A Night of Christmas Fun

Scott and Brooke treated Joe and I to a nice dinner at Jake's.

 We then made a stop at the Middle School to admire Brooke's classroom decorations.

 Sweet holiday touches...

Your room looks great, Brooke!

And then...

 Scott got tickets for this very popular and sold out Christmas concert!

 We arrived early and were able to admire the new state of the art Archer Auditorium at the Ashland High School.

We had great seats!

Thank you, Scott and Brooke, for a fantastic evening!

We are truly in the Christmas spirit and I can't stop singing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"...

~Grateful~

Easton After Dark

Last Saturday night, Joe and I traveled to Easton with Brooke and Scott and enjoyed dinner at the Mongolian Grill and did some shopping!

The Christmas decorations were beautiful and I found some treasures for Maryellen...

Lots of fun adventures this Thanksgiving vacation!

Noah's First Turkey Dinner

My son, Noah, is an EXCELLENT cook and loves a culinary adventure!  He had never made a turkey...until now!

Noah and Amy belong to a food co-op and every week they pick up fresh farm treasures and plan their menus accordingly.  This Thanksgiving week a turkey was included.

Noah and Amy had invited family friends, Steve and Kirsten, to dinner and we were honored to be asked as well! 

 The table was ready for our little feast...

 Steve and Noah have been friends forever and I am so glad we got to spend some time with him and his multi-talented partner, Kirsten.  This busy couple is extremely active in community theater and Kirsten is a trained opera singer!

 Joe and I thought Abe would love this Pound Puppy.
He did!

 Train time with Grandpa Joe.

And then...

 Roasted butternut squash soup with a hint of bacon...
My favorite new soup!

 The salad had roasted beets and other delicious toppings!

 The turkey was cooked to perfection...

 Amy made this sweet potato casserole and it was heavenly...

 The stuffing was a huge hit...especially with Joe.
Apples and sausage created a wonderful flavoring...
We also had mashed potatoes and rolls and needless to say, we left the dinner table feeling delightfully full!

A bit later...

Joe did some measuring for a couple of projects and Abe was only too happy to help.

Finally...

We gathered once again for dessert and Abe was all about the pumpkin pie...or was it the whipped cream?

Thank you, Noah and Amy, for the best of Day After Thanksgiving Feasts!
You two never cease to amaze me with all you do...

~Feeling VERY blessed~

On This Day in 1858

On November 30, 1858, John Mason patented the screw neck bottle called the Mason Jar.

Missy's Thanksgiving Weekend

Last summer my sister, Missy, and her family went on a fantastic European vacation.

Little did they know how life would change for them by Thanksgiving.

Last week, Scott and his entire staff were let go from Syracuse University, where he spent 7 years...3
 as Head Football Coach.

The dismissal is a controversial one, but the Shafer Family look at it as part of their journey and are quite excited about the next chapter.

My brother-in-law is the finest of men and his players love and admire him fiercely.  I believe college football has become more about money than the love of the game and the growth of the players...which is what Scott's coaching philosophy is all about.

Without a doubt, Scott will soon be coaching again...and those players wil be the luckiest of young men!

Missy and Elsa attended their last Syracuse game...which the Orange, coached by Scott Shafer, WON!!!

We are all so proud of Scott and look forward to finding out where the Shafer Family will be spending their next Thanksgiving.

~New Beginnings~

Kate's Thanksgiving

My sister, Kate, spent her Thanksgiving in Palm Springs with her beloved grandson, Elliott, daughter Kristen, son-in-law Travis, and his family.

I understand they definitely had the best of Thanksgivings!

~Happiness~

Thanksgiving Day

I would like to begin this blog by announcing I am in GREAT need of a new camera.  Although I took MANY pictures, FEW turned out!

I am currently in search of "just the right camera" and do apologize for the lack of pictures.  I hope I am still able to capture the essence of this very special Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving celebrations have been a tradition in our country for many years.

I have fond memories of learning all about the Pilgrims and Indians when I was a child...the stories were "cleaned up" a bit for the younger audiences, I am sure.

And then...for 38 years my students spent the better part of November immersed in Pilgrims, Indians, every kind of turkey craft you can imagine, and our most interesting feasts.

My memories of our Jensen-Elliott Thanksgivings are joyful ones.

Ah...through the eyes of a child.

And now...

The Elliott Children are parents and grandparents and Thanksgiving continues  to be a cherished holiday.

~Abe~

My amazing sister, Cassi, has assumed the role my mother and grandmother held for many Thanksgivings...that of the hostess and chef of our family gatherings.  I must admit, I think the Thanksgiving dinners are better than ever!

Our entire family is so grateful for Cassi...because of her, it goes on.

 This was Scott and Brooke's first Thanksgiving together.

We are so happy they found one another.

Thanksgiving continues to be about family and although we were not able to all be together physically...we definitely were together in spirit!

~Honoring the here and now~

On This Day in 1897

 On November 29, 1897, the first motorcycle race was held in Surrey, England.

On This Day in 1717

On November 28, 1717, Blackbeard attacked a French merchant vessel and renamed it "Queen Anne's Revenge".

On This Day in 1980

On November 27, 1980, the 200th episode of "The Waltons" aired.

Happy Thanksgiving

A very Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours...

And a heartfelt Happy Thanksgiving from the Hittyville Friends!

~Grateful~

On This Day in 1832

On November 26, 1832, the first streetcar railway started operating in New York City.

Thanksgiving Fun

 Maryellen and Betsy are getting ready to create a First Thanksgiving scene.

Later...

 The Friends know exactly where they want to put their picture.

 Looking good...

Next week, Maryellen and Betsy will start decorating their Playground in a Christmas theme!

~Happy~

On This Day in 1920

On November 25, 1920, Philadelphia held the first Thanksgiving parade.

On This Day in 1877

On November 24, 1877, Anna Sewell's classic novel, Black Beauty, was published.

Abe's Special Sunday

 I have been waiting for the longest time to see the Monet Agapanthus Triptych!

The reunited three paintings were part of this exhibit and my heart was racing as we came closer to our 2:30 viewing...

 This memorable occasion just had to be a family event!

 A bit of a snack before the showing.

And then...

 Although there was much to see in the exhibit, I spent most of the time sitting before this "sacred" work of art.

I was overwhelmed by emotion and found myself in tears most of the hour.

The panel on the left belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art and we visit that piece at least once a year.  To see it displayed as it was intended by the artist was a glorious experience.

A bit later...

 Being brought up with German grandparents meant lots of AMAZING German meals.  We were excited to partake in some German cuisine!

 My Opa lives on...

 I love how Abe entertains himself.

 A toast of sorts...

 I loved my Sauerbraten!

 Amy and Abe have never seen such a HUGE Reuben!

 Scott and Brooke shared pierogis and onion rings...their favorite!

 I love our family gatherings...

A perfect ending to a perfect day!

~Treasured Times~