Sunday, November 13, 2011

A beautiful day in the neighborhood...

 These are the pot of artificial flowers in the metal pot at the end of my driveway. I change them about 2 times a year, when they get all faded out and raggedy looking. lol  I had to put them there, because when we first moved here, I kept passing our driveway. (So, if I try to kid you into believing that this senility thing is new, don't believe me. It's been going on a while now). lol
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  Some kids just came down the road with 2 big dogs, one of which came into my yard chasing my cats and then when the Mad Doxie went flying after them, 2 of them chased her up the hillside.  Naturally, my tied up dogs went berserk and were absolutely beside themselves. I was around back emptying some compost bucket stuff n checking my chickens and ran around the house to catch all this. I yelled at the kids to keep their damn dogs off my property...they just looked at me. They live somewhere up the road and do this every weekend. It's bad enough right now because it's deer season around these parts, and all the hunters are chasing deer and shooting guns and  generally making my life a living hell.  I really NEED to live out somewhere on about 40 acres, surrounded by a national park or something where hunters and kids with dogs are prohibited....sigh...


   Had a nice 2 days off and got lots done. I've been dehydrating kale and putzing around, cleaning house and making lists for the next 2 weeks. Things that I need to do to get ready for the big family Thanksgiving here. I want to paint the bathroom and clean the carpets and clean and rearrange the cabinets (you know--that stuff you always want to do, and MEAN to do, but need some really good motivation to actually DO.  lol)  Having about 30 people for Thanksgiving is a really good motivator, in my book.

  I have a 17 pound turkey in my freezer, and one of the local markets had whole turkey breasts on sale for .99/lb, so I bought 2 of those as well. My sister in law is doing a pork tenderloin. We'll have plenty of meat. lol  So far the menu is sounding really good...cranberry compote, home made rolls,  green bean casserole, sweet potatoes in various forms, mashed potatoes, a big garden salad. That's just so far, lol.  For my part, it'll be turkey and dressing(s)...I'll make one dressing with wild rice and wild mushrooms, and one regular sage dressing [for the faint of heart]. I'll get my big roaster out and cook the turkey and the 2 whole turkey breasts.
I'll make a sweet potato pie, a pumpkin pie (or 2), a fresh peach pie, and a Waldorf Salad. I'll put out a plate of pickled vegetables that I've put up the past couple of years...baby beets, mixed sweet peppers,  okra, garlic cloves, dilled green beans, and a plate of the kimchi I'll be making this week.

  Have I left anything out?  lol


  I have some chicken breasts thawing out to make a Sunday dinner for the Irishman and myself. He's gone to a meeting and I have the house to myself. I cleaned out my car, vacuumed it and got all the garbage out. I still need to take the cleaner in there and wipe it down...it was a real mess. And the HoneyBadger (our affectionate nickname for the venerable Miss Roxie Doxie) had mud all over her  a couple of times when I let her into the car after a walk at the park, or when she had just been doing major excavation in the back yard. So there's dried mud to be cleaned up in there too.  sigh....it's my life people...cleaning up after dogs, cats, birds and men.  Constantly.


   I better finish up out there while the weather is good. It's a glorious day, feels more like May than the middle of November. Sunny skies, a little breezy and about 65 or 70 degrees I'd guess. Crazy....

  I'm off to make a lovely dinner. Not sure just what yet, but I know it will include chicken ion some form or another. A part of me is thinking a good old fashioned fried chicken dinner (well, sort of--it's only chicken breasts, not the whole chicken).  Some mashed potatoes and green beans too, and we have some apple crisp leftover for dessert. With vanilla bean ice cream.  If we still have room.  lol

  Have a grand Sunday, y'all....


Namaste.

11 comments:

DJan said...

My tummy is groaning, just thinking about that Thanksgiving dinner. It reminds me of all the times that I took just a little bit of everything and still could barely move afterwards.

But then again, isn't that the whole idea? Love the menu, it sounds perfect.

Lo said...

Love this post. Love the artificial flowers marking your driveway and I am left speechless by the menu for Thanksgiving........you are a blooming wonder.

Rubye Jack said...

That's a pretty cool way of marking your driveway, but no I don't think it has anything to do with getting older and memory. I just think of it as being a bit "spaced out" at times. :)
I cannot believe you are cooking all that stuff. It seems I always end up going somewhere and only needing to take one dish. Anyway, I can't wait!

Carol said...

Sundays have a grandness all their own, don't they?

Beth said...

Your Thanksgiving dinner sounds wonderful. I really do miss the days when we had big family dinners. My favorite part of the Thanksgiving dinner is mashed potatoes. stuffing and gravy. I really don't need anything else. LOL
Fried chicken sounds good too.

Anonymous said...

I tell ya, A., I get all kinds of motivated after reading your posts. I really do. I'm all excited because a gentleman in the program wants to do a trade with me. He details cars. I do massage. I hate cleaning my car more than anything, so I am ALL OVER THAT!

Annette said...

Just so you know....I linked your bread recipe from my blog. You do inspire me so. I have my bread loaves ready to go into the oven as I type. My stone is just about done warming up. :o) I learn so much from you! And what, may I ask, will you do with the dehydrated kale?

the wild magnolia said...

You do have it going on over there in the Midwest. Naughty kids, they sound old enough to know better, shame shame.

Love the artificial posies.

You are making ready for a Thanksgiving Feast, it is good other help. Sounds perfect for eating, sleeping, and telling stories.

Only in the last two weeks have I tried Kale. I love it, in salads and cooked with my pan grilled chicken, with potatoes, onions, and a splash of cream. It was so good.

We are having Thanksgiving with some of the people in the park. The Mobile Home Park where we are provides the meat, drink and desserts. Everyone brings side dishes.

I'm making a zucchini squash casserole, D. is making his famous dirty rice, and I will either buy or make a sweet potato pie.

Blessings dear heart. ((hugs))

Rita said...

I just love that you have a pot of fake flowers at the end of the driveway to guide you home! Now you just need some kind of dog repellant for those kids & big dogs! ;)

Yes, sometimes we need motivation for those big projects we keep putting off--LOL! So true.

You have made me so hungry just reading about the Thanksgiving and dinner plans. Everything sounds delicious!

Dogs can really do a job on a car--mud, wet noses, fur, drool...LOL! Seems like we are always cleaning up after somebody. Hope you enjoyed the gorgeous weather and had room for ice cream. :):)

Mary LA said...

Sounds like a great Thanksgiving -- and all homemade! We don't have Thanksgiving here but I will be sharing your meal vicariously.

Petit fleur said...

Roxy ain't taking no poo from dogs chasin her kitties! I love it!

Your life sounds charmed in so many ways, even if it is back breaking sometimes too.
xo