Thanksgiving Week in Retrospect [with photo over-load!]

Early in the week I set myself to sorting the disrupted bedroom.

J. turned a conveniently deaf ear to my pleas for assistance in rearranging a framed picture or two, so I decided to risk the bashing of mis-placed nails and managed to hang the lower quilt block on the second try,

and got up the brackets for the wall-hanging--at which point I discovered I had never created a 'rod-pocket' on the back of said quilt--so down to the family room to some speedy hand stitching.

Most of my large quilts were made when we used a queen-sized bed, so there isn't much allowance for the king-sized bed.  The fabrics in this Bear Tracks quilt are some of my favorites, so I folded it over the coverlet where the autumn colors can be enjoyed.

The cats have decided they can deal with the rearrangement of furniture.

I moved the quilt rack to the end of the hallway below my g-grandparent's framed wedding certificate.

The pieced blocks in the blue Double Four-Patch quilt were hand sewn in 1916 by Esther Jane Lewis who was then 9 years old.  The quilt was in rough shape when I acquired it after her death.

I picked out the best of the blocks, including the signed one, and reset them with a fabric

which had a vintage look.

The quilt on the back bar is a very simple one stitched up on a snowy December day using remnants of winter-themed fabrics in dull greens, deep reds and old gold.

The day before Thanksgiving was cool, with intermittant showers.

Pebbles refuses to 'go in out of the rain' and grazes along the edge of her pasture.

At times during the afternoon the clouds parted over whisps of blue sky

and rather lack-luster sunshine picked out the leafless trees beyond the creek.

Frosty nights have blackened the most tender herbs in the little plot just off the back door.

This tri-color sage has grown fresh new leaves since I harvested sage and thyme last month.

This is one of the lavenders I raised from seed this season.

I have hopes that it will winter.

Gina and her cousin Susan hatched plans for a family Thanksgiving get-together.

S. and her family live about 5 1/2 hours away and are intrepid travelers.

G. and I planned meals, divided up the cooking and baking.

G. had sleeping spaces for the three teenagers. I plumped pillows and folded a Maple Leaf quilt over the foot of the bed in our guestroom/office for Susan and Mark.

I was in the midst of a baking orgy when the family drove in after lunch at G.'s.

[My out-put for the day was 4 loaves of bread, 3 pies, and a pan of cranberry/date bars.]

D. was designated to convey a pie and loaf of bread, still warm, to friends up the road who are in the midst of a house renovation.

S. is a multi-talented and creative person.

She brought us gifts of her homemade jams, pickles and conserves.

Whether at home or visiting, she is out of bed and showered, moving soundlessly about before daylight.

When I arose at 7 she was cozily installed in the rocking chair by the fire, stitching at one of her beautiful applique projects.

This young gentleman did NOT ride on top of the mattress which was being moved a mile down the road to Gina's house!

Thanksgiving Day was warm and sunny. Dinner was planned for mid-afternoon.

J.'s cow gave birth on Wednesday, and Thursday morning brought a distress call from the Yoders [where Dory the Cow is boarded.]

Dory was down with 'milk-fever' [hypocalcemia] and of course the farm supply store was closed for the holiday.  J. rushed to borrow a bottle of calcium solution from the Jersey farm up the road, had to visit another neighbor to find the rubber tubing and needle to administer it.

Dory didn't respond as well as expected, so a call was made to a local vet who provided another bottle of calcium as well as a calcium paste to be given orally.

[She survived--after a shaky few hours.]

There was still time for the men of the family to haul a load of firewood---a job undertaken with considerable good humor--before we gathered at G.'s house for the Thanksgiving feast.

Friday afternoon was a time for farewells and the promise to gather again soon.

The leftovers have been cheerfully shared and consummed.

G. [blessings on her!] is busy today decorating her house for the Christmas season.

Here, a mile down the road, its been a quiet Sunday---time this morning for me to read by the fire while J. poked at his laptop and Willis the Barncat appropriated his chair.

As the day draws into night's early darkness, our little house is filling with the good smells of

beef simmering in a thick gravy; J. has fetched in some of the last potatoes from the garden which have been scrubbed and tucked in the oven to bake.

Coleslaw made from one of our late cabbages is waiting in the fridge.

G. and D. have been alerted that we have dinner to share.