Be Thankful and Ease Up on Yourself

I want to do so many things and I want to be good at all of them. Some days it helps just to do as much as you can do. Here are two Thanksgiving cards that I made this weekend. I'll mail one to my brother's house (where my parents will be) and I'll hand deliver the other to the house where we're having Thanksgiving.

Sure I would have liked to do more. But you know what? I've got a sinus infection and I'm run down and it's okay to do this much and just be at peace. Stress is major contributor to illness and stress is generated by our own choices and our own perceptions.

Today I will rest and take care of myself. Tomorrow I will work from home. Thursday I will feel stronger and I will go out for Thanksgiving with friends. But if I don't do any of that--I'm still grateful and happy that this is the life I lead and for all those who have chosen to share it with me. Blessings to one and all.

Early Thanksgiving in Florida

There's so much to be grateful for in my world...Ryan (almost son-in-law) and Molly (almost step daughter) have returned from Germany where Ryan was deployed to Iraq. They came to visit last week and we had a glorious early Thanksgiving in Florida.

Now to the food--desserts are my favorite and I had three great ones this year. I did my apple cake from Recipes.com--a classic. Then I adapted a pecan pie recipe to include my homemade kahlua--awesome. And finally, made as an afterthought for Henry's son and debuting as the hit of the meal---PUMPKIN PARFAIT. So light and refreshing and easy--make up a box of butterscotch pudding, add half a can of pumpkin, 1.5 teaspoon of pumpkin spice, half a tub of cool whip. Layer pumpkin mixture with cool whip and crushed ginger snaps in dessert glasses and voila.

So even though we're eating leftovers (lovely turkey vegetable soup) we'll be celebrating again with Friends on Thursday. Life is good and I'm so grateful.