More Thanksgiving and some sadness 11-27-21

My neighbors in the cul de sac (parents of the ice cream boys)  presented me with another full Thanksgiving dinner yesterday morning.  It is the first traditional meal they have made and they took it to his parents somewhere in LA County.  They must have made a lot because I ate it last night and tonight and still have enough turkey for a sandwich tomorrow.  All of you who have to cook every night will appreciate what a boon it is to have home cooked food that I don't have to cook!  Everything was very tasty.   All I need to do is wash and return the containers.

Today I went to a memorial service for the husband of one of my Book Group friends.  He had not been sick long and she is still struggling with the shock, I'm sure.  I sometimes muse on the difference between a loved one being sick and knowing that they will not get well and the sudden loss of someone who dies or is killed suddenly.  As hard as it was to have my husband get worse over two and a half years, I would always choose that, as we had those months together to settle things and say goodbye.  The memorial today was very tasteful and praiseful.  He was an exceptional person and lent a hand to others whenever he could.  He was a avid fisherman, so I'm sure that many of the guys there were his fishing buddies.  Two sons, their wives and children and grandchildren, his sister and her daughters and four of us from the Book Group were among the many attendees.  Afterward Carol and I went out for lunch which was good for me because I wasn't ready to be alone with my memories.  

The wind has departed for now and we have not had any brushfires nearby.  Blessings indeed.  Between the wind and the sewing that I have been doing I am so dry I have resorted to lotion several times a day.  If I could only figure out something to do with my nose - humidifier and nasal spray helps, but it is still dry and uncomfortable.  KoKo's eyes need cleaning a couple times a day after we go outside.  I am almost tempted to use some eye drops on him! 

Here he is hanging out the window while we were in line at Starbuck's the other day.  The Bird of Paradise are in full bloom everywhere.  They bloom well even in a drought. 

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Happy Thanksgiving 11-25-21

My friend Liz delivered a bag of plastic containers with turkey and all the trimmings, including her delicious Jello salad which I look forward to every year.   It is a tradition in her house and certainly now in mine!   The wind has been blowing here for several days and the gutters along with my porch are filled with leaves.  Although I don't have a deciduous tree in my yard, all of my neighbors do.  Those trees are almost completely bare now - I counted seven leaves on the redbud across the street.  Why are those few holding on?  Lots of palm fronds and pieces scattered about and someone on Next Door is looking for their patio umbrella.  KoKo doesn't enjoy the wind so we have done short walks - to empty the dog!  And because of the debris in the air I wear a mask.  

Hope your Thanksgiving was everything you wanted it to be - with a crowd or by yourself.  I've added a turkey image to my turkey gallery.   Isn't he delicious>

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Walking and KoKo 11-22-21

I actually did some sewing today, but nothing I can share.  Mostly just working on UFOs and doing some repairs on quilts in TCQC.  Sleeves come loose, sometimes a few stitches on bindings are not secure, and loose threads have been missed.   I always put a TCQC label on the quilts and have been very lax the last year or so.  Out of labels and need to make some more.

KoKo and I do our two walks a day, some are longer than others.  There was a brush fire in Riverside County, which is about 40 miles away, and the Santa Ana wind was blowing toward the ocean, so we had smoke.  Didn't see any ash, but the wind was so strong I suspect it all just went out to sea.  I wore my mask, but KoKo doesn't, so we shortened our walk last evening.  Today it was still windy, but no smoke, so we did the full loop morning and night.  There are Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations in yards.  I know a lot of people put up Christmas stuff the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I suspect some people are traveling so they decorated before they left.  

The giant skeleton is now wearing a fabric face, a coat and a hat!

Two black birds have been added - one at top left on his hand and one at bottom center on one of the pumpkins,  I guess black birds go with skeletons as well as black cats. 

This family took down their blow up ghost and the same day replaced it with a blow up turkey. 

Right next door to the skeleton in a basketball hoop.  He came down over the  week end, I kind of miss him. 

KoKo and Froggy are having a snuggle.  They do a lot of nose to nose snoozing.