The day before the feast....

First I have to say WOW! 11 comments on yesterday's post. I am honored that so many read my story and enjoyed it.

Today has been a busy day ~ errands, preparations, laundry (is it ever ALL clean?), the annual 'mix up the dressing' and some baking as I am typing this. I am baking up a recipe shared by Sophia Corbridge recently on her blog; Pumpkin Gooey Cake to take to my sister's tomorrow.

Today was beautiful and sunny here, even if it was a bit windy and cool. Leah and I hit Big Lots searching for some tin pans. I was hoping there would be a tad too much dressing made up this evening and I would have a pan for extras! We didn't find any small pans at Big Lots, so we went across the street to the Dollar General (It was ALL about staying out of the big stores today). I picked up some pans and headed home.

I packed up the crockpot full of pinto beans that had been cooking all day and headed down to the 'farm'. The Farm is actually my best friend, Donna's, house about 15 miles out of town in the 'country'. This is also where we board our horses. For the last 9 or 10 years we have a tradition of mixing up the dressing for Thanksgiving together. My 'job' is to debone the chicken. After a dinner of pintos and cornbread, we set out to make the Thanksgiving dressing. Leah was initiated this year and got to mix it up! This is done in a HUGE dishpan by hand. We had 2 small pans left. Did you know you can freeze 'raw' dressing and cook it later? It tastes JUST as good; you'd never know it had been frozen. We froze one pan for Christmas Eve Dinner this year and I brought a small pan back to cook up just for my son. Chicken Dressing is his favorite dish, period. He loves it so much he put it on his Christmas wish list! That is why we saved a pan for then. Could it be he is missing home cooking off at college? If all works out, I will be cooking this small pan on Sunday and sending it back with him, along with a can of cranberry sauce. It really was a blessing to visit with friends and share recipes, stories and fun this evening.

Tomorrow it is off to my sister's house for Thanksgiving 'lunch' with my family. I am taking the Pumpkin Cake, which is cooling now and smells MMMMMM mmmm good! plus pinto beans. My 71 year old Mother still does most of the cooking. Hey, she still works a job 5 days a week too! There will be way too much food, as Mom loves to cook. In the afternoon we will drive down to the farm to visit with Donna and her family. Her Dad says they have just 'adopted' me, because I've been around so long. I am truly thankful to feel a part of 'another' family. Since I lost my Dad eleven years ago, 'Paps' (as we call him) has really helped fill that void.

I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and can find the large and small things in your life in which to be thankful.