Countdown...

I am in Thanksgiving countdown mode. I have lists. A guest list. A grocery list as long as your arm. My "to do" list is blissfully short, because I have planned ahead and accomplished many pre-holiday tasks well in advance. Chris' list isn't horrible either, but he does have to tackle the grocery shopping, and unenviable task. Rachel and I will work tomorrow, (Saturday,) then have one day off. We groom all day Monday and Tuesday, then Wednesday we start cooking early and stay in the kitchen all day. It will be so much fun!

Sister Deb had the brilliant idea that I need to write down all the recipes for our traditional Thanksgiving feast. She has even made me a binder to house them all. She said the spine says, "Gather," and the cover says, "A Gracious Plenty." It will be fun to have all the recipes in one place, and when I am ready to pass the holiday baton to the next generation they will have the flavors they remember at their fingertips if they want them. Or they can re-invent the whole menu!

The donkey dentist came out yesterday to check on Abraham's tooth. She gave him a dose of fast acting sedative, and he stood like a champ while she poked and prodded.The good news is that the site of the partial tooth removal is healing nicely. The bad news is that he has fractured another molar on the other side. She suggested we check him in the spring, unless he shows signs of discomfort before then. Meanwhile, he is eating well, and seems to feel fine.  He is here on the left, with his companions, sporting blaze orange bandannas so some over-eager hunter does not mistake them for a deer, and soaking up the sun on a chilly morn. Don't they look like a contented crew?

In a happy spare moment today I got the little window candles out of storage. Rachel and I unpacked them, put fresh batteries in and left them in a huddle until dusk. Then I quickly screwed each bulb into place until it glowed. I scurried about with an armful of illumination and placed a candle in every window. Now they will turn on at the same time each evening, and turn off after 6 hours or so.The day was dreary and wet, the sky glowering and dark even early on. It was lovely to step outside at twilight and see the windows aglow.

I love this time of year. The coziness of home, the short days, the long comfortable nights. Holiday anticipation is richly engaging, and I am caught up in all of it, happily.