THANKSGIVING EVE...

Thanksgiving Eve...

Lots of snow has piled up .. GRRrrrrrRRRrrrrrrr!!!
.. OK.. but it's pretty!!!! The sunset photo is from a couple nights ago... beautiful isn't it?

24 hours from now, I'll "HOPEFULLY" be finished cleaning the apartment and making my stuffing, Daughter Jamie is coming over and she and I will make the stuffing together, as we have for the past 6 years or so. It's become our little tradition. Funny thing... I don't like stuffing!
I know.. I know... but I never have. I'm more of a mounds of Mashed Potatoes and Rivers of Giblet gravy girl. I make my mother's "famous" Italian Sausage stuffing, but it's Jamie who is the taste tester...telling me when there is "just enough" Sage... Salt... Pepper...etc. It's a lot of work. Toasting 6 large loaves of bread, cooking the Sausage, cutting the Celery and Onion... but it's worth it.. or so I hear from those who LIKE my stuffing!

The photos below, are a few from Last year's Thanksgiving. I can't wait for all the aroma of Thanksgiving cooking to fill my kitchen! It is one of my most favorite smells. No steamy kitchen windows this year though.... no kitchen windows! LOL. Joining me for dinner this year will be my friends Gloria and Laure, son Eddie and his best friend Greg, and daughter Jamie. Daughter Allison, who is a nurse.. has to work! and won't be here!!... I'm gonna miss her!

Soooooo I'm excited about my first Thanksgiving in my apartment.
I'm off the rest of the week yayyyy! And I plan on doing more art. I spent almost every waking hour doing art last weekend. I managed to list some things on Etsy, and even had a sale today! I've got a lot of Christmas gift projects in the works too. I guess my Blog title is right.. "FAMILY, FRIENDS, ART AND ME"... It's all I think about!.. well.. not the "ME" part so much.. but I guess I do when I indulge myself with weekends of ART!

~~~~~~So Here's my list of just some of the things I am thankful for ~~~~~~~

• My Faith. It Sustains me, refreshes me and completes me
• My kids. I love them beyond words. I am blessed to have them. Each one gives me great joy in ways big and small. The have turned out to be wonderful people, with loving hearts, strong faith, morals and ethics.... and their mother's sense of humor!
• My sisters. Despite our quirky contrasting personalities, I am so blessed to have them. And I love how close we've become.
• My nephews and nieces. What a wonderful family I have!
• My amazing friends! How lucky am I, to have my PSMWG's.... an amazing friendship that spans 40 years! I have so many friends! Each of which has a special place in my heart!
• My Bestest friend Gloria. there just are no words. I am a better person because of her.
• My ART I don't know how I could function if I didn't have my art. I Thank God for giving this gift to me!
• My Apartment Be it ever so humble...
• All my Internet friends!... These wonderful people, most of whom, I've never met in person, have touched my life! My England friend John (who did actually visit me 2x... and I got to visit him in Cornwall England!) The German couple Rike, Matt and son Yannik (OK.. I got to meet them too!) my wonderful ART Buddy Teri in Indiana, Denise and her daughter Jessie, Thanks for buying so much of my art! And Twyla and Lindsey, my faithful Blog readers... Twyla even knitted me a special pair of Halloween house shoes!!!!!!!!! HOW LUCKY AM I!!!!!??????? The Internet has connected me to so many wonderful people, artists who share my same passion. And given me wonderful opportunities to sell my art.
• My job... even though I really don't like it.... I have one, and it pays the bills right?
• My health, even though things are going snap, crackle and pop now... I'm able bodied and functioning!
• My car. My little Kia Sephia. It's 7 years old and hasn't given me one lick of problems. Is there any wood around I can knock on?
• America. I am thankful for living in a country that allows all these things. Freedom, choice and independence. I am truly blessed and thankful!

It's a pretty obvious list... but It's important to say "out loud" how thankful I really, truly am.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!