Sept. 20: Friday night grateful list: Holiday time!

Today's blogging challenge: What is your favorite holiday and what are your traditions around it?

Well, this is what I get for blogging late in the day: I look like a big, fat copycat. Jen already posted about Thanksgiving, and that's my favorite holiday too. Thankfully, I have lots of documentation of my holiday love, not the least of which... it's the day husband and I got married!

There are a lot of great quotes about Thanksgiving and gratitude/thankfulness, but I am always very grateful to find a new one that speaks to me. Just today, I saw this on Facebook, and my heart sang with joy:

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. -G.K. Chesterton

To prove my love for all things Thanksgiving/anniversary, here's a rundown of posts since the blog began:
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

As Thanksgiving approaches this year and we contemplate our time with family, I think about all that I enjoy: the food, the family, the relaxation of the day. I love autumn, so I will undoubtedly be past the grief of losing summer fruits and veggies, and by then I surely will have embraced all things pumpkin. I will be happily wearing sweaters and boots and appreciate the chill in the air and the lack of yard work.

Our traditions are fairly simple:
*Turkey dinner with all the fixings (turkey substitute too). We have many "stand bys" but there is usually a little room to experiment--though, not with the pumpkin pie. Husband needs the pie to be regular--none of this "sour cream pumpkin pie" or "pumpkin struesel pie." Pumpkin. Pie. That's all he asks.
*Decorate a bit--leaves and pumpkins and candles.
*Wake late, eat breakfast, then lay around for awhile before thinking about dinner.
*I have stretched the boundaries of Christmas decorating to include possibly decorating the tree on--or near--Thanksgiving, if I am home. This may confuse some, but I enjoy it.
*Watch movies and/or football. Surely there's a 007 marathon on somewhere?
*Nap.
*Maybe go for a walk if we're not too groggy.
*Make dinner.
*Eat dinner. Recount our many blessings.
*Lay around some more.
*Depending on how large the celebration is, play a game of hearts, or Taboo, or Pictionary.

Don't we sound like a barrel of fun? Why yes, we are! Ha. We have even been known to combine Thanksgiving, a couple of birthdays (Ma & Pa) and Christmas into one big (and multi-day) festival of family love, which we call Thanksbirthmas. It's pretty spectacular.

Tonight I am ever so grateful that Thanksgiving exists, and that it is coming up in the not-too-distant future.

What is your favorite holiday, and why? 

Jen and I (and occasionally my mom and Lisa too!) are blog challenging throughout September. You can catch her blog over at Stuff Jen Says. If you want to write along with us, give me a shout and I'll send you the blog prompts.

Anniversary lovin'

here is an extra-lovely aspect to having been married at Thanksgiving: only on a very few years does the anniversary actually land again on Thanksgiving Day. So, the love stretches out, then, in either direction, as one can't help but think on the love while feasting with family, and again on the specific date (for us it's today, Nov. 24).

Dear husband's sweet roses came home with him from quick errands yesterday. Pink roses make me smile.

On our first anniversary, I gave husband this little framed calligraphy I did of our vows. The vows were longer than just this little phrase, but the words above were gleaned from a poem we found by a Frau Ava of Gottweig, and were my favorite part of the ceremony:

I am yours.
You are mine.
Of this we are certain.
You are lodged in my heart.
The small key is lost.
You must stay there forever.
-Frau Ava (circa 1160), translated by Willis Barnstone

Happy couple, seven years ago today!

More anniversary flowers, from Ma and Pa.

glassbabies were on our tables at the wedding in 2005, and grace our Thanksgiving table each year.

This morning Seth proved his teen mettle by sleeping in until past noon, and husband and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast together and reading by the fire. The weather outside is not compelling us to leave our quiet spot, as the gray stretches out in all directions. It rained thoroughly all night, it seemed, so the sog is upon us, and with the lights of the Christmas tree and our trusty Chief alongside the sofas, it's a pretty blissful state we find ourselves in.

Seven years isn't a significant milestone (other than that silly itch thing), but every year means a great deal to us, having come to this love a little later in life. There's a joy in knowing that we found each other, that we recognized a good thing and embraced it, and that we continue to value each other and our love above all else.

Here's to another seven, dear husband, and another, and another...

Happy 44th anniversary, Ma and Pa!

Isn't this the cutest young couple, ever?! Wishing you much joy and love in the next 44 years!

Happy anniversary, husband!

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Anne Bradstreet

Does it get any better than this? Why yes, Virginia, it really does! Leftovers!

Yesterday was our 3rd anniversary, and we wanted to celebrate quietly at home--it had been a long day for both of us and we were looking forward to putting our feet up and catching up on Jack Bauer's latest adventures. Alas, I'd forgotten how brutal 24 can be...

So, I needed some comfort food to go with the drama. We both wanted pasta, and I made a very meaty non-meat marinara for Alan, and went straight to the hard stuff (alfredo) for myself. I have not made anything with full-fat dairy in a very long time, and I will blame the Warm Bunny herself for dragging me back with her green bean gratin recipe. I bought some heavy whip to make a butternut squash gratin for Thanksgiving, and knew I could spare a little for some pasta love.

Here's my standby alfredo. I have made this recipe (times 50) for really big crowds, and it works well to multiply. It is very much a keeper, even if the times between making it need to stretch out further and further as the years go by...

Happy Anniversary Alfredo:

2 T. unsalted butter

1/2 c. cream

1 egg yolk

1/4 c. parmesan

salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the cream and simmer. Briefly beat the egg yolk before adding to the cream, stir in the parmesan and warm through. Toss with pasta and devour. Last night I added about 3/4 cup chopped basil, 1/4 cup pinenuts and a generous handful of parmesan. Oh my.

Now very tradtional alfredo won't have the egg yolk, but I'm not a big purist on this, and find it is a good addition without getting too rich. Or so I remembered...

This is NOT an everyday meal. No way. About six mouthfuls in, I was a little overwhelmed with the richness. So my compromise was to add some of Alan's lovely red sauce to it (see below), which cut the richness a bit and I was able to soldier on! I didn't actually make it through my bowl... but I DID rewarm the leftovers for lunch today, and it was even better than last night. If possible.

Yum. Scrum. Love. Pasta. Love. Husband. Happy. Anniversary.

Friday night grateful moment

Ah, finally, here we are at the end of the week. And I have finally given in and accepted that we ARE indeed at the week before Thanksgiving, and thus, at the tipping point into the holiday season. It seems to have come along extra-quickly this fall.

But at least we get the weekend to pause... and be thankful... for:
* Seth found one of his missing coats today. This is truly something to be grateful for. He's having a hard time keeping track of all his many accessories in his new-ish, bigger school, with no locker.
* A happy 3rd wedding anniversary to look forward to on Monday. Three wonderful years!
* Still having some lovely fall days, even though they end (in darkness) too soon.
* The prospect of Christmas on Mayne Island has us all quite happy. Ferry boat!
* Thanksgiving leftovers--not too early to start looking forward to those!
* I am thankful for good health, and some really decent nights of sleep this week (after the way-too-early wake up Wednesday a.m.!). But I haven't gotten run down or a cold yet this season (knock on wood, throw back a little echinacea), and it's been going around something fierce.
* A capella music. My newest little obsession, after falling in love with some songs off a mix from a friend. It is amazing what voices can do. Now, if only mine would... ha! Maybe not having that makes me appreciate it more in others? Yeah, that's it. Sure.
* Work ended on a good note. Slightly hopeful going into the coming week. (Knock on wood again.)
* Friendship, in all its many forms, and all the ebbs and flows over the years; it's wonderful to have people to count on, and to be that person others can count on too. New friends and old, and newly-connected-old-friends, I do treasure.
* My grateful list would not be complete this week without cheese. Had the most amazing lunch at a new-ish local place today, Brasserie 4, and had a wonderful curry cocount chicken soup and eggplant, zucchini and blue cheese pizza. Grateful for all good flavors!

Here are a couple of fun ads for your viewing pleasure. Sony has come up with quite a few in this vein; these two are my favorites. Wishing all a peaceful and joyous weekend!