Thanksgiving was wonderful- in fact the whole weekend has been. Extremely relaxing and got to spend time with some of our favorite people! After turkey we all wanted the traditional nap, that is everyone but Hannah. She taught her Uncle Tom how to use a cell phone! We did get a family photo taken. Saturday I got a haircut- wish I had done it before the picture!

We even pulled out some Christmas decorations today. That has been the great debate this year- do we or don't we decorate. Selling a house makes it so different from a home. We decided we would miss it if we didn't at least do something. We are definitely scaled back this year, though. Brought up one tree and worked on the mantle. Will have to take some pictures to share.

So much to be thankful for

Today is a day we stop to say thanks and there are so many things to give thanks and praise for. Family is at the top of the list. I am thankful to spend the day with my sons, their wives and adorable grandbaby! Distance separates other family members but not our thoughts of them. My daughter in law loves to cook and does it so well. She is our chef today and I can't wait! This is the first time in years I have not been in the kitchen cooking away for today.

Today is also a special birthday. My brother turns 50! Ironically he will probably look pretty much the same today as he and his wife are in the process of major home renovations. Happy Birthday, Mark!

This is also the day we try to take our "annual family picture." It has become a silly joke but I love every minute of it!

Still busy here and fighting off getting sick. My husband has had a really bad case of bronchitis and an eye infection for the past week and I DO NOT WANT IT! This is one of my favorite new past times- skyping. My son took this shot at his end of my grandaughter enjoying my peek-a-boo! What fun! Of course nothing beats seeing her in person but we have avoided getting her sick this week. This little tool softens the blow to moving- a very tiny bit!

Slowpoke

I am still really swamped between work and home but am going to take a few minutes to get to this.....

Vee invited me to participate in the Bookworm Award. Here is how it works: Pass this on to five blogging friends. (I'm going to change this to 3) Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56. Write out the 5th sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that...

The closest book to me is the Food Lover's Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst. I get a lot of Consumer Calls and use this as a quick reference as well as for questions I get for my newspaper column so it is usually close by. As for page 56..."the blintz is rolled to enclose a sweet or savory filling including cottage or ricotta cheese, fruit or meat mixtures. It's then sauteed until golden brown and served with sour cream." Not including the next sentence as it is on bloaters (herring)! I do love blintzes, though!

Let's see if any of these bloggers want to play:

Kristine at These are My Words

Robin at Bittersweek Punkin

Donna at Cottage Days

21 in 3

Twenty one houses in 3 days and I am exhausted. We have a great realtor that we are working with but at this point I am getting all of the houses mixed up- except for my top 3! Gotta get this one sold first! Open house on Sunday so keeping my fingers crossed. Got home and realized that a blog I enjoy -Daisy's Little Cottage- is gone...so sad. Darly, where did you go?

I will get back to blogging this weekend.
Sue

Misinformed

OK...thought I would switch to 'homekeeping' issues but just can't seem to shake these election results. We are going away this weekend to look for our new home so perhaps next week I will have something along that line to report but for now it is just life as I see it and live it that I have to share.

I stopped at Ulta last night and ran into someone I know through my job. She is a childcare center director and commented on how they are going to miss me once I move. She asked if I had a job lined up and I joked, "Now that Mr. Obama is in I may never have to work again!" She laughed and said, "Don't get me started I am so angry right now." We stood in the middle of the store for about 20 minutes discussing the future of our country and the stupidity of Americans. She actually had an employee say, "I am so excited now that Obama is in I am going to get a pay raise!" How misinformed our youth are! From where will this raise come? Thin air? You don't manufacture money with a new president. This is why some folks voted for him. The fact is that she will probably be losing her job.

I teach at various centers in our area and every one I have been to lately is at the lowest enrollment point they have ever been at. People are out of work or are finding cheaper alternatives for childcare-neighbors and grandparents. They are not opting for center care. If Obama can put universal preschool in then these childcare providers may get raises but many will not meet the educational requirements to get the government funded jobs. I have been in the early care and education field for 30 plus years and there is NO WAY I want to see universal preschool. Children thrive best in a loving home environment with a constant caregiver who loves them and meets their every need. Yes, there are some excellent childcare facilities and caregivers but the minute the government gets involved, that loving homey feeling evaporates. It is replaced with bureaucracy and paperwork. Most funding goes to support administration of such programs. And it ain't cheap and guess who will be footing the bill...........YOU AND ME!

Obama workers want to be paid!

Did you read the story about the Obama campaign workers in Indianapolis who were upset about not being paid? I am upset about how they were told they were being paid- in prepaid VISA cards!!!!

We had a local employer try to do that to his staff. Rather than raises he gave gift cards in paychecks. This way he avoided payroll taxes and earned perks for purchasing the cards. NO, NO! I advised the staff who reported it to me to contact wage and labor and if they wanted they could forwarn him and give him a chance to mend his ways.

Interesting how Obama has figured out a path to avoid taxation while planning to stick it to the rest of us! Someone had initially commented on this article that you can't expect a paycheck right away, it takes awhile for checks to be processed. When you have never held a real job you don't understand that and I think that is why these workers did not understand the system or that the payment method is extremely questionable.

And now for a beauty break......

Just look at this innocence. She takes away my blues with her simple smile. Each day I pray that our country can straighten out for her future. I pray too for her parents and their ability to choose how she is educated. I fear that that the right to homeschool may be taken away from them.

History is made!

Hmmm...so what is everyone thinking about the biggest post election slump in history for the stock market??? Guess Obama will have a rude awakening when he has to move from campaigning to figuring out how to REALLY solve the economic woes. Oh...but what is this I hear, he is going to have a very long honeymoon period from the press?? They are not going to pressure him for a while....I don't think they ever have!

A sad day in the USA

Our country is in distress and half the population does not know it. They will. The other half of us are going to be working to pay for their entitlements. I am going to do my best to be civil and hold my thoughts in prayer. The disrespect and treatment Bush has received has been disgraceful. I am going to try and be bigger than those who publically bashed our president. But showing any sort of respect to a president who has publically bashed our country will be very difficult. I am very disappointed in my fellow Pennsylvanians. I believe we have all become too lazy and life has become too easy that people don't even know how to sit back and look at the issues with a non-partisan eye and a total brain in check. Everyone feels entitled to everything. Sacrifice is no longer the word. (When welfare recipients spend more on their hair and nails than I who works do, there is a problem.) Tears are shed for the damage that will not be undone for a life time once those new Supreme Court Judges are chosen. My grandaughter will have challenges ahead of her that I never dreamed could come to fruition in this great country.

Today is the day

I woke up this morning with nervous anticipation about today's election. I pray that those who vote do so with understanding and discernment but I fear there is not much of that left in this great country. I also have to keep reminding myself who is in ultimate control. No matter what the vote decides, my God reigns and He will be with me longer than any candidate who is selected.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

I can't believe it has been 2 years!