Sunday, November 29, 2015

one holiday down ~ ready for the next?

We had a lovely Thanksgiving at my cousin's house. It was his first time hosting for this holiday, and he did a beautiful job. Hors d'oeuvres were set up in the living room...


and dinner was served in the dining room. Small group this year: my cousin and his friend who flew in from Alexandria, VA; me and my son (hubby had to work); my mom; and my sister, BIL, and two nieces.


We had so much food! We had a wonderful glazed ham, a turkey breast, my mom's homemade stuffing, corn souffle, maple-glazed carrots, green beans with pecans (I was the designated veggie person), sweet potatoes, roasted potatoes, homemade rolls (my mom and my cousin's friend both made batches), cranberry relish with dried cherries, and two pies. I was actually too full from dinner to even have any dessert - which is fine since I'm not supposed to be eating gluten and I'm avoiding sugar as much as possible. Though if my mom had've made her homemade pumpkin pie, all bets would've been off. 


Last week when I posted, I wrote about our first snowstorm of the season. All that snow is already melted due to higher temps and lots of rain (buh-bye, good riddance, adieu), but the day after the snowstorm, I took a walk down to the lake by my house and took some photos. I love the starkness of this photo and how the trees are reflected in the water. I'm definitely a warm weather and sunshine kind of girl, but once in awhile, I can find the beauty in the barren landscape. Tim and I were talking about that in the car on the way to my cousin's house ~ that if we lived somewhere where it's mostly warm and sunny year-round, would we get tired of it? Would we long for the change of seasons? Wouldn't it be weird to decorate for Christmas and celebrate it without the cold temperatures and hopefully, some snow? Would we be woefully singing, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" while walking along the beach with the palm trees swaying in the background? I can only dream.


Speaking of Christmas, I am officially The Only Blogger Who Has Not Started Decorating For Christmas Yet. I did "de-fall" the living room and kitchen though, so it's a start. And I got a lot of online shopping done on Black Friday. In my pajamas. With no crowds to deal with. Great online discounts and free shipping, too. That's my kind of shopping.

17 comments:

  1. I love, love the picture of the lake. Beautiful. I've done most of my shopping online, too. Feels so good to have it out of the way, but I have a couple things left to pick up at the store. Your Thanksgiving dinner sounds wonderful!

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  2. Oh no Melanie - you're not the only one who hasn't started decorating for Christmas. I've done shopping but no décor yet. Don't know if I'll get any done this year with working on the new house. Love the photo of the lack! Gorgeous!

    Judy

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  3. Looks like he did a smash up job on Thanksgiving!!! Sorry your hubby had to work though. The picture of the lake is gorgeous and you are not the only one who has not decorated. I just started in the last 24 hours- outside--and have not done a single thing inside yet. You got time, sister, it's still November! xo Diana

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  4. I don't usually decorate so early, but lots going on in my family. I don't like to rush things but it is so nice to enjoy the decorations once they are up. I spent the last two days decorating my dad's place. I stil have to put up our tree. You pix are lovely.

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  5. Beautiful snow photos, Melanie...we have a snowstorm coming tomorrow...

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  6. Glad to hear you had a nice Thanksgiving. You totally would have been able to eat my vegan pumpkin pie as I used oat flour for the crust and the only sweetener was a little bit of maple syrup. :) So good! I do miss the seasons but am definitely not a cold weather person at all. Of course, I'm from the South, so we didn't get snow. But when we got a few snow flurries, it was always very exciting. Ha! :) Have a great week!

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  7. Your feast looks amazing ! I love that stark photo as well and I often think how 'weird' it would feel to have Christmas in a warm climate. I doubt I'd get in the mood at all! :)

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  8. Your Thanksgiving celebration sounds like it was very nice. The food all sounds so good! Yum. We don't have any snow right now but it's very cold. We're supposed to have a colder-than-normal winter because of El Nino and it seems to be starting already. I hope you have a good week!

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  9. What a pretty table. Jess wants to do a fancy table next year. (She's more like me than she likes to admit.) We've had gray and cold weather for days now, and probably won't see the sun for a few more, but I think there is a nice balance there. We appreciate the warm sun after the cold, and I personally really appreciate cooler weather after the hot and sunny. The best thing, in my opinion, about living where it's always temperate and sunny would be to have a year-round garden.

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  10. Great looking Thanksgiving.

    You're NOT the only blogger who has not started to decorate for Christmas. It is in my thoughts though. :-)

    Happy Holidays ~ FlowerLady

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  11. You're way ahead of me with the shopping although I got most of my decorating done over the weekend....that's our tradition, though...when my daughter is home for Thanksgiving we decorate together as she's not home again until Christmas. That's the way it's been for 7 years now since she went away to college - I guess it's gonna stick at this point, huh?

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  12. You are not the only not yet decorating! I'm not! We can not decorate together, actually, I have heard from several people that it is too soon for them yet so we are not alone. Glad that you had a good thanksgiving! xx

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  13. It looks like your cousin hosted a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. Yum!

    Your photo of the lake is gorgeous enough to be framed! I think I would miss the changing of the seasons. To me there is nothing more beautiful than the first snowfall of the year. We've got a covering of snow, but warm temps are headed our way, so it won't last. I want snow for Christmas!

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  14. Add me to the short list of bloggers who haven't Christmas decorated yet. Life goes fast enough without rushing it I think.
    Your snow pictures are beautiful but I hope it doesn't come here much.

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  15. I am so thankful that both you and I had a memorable and lovely Thanksgiving, I haven't decorated either. Of course we are living in a Hotel right now...but I am excited to move into our home soon.
    Your feast looked wonderful. What a stunning photo, Melanie, I would love to have a white Christmas!
    xo
    Jemma

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  16. To me there is nothing prettier than a snowfall and the first big one is just magical. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a white Christmas this year but the weatherman says chances are not good.

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  17. You know I'm with you Melanie, I don't like the snow and cold, but I can still see the beauty of the snow now and then. Don't tell anyone, but I'm not going to decorate at all for Christmas this year. Shhhhh!

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