Turkey, Pumpkin Pie, and . . . Pot???

Greetings all.

As it has been some time since I last posted (per usual) and as much has happened in the interim, I'm tempted to jump right into a few random reminisces. However, I hate to prolong anyone's agony of suspense over my. . .unusual. . .title. On the other hand, postponing satisfaction will guarantee that you continue to read. So, first about MY Thanksgiving. . .which did NOT include any pot other than the metal kind you cook in.

(On a side note, Kevin just brought me a wonderful mug of homemade apple cider. I have discovered he has quite a talent for making it just right. . .very impressive.)

During the course of Thanksgiving week, I baked an 11 pound turkey, 3 pumpkin pies, 2 chess pies, and 2 batches of Pumpkin Nut biscotti. The turkey was fabulous, thanks to the modern invention of pop-up timers (in spite of which convenience our small group was duly impressed). The pumpkin pies (made, of course, with freshly steamed pumpkin) were delectable. The chess pies were oh-so-sweet, although most of the family liked them (I did not). The Pumpkin Nut biscotti, also, was a family hit (albeit my slight indifference; I did have great fun freshly grating the nutmeg to go in them. Have you ever seen the cross-section of a nutmeg? Pungently aromatic, it's laced with dark brown streaks - very pretty).

It was great to have all the family together again, emigrants and immigrants alike. We played games until the wee hours of the morning, and no one ever became cross, snippety, or umbrageous (That's my new word. Do you like it?)

We returned home Saturday evening, had a fairly lazy Sunday. . .during which I did far less work than I should have, considering that I did no school work the previous 4 days. . .and returned to normal activities yesterday. Other than being rather cold, school has gone well so far this week. Perhaps the break did everyone good. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to Christmas Break.

In our small group tonight we began a book by O. Palmer Robertson entitled The Christ of the Covenants. It promises to be deep and insightful, generating much discussion and exploration of related topics. I'm looking forward to continuing.

That is all my news, I suppose, except for the long-awaited explanation of my intriguing title:
At the end of the day yesterday, I was sitting at my desk with my classroom door still open. I heard a student in the hall laughingly telling a friend about her family's Thanksgiving. They apparently had a bonding session, sitting around smoking marijuana together. Hooray for healthy family traditions!


Oh, I can't end on that note. It's dismal. One last random tidbit. . .
this Saturday, my grandparents are coming up with their seniors group from church to visit some sites in Tulsa, after which they're coming over for coffee and biscotti. I'm terribly excited. . .I get to play hostess twice in 5 days this week! (Next week is our week to host our small group.) Biscotti is my new area of baking exploration. There are so many different kinds; they keep very well; they're not extremely difficult to make; they afford an excellent excuse to have gourmet coffee! I haven't chosen a recipe (out of my 50 Biscotti Recipes book) for this weekend yet. Perhaps I should try 2 varieties. . .to provide for people's differing tastes, of course. I need to get some real creamer (we usually use milk) and some sugar substitute. And I think I'll draft Kevin to make cider for the non-coffee drinkers. That should do it.

Okay, I'll quit. I really must do a little work before bed.