After Action Report

A Wonderful Time was had by All!


Oh, I guess that's a little skimpy on the details, huh?
I was running late, so when my Angel Baby Girl {it's a niggly little detail that she's 26} called around 10:30 and asked if I needed any help, I desperately cried, "YES!" She and her Sweetie showed up soon after. The Son, who had arrived about 6 am after he got off work at 3 am, was taking a nap. He got up, so Sweetie and Son got to work putting the big dining table together in the living room to seat 10 people. First, though, they had to move the little table into the kitchen.
We used the little table as a work surface aand then as a serving platform after all the food was ready. And the FOOD! OMG! My Bro and his wife brought so much more than I had expected. They were supposed to bring the turkey and garlic cheese biscuits. They brought those. But they also brought a HUGE bowl of dressing, HOMEMADE cranberry sauce that was perfectly divine, and some flatbread that I can't wait to get back into today! It was rich and crunchy and had parmesan and mayo and I don't know what else, but I want some more and I'm gonna tie my SiL down, if I have to, to get the recipe. They also brought Ice and soft drinks and DosEquuis.
The ABG and Sweetie brought ice, potatoes for mashing and all the stuff that makes them GOOD, and Shiner bock.
Son brought the stuff for green bean casserole and the pan I gave him last Christmas to cook it in.
My two neices from Houston, Pie and Puddin', brought ice, Champagne, OJ, and Cool Whip. Puddin helped with the clean-up as ABG, son and I cooked.
I made the Oreo Pie after I got the 4.5 dozen yeast rolls in the pans to rise. Then while ABG and Son made the filling for the 2 Pecan pies, I made the crusts. Then ABG made the dough for the crusts of the 2 Pumpkin pies. I rolled them out while she and Son made the filling.
I had made the 2 kinds of sweet potatoes Wednesday night, and gottne the dressing mostly ready, as well. So Thursday I added the veggies to the dressing and then the liquids and seasonings. Then I could make the glaze for the Jalapeno sweet potatoes.
I had also gottne a ham at a local BarBQ joint. So the dearly beloved was in the kitchen slicing up the ham and turkey.

I think the hardest part of the day was trying to figure out what to put in the oven, when. But it all got put on the table in a timely manner and it was all either warm or hot, except for the ham, and I'd planned for it to be served cold.

Oh, I had another neice here, too! My neices from Houston are gifts from my Older Bro, who wasn't here, cause he's a Poopy head, and was more interested in goin' hunting, than coming up here. My Bro who was here is my middle Step-bro, and the third neice attending is his youngest daughter. She brought a young man with her! WhooHoo!

This was a very special holiday on so many levels. Let's see if I can remember all of them. It was the first time I have had any of my neices in my home for Thanksgiving, and I was blessed with neices from BOTH sides of my family {family of origin and Step-family}.
It was filled with laughter and love and joy from the time the first person walked in the door until the last one left 12 hours later. My chirrens jumped in and did everything I asked them to do and a good many things that needed to be done that they just took it upon themselves to do, like real grownups, without being asked!!! MY GAWD, they are such a blessing.
Everyone forgave me when I got stressed and bitchy and started snapping. I got a really cool door hanging from my Bro and SiL. It has holly leaves on it and it has the wish "Happy Holly Days". Since the only thing I collect are things "holly" it is the perfect gift!
After months of accidents and family illness and loss we are finally on the mend, so we have a lot for which to be thankful.
My Houston neices are supposed to come back over today after my ABG leaves to go to work on BLACK FRIDAY. She's a department head for a "major home improvement store chain", so her appearance at work today is mandatory, Poor Baby. Once she finishes school and starts teaching {like her cousin}, she'll be able to shop on Black Friday, in stead of work, just another reason to stay in school.
Son also had to work today. He doesn't work retail. He works wholesale. So he had to make sure that retail is supplied on whatever the Saturday and Sunday after Black Friday are.
The neice from my Step Bro, her nickname is Snooky, { I never use my Fam's real names here, in case y'all haven't noticed. Just a privacy thang.} had flown up from Fla. She works for NASA. There for a while we thought her Daddy had changed her middle name to "who works for NASA". Actually, we're all very proud of her. She's known since she was about 8 that she wanted to work with computers. She is currently going through a yearlong series of training programs so that she will be prepared to step into her position as, drum-roll, please, the second youngest Assistant department head at her branch of NASA. She will be 26 when she assumes the job as IT security AD. Nah, we're not a proud fam, not much.
She needed an assistant a while back. Someone who had really good "people skills". Snooky tends to be a bit on the "exacting" side, and her boss thought if she had an assistant to soothe ruffled feathers, things would run a lot smoother. Well, just so happens her oldest Sister has the best people skills of anyone in the family. She could charm the birds from the trees, then sell them a new set of feathers. Snooky wrote a job description that only Sister could fill and hired her. Now Sister works for NASA a semester and goes to school on NASA's dime a semester. She will have her BBA in 2 years. That's another girl we're all very proud of.

I wish my Stepsons could have been here longer. One dropped by on his way to work. He got the stuff for a couple of ham sandwiches and made plans for a movie on Sunday. The SNSS, already mentioned in this blog many times, had prior commitments, but came by on his way home. He and my teacher neice talked education while he had pie and coffee. She grilled him about schools and good neighboorhoods for a woman of her age and inclinations. I think they were both well entertained with one another.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, despite running late and some back pain, for 12 hours. I hope y'all had at least 1/2 as much fun as I did. I'm off to have some flat bread and pecan pie. Then I'm gonna start working on some photo albums!
If you've got shopping on your schedule today, you have my sincere wishes for a great parking place. Ask for the intercession of a fellow named Mr Cramer. He will help you get a good one. Remember, anything with "holly" on it is always appreciated here.