Looking Back on Last Week

Last week was beautiful.

Especially Thanksgiving Day and the weekend.

Mom had asked Chelsea to come up with table decor and so she did.

Delightfully simple so there would be plenty of room on the table for the food.

Even so....we moved these things when it was time to really dig in.

We are just that committed to food.

The place holders were apple seconds with the sheen of hairspray and glitter.

Chelsea made each tag with care.

My Aunt Crystal, Uncle Steve and cousin, Nate were able to come up 

from Virginia to join us.  It was very special to have them there.

You should have seen all of the salads and desserts they brought with them!

Oh.my.goodness!

Aunt Crystal had been in touch with a third cousin that I don't remember meeting

although he remembers me as a little girl in pigtails.

That goes back a long ways.....and he is a smidge older than I am

so I'll use that as my excuse for not remembering him.

But Dan and his lovely wife Teresa came to join us as well.

I liked them both instantly!

She and I share many things in common and she is so warm

and easy to get to know.

Dan is very musical and so several of us sang for a couple of hours after dinner.

Simply delightful!

After the singing Chelsea, Chadd, Warren and I headed out to Longwood Gardens.

We had done the same last year when Chadd was just learning about our family

and he remembered.  So they suggested we do so again.

With this year's warm weather it was so very nice to attend the opening

night of Christmas lights in the gardens.

Approaching the Conservatory....

Inside the Conservatory....

And then it was time to go.

Obviously there was much more to see than I could share here and I wholeheartedly

recommend this as a fun and refreshing activity during the holiday season.

The weekend was a very relaxing one with only four hours of working at 

Christmas at Lime Valley Mill.

I had set up on Wednesday and once I had served my four hours on Friday afternoon
 my duties there were done until last evening when I picked up the unsold items.

I made NO candles through the weekend.

Oh.my.goodness.
It was kind of great....although I look forward
to getting back to work today.

 But on Saturday Warren and I watched two movies.

We have both been so busy that it had been a while since we

sat down in the same room at the same time to just chill.

My next three weeks will be very challenging and full

so it is a good thing to have had that little respite.

Much of my inventory is gone.

The show at the Mill was very successful!

I need to get down there and make more for my retail shops

before the fundraiser orders begin to pour in again.

Four groups have deadlines coming soon.

As you can see my life is blessed.

I am so very thankful...and not just on Thanksgiving.

Tonight is our annual Ladies Tea at church.

I'm in the process of turning ten pounds of chicken breasts into 

Poppyseed Chicken

to be served there this evening.

It is always a beautiful night of pampering

with real tea cups and tea pots, 

candle light and much laughter and fellowship.

My friend, Deanna, works so hard to make this special.

She hasn't missed yet!

And so, I'll leave you with best wishes for your day.

And a special Happy Birthday to Betty in Denmark

if she happens to read this post.