Welcome to Tuesday 4 begun by our friend Toni Taddeo and kept up in her memory.
This week let's talk about November!
1. Besides Thanksgiving is there anything about November you like/dislike?
Besides Thanksgiving, well, I like that this is the season of "thankfulness"...remembering to count our blessings as we anticipate what Thanksgiving is really all about. November is kind of the prelude to the Advent season...while planning our guest list and menu for Thanksgiving, I am also thinking ahead to preparing my heart for the Christmas season...it's kind of the "calm before the storm" of the busiest season of the year. If there is anything I dislike about November, it would be that Thanksgiving day is over all too quickly. We no sooner finish eating our desserts and people are ready to start going home and I am just getting ready to sit down and visit and relax. I wish people could just stay longer and linger over that last piece of pie with a cup of tea and not be in any rush to go home...
2. How is November weather where you live? Does it suit you?
November is usually cooler and drier, not so humid. Hurricane season is finally over so we don't have to worry about that until next June. For us here in Florida, November is really the beginning of autumn weather. Yes, that suits me just fine! We can finally bring out our long sleeved shirts and sweaters and jeans again and put away the summer clothes until next spring...We might even have a bonfire in the firepit and sit outside in the evenings and roast marshmallows and make s'mores. Usually the mosquitoes are gone by then...That's always a happy time!
This was last year...looking forward to doing this again soon!!
3. When do you plan for Thanksgiving? Eat home or out? Menu?
I am planning right now...I am actually a bit behind this year since I just had surgery two weeks ago. I wasn't sure if we would try to have a big Thanksgiving dinner here at our house or not. It's still a bit up in the air. It may end up just being our immediate family for dinner, which would be really different for us. Our home is usually the gathering place for the extended family since all our parents have gone on to heaven. But as others' families also grow and expand, they realize that it is time to have their own family gatherings in their homes and it becomes more and more difficult to get us all together in one place at the same time. So we may be making some adjustments this year and in the years to come.
Menu? Well, the norm is of course turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, and from there it may vary...depending on who is coming and who is bringing what. Usually there is some kind of vegetable casserole (but not the green bean casserole!! No Thank You!) And of course cranberry sauce, a congealed salad of some kind, like a cranberry/nut/pineapple/apple jello mixture, relish tray, rolls, butter, and then of course the desserts: Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, and Pecan Pie
are the norms, but anything anyone wants to bring is just fine. I welcome other people bringing their specialties. I don't like to do ALL the cooking by any means, so that is one good reason for inviting guests so we get a variety of good food! LOL. One thing is for certain, we never go hungry!
4. When do you begin your decor and plans for Christmas.
I do not begin Christmas decorating until after Thanksgiving is over. I cannot handle more than one holiday at a time. I like to linger over the last piece of pumpkin pie the day after, and then little by little the pilgrims and turkeys and fall decor disappears and the red and green replaces the browns and golds and orange colors. We usually try to put the Christmas tree up by the first weekend in December, and it keeps growing from there.
The most important part of this season is to be thankful...we are the most blessed people on earth, in spite of our current political or national situation...Regardless of whether or not we agree or disagree with the things that are going on, we are still more blessed than any other nation in the world.
I certainly don't want that to change, and so my thoughts would be that as we enter this season of thankfulness and preparing our hearts for advent and Christmas, that we remember to
PRAY for our nation, our leaders, our families and friends.
Don't take anything for granted...our health, our jobs, our homes, our families, our freedom...
Give thanks to God for all He has done for us, and stand strong in your faith in Him to see you through no matter what battle you may be facing.
And remember, I know I've quoted this verse often, but it bears repeating now again:
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Have a Happy November!
Hi Pam, I enjoyed all your pictures. I have never made a pie. When we use to have our larger family gatherings, we each brought our special recipes that we got from mom. She did not make pies because she worked and ordered them from a really good bakery. I make her stuffing, sweet potatoes and Jello salad. I hope you are feeling better!
ReplyDeleteOh, my, you never made a pie? Well, it's never too late to learn! I do cheat a little nowadays and use the Pillsbury rolled pie crusts that you can buy in the dairy case. They are pretty good and so easy to use and taste like homemade. My mother probably wouldn't approve, but then again, who knows? She just might. She was still baking pies up until the last Thanksgiving she was alive. That was her specialty. Oh, I bet your mother's stuffing is good. Do you have a recipe to share? And what about her sweet potatoes? Is it a casserole? That's what I make. And I love a good cranberry jello salad. Yes, I am feeling much better and so very thankful. Have a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving with your family.
DeleteI will have to post the link to the recipes. I am glad you are feeling better each day!
DeleteNovember is a great month for you weather wise and otherwise. It's funny when I used to host people for dinner no one ever volunteered to bring a dish. I'd probably tell them 'no' anyway though I should try pot luck dinner in future. That would suit me well at this stage. I like how you've tied Thanksgiving to Christmas.
ReplyDeleteOh my, Penny! For me, a "pot-luck" style dinner, especially for a larger group, is the only way to go. I could never cook enough food to take care of everyone adequately, and it's so much fun to taste everyone else's special dishes. Back when we first started entertaining in our home as a young Pastor and wife, I set that precedent I guess, and always had people either bring a dessert, salad, or other side dish, and we would provide the main course, etc. No one ever balked at the idea and seemed to like it as it made it more interesting when there was a variety of dishes to share. Plus, for me, it made it more economically possible to entertain more often with more people. We were always on a tight budget in the ministry. People were just always happy that we opened our home and made them feel welcome. Oftentimes we lived in a Parsonage, and the people of our church were happy to get to enjoy the house they provided for us. Those were happy times. I miss them, but nowadays I've had to scale down our entertaining schedule. I just don't have the strength and energy to do all the preparation/cleaning, etc. like I did when I was younger. But I miss the fun and fellowship. Thankfully, our little church here loves to have pot luck dinners often so we all get together at church and enjoy the fellowship. Have a blessed holiday season as you anticipate Advent coming up very soon!
DeleteI've always loved November and Thanksgiving, Pam. Of course, this one will be extra special as we will be spending it with my daughter, her husband, and all the grands. That is definitely something to be thankful for! And I agree with you that in spite of all the troubles our nation is now facing, we are still the most blessed country on earth. God will see us through!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
I am so happy to hear that you will be finally able to spend Thanksgiving with your daughter and family. Are you going there, or are they coming to your house? Either way, it will be wonderful! I can just see your little grand-girls jumping up and down with glee to see you again. Yay!!! Yes, God WILL see us through, no matter what this old world tries to throw at us. God is in control.
DeleteOh my goodness, you're almost tempting me to start baking! (jk, LOL) Seriously, thank you so much for this call to give thanks. Did you happen to see Sean Dietrich's column that I shared on FB last night where he was quoting from Joshua 1:9? Love your garden flag; more so, that fire pit. Tom's been so down in the dumps (from pain), I may not wait for Christmas and just order us one of our own. Have a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteI will have to go back and look for the Sean Dietrich column. I missed it, but I am sure it was good. His columns always are. Oh, I think a fire pit could be just the ticket to cheer up your hubby...as long as he doesn't have to go chop wood for it! LOL. Be sure to get some marshmallows and hershey bars and graham crackers and make s'mores if you do have a fire! That's the best thing ever! Sending you love and hugs today.
DeletePam: We have a small meal for the two of us on Thanksgiving Day. Roger has to work on that Friday. He comes home of Saturday and we have a rather traditional Thanksgiving meal, turkey breast, cranberry sauce, candied sweet potatoes (you might call them yams.) For dessert they have pumpkin pie (J) or sugar cream pie (R). I intend to make me some miniature cheese cake with gluten-free graham crackers for the crust. Roger stays until Sunday afternoon. He usually goes to church with me on Sunday morning. Jim fixes us scrambled egg omelets and bacon before we send Roger on his way back south.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you are able to have a special Thanksgiving dinner with your son when he is able to be there. We have often had our dinner on a different day to accommodate our families. Sometimes we had dinner on Thursday with one side of the family, and another dinner either Friday or Saturday with the other side of the family. Now that our parents are all in heaven we have combined our dinners and both sides of the family often meet together. Your menu sounds delicious. I'm not sure what a sugar cream pie is. Do you have a recipe you can share? I also love that your hubby fixes such a nice breakfast on Sunday before Roger heads back home. That is really sweet. I hope you have a wonderful time this Thanksgiving!
DeleteYes, this is definitely that best season for Florida weather. I forgot to mention pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce on my post. I do however love green bean casserole but my husband hates it. I have to admit, Thanksgiving dinner is definitely a favorite of mine. My husband would like to eat it every month.
ReplyDeleteI don't dislike the green bean casserole, but over the years it kind of got over-done and I prefer other varieties of vegetable casseroles too, like squash, etc. Also, I love fresh cooked green beans when I can get them. We do enjoy Thanksgiving dinner too, but I'm afraid if we had it too often it would lose its appeal...especially with all the work involved to create it! Maybe if someone else cooked it and all I had to do was sit down and enjoy it...well, then, that's another story! LOL. Happy November and Thanksgiving to you and yours!
DeleteWishing you a wonderful time as you prepare for Thanksgiving . In Canada we have already had our Thanksgiving so now I love to focus on Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ruth. I kind of wish our Thanksgiving was earlier too, so we could have more time to devote to Christmas. But it is what it is, and we go with the flow. I loved your picture of your little trees that you posted on FB yesterday. They are really sweet. Enjoy your pre-Christmas/Advent season!
DeleteEverything looks so good!
ReplyDelete"tis the season". LOL. Things really start looking good around the holidays! The rest of the year is just so-so, but when the holidays come, everything just seems to glow!
DeleteYour pies look yummy and that veggie tray is adorable! I love Thanksgiving. I agree with you, we should be thankful for everything. Loved your answers! Have a nice week!
ReplyDeletehttps://lorisbusylife.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Lori. My niece made that veggie tray last year. It was so cute and good to eat too! Happy Thanksgiving!
DeleteI am thankful for you and your friendship, Pam! I am also thankful your surgery seems to have been successful and you are healing well! Praise God! Great answers and I agree with you. Love November in Florida! xo
ReplyDeleteThank you, Terri, and I am thankful for YOU too! Yes, I am feeling better every day and I am praying that I will be able to swallow everything on my Thanksgiving plate by then! Until yesterday I was having difficulty swallowing, but I noticed last night that it was much better, so praise God!! Yes, November in Florida is golden!!
DeleteMy pilgrim people send greetings to your pilgrim people. I think remade note last year that you and I have the same set. (smile)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are seeing improvement as a result of your surgery. What a relief and a blessing that is!
Yes, we do have the same set, and my Pilgrim People send greetings back to yours. Actually, mine are still in the box waiting to make their appearance. I have to put away the owls and Halloween pumpkins and pull out the pilgrims and turkeys this week. I'm a little behind in my decorating. This picture was from a few years ago at our Salt Springs house! But they do make their appearance every year just in time for the Thanksgiving festivities! Yes, I am feeling much better each day. So very very thankful.
DeleteThe veggie tray is fantastic! I am going to show my granddaughter and maybe we can make one together.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I found your blog!
My niece made this one last year. It was really cute and good to eat too!
DeleteThank you Pamela for the many smiles and your thoughtfulness on the Bible verses. You and others are a constant good thought/force in my life. Smiles
ReplyDeleteI enjoy visiting and sharing with you. I feel like you are a little sister that I need to look after for some reason. Maybe because you originated down here where I come from, and maybe someday you will come back "home". Either way, you are very special and I am so glad our paths have crossed.
DeleteEnjoyed this post so much today dear Pam. Oh I do love me some pumpkin pie! But girl....I am a NO to green bean salad! LOL! We always have Thanksgiving dinner at my FIL home with the Conner family so that is another reason I decorate early for Christmas since I do not host Thanksgiving dinner. But I do love when family gathers for Thanksgiving. Our family gathers in a circle and we have the opportunity to say something we are thankful for. It's a sweet time. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
ReplyDeleteOh, now I understand how you can decorate for Christmas already! That explains it! How I miss being able to go "home" to my parents' home for Thanksgiving dinner (and Christmas too). Those were some very happy times. And yes, our family always shares our personal things we are thankful for, usually while we are around the table. We tried doing it while in a circle for prayer before we ate, but everyone had so much to say the food was getting cold so we decided it was better to do it after everyone had food on their plates and they could share around the table while dining. The important thing is to express our thanks one way or the other. We are all so very blessed, aren't we? Amen, and hugs and blessings to you as well.
DeleteWhat a lovely post and your answers are so heartening, too. I hope people will linger at your home this year, ready to visit after the long COVID problem, although I realize it is still going on. And I hope you continue healing steadily, and that the Lord give you strength during the healing. I love how you treasure your family and kin, and your grateful heart is inspiring, even through a computer screen!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Holly. You are a very special friend who I wish I could meet in person some day. I bet we could linger and chat for a real long time. Thank you for your kind words and prayers. That means a lot to me. God bless you and I pray you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving!
DeleteI love all of your answers. I have always loved Thanksgiving. IT is such a beautiful time of the year in Florida. Yes, to fall in November here. I love all the foods, all the family, and the idea of being thankful for our many blessings. I love Christmas, but never before Thanksgiving. I love my Thanksgiving decorations and all the oranges and it finally feels like fall, so Christmas comes after Thanksgiving. I agree with you it leads to Advent.
ReplyDeleteI think you and I feel the same way exactly about Thanksgiving and Christmas! Let us give each one their proper place and time. No need to rush through one to get to the other. Hope you and your family are doing well. I bet you have a new post I need to go read!
DeleteThank you for your kind visit and sweet comments, Pam!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about your Thanksgiving. I wish Fall lasted longer. It seems there’s such a rush to forget about Thanksgiving, and I love it. Your Turkey veggie tray looks so cute and your menu sounds wonderful. I was sorry to hear about your surgery, but I’m hoping that you’re doing much better. May you have a lovely weekend!
I agree with you regarding Thanksgiving. I kind of wish we could do ours in October like Canada does, then we wouldn't have to rush through it so fast to get to Christmas! My niece made the veggie tray last year. It was cute and healthy too! I am doing much better now, thank you so much, Kitty. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
DeleteLove your answers.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kirstin, and thank you so much for visiting! I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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