Life Lately

I have a collection of photos from the last week that tell the story of life lately.  We had so much fun with my daughter and son in law and their cute puppy.  My dog, who really had never shown much interest in other dogs, was a good dog host and shared her space and her toys very well.  We had delicious food on Thanksgiving Day and as always, my daughter was a big help.  I managed to knock a bottle of red wine off my counter, just as everything was ready, so that was fun lol.  Did you know that red wine comes out of grout with a mixture of baking soda and bleach.  I do now!

They left the day after Thanksgiving, but we will see them at Christmas which is very soon.  I have been cyber shopping and hitting a few stores, so I can have everything wrapped and shipped by the end of next week.  My decorations are up and a new addition this year is a small tree at the very back of the pool, on the waterfall ledge.  We love how it sparkles at night.  I like to use starfish mixed within my decor for a pop of coastal charm.

I have been enjoying my Aldi Wine Advent Calendar that I wrote about here. With my neighborhood Landscape Committee, I planted poinsettias at our entrances on a lovely, sunny morning and I have to say, decorating for the holidays in Florida is so much better (and warmer). There are a couple of holiday events on my calendar and our visit to Michigan is planned and busy as usual.  But, I can’t wait.

At golf this week, an alligator (and that’s a pretty big one) was sunning itself at the bottom of a Par 3 tee box and it was a little nerve racking to have to drive right over his head.  Finally, Book Group is tonight and I’m leading the discussion of The Last Romantics, by Tara Conklin.  The book nerd/honors English student in me loves that.

As usual, life in my empty nest is busy, but fun.

Pre Thanksgiving Photos

My daughter and son in law have been visiting since Friday and we have been having way too much fun to take many photos, but have managed to pull out our phones and shoot a few here and there.  The weather has been absolutely beautiful, with sunny, pleasant days, beautiful sunsets and cool nights spent outside on the lanai with candles lit, cocktails and music playing.

We have two puppies running around and making us laugh.  A lot of good food has been cooked. We have ventured out to the beach and have also spent a lot of time lounging by the pool.  We have watched football and basketball games together, even though we are fans of rival universities.  My husband and I also celebrated out 37th anniversary yesterday with a cocktail at the beach, followed by a lovely dinner at home, cooked by our daughter.

And, Thanksgiving is yet to come.

Thanksgiving Favorites

We are all getting into that crunch time where getting ready for Thanksgiving is a priority and at the same time, Christmas shopping and decorating are looming.  My daughter and son in law are coming to visit at the end of the week, so there will be a lot of fun times keeping me busy and that is why my lists will come in handy in the next few days.  I’ll be checking off what I can before they arrive and using down time by the pool to do a little on line shopping.  Since I need to ship all my gifts, being organized is critical.

If you are looking for some delicious Thanksgiving recipes, these three dishes are tried and true and loved by my family.  I believe that Thanksgiving is meant for traditional, family recipes and I am happy to share these with all of  you.  There are so many years worth of memories in these recipes, especially my mother’s stuffing, because sadly, she is no longer able to make it herself.

For two simple and beautiful touches to your table, this no sew burlap runner and a sweet place setting using a strip of burlap and a sprig of rosemary, make a big impact, without a lot of effort.

Let the preparations begin!

No Sew Burlap Table Runner
Cranberry Apple and Ginger Chutney
My Mothers Stuffing
Cranberry Almond Spinach Salad
So Simple So Sweet Place Setting