Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, the weather channel wasn't quite on the mark with all of the travel advisories issued for the holiday travelers. After an evening of snow and wind, it turned out to be a sunny but cold day up north.

We missed all the city folk that were unable to attend the Ranger Thanksgiving feast and  would like to share with Julie and Ashley ( the foodies ) a few pictures of my contributions to the meal.

 

Above is the very festive Piccadilly Pizza.

Next we have my pickle roll-ups. Not a very clever name, so I'm thinking of renaming them "Sushi Pickles". As you can see, I'm not totally inept in the kitchen. :@ 

Of course Grammy created a delicious spread topped off with her homemade apple and raspberry pies. Yum! I hope everybody had a wonderful day despite the last minute change in plans due to the weather.

 From my photo archives, I found a lovely picture to commemorate the holiday.

Let us give thanks.



Happy Birthday tomorrow Dave! Hugs and kisses to little Finley.

Welcome, Sweet Finley!

Congratulations Megan and Dave! We are already smitten with our new little granddaughter. Of course, everybody has a different opinion of who she looks like. We all say she has Dave's mouth, but we'll just have to wait and see.

So cuuute! In this picture, Bill is trying to see if she can do the Kern eyebrow thing ( Bill and Julie are quite talented in that department ). I think we have to wait a few months until she can actually see his eyebrows, and then grow a few more of her own. Really Bill, how childish.   :@

Mama Megan and baby Finley. The picture of contentment.

Auntie Julie and Uncle Jeremy made the trek to view their new niece, too. I'm thinking they will be the official family photographers now that Julie has taken the 6 hour Canon camera class.

Grandpa Bill can hardly wait to read storybooks in his own signature style. Remember, girls?

On the way to Sioux Falls, I had to stop to check out the antique stores stretch my legs in downtown St.Peter.  Lookee what I found for little Finley!

I'm thinking next years girl's weekend. Or maybe just cute in Finley's boudoir. We got a sneak peek at the nursery to be featured in a future post by Mama Bear. Super cute!

We are missing the little family already, but will return to Sioux Falls in two weeks for our early Christmas celebration.   xxoo

A Very Special Delivery!

Our first grandchild was born today. Her name is Finley Elizabeth and we can hardly wait to meet her!

We'll  be leaving at dawn tomorrow to travel the eight hours to Sioux Falls, SD where we will visit that little bundle of joy and her proud parents. We have already heard her excellent set of lungs over the phone. Hopefully, she will soon find her thumb like her mama did.  :@ 

   We will have pictures and details when we get back home. Grandma Vickie and Grandpa Bill, hmmmmm.....I guess we'll figure that out later.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

This is the view out our front door this afternoon. How I love the first snow of the season! Time to put on some Christmas music and sit by the fireplace with a hot cup of coffee.



This is my favorite flavored coffee that is only available during the holiday season, so I make sure to stock my pantry with plenty to last through Christmas. Mmmm, mmm, good!

I just finished the Paciorek Christmas stockings in the bright colors Julie requested and here they are.

The pattern for these Scandinavian socks came from a 1979 issue of McCall's Needlework and Crafts magazine. I subscribed to that magazine for 10 years and the socks are the only thing I ever made from one of their patterns. To date, I have knit over 30 socks for various family and friends and can almost make them without reading the pattern which is yellowed with age.

Happy 1st Anniversary tomorrow, Julie and Jeremy!!!

Stork Report:    No deliveries as of 4:30 PM on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Santa's Little Helper

Can you guess the identity of this little starlet? Is she...

                                                            A. Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street ?

                                                            B.  Darla from the Little Rascals ?

                                                            C.  ZuZu Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life ?

                                                            D.  Post depression-era girl from Calumet, MN ?

If  you guessed  "D" you are correct. You don't win a prize, but you are correct. Her name is Marlene and she was born on November 9, 1939. 

                                            Happy Birthday Mom!                                   

Ho! Ho! Ho!

The little ghosts and goblins have come and gone and now it is time to start thinking about...............Christmas! My favorite time of the year. Not the trudging around malls, wracking my brain to come up with "clever" gifts, but all the rest. Decorating, cranking up my favorite Christmas tunes, baking, getting holiday catalogs and cards in the mail, etc. As a matter of fact, the new Pottery Barn Christmas catalog just arrived in the mail the other day. LOVE THAT CATALOG!

This is a photo from that very catalog. See the antique skis leaning against the wall? You could own your own pair for a mere $299.00 plus S&H. Mmm, hmmm. Look what yours truly found at the last estate sale.

The photo of the skis alone was much too skinny for my blog, so Bill helped out by posing with them. He is sporting my red scarf to give it a more festive look. :@

Since I already have a pair of old skis, these will be heading to the Paciorek household to lean next to their newly painted front door. Oh, by the way, I purchased them for $16.00.


 Next is another treasure from that same sale. I thought it would look charming on the Zothman front porch filled with gifts, or wood, or an old wool blanket, or a BABY! It is getting a little structural reinforcing and cleaning, but love the chippy white paint!

Sorry, Bill couldn't fit in the sleigh. It was another bargain for only $25.00! Once again, Butchie will be bursting at the seams when we travel to Sioux Falls for our early Christmas celebration.