Plenty of Thanks

It smells divine all over America right now. Thanksgiving is simply wonderful. I'm at the in-laws this evening starting the turkey brine in a 5-gallon hardware bucket, roasting garlic for the mashed potatoes, boiling cranberries for the perfect sauce, cutting butter into flour for a flaky pie crust, and looking at fun blogs with my sister-in-law in between. I'm not feeling as poetic this year as I have in years past. But still, I'm brimming with thanks. For everything. Including but not limited too; seat heaters, a good jolly belly laugh, the opportunity to be back in school for a short time, jeans on sale, my fairy godmother, those little red and white gum drops from Whole Foods, my family - both sides, new snow tires, and a snugly husband. And that's just the tip. Happy Thanksgiving!

There is beauty all around

I don't know why, but the sunsets during this time of year are truly unbelievable. I'm talking out of this world color and crazy on fire beauty. I love to sit in a trance and watch the day fade away to black and the valley lights emerge in a twinkle. Proof. Here are a few shots taken by BD from our balcony over the last couple of weeks. These are legit cross my heart, hope to die straight out of the camera.

 

This week has been jammed packed with highs and lows. Thankfully, more highs than lows. Due mostly in part to the people who keep me motivated in the right ways and the people that keep me grounded with everything else. My soul is warm. Tonight we are baking homemade pizzas with friends and tomorrow we get to repaint the bathroom for the third time this year. What?

New Mugs

Want to know what you get when one of your besties is a profesh photographer? Results. Plain and simple. I love the way Jessie captured all of us in the candid shots. I also love BD's family more than life. It was a whole new ball game for us trying to get the wee-ones to smile on que, but you would never know it by looking at them. We really have the cutest niece and nephew in the world. Just sayin.