Happy post-Thanksgiving Saturday! I hope everyone had an enjoyable turkey day. Ours was fabulous as we are up in the chilly mountains of Arizona. Being spoiled by a fully equipped kitchen in Phoenix, it took some figuring to get everything prepared and cooked. Many hands made the work light and rather fun. It’s time again for another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished~Oscar Wilde

Last Saturday I mentioned that our neighborhood group raises money to buy turkeys to support our Phoenix Police Turkey Drive. The turkeys are collected and then given to St. Mary’s Food Bank. This year, 41 turkeys filled the trunk of my SUV. I backed up my car to the refrigerated trailer and when I opened the trunk, a very large, frozen solid turkey fell out of the trunk and onto my right foot.

Long story short, I broke the bone in my big toe both horizontally and vertically. I won’t show you any toe pictures as it is black, swollen and not very attractive. After a long wait at urgent care, I am now in a boot until I see the foot doctor on Tuesday. The good news is that the turkey boulder did not land on the top of my foot~I was quick but not quick enough. A bit bummed over this.

A Gift of Roses

My sweet friend, Andrea from Design Morsels sent me these beautiful roses just prior to our departure to the mountains. We brought them with us and they’ve lasted all week in various locations.

I can’t say enough about the roses from The Bouqs. From Ecuador, the blooms are big, healthy and I’ve never been disappointed. Please keep them in mind if you send roses. Use the link on my sidebar and I will also get a small stipend for the referral.

Chilly Weather

It is very chilly up here (which I am not used to), but I am enjoying wearing sweaters and scarves again. Here is a picture of my daughter’s Cavalier King Charles puppy in his winter gear…so adorable!

But this fresh, clean, crisp mountain air is such a healthy tonic. Phoenix is in a valley and often we have air pollution alerts (which is so gross). Plus it is so quiet and we’ve hardly seen another soul. Here is a photo from our post-Thanksgiving family walk and I so appreciate the beauty of this place.

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

As you are reading this we are packing up and heading back to Phoenix as our son and girlfriend fly back to Chicago late on Saturday. Having all the children and their significant others, my husband’s brother and wife, and all the animals here together for this holiday has been magical.

With both fireplaces going, delicious food and fun cocktails, our cabin is filled with love and laughter. Isn’t that what life is all about? I can’t tell you how many times I count my blessings.

If you are looking for an apple cider punch to make for the holidays, this one by Half Baked Harvest is very good. The ingredients include: apple cider, vodka, apple butter, orange bitters, champagne (we used Prosecco), ginger beer and the glass has a cinnamon sugar rim. You can find the recipe here.

Now Off to Christmas

I hold off decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. The season doesn’t officially begin for me until I see Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I am excited to start transforming the house into a Christmas wonderland.

This week I did make Mary Berry’s Christmas cake as it is one you can make up to 3 months in advance.

My sweet friend, Christine came over and we baked one for each of us. Now it’s a matter of feeding it brandy or sherry every week until Christmas. These cakes weigh a ton as they are filled with brandy soaked dried fruit. So looking forward to cutting into this next month.

Christmas Movies

Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? Last night we watched The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. Every time I watch it I try to absorb all the details of both houses in the movie. If you love Nancy Meyer films and a good love story, you will enjoy this.

Please share your favorite holiday movie. I will have the excuse to elevate my foot and enjoy a movie or two this holiday!

A Delicious Cranberry Tart

I love cranberries and they are so good for you. Even though I haven’t tried this recipe, I like several things created by Annie from Most Lovely Things. How pretty is this for the holidays!

Now is the time to take advantage of all the fresh cranberries in the grocery stores. Here is the recipe.

I hope you are enjoying this Thanksgiving weekend. Though I do not participate in Black Friday sales, if you do, be careful out there!

I tried to schedule nothing this week, but it seems I was just as busy as ever. Happy Saturday, friends. Can you even believe Thanksgiving is in 5 days? I love this holiday because there are no presents, just time with those you love and delicious food. My son arrives tomorrow from Chicago and we have plans to cook and bake~just perfection! It’s time again to review all the good things that happened this week so let’s get started.

Good News this Week

My daughter, Julianna, got accepted to graduate school at Embry-Riddle. She starts in January so we will be quickly searching for housing and moving her into the next chapter in her life. We will miss having her and her two pups and cat, but what an exciting new adventure. Her area of focus will be Cyber Intelligence and Security.

It’s That Time of Year

Exactly a year ago today, I made my very first Mary Berry’s Christmas Cake. Whether you like fruit cake or not, this one is so delicious and can be made up to 3 months in advance. Again, I am altering the ingredients a bit as I am not a fan of glacé cherries, so I am substituting pitted tart Montmorency dried cherries from Trader Joe’s.

The recipe also calls for 1.5 lbs of currants~which seems like alot. Since our local store only sells them in 3 oz. packages (and they are pricey), I am using dates instead. You need to soak the dried fruit in brandy or sherry for 3 days which is happening now on my counter. My dried fruit combination includes sultanas, dried cranberries, dried wild blueberries, dates and dried cherries. My friend, Christine is coming over and we will be baking two of these cakes together!

Also, the Great British Baking Show Holiday Edition is now available to view on Netflix. I am always so inspired by this and maybe I will find even more holiday baking recipes!

My husband just made a batch of Alton Brown’s Aged Egg Nog. This is the 3rd year making it and last year’s batch aged a full year before we consumed it at Christmas. However, by starting it now, it is still very drinkable immediately or in December. Truly delicious~here’s the recipe.

I am getting ready to dust off my panettone pan that I purchased last year and make this wonderful Italian holiday sweet bread. If you have never had panettone, you will not be disappointed. Trader Joe’s has smaller, individual size versions and Williams Sonoma carries a delicious chestnut one this time of year. Of course, Amazon has a large selection too.

The Oldest Living Person in the U.S.

Bessie Hendricks, the oldest living person in the United States, turned 115 last week. “It’s marvelous that we still have her,” her 90-year old daughter said. Hendricks was born in 1907. Her lifetime has seen 21 presidents, two world wars, and the sinking of the Titanic. She is the fourth oldest living person in the world. She resides at Shady Oaks Care Center in Iowa.

Wouldn’t you love to sit and have a conversation with her? Well, Happy Birthday, Bessie!

Magazines I love

I am anxiously awaiting the December/Winter issue of Chic & Country magazine. It is a virtual magazine, but I like the fact that I can peruse older issues on the computer. Each issue is packed with home stories, decor and styling ideas, travel features, food recipes, and every issue is advertising free (yay!). It’s $20 for 6 months or $25 a year for a subscription. You can find it here.

Recently, I met the Design Director for Milieu magazine at a book signing. In MILIEU, every story captures the look and feel, the mood and character, the style of a place—its milieu. The quality of the magazine is high-end and the photos are all provided by designers and photographers~very stunning. This is not a virtual magazine and they have 4 issues a year at $18.99/issue.

Do you subscribe to any magazines? Are they virtual or hard copy? I used to have all the magazines but stopped subscribing because I had difficulty throwing them out. I prefer to sit and turn the pages of a magazine, but with so much information online, I’m sure this industry has suffered.

Turkey Drive

Our neighborhood is again participating in a Turkey Drive with our police department and St. Mary’s Food Bank. This weekend I will be going shopping for turkeys with another neighbor. We raised $500 so far and hopefully that will buy us a good amount.

Does your community help your local food bank during the holidays? It’s such an important effort and we are always so happy to participate.

Christmas Creep

Have you ever heard of Christmas Creep? I had not until I read a blog post by my friend, Andrea from Design Morsels. Andrea has this very funny dry sense of humor and she calls it like she sees it. Anyway, I find this post very interesting and thought provoking. You can see it here and tell me what you think.

This Week’s Posts

I hope you had a chance to see my two posts this week on Mini Appetizer Boards for Thanksgiving and Cleaning and Caring of Roman Shades.

We are getting ready for our Thanksgiving guests and our trip up to the mountains for our holiday dinner. The grocery stores are already packed with people shopping for their ingredients. Hope to get all that done this weekend.

Wishing you a very happy and relaxing weekend.

With the onset of cooler weather, what better way to relax than to curl up with a great book and a blanket? Add a cup of tea and I’m in! Even though I read every night before bed, I long for lazy days where I can do so for hours on end. It has been too long since I have posted about reading and relaxing, so here is my latest list.

My son’s girlfriend is here for the Thanksgiving holiday and we are talking books. There are so many I love and so many that have fun stories attached. Today I want to share some of the new books I am read and ones that I would definitely read again.

Because the world is already filled with complicated nonsense, you won’t find me reading about anything political or socially divisive. My reads are ways to get lost in the chapters of a book that is pure entertainment with some knowledgeable tidbits built in.

Latest Reads

Once I find an author I like, I tend to read each and every book they have written. Elin Hilderbrand is an American writer who novels typically are set in or around Nantucket. She recently branched out with her trilogy set on the Caribbean island of St. John. If you are looking for an escape from reality, you will love these!

• Winter in Paradise~link here
• What Happens in Paradise-link here
• Troubles in Paradise-link here

Another series ( 4 books) is Elin’s Winter Street Inn series. Set in Nantucket around the holidays, this is the perfect series to read this time of year. Since we will be visiting Nantucket in June 2021, I am enjoying this immensely.

• Winter Street~link here
• Winter Stroll~link here
• Winter Storms~link here
• I’ve yet to read Winter Solstice~link here

I love a good psychological crime thriller. Caroline Mitchell is a #1 International Best selling author. Her book, Silent Victim (which I haven’t read) has been #1 seller on Amazon. This set of 3 books is based on Detective Inspector Amy Winter and her sorted past.

• Truth and Lies~ link here
• The Secret Child~link here
• Left for Dead~link here
• Not published yet Flesh and Blood

Oldies but Goodies

If you love art and history, this is a must read. I read this book before we took a Baltic Sea cruise. When we toured St. Petersburg, Russia and went to the Hermitage, this book proved to be invaluable. Truly, one of my favorites. The Madonnas of Leningrad written by Debra Dean. Click here for the link.

A recent magazine of this next book is as follows: Perhaps the ultimate quarantine read . . . A Gentleman in Moscow is about the importance of community; the distance of a kind act; and resilience. It’s a manual for getting through the days to come. Old hotel, history, what’s not to love? A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Link here.

I recently recommended this book to a friend and she is loving it. Probably the best page turner I’ve come across……ever. What makes this even more exciting is that this is the first novel this author, Karen Cleveland has written. The author is a former CIA analyst in counterterrorism and uses her knowledge in her books. Need to Know by Karen Cleveland. Link here.

Local Favorites

My sweet neighbor and friend, Barbara Hinske recently left the practice of law to pursue her career as a full-time novelist. Barbara lives in one of those gorgeous houses that inspired her Rosemont series. Not only is she a wonderful person, but she loves gardening, cooking, decorating and of course, writing.

I am currently reading the 7th book in the Rosemont series. Click here for the link. This series needs to be one on the Hallmark channel. Stunning old house, crime and mystery, friendships, love and loss, her novels have it all.

Guiding Emily is inspired when Barbara toured The Foundation for Blind Children, which is a state of the art facility here in Phoenix. Such a great story and the link is here.

Naturally this could be a much longer blog post as I love to read. My dear friend, Kristin from White Arrows Home posts her favorite books more frequently than me. To see more book recommendations from Kristin, click here.

What are you reading? Please do share! I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. With some hopefully planned down time, you will find me curled up and reading.

Happy Saturday and post-Thanksgiving weekend! I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Ours took a bit of a different turn. My husband is feeling a bit under the weather and in light of being extra cautious, we moved the dinner outside while he rested inside. Welcome to the last Saturday Meanderings in November where we chat about all good things.

Fun Product from Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s has their winter/holiday seasonal products in store. In the aisle with their frozen food products (and pie crusts), there is a Hot Cocoa Snowman. Submerge it in a cup of hot milk and the snowman melts. According to the Trader Joe’s blog: “He’ll bob and tip, like he’s enjoying a cozy bath…until he starts to melt away.” I didn’t taste it personally but my daughter enjoyed it. Priced at $1.99, I expect they will go quickly.

How Cute is This?

Speaking of hot chocolate, I just want to make this because doesn’t it look just D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S?!? If you don’t follow Half Bake Harvest, one must admire this young entrepreneur for her ingenuity and clever recipes. Here is the link to Tieghan’s Caramel Espresso Hot Cocoa.

Re-planting the centerpiece

One of the joys of putting together a “live” centerpiece, is using the plants after the dinner is over. In addition to enjoying an abundant, lush table, now the plants are living happily in the yard. If you live in an area where you are not planting outside this time of year, consider using fresh herbs in your centerpiece. That way you can recycle your plants and have a kitchen garden during the winter. If you did not see my Thanksgiving centerpiece, click here.

Re-cycling the Pumpkins and Gourds

With the numerous pumpkins and gourds purchased for fall decor, this week we are recycling them. The stems will be saved for fall projects next year. I am debating whether to save the seeds for planting next year or roasting now. And the actual pumpkins will become an edible treat for the chickens.

Bleaching Pinecones

A year ago I attempted this DIY project and am happy with the results. If you have pinecones and bleach, then you can make this too. These are nice to add to any holiday decor project. See it here.

Spiffing up your Home for the Holidays

In addition to decorating the house for the holidays, it is also nice to have everything sparkling clean. It is almost time for the annual clean the crystal chandeliers and light fixtures. You can see my chandelier cleaning ritual here.

Danielle from Finding Silver Pennies recently posted a homemade glass cleaner. I am excited to try it as I tend to have streaks in my glass panes. Does anyone else have the perfect glass cleaner or cleaning technique? It’s time to do all our windows again (groan..) but clean windows make such a difference. See Danielle’s homemade glass cleaner post here.

Setting a Formal Table

Would you like to learn more about how to set a formal table, while getting inspiration and tips? My friend, Barbara at Mantel and Table is offering her guide, “Formal Table Setting Made Easy” here. Barbara is the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to the ins and outs of putting together a formal table. This would also be a nice gift for someone starting out and learning how to entertain.

Creative Christmas Topiary

If you are looking to update your holiday front porch, check out Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate’s DIY project of this fun, gift box topiary. Chloe has very detailed step-by-step instructions~what a fun and unique project!

Holiday Decorating

When do you start your holiday decorating? Do you already have it finished? I am just beginning and it actually feels good to take down all the fall decor. This year we will attempt to keep it simple. In December we are taking a week’s vacation out of the country so the goal is to get it all done before we leave. And then arrive home just in time for Christmas. I am actually excited about trying some new and less extravagant decorations this year.

Hoping this post finds you full of happy Thanksgiving memories and enjoying a relaxing weekend. Be well, my friends!

It turns out there is a strong woman behind Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Known as the “Mother of Thanksgiving“ Sarah Josepha Hale was a prominent writer (she wrote “Mary had a Little Lamb”) and editor, promoting women’s issues. In addition to her publishing work, Hale was a committed advocate for women’s education (including the creation of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York). She also raised funds to construct Massachusetts’s Bunker Hill Monument and save George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.

The New Hampshire-born Hale had grown up regularly celebrating an annual Thanksgiving holiday. In 1827 she published a novel, Northwood: A Tale of New England, that included an entire chapter about the fall tradition. Hale often wrote editorials and articles about the holiday.

She lobbied state and federal officials to pass legislation creating a fixed, national day of thanks. Hale believed that such a unifying measure could help ease growing tensions and divisions between the northern and southern parts of the country. Her efforts paid off: By 1854, more than 30 states and U.S. territories had a Thanksgiving celebration on the books. But Hale’s vision of a national holiday remained unfulfilled.

As the Civil War broke, Hale urged Americans to “put aside sectional feelings and local incidents” and support the unifying cause of Thanksgiving. After Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in 1863, Hale wrote letters to President Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward. Hale asked for Thanksgiving to be “permanently, an American custom and institution.” Within a week, the Thanksgiving Proclamation was enacted.

The national observation of Thanksgiving is on the final Thursday in November. The two men hoped Thanksgiving would “heal the wounds of the nation.” It took more than 30 years, but Sarah fought faithfully for the unity and healing her beloved country needed.  

Many of us think of Thanksgiving as a celebration with family and friends. However, I hope you share the history of this persistent and determined woman at your Thanksgiving table.

I wonder what Sarah Hale would think of our country today?  We need Thanksgiving now, more than ever. We can do our part to help heal the division which hurts our democracy, and ultimately harms us. Let us lay down our anger and verbal weapons this week. Instead, celebrate the joy and beauty of Americanism. Share stories over the dinner table as to why you love your family, your community and your country. Let your love inspire others. And let us give profound thanks for the freedoms and rights we’ve been given as Americans. 

And thank you, Sarah Josepha Hale. What an admirable person, who did so much for women, for education and for our country.

Wishing you a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours.