1. Though it's only happened a few times, my favorite thing to do at Thanksgiving time is make pies with my Dick-Dad. I volunteer to host Thanksgiving for one big reason: to keep the leftovers for days of eating goodness. Turkey sandwiches with stuffing and cranberry sauce? Be still my soul. Turkey Rolls? Always.
But in addition to that I extend an invitation to my parents with the thought of baking pies with my dad, among other things. My parents usually don't come because, let's face it, who wants to leave the warmth of St. George and enter the coldness of pending winter in Salt Lake City? Not my dad.
I don't blame him at all.
But this year. Oh this year.
He's doing it.
Which means tonight... I get to bake pies with him. The candles in the house will lit, the kids will be in the way, and the smell of hot sugar and chocolate, pumpkin, and banana will be drifting through my house. I don't even care how many others have volunteered to bring pies to Thanksgiving dinner, I'm still making some with my dad.
Needless to say it will be pie central this year, and I can't wait.
2. When I lived out yonder in the country (for six years! here), the one thing I looked forward to when coming "home" to the city (I can't say that without hearing five year old Casidee exclaim as she say the city scape at night for the first time, "Look at all that city!" and my heart broke a little bit at what she was missing) was a visit to Target.
I can't even begin to describe the excitement that bubbled up inside of me at the thought of that red and white store.
And if I was lucky, at that point in my life, I got to sneak away after my baby girls were snuggled up with other family members and wander those red and white aisles all. by. my. self.
I have yet to outgrow that love of Target, and come the holidays (usually the time I got to escape the country and get back into the city for a visit) my thoughts always go to Target for shopping needs. Don't get me wrong, my thoughts generally tend to drift to Target for shopping period, but holiday shopping, for nostalgia sake, must happen at Target.
3. One of the worst English assignments I have ever received (and being and English major there have been a lot of English assignments in my life) is the one from Jr. High when we were told to group up and rewrite a Christmas song.
And then act it out while singing it in front of the class.
You have empathy for me now on this one, don't you.
My friends and I rewrote "Away in a Manger" to tell the story of a baby who snuck out of bed and played in the toilet.
And though I'm digging the Christmas music on the radio this year (yes, even before Thanksgiving, because in my mind it's just all one lovely holiday season), I can't listen to "Away in a Manger" without thinking about my teenage friend sitting in a cardboard box toilet in front of the whole class.
Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow everyone.
And don't forget to enter out giveaway for cute necklaces here.
