Friday, November 26, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010 - What a Week!

Thanksgiving Week 2010.
Monday's Drive to Boise - 3 hours each way.  This is 'our' road - ranch is on the left. My wipers were frozen!

Town. Shopping for our Thanksgiving Meal.  Oh gosh!  some blue sky!  Yipee!!!

Prepping Dinner: Brussel Sprouts off the stalk!  Leg of lamb in back

The Poker players - enjoying fancy drinks and appetizers before dinner.  The poker chips are antiques!


A shot of the cutting boards made by Jake (holding the desserts) and Sami - the board in back

Jake is in charge of researching the rules

Desserts Made by Sami!The leftover filling was turned into little itty bitty pie snacks!  She also whipped the cream and topped everything before we dug in.

The night time Poker Players - dessert was eaten at this time, then they had leftovers!

My antique sifter!

I made an Apple Pie, today, a day late.  The crew was missing it!  Made with our apples.

What I will remember.. (this is for my memory for a future layout!  Please excuse the length!)...


  1. Our coldest November yet!  A week's worth of frigid temps.. Waking to minus 10, or zero, and today, the high was 10.  Breaking ice each day.  Hauling water to the range free chickens - which are still out far in their field, and snow on the ground.  Monday I drove To Boise.  That night and the next day we had a Winter Storm Warning.  Portland got hit, Seattle got hit.  Us?  Cold and Snow.  As long as we have heat, we are fine.  Just keep the wood-stove burning 24/7!  
  2. Water buckets get filled in the house.  The outside faucets are frozen up.
  3. I moved our 15 year old dog, Ernest, into the house Monday night.  He was shaking on the front porch - while sleeping.  He is now in one of the barns, cozy, with blankets, and a heat lamp (he is babysitting the baby chicks!). 
  4. On Nov. 20th, Dick brought home some beautiful purple artichokes and some Brussel sprouts still on the stalk - from the Portland PSU Saturday Market (he is a vendor - still selling this time of year!)  for our Thanksgiving Meal.
  5. 100 new baby Roade Island Red chicks were shipped to us on Monday, Nov. 22nd.  They were to arrive on Wed., the day before Thanksgiving. 
  6. On that Wednesday, at 7:30 am, I got into my Eskimo gear, drove on icy roads to the Post Office, seven miles away, and the chicks were not there.
  7. Dick called the shipper.  The truck broke down on Monday, and the chicks were transfered on an Express Mail Truck.  There is no such thing as Express Mail where we live.
  8. Our Haines PO lady called the Pendleton Post Office - the nearest Hub.  Nope.  No Chicks.  I called the Pendleton folks.  Express arrives at 10:30am, or 8:00 pm or 10:00 pm.  This lady was no lady when I talked with her.  Grump!  Gave her my phone number and asked if she would call us at 10:30 am.  She never called.
  9. At 11:00 am, since no call, I called the Pendleton office, again.  A man answered.  I shared our story.  He was very sympathetic.  He took my number, and called Portland, the other stop for Express before coming to Pendleton.  He called back. The chicks were in Portland!  Next step:  To Pendleton, and arrive at 10:30 pm.  For us? We had to drive to get them. Over two mountain passes.  In frigid weather.  But, the clearest night of the week!
  10. Still Wednesday. I did our Thanksgiving Meal shopping.  Home at 5pm.  Made a nice dinner of lamb chops, artichokes,and  rice. Movie Night. National Treasure.  Hmm.. almost as good as Thanksgiving!
  11. Pendleton is 1.5 hours away.  Dick and Sami left at 9:15 pm.  I took a nap at 8pm and woke at 9pm stayed up - to be their support.  I cleaned the oven, set the Thanksgiving Table, drank coffee, finished a layout, and blog surfed.  I actually saw Tim's big announcement!!!!!  At 12:07am!!!!  Me!
  12. At 11pm  Sami called.  They had the chicks and were on their way home! (Reminder:  There is a whole story about there trip - to be written)..
  13. At 12:30 pm they got home. Dick set the chicks up in the barn with food, electrolites, and a heat lamp, and Earnest - their babysitter.
  14. All to bed.  I wore a beanie - our room is the coldest in the house. My daily attire now includes long under gear.  Night-time includes socks in bed!
  15. Thanksgiving Day:  We all slept in! Tired.  At 7am I made a big breakfast of bacon and eggs and mexican rice for the crew.  I stayed in the kitchen most of the morning!  Dinner was at 1pm. 
  16. Our dinner?  A true bounty.  Leg of Lamb (ours), brussel sprouts, garlic mashed potatoes with cream cheese (yummmmm!), salad, Sami's pumpkin pies, relish plate of pickled Okra, pickled baby corns, olives, and pickles from the Portland market.  Special drinks:  Cider for the kids, fancy wines for adults!
  17. Appetizers and drinks and Poker until dinner was ready. 
  18. Naps until 4pm!
  19. Chores. Poker. Leftovers. Pie.  I just had pie:)
  20. Around the table giving thanks?  Food and a warm house.  Unanimous!

2 comments:

Karen said...

You have had an eventful Thanksgiving, for sure! I enjoyed the chick updates that were coming in. :> Sami's pie looks delish and what a proud Mama you must have been that she wanted to do it all by herself. Speaking of baking, that orange measuring cup....we had the same set, in yellow, growing up. Hope you all stay toasty warm (was Sami using a Christmas blanket on her lap in that pic??...are your decorations coming out?) through the freeze & winter! We're definitely no where as cold as you, but its been in the low twenties at night this week and for around here, that's cold!! Happy Thanksgiving, Andi! :>

Suzanne C said...

Beautiful posts here and on the ranch blog. LOvely reading about your Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving.

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