Thanksgiving

Table is set at Mary Grace and Ryan's 

All the Voda's came. Plus Candy and Lucy. We had 22 in all!

Of course the matriarch presided. 

Appetizers

Outdoor fun. 

Bubbles, chalk, badminton and cousins. 

Jacob provided background music. 

Ed filled his usual role. 

The groaning board. 

We all lined up. 

The Patrick's ran the kitchen with grace. 

Most of us at the table. 

Our just Desserts. 

Opa joined in. 

What else can you do with badminton racquets ? Make tons of bubbles. 

And he used a kazoo to make huge bubbles

Small bubbles for Liam. 

Karis

Lorelei with ponies. 

Next morning. I'm having dressing for breakfast and Toby wants some. 

Jerky

Ed had the urge to make jerky. He used to make it out of venison when he hunted 

Here are the ingredients. 

Beef roast 

Slice thin

After a day in the dehydrator. Everyone loved it. 

Getting ready

So...getting myself all psyched up for major dental work, I set aside the afternoon for recovery. I was so relieved when the doctor said all I needed was a little filling repair...no root canal at all. Went home and presently heard someone at the door. It was Candy with flowers  to cheer me and gin to anesthetize me. Ooops. They will be enjoyed anyway. Look at the size of that bloom.

 

G

 

Hopefully getting ready for a fire outside on Thanksgiving night, Ed and I sawed up fallen limbs in the yard. Recent storms had brought down several big ones.

 

On to Lowe's for a fresh firepit.

 

Truffles is looking forward too it too.

 

Bought 4 chairs, planted pansies.

 

Even got a cute firebox.

 

Candy was about to throw it out.

 

Halloween through All Saint's Day

 

I think I might start a new career as a professional colorer. Here is the result of a day of color therapy with Candy. The wine helped too.

 

 

Been checking on Patrick puppies and sending pics to concerned pet parents. You would think being in Ireland would take her mind off dogs.

 

I hope she had a great 25th birthday there.

 

Had fun Halloween night in Candy's front yard. Neighbors and friends but almost no trick or treaters.

 

Ivy with old friends Taylor and Jessie home from college.

 

so cute.

 

Brody was trying out his costume for me.

 

He was a giraffe.

 

Next day was All Saint's Day.

 

A little sad as we remembered church members who passed away this year.

 

We had two Ellis in the group with Irene and Ruby. Much missed Aunts.

 

Other names were pinned to a banner.

Sewanee finale

 Here is the cemetery tour. The old gate welcomes us in.

 

 

I'm likin these lichens.

 

 

The afternoon light was so pretty.

 

Part of the Kirby-Smith plots. They use natural stones from the surrounding mountains.

 

A grandaddy long legs was sunning.

 

Loved the moss on this one.

 

Chris standing at the foot of the Kirby-Smith area.

 

The sky was so blue.

 

This was one of my favorites.

 

This is one of my last shots of our leader. We had a late lunch at the Pub. That is in the basement of the student union.

 

After a visit to his dorm, work place and a few other sights we headed to the hotel, exhausted. We were too tired to go out to eat so we ate snacks in the room and sipped a bit of Bombay Sapphire.

 

Our resting was disturbed by a girl's soccer team that moved in to the rest of our hotel floor. They were laughing and yelling and playing hide and seek. Candy called to complain that we could not sleep with all that racket. We felt a little sheepish when we looked at the clock and saw it was only 8:30!!!!  Oops, we are getting old.