jelly, deli sliced turkey breast, and Stovetop Stuffing.  I'm good.

Gina

Monday menus #97

On the advice of a friend I took a test to see which foods might be causing me some issues - bloating, irregularity, stomach upset, reflux...and the usual all over gross feeling after a meal. 

Drumroll...

Turns out that I am sensitive to eggs, cow's milk, almonds, pomegranate, and poppy seeds.  So after I use up or get rid of those components and see how an elimination diet works for me, I will report back.

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - Chinese takeout (save half for a weekend meal) {tattoo day}

Wednesday - Taco Salad (no cheese)

Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie, side salad

Friday - Crockpot Chicken Drums, baked sweet potato {payday}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Gina

Moving peacefully

It feels impossible not to think about Christmas now that Halloween is over and we are past the election.  Maybe I just want to feel hopeful and happy and move on.  I see blogs, Instagram, and stores in full on Christmas mode.  And that's fine, but I am enjoying this peaceful Fall time before Thanksgiving.

Even so, I found these cinna dough ornaments leftover from last year and decided to turn them into ornaments.  They still smell great!  I bought nothing for this "craft", just used some supplies I already had.  I added thin florist wire to hang them, and will tuck them into my tree to add a soft scent of cinnamon.

I don't see myself getting much more crafty than this, though I love seeing how other blogs are stretching their creative muscles.  I was going to put the trees up last week, but I think I would rather "live slowly" and just wait until closer to the end of November.  

Everything about the holidays feels very different to me now, but I am discovering new ways of thinking about it.  In the last couple of years, I felt like I had to make Christmas special for other people - to somehow fill a huge gap.  Which in reality, cannot be filled.  So my goal is to move more peacefully through the holidays.

How about you?

Gina

Monday menus #96

 Pizza rolls and pizza, along with chocolate chip cookies and Caesar Salad were enjoyed on Halloween night aka Scout's birthday.  The three of us listened to "spooky" music and ate by candlelight in the kitchen.

No candy was purchased, which solved two problems: having to hang out near the door or outside and hand candy out over the space of two hours, and/or having candy leftover, which I then would have had a hard time staying out of.  

Monday - kitchen closed

Tuesday - (freezer) Chicken Fajita Salad

Wednesday - BBQ Shrimp, skinny mashed potatoes, zucchini {morning telehealth appt.}

Thursday - Bowtie Pasta with Meaty Marinara, side salad (make an extra for the freezer), the rest of the chopped salad

Friday - Thanksgiving Sub - make an extra one for the weekend {morning audiologist appt.}

Saturday and Sunday - kitchen closed

Hooray for November!

Gina

5 thing Friday - Thanksgiving sub, widowing, front door spiffing, walking, Fall heat

 One day last week I had a Thanksgiving sub from Firehouse on the suggestion of a friend - and I also ate it al fresco at a local park.

It was delish, but I thought "Oh, I could make a better one", then I remembered I wasn't going to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  I'm going to have to buy the ingredients to make one these sammies.  I'm thinking some sliced deli turkey, a box of Stovetop, a can of cranberry jelly, and a sub roll.  I'm already looking forward to recreating it.

I know some people will be shocked to see this ring on this blog, but I feel like wearing it on my wedding ring finger will make me chuckle and give rise to some very honest thoughts.  I didn't want to be a widow and I hate having to do everything that Mark never showed me how to do, no matter how capable I feel.  And I think it is normal and OK to express that.  I'm not wearing it for anyone but me.  Same as the tat.

I did a load of errands the other day (getting my hair cut, mailing a box, doing a bit of thrifting) and as I passed Home Depot I remembered I wanted to replace the front door outside mat.  Decisions, decisions. I picked the black and brown one which matches the front door.

I also popped in to Hob Lob for a spray of artificial Fall leaves to add to the hanging basket.

I wiped down the door, spiffed the basket of greenery, swept the bricks.  Pretty soon it will be time to take Fall down and decorate for Christmas!  I was going to put up the trees today (no ornaments) but we will see how industrious I feel.

I know it looks like Fall in this photo, but the A/C is on at my house and the temp outside is 83.  In November!  This dead tree on the grounds of the church a few blocks away looks like it could tell some stories.  This whole area was pasture way back when.  Imagine how many cows sat under its shade.  I like that they left it here like some kind of sculpture!  I have really enjoyed my walks and see something new every time, but I wish we could get a break from the heat.

Happy November!

Gina