CLAY AND WATTLES

Thanks Giving

For family. Thanksgiving Day we met Amy at Cracker Barrell in West Memphis and ate breakfast with her. She had to work a half a day.

For safe travel. We got to Columbus to Sher's around 3:30 and Jordan was there, too. We ate a wonderful Thanksgiving meal and Sanctuary House's recipe soup - chicken/broccoli/cheese.

For Mama. She thought of us far ahead of time for Christmas. Sher had told her about these garden statuettes she had seen and said Mama called her back in the early summer, one night around 10:00 - late for her. "Go get those girls," she told Sher. "Mama, that's too much." But she insisted and Sher did and they were on sale by this time. Thank you, Mama, for a sweet Christmas gift - you knew your girls so well. Even down to the socks the "girls" have on... So we had Christmas a little early... It was time for Sher's girl to sit under the Japanese red maple she'd bought in Mama's memory and she didn't want me to see it before I got mine!

For trees and pretty garden things. And for Paul - who patiently (or at least most often wordlessly!) carries things for me, and will dig a hole for me for the lorapedalem tree I found at the nursery.

For pictures and memories. A collage I put together for Sher, for the spare bedroom which has so many of Mama's things, including the quilt she made for her (and was finished for her 50th birthday.)

For bargains at junk stores. I found this plate for the top of the refrigerator ($7.72). Sher got a huge bluey-aqua glass vase and I told her she'd find a place for it. (Now why I didn't take a picture of that is beyond me...!)

For small town main streets. I think this is Amory, which we drove through on our way to Iuka.

For homemade sausage and for caramel cake. Mama Nick gave us a whole styrofoam tray of it to bring home. This is the sausage she and Aunt Ginny get near Tishomingo, and we only get it usually at Christmas. This is hog-killing weather, though. Aunt Ginny had nearly a quarter of a homemade burnt-sugar frosting caramel cake left from Thursday and wrapped it up for me to bring home. She knows it is my favorite.

For Sher's cat she adopted from the Columbus Humane Shelter - Minnie, a black and white female who looks as if she's been drinking milk. I think they'll be good company for each other. (I hope someone adopts the little pug mix that was there - oh, those big round eyes! Made me hug Oscar closer!)

For rainy Sundays. Which it is today.

For naps. Which I will take when I finish this!

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A sad thing did happen on Thanksgiving Day - sad for those of earth that he left behind when God called him on to Heaven - John Tarbutton died before noon on Thursday. His funeral was Saturday. Our love and condolences to Donna and their families.