Thanksgiving Day

Yesterday was a huge cooking day for Rusty and me, so today was just a little less hectic than normal. That gave us time to slip over to Sissy's house for some Tom & Jerry's this morning before company arrived.

Our bountiful table included Aunt Joy, cousin Linda, Lindsay and Celeste.

My cousin Linda from Kentucky.

 Joy brought her old button box for me, which is filled with treasures from the past.  Back then, buttons were always removed from coats and dresses before throwing the items away in case the buttons would be needed again.

Celeste, as well as Lindsay and Anna and I each "had a go" at the button box.

Papaw and Celeste enjoy some of the treasures from Gigi's toy box.

Aunt Joy and Linda both enjoyed the charms of Celeste Joan White.

Celeste is playing catch with Aunt Joy.

After dinner, Anna and Jake joined the party for pumpkin pie and freshly whipped cream.

Linda has her eye on Rusty's pie.

Jake and Lindsay

Anna and Jake-just hangin' out.

Today was a beautiful day!  Rusty and I feel very blessed to have family and friends to share our lives.

November off to a good start

On the first day of November, the weather was beautiful so Rusty and I decided to get on our bikes again for a nice fall ride.

We drove to Davey, a tiny community north of our house to begin our ride.

We rode to Ceresco, another small community north on HWY 79.

A couple days later we hosted the dinner group (4 couples) for dinner.

We watched the end of the exciting NE-Michigan game before dinner.

Linda and Kathie catch up on "teacher stuff."

I'm not sure how it started, but somehow we got diverted into molasses sampling.

Wayne tries a spoonful of molasses.

The elections seemed to be the only thing one could talk about for the first week of November.  I am so glad they are over!!  Peggy and I traveled to Omaha to the Bob Kerrey victory rally, which unfortunately ended in defeat.

Son Henry introduces his father, Bob Kerrey.

 On the 8th of November I rode the recently completed bike trail that begins just outside our back door.

I rode over 6 miles ENTIRELY on bike trails.

My ride took me over two interstates, 3 creeks, and multiple railroad tracks.  I was able to get to Lincoln's Haymarket area in about 30 minutes and not once be in traffic.
Life is Good!!!

I am only a third of the way through my newest book, Portraits of the Prairie: The Land That Inspired Willa Cather.  

Richard Schilling has painted watercolors of the Nebraska prairie and linked most of the pictures to quotes from Willa Cather.  I have always had an infatuation with the NE prairie, and each bike trip I've taken in the state has intensified that feeling.  I am practically drooling over each page in this book.

“As I looked about me I felt that the grass was the country, as the water is the sea. The red of the grass made all the great prairie the colour of wine-stains, or of certain seaweeds when they are first washed up. And there was so much motion in it; the whole country seemed, somehow, to be running.”—My Ántonia, Willa Cather