getting ready for the feast

Always the day before Turkey day I take the day off and COOK. I always have to work on Thanksgiving so I try to prepare as much as I can the day before. Baking,setting the table, and the cleaning before everyone arrives for Dinner on Thanksgiving.
This year Ta wants to have it at her house, and also have P family over too. The catch is she does not want to clean and cook the Turkey, so she ask me to. I told her
if I'm going to do it I'll also have to make the stuffing,because I can't make it without some yummy stuffing and that means the giblet gravy also. Today I will clean it and put it back in the fridge, make the stuffing, then get up early and stuff it.
I will also cook the giblets ( I always buy more to make it meaty ) Zesa is going to take it over in the morning and and pop it in the oven for me while I'm at work, then we will go over about 5:00 pm for dinner. I'm still going to make pies today,
so we will have some for the days after. Much less work this year. Zesa is going to make a pumpkin roll for us also, so the house should smell great today. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving... give thanks for the good things, time with FAMILY... good food, and yes maybe a little nap after the turkey...

A Day Off!!!!!!!!

This time of year it it very stressful at work, we just made the schedule on Tuesday
for Thanksgiving Week and for Black Friday... two of the best days for our sales in our business. Our associates are mad because they are scheduled more than 4 hours on Thanksgiving. I had so many people come in my office complaining about the hours they were scheduled. Anyway I'm glad to be off, a day away from it all. Zesa and I are going to get more lumber to build more shelves in the basement. Two weeks ago
we went and rented a big truck, bought 6 sheets of plywood,4 sheets of peg board,
20 2x4's, 10 2x6's and some 2x2's. Zesa put the shelves together in the garage, the
she and J carried them down stairs and put the legs on and finished them. They are for my 18 gallon containers. That one was a a little more than 11 feet long and held 28 containers. The peg board she put on the back side of it so we can hang brooms and such on it. They look real nice, so today we are going to get the rest of the wood to go along the other side of the wall. That one won't have peg board on the back because it will be up next to the wall. When it is finished everything will
fit so nothing is on the floor. The top shelf has extra storeage for suitcases and such. The peg board closes off the storeage area so you can't see it when you in the basement. She is so helpful around the house and it is fun to work together. We also have to do a little shopping for Thanksgiving, so we have alot to do. CCK is at her Daddy's house so we will alot more done today. A Day Off!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it

Celabrating Veterans Day

In my family we are proud of the fact that many men in our Family have served. Not only several Uncles, but my Husbands Father served twice. once in the air force and then in the Army in World War II. I have 2 brother in laws on his side and also two nephews, that were in at different times. On my side my father served in the Korean War, and also my husbands step father did. My husband went to Vietnam at the end of the War when he was only 18 years old. Last of all my daughter Zesa just got out of the Marine Corp. I am very proud of each and every family member for the freedom they have given us to make choices, and to worship as we please, the freedom to live!!!! God Bless each one for time they SERVED for our freedom. THANK YOU WE HONOR YOU!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday

This is my beautiful Ta, she is 29 years old today..Happy Birthday Ta...
She was only 5 lbs 14 oz and very quiet the first few years of her life, then as she entered the 2nd grade she was no longer shy. She is very honest with people. She loves her older brother and misses him very much. She spend alot of time with her baby sister now that she is back in the area. She is smart, driven, and works really hard. She is a nurse at a local Hospital, married to a wonderful guy, and has the cutest baby Boy. She a great MOM!!!!!!!!!! and a great Aunt, she love each of her
neices and her nephew.. Happy 29th love ya MOM

After the Election

As I was watching the election results I was listening to some of the comments that people were making about change and the fact that History was made and the changes that everyone is expecting to happen. It made me think about my life as a child. As a child I did not know much about the problems in the world, that others knew and lived in the 60's, such as separtate bathrooms for whites and colored, not being able to go to certain places etc... I grew up in a small country town in Michigan,
a white community. Most of the early 60's we did not always have have a T.V. so I guess because of that I wasn't aware of what was going on in others parts of the country or what people were going through. Our parents never told us that we were
better than other people or that the color of our skin was better than others so to me everyone was the same. I'm proud that my parents taught us that God created everyone equal, red, yellow, black, or white God loves us the same. In the first grade I had a little friend named Charlie Washington that was a foster child of one of a woman that lived near us. Every day at lunch time he and I would always trade sandwiches. They raised rabbits so he always had rabbit sandwiches with celery, onions and mayo, I had peanut butter and jelly. He was tired of his sandwich so we always traded. He was also very funny and always a big smile on his face. He and I always played outside on the playground together. I did not know at the time that he was black, I just knew he was my friend and to me we were just people.
We also had a older couple that came to our church named Mr. and Mrs. Hudson. He had the most beautiful voice and would sing in our church every Sunday Morning. My grandma told me one day, (you know he is a colored man) but to me he was just a nice gentle man that sang music and I always thought his wife was beautiful. My point is
other than these 3 people in my childhood everyone else was white so I did not see what was happening to others and how they were treated. It must of been awful for them... Seeing the tears on the faces of the people made me think about what kind of change and hope that these people are looking for after what they have lived.
I was also glad to see the peace that was in the crowd at Grant Park in Chicago. Over a 150,000 people and no one was hurt, the crowd was mixed with every background possible and everyone was united was if they were 1. How great was that, The Mayor was so proud that everyone came together. I hope and pray our country does see change...
We can do it...

Don't forget to vote!!!!!!!

As I sit here tonight, knowing I'm going to vote early in the morning before I go to work, I wonder some times are we making the right choices. For the past few months at our house in our living room the T.V. is on CNN from the time we get home from til we go to bed. The only time the channel is changed is to watch another view on another station. J is really in to it, so I can't help but hear it. I think this time I know more about each party than I ever have in the past. I also think I have more of an opinion than I ever have. Some people only listen to bites, some only to moral issues, and some just because of a party. We really need to listen to every part of it. I don't always agree with everything that each party stands for , but I have to vote for the one that I think will lead our country and get us out of this mess. It is going to be a hard job. Really think about all the issues, and not just part of it... I will be glad when it's over so our dinner conversations will be something different Ha! Ha!

A Gorgeous Fall day

It's been a good day, I got up real early and put the 2nd coat of paint on the stair steps, while that was drying I did some touch up painting. After the steps dried I put on saftey strips on the steps so no one would slip. J and I went out for breakfast, Zesa and KCK went to Ta's last night to spend the night. After breakfast
we took a drive to East Chicago to a Mexican bakery and bought some sweet bread. I put my Fall decorations up and put the Halloween away. I need to finish some laundry
then we are going to Ta's for dinner at 5:00. I feel like I never get done with things around the house. Just glad I'm able to give a whirl each and every day. I should be outside!!!!!!!!!

halloween night

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The kids had so much fun, Duggie only made up on side of the block and back, but KCK
went down several blocks. Each time she up to a house she had to tell them she was Dora. J stayed home to pass out treats, while Zesa, Ta,P and I went with the kids.
We had about 90 kids come by this year.